Young players/Backups

[teachercd]

It’s really hard to fathom that Hickman (whose had a year) and Betts (who’s a freak) can’t start over the walk-ons we were trotting out yesterday. 

Yeah, I agree.  I mean, either the guys that played yesterday are really the best that they have (scary) or Frost is proving a point about practice being the most important thing.  Which I get, I really do.  But it is still eye opening to think that NU might have the worst group of WR's in the conference.  

 

[BigRedBuster]

Ok. Yesterday in the game day thread I was being hopeful that we would see some of our young talent at WR.  
 

We didn’t and that’s baffling and frustrating.  On paper, we have recruited fairly well the last couple years at this position. 
 

Why they aren’t seeing the field is so dang frustrating.  

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Ok. Yesterday in the game day thread I was being hopeful that we would see some of our young talent at WR.  
 

We didn’t and that’s baffling and frustrating.  On paper, we have recruited fairly well the last couple years at this position. 
 

Why they aren’t seeing the field is so dang frustrating.  

Benning (on BRO) made references that Manning and Fleming aren't doing what they need to do in practices and other areas to see the field.  It sounds like those guys are trying to get away with things that aren't accepted by the coaches.  I understand we want talent on the field, but if the coaching staff has certain guidelines to establish the culture of the team, all of the players need to follow those guidelines.

Hickman and Brown missed the last scrimmage before the season with injuries, so they may not have been fully ready to go.  Betts is still learning the offense, which can be challenging for a true freshman, especially with the changes in training camp and practice times this season.

 

[Stumpy1]

I think Frost puts to big of an emphasis on blocking when it comes to the receivers and that is why we are starting/playing walk-ons instead of the multiple 4* receivers we have recruited the last few years.   Our walk-ons besides Warner played small town football and were probably already used to blocking a lot.  The other receivers we have brought in played in systems that probably didn't really require them to block.  

 

[BIG ERN]

They have to get a chance to play to see if they can be good. Been a big issue since Frost arrived. Playing older guys and since this year doesn't count I'm afraid I'll see a few SRs start next season when they shouldn't. 

 

[Husker03]

They have to get a chance to play to see if they can be good. Been a big issue since Frost arrived. Playing older guys and since this year doesn't count I'm afraid I'll see a few SRs start next season when they shouldn't. 

Disagree. You can't hold everybody else on the team accountable and then let a player here and there get by with not doing what is expected of the team.  Doing so may allow for some immediate benefits but will erode the long term confidence in the rest of the team. I am sure Frost is pulling his hair out wishing his stars would just do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it, but he can't cave or he looks a fool to the rest. It is his job, however, to figure out how to get them into the fold. Sounds like he is doing that, but you can't just throw out the fold because it is the easier route. We weren't winning the OSU game no matter who was out there running routes this week, and if this is what it took to "punish" the non committed and also to show the rest of the team the iron backbone of the leaders of the program, best decision of the decade imo. 

 

[BIG ERN]

Disagree. You can't hold everybody else on the team accountable and then let a player here and there get by with not doing what is expected of the team.  Doing so may allow for some immediate benefits but will erode the long term confidence in the rest of the team. I am sure Frost is pulling his hair out wishing his stars would just do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it, but he can't cave or he looks a fool to the rest. It is his job, however, to figure out how to get them into the fold. Sounds like he is doing that, but you can't just throw out the fold because it is the easier route. We weren't winning the OSU game no matter who was out there running routes this week, and if this is what it took to "punish" the non committed and also to show the rest of the team the iron backbone of the leaders of the program, best decision of the decade imo. 

Who isn't doing what is expected? Alante Brown doing things wrong? Maurice Washington played last year and he was a bone head. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Who isn't doing what is expected? Alante Brown doing things wrong? Maurice Washington played last year and he was a bone head. 

Manning and Fleming aren't doing what is expected.  Mo was a knucklehead and was benched at times, until he went too far and was dismissed from the team.

Brown and Hickman were trying to overcome injuries sustained in training camp, and they missed the last major scrimmage.  Betts is still trying to learn the offense, but could be coming on soon.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Benning (on BRO) made references that Manning and Fleming aren't doing what they need to do in practices and other areas to see the field.  It sounds like those guys are trying to get away with things that aren't accepted by the coaches.  I understand we want talent on the field, but if the coaching staff has certain guidelines to establish the culture of the team, all of the players need to follow those guidelines.

Hickman and Brown missed the last scrimmage before the season with injuries, so they may not have been fully ready to go.  Betts is still learning the offense, which can be challenging for a true freshman, especially with the changes in training camp and practice times this season.

I agree. It’s frustrating that they aren’t doing what is required.  

 

[BigRedBuster]

They have to get a chance to play to see if they can be good. Been a big issue since Frost arrived. Playing older guys and since this year doesn't count I'm afraid I'll see a few SRs start next season when they shouldn't. 

Disagree.  You have to have a culture of working hard and accountability. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

think Frost puts to big of an emphasis on blocking when it comes to the receivers

Disagree.  Bad blocking from WR is what we saw last year and it sucked.  They need to play the entire position.  Not just the glory of catching passes. 

 

[Stumpy1]

If Frost expects our receivers to block like Osborne's receivers back in the day then we will never have a legit passing game.   I agree that they need to block to help out our running game and the 10,000 sideline passes we seem to throw but we are really limiting our offense as a whole if our faster receivers aren't playing because they aren't the best at blocking.   If we want to start beating some of these better defenses then we will need to start throwing down field and opening things up.  

 

[ColoradoHusk]

If Frost expects our receivers to block like Osborne's receivers back in the day then we will never have a legit passing game.   I agree that they need to block to help out our running game and the 10,000 sideline passes we seem to throw but we are really limiting our offense as a whole if our faster receivers aren't playing because they aren't the best at blocking.   If we want to start beating some of these better defenses then we will need to start throwing down field and opening things up.  

Yes, there needs to be a balance of blocking WR's and the more talented WR's who are able to make plays in the passing game, especially down field.  If you look through this thread, the WR's who didn't play much is not necessarily because they aren't good blockers.  There were guys coming off injuries and some disciplinary issues, as well.

 

[DefenderAO]

Are the likes of OSU just getting the more talented kids that are also better learners? Are their programmatic standards not high enough where their kids play early and ours are stuck with a dunce cap or cross eyed trying to learn the playbook?

The injuries are one thing, but I can’t believe the OSU, Bama, Clemson kids are that much more amenable to cultural adaptation or better at studying the playbook than our kids; unless the standards are just different or the playbook is too complex. I do agree Frost can’t make exceptions in behavior or you break a foundation. But there has to be a way to get the young talent on the field. Because what is happening now, through many of the current skill positioned players, isn’t working. 
 

NU looked different yesterday in a good way.  I liked more of what I saw than the previous two years. There are gaps for sure. But we have closed some other holes. What is going to be exceedingly frustrating is if lesser talented teams expose us in the same ways like Wisky and our DBs next week. Or stupid fumbles and penalties. Or getting beaten handily by a Penn State where we point to a loss to IU two weeks earlier and are sitting there confounded...

We need some big wins and improvement.  Can’t keep with the narrative of dumb mistakes that can be fixed etc etc. 

 

[Mavric]

Disagree.  Bad blocking from WR is what we saw last year and it sucked.  They need to play the entire position.  Not just the glory of catching passes. 

This is what people are missing.  I would like to see guys making big catches as well.  But that's 4-5 plays per game.  We ran the ball 36 times yesterday (probably skewed by lack of receiving threats) and threw it 20.  If we get bad blocking plays like McCaffrey's 47 yard run go for 6.