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“Iowa’s a bigger, stronger football team,” Frost said.

Not downplaying a great S&C program, certainly we need improvement there. But that doesn't make up for poor decision making and losey technique, overrunning plays, missing tackles with poor technique, no backside pursuit and leaving guys wide open too often. The stats don't lie about this D and there is a lot that nedne to improve there.

So if some on here think the OL improved
during the year, why didn't the DL do the same?
OL is OL and easier to adapt to scheme as blocking is blocking, whether it be run or pass pro, not so much for the DL as a 3, 4 or 5 man front are totally different formations and require different body types as the assignments in each formation are different. We don't currently have the body types or talent at DL and OLB for this scheme to be as effective as it should be.
 
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Yep....we want next years team of 17-20 year olds to NEVER make a mistake....

/s

But that would make some fans on this board totally miserable.because they would have nothing to complain about.....Laughing
say what you want, but, nevertheless, the coaches had the responsibility to learn the new rules and teach them. That is their full time job. They should teach them until they know the particular player that has to apply them, also, knows them thoroughly, and can apply them--by testing, as necessary
 
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Except for the left tackle Jackson, I never heard of any of them. And I do follow recruiting.
Recruiting rankings play a smaller role when it comes to offensive line performance. This line is rated as one of the best in the Big 10. They gave up the fewest sacks in the league.
 
Recruiting rankings play a smaller role when it comes to offensive line performance. This line is rated as one of the best in the Big 10. They gave up the fewest sacks in the league.

That's always been one of Ferentz's strengths. Get the kind of kids he wants and use S&C and coaching to mold them into an OL that works
 
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I listened to Jay Foreman on Big Red Reaction. Every week they give a grade to positions. I thought he was pretty harsh but accurate on his grading.

He was correct in saying that most of the time Coach Chinander had the right defense called. We just didn't make plays/tackles.
He needs to know who can and can't make plays, so apparently the right defense wasn't called.
 
Strength and talent is lacking. Name me ONE All Big 10 player on our D??? Maybe Mo Barry on 3rd team. That's it kids. Where's our Epenesa??? Serious talent deficiency.
That doesn't mean we have 4-8 talent on this team. That means we've had 4-8 coaching so far.
 
He needs to know who can and can't make plays, so apparently the right defense wasn't called.
Unfortunately, one of the missed tackles was by one of the baddest dudes on our team and leading tackler that day. Just a missed tackle
 
Not necessarily, a lot of it was lack of strength and conditioning and lack of accountability my friend...

The number of people who have no concept of how long it takes to change a culture, develop kids in terms of S&C, and have the kids master a scheme is mind boggling. Too much video games, not enough time playing and understanding football.
 
One turnover and about 4 1/2 minutes of possession time. Get those evened up and who knows, might have seen a Husker win. Only three penalties on the road and pretty much dominated the 4th quarter says this team is way better than the start of the season.

Lot of work to be done in the off season to be sure, but more improvement is coming for 2019.
 
I think this staff will get it right -That said people were looking for defensive improvement, there might have been a little but not a big bump from an historically bad defense last year.

I thought we would see more improvement than we did. When taking over a defense that is among the worst in the nation it's really all about effort and passion to get a big improvement. Perfect or really good not realistic big improvement from last year yes we should have seen it. I feel the defensive staff underperformed
 
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Kids make mistakes. It will always be that way. I think year two and familiarity with the system will afford the staff more time to teach and drill special situations to try to minimize mistakes-- but they will still happen from time to time.
Kids from a lot of other teams don't make mistakes like that. The mistakes we see from this team shouldn't be happening at such a high rate.
 
Yeah, Frosty's statement was refreshing. I like the truth.
Not downplaying a great S&C program, certainly we need improvement there. But that doesn't make up for poor decision making and losey technique, overrunning plays, missing tackles with poor technique, no backside pursuit and leaving guys wide open too often. The stats don't lie about this D and there is a lot that nedne to improve there.

So if some on here think the OL improved
during the year, why didn't the DL do the same?


It can be and IS a combination of both that need to improve. As well as recruiting. Its not all of any one aspect.

Holla
 
I think the defensive staff might have managed to get a bit better performance by taking some short cuts and modifying the scheme they want to run eventually. But, to do that would be playing guys in a way that's different than what they want to do in the future.

I don't blame them for tearing off the bandage in year 1 and doing their best to force people to learn things the way we wanted to for the future.

Anyway, I saw improvement in attitude and mental toughness, but it wasn't enough to overcome the physical deficiencies we have right now. We just aren't physically there yet. Even when we did pick the right gaps to fill (which wasn't all that often), we weren't physical enough to actually make the tackle. Arm tackles are arm tackles when so many of our back 8 are as weak as they are.

A year of S&C and more depth makes us able to make those tackles we blew all year. Another year in the scheme gives us the chance to make better decisions.
 
Line play is where we lose games. We just do not have the players up front on either side of the ball, but most visibly on defense. I think we are better than last year but there is still a ways to go.
DL and LB play left a lot to be desired. I turned to my brother after the 20th strong side draw by Iowa and asked, “Really?”

It seems like Iowa needed only 3-4 plays to run it down our throat.

Draw
Draw
Slant to TE if necessary

Yada yada.

I do want to add this note: Both Ferentzs molest collies.
 
The number of people who have no concept of how long it takes to change a culture, develop kids in terms of S&C, and have the kids master a scheme is mind boggling. Too much video games, not enough time playing and understanding football.


Pretty much like wrestling. You can be great at Folkstyle but suck at Freestyle and Greco. It isn't as easy as flipping a switch. Now, some can flip the switch but they are in the minority.
 
This year I thought 5 and 7. It was even worse. Next year I feel confident we will see 8-9 wins. The rumor was Tommie Frazier told Warren Sapp "It's not where I've been, it's where I'm going" or something to that effect. That's how we should all feel about the team's direction. If you don't, you're being willfully pessimistic.
 
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That's really it. Maybe JoJo can step up and be an all-conference type of player next year as well. If not for the injury, I think Honas could've had that type of impact next year as well.

Yep, Honas was just starting to come around before getting hurt. Good chance he'll be our next Murtaugh imo.
 
Line play is where we lose games. We just do not have the players up front on either side of the ball, but most visibly on defense. I think we are better than last year but there is still a ways to go.
We have the player's, we don't have them physically prepared. Truly the most disgusting attribute of Riley and his staff ... attention to detail.
 
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Nebraska defense yards per play:
2018 — 5.8 allowed
2017 — 6.3 allowed
2016 — 5.5 allowed
2015 — 5.9 allowed
Wow. I didn’t realize Frost’s defense was that bad.

He’s got a long way to go if he wants to beat Iowa. He has the talk, now hopefully we’ll see some results. And I’m talking like next year we need to see some results.
 
Wow. I didn’t realize Frost’s defense was that bad.

He’s got a long way to go if he wants to beat Iowa. He has the talk, now hopefully we’ll see some results. And I’m talking like next year we need to see some results.

More context:
2018 — Nebraska gave up 5.7 yards per play (tied for 65th of 130 teams; my previous post said 5.8, but this site has the updated stats and says 5.7).
Big Ten Teams
Michigan 4.2 (tied for 3rd)
Iowa 4.4 (tied for 7th)
Michigan State (4.5 (tied for 11th)
Penn State 4.5 (tied for 11th)
Maryland 5.4 (tied for 51st)
Northwestern 5.4 (tied for 51st)
Wisconsin 5.5 (tied for 57th)
Ohio State 5.6 (tied for 61st)
Rutgers 5.6 (tied for 61st)
Nebraska 5.7 (tied for 65th)
Purdue 5.7 (tied for 65th)
Minnesota 5.8 (tied for 78th)
Indiana 5.9 (92nd)
Illinois 7.0 (124th)

Nebraska's offense averaged 6.0 yards per play, tied for 27th nationally, behind B1G teams Ohio State (6.6 ypp), Wisconsin (6.3) , Purdue (6.3) and tied with Michigan (6.0).
 
The defensive line players were plenty strong enough. Their lifting numbers are on par with most B1G school lineman. They just did that crap halfway bull rush everytime and maintained gaps while doing it. Watch the osu players in the osu vs mich game. The defensive line had moves besides just the bull rush. Plus they could care less about a running qb and having to maintain gaps. They knew their bad ass lbs and safeties would fill
 
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Wirfs at RT was a 4* and an high school All American. Started most of the year last year as a true frosh.
Yes, didn’t he and a redshirting DL play in one of the clothing/shoe all America things? I think one or two of Iowa’s incoming lineman are too
 
One turnover and about 4 1/2 minutes of possession time. Get those evened up and who knows, might have seen a Husker win. Only three penalties on the road and pretty much dominated the 4th quarter says this team is way better than the start of the season.

Lot of work to be done in the off season to be sure, but more improvement is coming for 2019.
Iowa drove the length of the field and missed a fb in the 4th. They drove the length of the field and kicked a game winner in the 4th.
 
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Iowa drove the length of the field and missed a fb in the 4th. They drove the length of the field and kicked a game winner in the 4th.
So I guess they dominated the 4th more than Nebraska. Got it. Not really, but if you like to think that, go ahead. By the way, what is a missed fb?
 
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Wow. I didn’t realize Frost’s defense was that bad.

He’s got a long way to go if he wants to beat Iowa. He has the talk, now hopefully we’ll see some results. And I’m talking like next year we need to see some results.
Yeah that plus giving up a ton of 3rd and 4th down and long conversions makes for a very bad defense. There are other teams that give up a lot of yards but clamp down on 3rd downs and end the other team's possession. Our defense doesn't know how to do that.
 
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Yeah that plus giving up a ton of 3rd and 4th down and long conversions makes for a very bad defense. There are other teams that give up a lot of yards but clamp down on 3rd downs and end the other team's possession. Our defense doesn't know how to do that.

Yes, to me that stings the hardest. Our defense consistently fell apart on 3rd & longs all year long.
 
Iowa drove the length of the field and missed a fb in the 4th. They drove the length of the field and kicked a game winner in the 4th.

Tough for any defense to keep a team from playing 4 downs. Nebraska converted 4 4th downs, 3 of them 2 yards or more. Thought Iowa's D played a pretty good game. Probably get to pin ears back/anticipate some turnovers had KF kicked that FG. Frost so much as said the game was probably over if they take the points.
 
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Tough for any defense to keep a team from playing 4 downs. Nebraska converted 4 4th downs, 3 of them 2 yards or more. Thought Iowa's D played a pretty good game. Probably get to pin ears back/anticipate some turnovers had KF kicked that FG. Frost so much as said the game was probably over if they take the points.
So anyway, list the teams iowa will lose to next season, you must list at least 4 and can list as many as 8 ( we know the minimum number of losses will be 4 probably more like 5-7, but 8 is in the cards). I cannot see iowa losing more than 8 next season, but I could be convinced if you have a compelling argument. Go.....
 
Line play is where we lose games. We just do not have the players up front on either side of the ball, but most visibly on defense. I think we are better than last year but there is still a ways to go.
  • I agree about the line play BUT I think we have most of the guys we need. They just need another year in a real S&C program. We can build on the guys we already have with a couple of key recruiting additions.
 
Line play is where we lose games. We just do not have the players up front on either side of the ball, but most visibly on defense. I think we are better than last year but there is still a ways to go.

Been banging that drum for years that our OL and DL were woefully deficient compared to other teams. Just look at bodies of NU vs Iowa DL....
 
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