You are correctMost people were duped into thinking Riley came to to win, Riley told us what we wanted to hear. Bottom line the only reason Riley came to Nebraska was the big paycheck and that's the only reason
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You are correctMost people were duped into thinking Riley came to to win, Riley told us what we wanted to hear. Bottom line the only reason Riley came to Nebraska was the big paycheck and that's the only reason
I am surprised at the lack of success with bubble screens and quick throws to our wide outs.
Both should be blamed.but Coach Riley was killing it in recruiting!
And some are still blaming Bo?
lol
Of course the pace was a little slower for Troy than it was for Colorado because of who was at QB. But the run/pass mix was the same for Colorado as it was for Troy. I think Frost is buying too much into the "Your offense won't work in the Big Ten unless you run the ball". Either that or Martinez isn't the thrower he needs to be, in which case, we will be in for a long season regardless of who is at QB.
Troy did nothing but load the box with 8 or 9 and beg Nebraska to throw. If Troy can dictate playcalling, I am pretty sure the defenses in the Big Ten can and will.
As I have said before, when Frost is more balanced, it keeps linebackers and safeties honest. When linebackers and safeties have to cover in space on one play, then come up and fit in the run the next, then, using the same offensive formation, have them back covering in space, The defenders will be more fatigued than they are when they just fit a gap running downhill.
I understand what you are saying and u may be right. I think using Troy as an example is wrong though. You go from a playmaker at QB to basically a 4th string walk on. Of course your game plan is gonna change. It's supposed to .
Now the other flaw to your argument is that you are assuming all QBs are equal with the same skill set. They are NOT. So you aren't gonna get the same balance with a McKenzie or Marriota that you might get from a Gebbia or a Martinez.
Regardless of the offensive system you play it to the strength of your QBs. I gaurantee you if Gebbia was here and a starter you would see a different run/pass ratio than what Martinez has or what Bunch had.
So again you may be right about the balance thing being a strength. But at the end of the day you have to be able to play to your team/QBs strengths and away from their weaknesses.
One thing I think that would help a ton is if they got more speed on the field at WR. As good as Stanley and JD are I think the more guys who can threaten you deep.the more it backs safties off.
I think it's coming but guys like Hunt, Woodyard, and Williams are gonna have to prove they can get deep and house a couple. Against better teams we can't allow them to play us in a phone booth like Troy did.
Plus the margin of error will be smaller. Those 40 yard runs or passes need to turn into house calls. It's gonna be extremely hard to execute this new offense at a level where u have methodical 8-10 play drives for 75-80.TD drives . Gonna have to have some big plays.
Of course that means when we do get some one on one's outside we gotta take some shots.
Sorry for rambling.
Holla
There is this sentiment that Nebraska's issue is a talent issue. This is just not true. I think frost has even started the talent here is pretty comparable to at Ucf.
Now talent QB now maybe
We ran 10 less plays against Troy than we did against Colorado, against Troy we had the ball for 3 more minutes.
This offense is most effective when it goes at a faster pace and with more balance.
My opinion, in looking at the numbers, is that Frost is going away from what made his offense so great at Oregon and UCF.
I have posted the exact numbers before, so I won't do that again, but over the course of his 5 years as a play caller, he is about 53/47 run/pass in the 1st half of games and 62/38 in the 2nd half. He also runs 7-8 more plays per game in the 1st half than he does in the 2nd. So far this season, Nebraska is 70/30 run/pass in the first half and 60/40 run/pass in the 2nd half. The total plays is only about 3.5 more in the 1st half as compared to the 2nd half.
Just a little insight into the actual numbers.
Again Colorado wasn’t the “4th string walk on” it was the “hand picked chosen QB”. The mix in the Colorado game was even more run heavy.
Yes the run was successful in the 1st half but in the 2nd half we had 89 yards.
I don’t buy into the whole i depends on the QB skills argument. Regardless of who was his QB over the last 5 years, be it Vernon Adams or true freshman Milton, the mix was more balanced. His QBs were a threat in the run game, not the focal point of the run game. Typically not more than 9 carries per game on average. Martinez had 15 against Colorado to lead the team in attempts.
Just something to watch throughout the year.
of those 51 roughly half were walk ons. I don't think you're going to get much immediate help from walk ons. Unfortunately one of the guys "turned over" was the guy who was going to be our starting center and that has had a profoundly negative effect.Wait a minute. Hadn't the roster turned over like 51 players going into the Fall? Thought I read that somewhere. That's like....half the scholarship players. Shouldn't that be a factor in the discussion?
Again Colorado wasn’t the “4th string walk on” it was the “hand picked chosen QB”. The mix in the Colorado game was even more run heavy.
Yes the run was successful in the 1st half but in the 2nd half we had 89 yards.
I don’t buy into the whole i depends on the QB skills argument. Regardless of who was his QB over the last 5 years, be it Vernon Adams or true freshman Milton, the mix was more balanced. His QBs were a threat in the run game, not the focal point of the run game. Typically not more than 9 carries per game on average. Martinez had 15 against Colorado to lead the team in attempts.
Just something to watch throughout the year.
That's the truth. Losing Decker hurt, bad.of those 51 roughly half were walk ons. I don't think you're going to get much immediate help from walk ons. Unfortunately one of the guys "turned over" was the guy who was going to be our starting center and that has had a profoundly negative effect.
I don't think he had a walk-on QB (who was more realistically a 4th stringer) starting a game this early in the season for those teams. He was probably too cautious, but I can't argue in trying to get your QB into a comfort zone when he's a guy like Bunch starting his first game. Yet, despite that, we still should have won
What is your theory on the change in run/pass ratio?
Lack on confidence in the OL?
Lack of playmakers outside?
limitations of the QB's?
Change in philosophy at Lincoln?
Well I think you have to realize you have a true freshman QB who is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. Vernon Adams and Milton neither fit that description. Of course you are gonna run it more with him.
I understand what you are saying and in a perfect world you are right. But it's never that simple. To not take advantage of what he does best would be stupid.
You also are making the assumption that Frost is completely comfortable with Martinez's command of the passing game ALREADY . You bring him along and do what you do best and improve what you don't.
The Milton you see right now isn't the same one u seen game 1 with Frost. The same with Marriota and it will be the same with Martinez.
If you don't buy into what each QB does well will definitely influence how he runs this offense we probably just agree to disagree. I can pretty much assure you if Gebbia was the QB you would see a bit more passing and a lot less designed QB runs. Less zone reads and more straight hand off run games.
Why would you throw more with a QB who may not be able to execute that part of the offense at a high enough level yet. Or why call more designed runs/zone reads for a QB who isn't that good of a runner .
Of course the skill set of the QB hugely influences they type of game plan and run/pass attempts or balance u see in a particular offense. Not just this one...ANY of them.
Holla
I don't think that there is any question that Frost is aware of "run the ball guy". And over all we've run it very well most of the time. The problem at times is that the penalties and special teams have put us in crappy field position and down and distance situations.Personally, I think the "run the ball crowd" is in his head a little. I don't think it is lack of confidence in the OL, or else we would have seen playcalling that put less pressure on them with some quick passing.
You are correct
A good share of those losses weren't talent related. There is no way in hell that majority of those losses were a talent issue. Diaco gets credit for most of them last year and IMO the system reboot and QB injury get credit for these 2 this year. We've had as much or more talent than most of the teams we've lost to.As far as lack of talent, since the 2016 loss at Wisc, we are 6-14 and 1-8 in our last 9 games. Hardly a ringing endorsement of our talent level. Like many have said, we might have a few positions with great talent but backed up by not-so-great talent.
I don't think that there is any question that Frost is aware of "run the ball guy". And over all we've run it very well most of the time. The problem at times is that the penalties and special teams have put us in crappy field position and down and distance situations.
Well I didn't say that we ran the ball well ALL of the time. We definitely had our struggles at times but you could see the potential of the offense and anytime you run for 300 you're doing something right. Last time I checked if you run the ball for 3.9 ypc 3 times in a row, you get a first down....every time.I guess we will agree to disagree that we ran the ball very well most of the time. Against Troy we were 48 attempts for 187 yards or 3.9 ypc and the second half against Colorado we had 86 yards compared to the 236 in the 1st half. We ran the ball very well for 1 half or 4 halfs.
Opponents shut the run down by loading the box and against Colorado we didn't even try to pass the ball to counter it. We had 20 passing attempts in the first 57 minutes of the game. 11 in the first 30 minutes and 9 over the next 27 minutes. Then 9 in the final 3 minutes when Bunch was in and we were behind and needed to score.
Well I didn't say that we ran the ball well ALL of the time. We definitely had our struggles at times but you could see the potential of the offense and anytime you run for 300 you're doing something right. Last time I checked if you run the ball for 3.9 ypc 3 times in a row, you get a first down....every time.
The Milton in his 1st game he was 21 for 36 and the run pass ratio of 59/41.
This offense does not have the same feel that the UCF offense had even in the 1st year.
I see your point but you could have broken down our running game in much the same manner during Tom's tenure. Granted, we would have 5 backs with a 4+ average and we were MUCH more consistent, BUT there were always a few runs that would pad the ypc average and yardage totals. Obviously we are nowhere near that level now BUT IMO we're better than we've been for a while.I don't want argue semantics, so I will leave it with this.
A couple runs skew the average. Nebraska had 4 rushes for 65 yards or 16.2 ypc. The remaining 44 rushes netted 122 yards or 2.7 ypc. We struggled to run the ball against Troy and we struggled to run the ball in the 2nd half against Colorado. We had 236 yards at the half and 329 for the game. Not all of that was because Martinez was injured with 3 minutes to go in the game.
The Milton in his 1st game he was 21 for 36 and the run pass ratio of 59/41.
This offense does not have the same feel that the UCF offense had even in the 1st year.
He was doing well. He would've had a killer 2018 class had he not crapped the bed during the season.but Coach Riley was killing it in recruiting!
And some are still blaming Bo?
lol
I can agree that this offense doesn't feel like the one at UCF.
Simple question . Is it possible that Milton had a better grasp on the passing aspect of the offense than Martinez?
Is it possible that AM legs and explosiveness in the QB run game is much further ahead than Milton's was or will be?
Those things alone influence how u play call offensively. Not to mention confidence in your OL. The ability of your WRs to make plays or beat good DBs one on one. There are way to many other variables to say anything definite OTHER THAN Frost feels better about running the ball more than passing it RIGHT NOW.
Will that change as the season goes on and they become more comfortable with other variables? Or this simply what it's gonna be right now?
FWIW...I agree with your sentiments and I'd much rather see a 55-45 or 60-40 type ratio. BUT if you don't have the Joe's to do it right now I think you do what you feels give u the best chance to win all things equal.
Right or wrong I THINK what they've done so far is because they think it fits their personnel best.
Holla
Barry made a bone-headed play and was ejected (rightly so) for targeting. We could’ve used him in the second half.There's talent. What they don't have is depth. There are still several position groups where if you lose a guy or two, you're up the creek. QB is one, OL is another.
Did Barry get dinged on Saturday? Sounds like his absence was noticed when he left the game...
We ran 10 less plays against Troy than we did against Colorado, against Troy we had the ball for 3 more minutes.
This offense is most effective when it goes at a faster pace and with more balance.
My opinion, in looking at the numbers, is that Frost is going away from what made his offense so great at Oregon and UCF.
I have posted the exact numbers before, so I won't do that again, but over the course of his 5 years as a play caller, he is about 53/47 run/pass in the 1st half of games and 62/38 in the 2nd half. He also runs 7-8 more plays per game in the 1st half than he does in the 2nd. So far this season, Nebraska is 70/30 run/pass in the first half and 60/40 run/pass in the 2nd half. The total plays is only about 3.5 more in the 1st half as compared to the 2nd half.
Just a little insight into the actual numbers.
That is why I said it something to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Just for clarity, Milton started the season 3rd string behind a 3 year starter and a guy that was a WR the year before. So I don't know that his grasp of the offense was any better, or that he was necessarily a better prepared thrower.
I do believe that Frost went with Martinez over Gebbia because he was looking toward the future and not necessarily this season. I would bet that if Frost got to go back to 2016 he would have started Milton game 1 and taken his lumps.
My gut just tells me that someone is in Frost's ear saying things like you have to run the ball to win at Nebraska.
As I said before, I don't think this is a confidence in the Oline thing. If you don't have some sort of confidence in your Oline you don't line up and run the ball 67% of the time. If you are not confident in your oline you take advantage of the short and intermediate passing game and get the LB and Safeties out of the box.
Not doubting you, but how is this possible from a coach like Frost? I mean he's 1) 2017 COY and 2) he is given free reign to run his program however he sees fit. Why would Frost think he would have to do anything different than what he wants to do?Personally, I think the "run the ball crowd" is in his head a little. I don't think it is lack of confidence in the OL, or else we would have seen playcalling that put less pressure on them with some quick passing.
Osborne?Not doubting you, but how is this possible from a coach like Frost? I mean he's 1) 2017 COY and 2) he is given free reign to run his program however he sees fit. Why would Frost think he would have to do anything different than what he wants to do?
True, but I was surprised to see the last quarter of the Troy game. After all of the publicity about off season strength work and our renewed commitment to the run, I expected to see physical dominance by the second half — especially the fourth quarter. It didn’t happen, which is scary as we face the Big Ten.
Most people get their talent numbers from 247's composite. Generally this does correlate well for playoff contenders, meaning, Bama, OSU, Georgia, Clemson etc. are loaded with talent, but then you get anomalies like FSU who is 'loaded' yet they are awful, same with USC, Texas, Tennessee, and even Michigan has underperformed given they are top 10. I think after the top 4 the significance of 'talent' level drops off quickly and coaching is what matters most.
To put things in perspective Bama has 18 5* recruits and 51 4* on roster, OSU 7 5*, 56 4*. Georgia 11 5*, 43 4*. That is why OSU doesn't need a head coach to win, or Bama can switch coordinators every year and still beat everyone to within an inch of their life. The disparity is insane. Similar to the wealth distribution in the general population-it is all concentrated at the top. But after those few top teams coaching definitely is what matters most.