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Dirk Nails It

I amend my argument that the special teams coordinator has to be a dedicated position.

The staff needs some reworking, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Austin and verduzco definitely need to be let go. Lubick will probably leave on his own. He never stays at a job more than 2 years. I like an offensive coordinator who is also the quarterback coach. Those two need to be in sync like no other.

Chinander could take on another role such as safeties or take one of the linebacker coaching spots.

I don't think Frost will completely rework his staff. I'd love to see Trev bring in some consultants in the off season to work with the coaches and deep dive into the problems they're having.
 
This is a clear case of where the numbers don't lie.

Too many people get all ga ga over some highly rated punter and start to believe the press clippings only to see the same old problems.

I have said this before and stand by it, I think there is a house cleaning coming in the coaching staff. They have to bring in someone to work on STs and fix some of the other obvious problems. In my most humble opinion, Frost stays, but he will need to make changes.

And frankly who could argue with that?


Losing season and Frost is out imo. Doesn't get a shot to make changes.


Holla
 
We all know it. I appreciate when someone really digs into the data and extrapolates it in great detail. No one can spin this or explain it away. The sample size is large enough. This proves there is a major fundamental flaw in how they coach, develop and recruit.

We could be disgusted if we were middle of the pack in ST, but we are not. We are damn near in last place in ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Where's the accountability? I'm pretty sure the end of year evaluation touches on this.


Agreed the problem with most fans is that they only watch their teams. So they don't really have anything to compare their teams to other than teams they play on Saturdays. Stats like this shows where we relate relative to the rest of college football teams. Concrete numbers with plenty of sample size like you said. Not something most will even attempt to explain away. This is IN YOUR FACE and sobering to a fan of a team who didn't realize it was THAT bad.


Holla
 
I know there are other coaches that post here besides me, but in all my years coaching we have never done 1/3 of practice devoted to special teams, never.

Maybe 10 minutes at the start and 10 at the end.

I have a buddy that punted D1, he said he had to be on the field for the first 15 minutes, then he and the kicker went in and lifted and watched TV and they had to be back out for the last 15 minutes.

So either all the teams I have coached for have done it wrong or most teams just don't spend a ton of time on specials.

It is weird how bad they are. I don't get it.
 
That article is eye opening to say the least. Unfortunately I do not see where Frost and co can fix this mid-season. It will ultimately be his demise as head coach of Nebraska. His staff just isn’t equipped to get the job done.
 
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That article is eye opening to say the least. Unfortunately I do not see where Frost and co can fix this mid-season. It will ultimately be his demise as head coach of Nebraska. His staff just isn’t equipped to get the job done.
Bugs, I think you're right, other than it is possible SF survives. As a guy who likes to look at problems and offer suggestions, I think the ST is so screwed up that no way is it corrected this season.

I think the best NU can do is use your best PUNTER. Permanently remove CTB from PR. Concentrating on the kickoff and trying to explain how important it is to kick to the farthest 1/3 of the field so you condense the coverage area.

There's always the gimmick of a fake punt or field goal. As we know they can really blow up in your face.

I, like others on here, knew the ST was really bad, but the real numbers show this is a horrible part of the NU game. At the end of the day, SF has to answer for why he has allowed this to happen for 3+ years.

I know a lot of you on this board are or have been in the business world. If I were a District/Territory/Department Manager and called in to defend these results, it would definitely be a "resume generating event." End of story.
 
I know there are other coaches that post here besides me, but in all my years coaching we have never done 1/3 of practice devoted to special teams, never.

Maybe 10 minutes at the start and 10 at the end.

I have a buddy that punted D1, he said he had to be on the field for the first 15 minutes, then he and the kicker went in and lifted and watched TV and they had to be back out for the last 15 minutes.

So either all the teams I have coached for have done it wrong or most teams just don't spend a ton of time on specials.

It is weird how bad they are. I don't get it.
We always did about the same. I don’t think quantity of time spent is as important as quality. Are you scheming for you opponent or just running things through, going through the motions? Also, who plays specials sets a tone. You have to foster an atmosphere where your best players are fighting to be on those units. Even if you opt to play a backup, it sets the tone that these are just as important or more than the offensive and defensive units.
 
Gauging the play of your special teams is like a doctor who tests your blood pressure at a routine check up. It is never really about your blood pressure. It is an indication of other underlying issues.
Great analogy. A good doctor does those routine "tests", BP. looks you over, feels you up, looks in your mouth, hits your knee with that little effing hammer, etc. and with basic blood work that tells him or her pretty much everything that needs to be known. For instance, fingernails with horizontal ridges means something is nutritionally wrong or diabetes. Right now a doctor looking in our program's mouth sees a bunch of crooked teeth, bleeding gums and cheek sores.
 
We always did about the same. I don’t think quantity of time spent is as important as quality. Are you scheming for you opponent or just running things through, going through the motions? Also, who plays specials sets a tone. You have to foster an atmosphere where your best players are fighting to be on those units. Even if you opt to play a backup, it sets the tone that these are just as important or more than the offensive and defensive units.
Oh yeah, for sure. I just think some people think that special teams really gets 1/3 of practice time and I just don't think that is ever the case.
 
One thing worth pointing out is how many “other opportunities” could have won us some of the games with special teams blunders.

It’s important to recognize there are layers to peel off when discussing how we’ve managed to beat ourselves.

Wasn’t it Frost himself recognizing a couple years ago (maybe Northwestern) where we had about a dozen chances to win the game and making only one of those plays pretty much seals it for us.

That helps give the special teams problem scope and context, like @Pennsyhusker says ST is a symptom of bigger problems.
 
First, he needs to be smart enough to realize that the special teams is a problem. Then, he has to be smart enough to actually fix the problem. Maybe next year we'll get 'em fixed.
 
Sean Snyder will be available, unless the next USC coach retains him. Maybe we can offer him an actual coaching position this time, and not an analyst position.

It baffles me why we have a full-time Tight Ends coach and two Linebacker coaches, but no Special Teams Coordinator.
The 2 linebackers coaching situation has been a head scratcher for me since frost came, not sure he was just trying to throw ruud a bone or what but that is a wasted position, need to eliminate one of them or tight end to get a special teams.
 
One thing that Dirk didn't even mention is that our kickoff return game HAS to at the bottom of the power 5 all by itself.

Have we returned a single kickoff this year past the 25 yard line? Most of time we are inside the 15 yd line!

Just fair catch/down the kickoff and take it at the 25 every time until things get straightened out. Extremely easy fix that gets us safe extra yardage multiple times a game....It ain't rocket science!!
 
One thing that Dirk didn't even mention is that our kickoff return game HAS to at the bottom of the power 5 all by itself.

Have we returned a single kickoff this year past the 25 yard line? Most of time we are inside the 15 yd line!

Just fair catch/down the kickoff and take it at the 25 every time until things get straightened out. Extremely easy fix that gets us safe extra yardage multiple times a game....It ain't rocket science!!
I don't have any data, but it would be interesting to see how many kickoffs NU has received and what was the starting point for each drive. As you say 15 to 25 may put us in a position to miss another FG.

Also, less potential injuries. I agree, at this point, NU should just take the 25 yard line as a gimmee, and start the drive.

As a collective group, this board has made a lot of sense on this dismal part of the overall game.
 
Oh yeah, for sure. I just think some people think that special teams really gets 1/3 of practice time and I just don't think that is ever the case.
We were about the same. At the start of fall ball I don't even remember working on ST right away. We would go over ST, especially if we were planning something special, on Thursday walk through. This was all before Hudl.
 
We were about the same. At the start of fall ball I don't even remember working on ST right away. We would go over ST, especially if we were planning something special, on Thursday walk through. This was all before Hudl.
Right??

And kickers and punters did not even really practice.
 
Nailed it??? 😂 A bunch of garbage stats, and the typical condescending negative commentary that comes with this guys putrid writing. Never disliked a journalist more as a writer or human being.
 
Oh yeah, for sure. I just think some people think that special teams really gets 1/3 of practice time and I just don't think that is ever the case.
At my high school, we practiced special teams if there was time at the end of a practice. We were effing terrible.
 
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Yeah ST sucks, everyone knows that. But we're missing a lot of opportunities elsewhere that are critical to beating top 25 teams. If you look at Oklahoma's first two scoring drives, they shouldn't have happened. We had so many opportunities to get off the field on that first drive, but it didn't happen. Then on Oklahoma's second scoring drive, we had them in 2nd and 27 I think. 2nd and 27! On the next play, someone doesn't play their zone right, then Oklahoma converts the short 3rd down ultimately culminating in a touchdown drive. If we actually take advantage of these opportunities, Oklahoma should have been held scoreless until late in the 3rd quarter. How much of a boost of confidence would the team have knowing they're going into the 4th quarter holding Oklahoma scoreless and with a two score lead? That would be huge.

I'm not saying the defense is the only side who misses opportunities, quite the contrary. Winning teams take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. This is still a huge problem for us team-wide.
 
This is a clear case of where the numbers don't lie.

Too many people get all ga ga over some highly rated punter and start to believe the press clippings only to see the same old problems.

I have said this before and stand by it, I think there is a house cleaning coming in the coaching staff. They have to bring in someone to work on STs and fix some of the other obvious problems. In my most humble opinion, Frost stays, but he will need to make changes.

And frankly who could argue with that?
Not me!!! Very good points
 
Frost not getting fired after this season regardless. 100% zero chance Trev fires him after a year. No. Shot. Just not that type of guy.
Maybe. But who doesn't take their buyouts when they are fired? Maybe after the 2022 season.
 
Frost not getting fired after this season regardless. 100% zero chance Trev fires him after a year. No. Shot. Just not that type of guy.

Trev cut an entire program at UNO the same day they won a National Championship. I don't think he'll have trouble firing a coach who hasn't had one winning season in 4 years.
 
But he'll take his buyout.
Frost not getting fired after this season regardless. 100% zero chance Trev fires him after a year. No. Shot. Just not that type of
Trev cut an entire program at UNO the same day they won a National Championship. I don't think he'll have trouble firing a coach who hasn't had one winning season in 4 years.
youll see. He won’t fire SF under any circumstance after 1 year.
 
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After 4 straight losing seasons with increasingly more player talent? Than Trev doesn't give a rip about having Blue Blood status competing form championships.
That or you’re delusional about the talent he has, he inherited, or B1G athletics in general.
 
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Not in this circumstance. No. The situation you’re alluding to wasn’t his call at UNO.
 
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