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History repeating itself?

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Head Coach
Oct 14, 2007
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Omaha
I could.have posted this in numerous threads but started another.

When this staff was hired, there were comments made about tailoring the offense this year to the talent on the team. I was confident this staff would hopefully not repeat mistakes made by past staffs.

I've posted here before, that the one thing about the 2004 season that pisses me off to this day is the USM loss in game 2. Cory Ross had 169 yards rushing on 27 carries for over 6 yards a carry. We lost that game 21-17. How do you lose a game when you have your running back go for 169? Well, Callahan was hell bent to show Nebraska could throw the ball.......42 times. Joe Dailey threw 3 picks, which lead to USMs 3 TDs. Absolutely should not have lost that game, but we did. I sat in the stands absolutely dumbfounded how it was given away. At the end of the season, that game cost Nebraska its bowl game streak.

Fast forward 13 years. I expected Nebraska to be 2-2 at the beginning of the season. Last week I said I was praying for 4 more wins so we'd be bowl eligible, because this program needs the extra practices a bowl appearance will provide.

Yesterday, in swirling wind conditions someone be it MR or DL was hell bent to throw the ball 31 times in a stadium with swirling wind conditions. We completed 10. Afterwards I hear, "It's hard to convert a first down if you run the ball 3 times in a row? So it's easy to convert throwing the ball at about a 30% clip? We potentially had a break out game for a true freshman running back, but for some reason we didn't ride the hot hand.

We needed that game yesterday. Badly. Now we have to win 4 of the last 7 just to do what any respectable team should be able to do, go to a bowl game. That will not be an easy task. If we end up 5-7 and miss a bowl appearance I'm going to be livid!

I've been behind and supportive of this staff, but yesterday screamed to me that ego was more important than results. It was Callahan doing what he wanted again vs doing what was needed to win a very winnable game.

I still stand by that you can't blame many of the team issues on these coaches, but yesterday was inexcusable IMHO, and I just hope the coaches learned something from it.
 
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I could.have posted this in numerous threads but started another.

When this staff was hired, there were comments made about tailoring the offense this year to the talent on the team. I was confident this staff would hopefully not repeat mistakes made by past staffs.

I've posted here before, that the one thing about the 2004 season that pisses me off to this day is the USM loss in game 2. Cory Ross had 169 yards rushing on 27 carries for over 6 yards a carry. We lost that game 21-17. How do you lose a game when you have your running back go for 169? Well, Callahan was hell bent to show Nebraska could throw the ball.......42 times. Joe Dailey threw 3 picks, which lead to USMs 3 TDs. Absolutely should not have lost that game, but we did. I sat in the stands absolutely dumbfounded how it was given away. At the end of the season, that game cost Nebraska its bowl game streak.

Fast forward 13 years. I expected Nebraska to be 2-2 at the beginning of the season. Last week I said I was praying for 4 more wins so we'd be bowl eligible, because this program needs the extra practices a bowl appearance will provide.

Yesterday, in swirling wind conditions someone be it MR or DL was hell bent to throw the ball 31 times in a stadium with swirling wind conditions. We completed 10. Afterwards I hear, "It's hard to convert a first down if you run the ball 3 times in a row? So it's easy to convert throwing the ball at about a 30% clip? We potentially had a break out game for a free freshman running back, but for some reason we didn't ride the hot hand.

We needed that game yesterday. Badly. Now we have to win 4 of the last 7 just to do what any respectable team should be able to do, go to a bowl game. That will not be an easy task. If we end up 5-7 and miss a bowl appearance I'm going to be livid!

I've been behind and supportive of this staff, but yesterday screamed to me that ego was more important than results. It was Callahan doing what he wanted again vs doing what was needed to win a very winnable game.

I still stand by that you can't blame many of the team issues on these coaches, but yesterday was inexcusable IMHO, and I just hope the coaches learned something from it.
Exactly. Do you have any confidence these things will get fixed. I have hope but little confidence at this point.
 
I could.have posted this in numerous threads but started another.

When this staff was hired, there were comments made about tailoring the offense this year to the talent on the team. I was confident this staff would hopefully not repeat mistakes made by past staffs.

I've posted here before, that the one thing about the 2004 season that pisses me off to this day is the USM loss in game 2. Cory Ross had 169 yards rushing on 27 carries for over 6 yards a carry. We lost that game 21-17. How do you lose a game when you have your running back go for 169? Well, Callahan was hell bent to show Nebraska could throw the ball.......42 times. Joe Dailey threw 3 picks, which lead to USMs 3 TDs. Absolutely should not have lost that game, but we did. I sat in the stands absolutely dumbfounded how it was given away. At the end of the season, that game cost Nebraska its bowl game streak.

Fast forward 13 years. I expected Nebraska to be 2-2 at the beginning of the season. Last week I said I was praying for 4 more wins so we'd be bowl eligible, because this program needs the extra practices a bowl appearance will provide.

Yesterday, in swirling wind conditions someone be it MR or DL was hell bent to throw the ball 31 times in a stadium with swirling wind conditions. We completed 10. Afterwards I hear, "It's hard to convert a first down if you run the ball 3 times in a row? So it's easy to convert throwing the ball at about a 30% clip? We potentially had a break out game for a free freshman running back, but for some reason we didn't ride the hot hand.

We needed that game yesterday. Badly. Now we have to win 4 of the last 7 just to do what any respectable team should be able to do, go to a bowl game. That will not be an easy task. If we end up 5-7 and miss a bowl appearance I'm going to be livid!

I've been behind and supportive of this staff, but yesterday screamed to me that ego was more important than results. It was Callahan doing what he wanted again vs doing what was needed to win a very winnable game.

I still stand by that you can't blame many of the team issues on these coaches, but yesterday was inexcusable IMHO, and I just hope the coaches learned something from it.
Not to play the devil's advocate - but I don't see ego as the problem. One issue is that we did not retain a single coach to help with transition into the Big, so each week these coaches are seeing a brand new team & schemes. Can't be easy. And we were clearly out-coached yesterday. The saddest thing was Illinois looked as talented as we did: TA looked terrible and he got no help from Westy or Reilly, both of which had several drops. They knew it would be tough for us to pass and they loaded the box, our O-line couldn't move them (for the most part), bad clock management by TA and a horrible mistake by Gerry in the final seconds, and the rest is now history.
 
Not to play the devil's advocate - but I don't see ego as the problem. One issue is that we did not retain a single coach to help with transition into the Big, so each week these coaches are seeing a brand new team & schemes. Can't be easy. And we were clearly out-coached yesterday. The saddest thing was Illinois looked as talented as we did: TA looked terrible and he got no help from Westy or Reilly, both of which had several drops. They knew it would be tough for us to pass and they loaded the box, our O-line couldn't move them (for the most part), bad clock management by TA and a horrible mistake by Gerry in the final seconds, and the rest is now history.
They had success running the ball and went away from it multiple times. If it wasn't ego was it stupidity? Either way its not good.
 
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It is hard to explain. Preparing for another game perhaps, instead of the one in front of you? Baffling.
 
I still stand by that you can't blame many of the team issues on these coaches, but yesterday was inexcusable IMHO, and I just hope the coaches learned something from it.

Then you've learned nothing through 5 games. And I'm not surprised.
 
They had success running the ball and went away from it multiple times. If it wasn't ego was it stupidity? Either way its not good.
The key to a victory was right in front of them in the final minute. They had no timeouts and we had two downs to run and keep the clock moving. Under no situation should TA have thrown once let alone twice. Either way I slice it, it comes down to a stupid blunder (for the 2nd time this yr). We really should be 4-1 which is sad.
 
we will see if coaches learned something from that game. in the iowa against Wisconsin game. iowa threw for just 77 yards on 9-21. they ran for 144. this screams don't throw the ball 40 times
 
Run the ball on 3rd down. Next snap would have been around 10 seconds ether sky the punt, or have ta run around for the remaining time with max pro. If he got pressure throw it out of bounds game over
 
Exactly. Do you have any confidence these things will get fixed. I have hope but little confidence at this point.

I have no confidence whatsoever. With a new coach, I might, but not with this staff. Someone with as much experience as Riley should have learned this lesson long ago.
 
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