No improvement

[Red_Symptoms]

Last year we could hang our hats on playing everyone tough (I guess?). Where is that next step? Offense didn't look anymore impressive over the course of 4 quarters. As always, we had our moments of looking good and moments of wheels stuck in the mud. What is our offensive identity? Thompson looked great for one half, average the 2nd. Martinez had those games too. Running game, other than the big TD run, was bottled up.

The defense just looked flat out bad. Couldn't generate a pass rush and we were unwilling to blitz. It's pretty sad with how often we dropped 7 in coverage that they could get open receivers so often. 71% completion rate. Worn down and physically beat at the LOS in 2nd half. By Northwestern. Let that sink in.

Special teams looked better I guess. Other than the bad onside kick. Regardless of the correctness of the call (incorrect, in my opinion), he still kicked it almost right at the guy.

Where do we go from here? I don't see anything on the staff or field that makes me think this was a fluke. 4 wins looks really tough. Does anyone see any reason for optimism? How do you go a whole off-season and not have a better team that can at least beat Northwestern? If it wasn't for the transfer portal, we could legitimately be a 1 win team. The only playmakers (Thompson, Palmer, Grant, Garcia-Castaned) weren't even our own recruits. Where is our developed talent?

Sorry for the pessimism, but the reality of today's loss is just so depressing.

 

[thegwer]

Punting was spectacularl!

 

[BleedRed78]

Punting was spectacularl!

That and only one penalty was cool. Wish it meant something though

 

[rucker4]

That and only one penalty was cool. Wish it meant something though

Stop bitching. All you did was hail and praise everyone when Frost was hired. Own it.

 

[Hford]

I thought the offense would struggle early on this year, given all the new faces so I wasn't that disappointed there. Weakest link on the team continues to be the HC.

 

[thegwer]

The special teams and penalties improved. The team needs to find some urgency to beat down the opponent when they get a lead.

 

[Hford]

The special teams and penalties improved. The team needs to find some urgency to beat down the opponent when they get a lead.

Hard to do when your HC throws all your momentum away on a low percentage trick play.

 

[NU65]

Our defense does not tackle well or at all. NW offensive line absolutely stoned our d-line while our o-line got physically whipped at the line of scrimmage and I thought the secondary was supposed to be a talented group. After today's performance I no longer believe that to be true. I am also having some trouble coming up with six wins this year to become bowl eligible.

 

[Baxter48]

With all the new offensive coaches it doesn’t seem like anything has changed, running backs still had odd rotation
offensive line didn’t see any of them driving forward just standing up, receivers why again during crucial time did we have second unit players in ? This is typical frost blueprint and best of how to choke away a game.

 

[hephusker]

NW was needed to get to six wins. Season over - I think SF might be let go before EOY.

 

[Dean Pope]

NW was needed to get to six wins. Season over - I think SF might be let go before EOY.

If Frost is fired, he will certainly be fired before the end of the season. Just like his assistants were last year.

 

[JOHNNY N]

Stop bitching. All you did was hail and praise everyone when Frost was hired. Own it.

Own what?

 

[SickOfPractice]

"Does anyone see any reason for optimism?"

We continue to play teams close, within 1 score of pulling out a W.

 

[headcard]

That and only one penalty was cool. Wish it meant something though

Fix one area and another falls apart. So frustrating.

 

[bluehousekey]

Our defense does not tackle well or at all. NW offensive line absolutely stoned our d-line while our o-line got physically whipped at the line of scrimmage and I thought the secondary was supposed to be a talented group. After today's performance I no longer believe that to be true. I am also having some trouble coming up with six wins this year to become bowl eligible.

Defense was the biggest disappointment and surprise for me. Very concerning, was feeling like that would be a strength, boy was I wrong. Seeing those whiffs, missed tackles, out of position, gaps in secondary so receivers had no one near them. Yards after catch, yards after contact d line getting mauled. Lifeless

 

[WV Husker1]

We pay a special teams coach $400,000 to teach players how to fair catch. Busch did not bring in the two new kickers.

 

[JOHNNY N]

We pay a special teams coach $400,000 to teach players how to fair catch. Busch did not bring in the two new kickers.

You don't think special teams hasn't been much improved?

 

[dinglefritz]

Defense was the biggest disappointment and surprise for me. Very concerning, was feeling like that would be a strength, boy was I wrong. Seeing those whiffs, missed tackles, out of position, gaps in secondary so receivers had no one near them. Yards after catch, yards after contact d line getting mauled. Lifeless

We shouldn’t be that surprised that the D has struggled early given what we lost from last years D. We have a lot of new guys playing and a couple of them are new to Chin’s system

 

[BleedRed78]

Stop bitching. All you did was hail and praise everyone when Frost was hired. Own it.

🖕

 

[Lincoln100]

Stop bitching. All you did was hail and praise everyone when Frost was hired. Own it.

What does being excited about the hire have to do with today?

 

[RaulJones]

The offense has many new players and a new scheme.

That will get better.

The defense better get better.

 

[NebChicago]

Punting was spectacularl!

Punt U. Baby!

 

[Lincoln100]

We shouldn’t be that surprised that the D has struggled early given what we lost from last years D. We have a lot of new guys playing and a couple of them are new to Chin’s system

Yup. Run D certainly was going to drop off, but thought we would be okay in pass D.

 

[scarletred]

You don't think spealcial teams hasn't been much improved?

No return in the punt game so that isn’t any improvement.

Looks like we have a better FG kicker but he isn’t the standard were use to having.

Punting looks to be improved after 2 games.

Kicking the ball in the end zone has been another positive. No kickoff returns for TD’s either..

 

[oldjar07]

We shouldn’t be that surprised that the D has struggled early given what we lost from last years D. We have a lot of new guys playing and a couple of them are new to Chin’s system

Lol okay. It's college football, you constantly have to cycle through new players. It's not an excuse to suck early, especially when other teams seem capable of starting off firing on all cylinders.

 

[JOHNNY N]

No return in the punt game so that isn’t any improvement.

Looks like we have a better FG kicker but he isn’t the standard were use to having.

Punting looks to be improved after 2 games.

Kicking the ball in the end zone has been another positive. No kickoff returns for TD’s either..

That seems vastly improved from last year.

The return game still sucks, that's for sure.

 

[oldjar07]

We pay a special teams coach $400,000 to teach players how to fair catch. Busch did not bring in the two new kickers.

Exactly, complete waste of space if all we're doing is fair catching. I also don't like how often we're substituting returners. Pick one and stick with it.

 

[oldjar07]

That seems vastly improved from last year.

The return game still sucks, that's for sure.

Those two statements are mutually exclusive.

 

[WV Husker1]

You don't think spealcial teams hasn't been much improved?

The jury is still out on field goals, I firmly believe the kick offs and punting has improved, but if you don’t return punts or kick offs and just fair catch everything why would you turn around and state that Palmer, Grant, Belt and Martin are threats. Your just flapping your gums if you don’t block to get them open. Again it’s a line blocking issue.

 

[dinglefritz]

Yup. Run D certainly was going to drop off, but thought we would be okay in pass D.

Lost an NFL corner and a good safety replaced by ????

 

[dinglefritz]

Lol okay. It's college football, you constantly have to cycle through new players. It's not an excuse to suck early, especially when other teams seem capable of starting off firing on all cylinders.

Wasn’t offering an excuse. It’s called a reason but it doesn’t excuse the coaching.

 

[oldjar07]

Wasn’t offering an excuse. It’s called a reason but it doesn’t excuse the coaching.

It's a piss poor reason. Every other team has to deal with the same thing.

 

[huskercabby]

We pay a special teams coach $400,000 to teach players how to fair catch. Busch did not bring in the two new kickers.

What! He gets paid $400,000 to teach guys to fair catch. Unbelievable!