Can someone break down what the identity is here with our offense...I see ZERO creativity in our play calling...not one jet sweep or screen pass this whole game?
Offense Creativity?
- Thread starter chrsmneric
- Start date
Not sure which game you were watching but we ran jet sweep with Lindsey at least twice. Once was for 6 yards, the second was for -1. I seem to remember a sweep with DPE as well. And we did throw at least three screens, two outside and one inside. On one outside screen we gained about 2 yards the other got blown up in the backfield. The inside screen we ran Lee had the ball batted back into his face. We ran those plays, but Oregon was ready for them, that's why I'm guessing we didn't run them a ton.
I had a sketchy signal so I musta missed em...but sweeps and screens I guess isn't even creative as we typically use them, so I guess starting over, wheres the creativity?
I'm not an X's and O's guy, but IMO, the creativity isn't as much off of the play call as it is off of the deception at the LOS. Husker Chalk Talk is a great resource and would be worth a read because that's where my info is coming from. Bottom line, Riley and Langs design their offense off of pulling Olinemen. The commentators today even said as much. All season last year we had a pulling lineman 20 times out of over 550 plays from scrimmage. We pulled more in the spring game than we did all season last season. Same with last week and this week. I would say we pull linemen on roughly 40%-50% of our offensive plays. Go read the Chalk Talk blog on the Counter OH with a pulling guard and a pulling tackle and how they use that with a true counter, play action, jet sweep and a screen and you'll see where the creativity comes in. Riley and Langs are forcing the D to read the Oline, and if they miss the read (which they many times do with pulling linemen. It was well demonstrated in the 3rd quarter today) it creates big gaps in the D. There's plenty of creativity in the offense, it's just far more subtle than the double reverse flea flicker...
Keep this in mind. Football is a really simple game. The play in and of itself isn't necessarily creative. Sure there are some out there that are more creative than others, but in terms of a basic defense and a basic offense the plays are fairly similar. You can't just run creative play after creative play. You have to learn how to make your most basic play creative and that's what Riley and Langs try to do. A counter is a counter is a counter. A draw is a draw is a draw. A screen is a screen is a screen. Etc. It's how you line it up and disguise it that makes it creative, and that's why they use a base counter OH with pulling linemen. Because off of that one play they can come out in multiple formations, pull different linemen, and go with a straight run, a play action, or something off the corner like a sweep or a screen.
Here's an example. Say NU comes out with a single back, TE and 3 wide. TE motions, and the guard and the tackle pull. If the safety/linebacker is keying on the guard and sees him stand up, then that pulling guard is coupled with a play action, the safety/linebacker could instinctively take a couple of steps up having read run. Those extra steps give the receiver time to get deep and that's when you hit the D over the top or in the soft spot over the middle. On the other hand if the same play takes place, and the safety/linebacker doesn't creep up and NU calls the counter the safety and/or linebackers may not be able to fill on the run before the back is already 5-10 yards up field. It's very deceptive and forces the defense to make really good reads in a shorter amount of time.
Here's an example. Say NU comes out with a single back, TE and 3 wide. TE motions, and the guard and the tackle pull. If the safety/linebacker is keying on the guard and sees him stand up, then that pulling guard is coupled with a play action, the safety/linebacker could instinctively take a couple of steps up having read run. Those extra steps give the receiver time to get deep and that's when you hit the D over the top or in the soft spot over the middle. On the other hand if the same play takes place, and the safety/linebacker doesn't creep up and NU calls the counter the safety and/or linebackers may not be able to fill on the run before the back is already 5-10 yards up field. It's very deceptive and forces the defense to make really good reads in a shorter amount of time.
Last edited:
Nebraska's offense has not been the problem, at least most of the time these past 20 years. NU's problem is a defense that fails to be competitive far too often.
Wow...aren't you special? I suppose my understanding of football isnt as in-depth as yours...makes me dumb? Perhaps I enjoy "exciting" plays and have those confused with "creative" plays. Thanks to all other post for the clarification.
I just don't see us scheming easy yards very often - not a very big fan of danny. 360 yards against a weak Oregon defense just doesn't cut it.
I agree the offense did the defense no favors turn overs unable to keep drives alive I'm still not buying the tanner lee hype 46% passing with 4 ints even Armstrong did that good there was a reason he went to Tulane!!!! BTW where is ozigbo
I would bet that if Tommy was with us last night things would have reeeeeaaalllly snowballed. I see maybe a 63-20 outcome, can't blame Tanner for this one
