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So Close...

BleedRed78

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Oct 22, 2019
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After rewatching the Oklahoma game, I really think we have just about everything we need to put together a bowl worthy season. Now, I've been as critical of Frost this year as anyone else (Illinois game made me all but give up on him). But finally in year 4, I think we're beginning to see him make the adjustments he needs to win here. Not abandoning the run game when it's not working, getting bigger receivers, hybridizing the defense to 3/4 - 5/2 mix, etc. Essentially adjusting to the B1G, rather than the other way around. No shame in that, other than the smack he talked when he first got here.

I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.

With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:

QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.

Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.

Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.

MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!
 
I think clutch and choker are two labels that get thrown around way too often. Big moments in sports occur so infrequently that most the time your success or failure in those moments is just a roll of the dice. It’s a simple statistical concept of small sample size.

In Culp’s case I think it’s more likely he’s just an average kicker who’s going through a rough stretch. He wasn’t that great last year. Look at his stats. 13 for 15 with only one attempt over 40 yards (which he did make). Must’ve been a down year in the league for him to win kicker of the year because he was solid but not spectacular.

His freshman year at LSU is more indicative of who he is. 68% success rate, which happens to be about his average across his two seasons at Nebraska. I expect going forward he’ll continue to be that way… better than what he’s shown this year but worse than his nice little run he had last year.
 
Story of Frost's tenure here.

Since he has been here, we have won 5 and lost 14 games decided by one score (8 points) or less.

Don't need to rehash the particulars, but it's a stat that SCREAMS "Our staff can't be bothered taking care of the details and will get beat by just about any staff that does take care of them"
 
After rewatching the Oklahoma game, I really think we have just about everything we need to put together a bowl worthy season. Now, I've been as critical of Frost this year as anyone else (Illinois game made me all but give up on him). But finally in year 4, I think we're beginning to see him make the adjustments he needs to win here. Not abandoning the run game when it's not working, getting bigger receivers, hybridizing the defense to 3/4 - 5/2 mix, etc. Essentially adjusting to the B1G, rather than the other way around. No shame in that, other than the smack he talked when he first got here.

I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.

With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:

QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.

Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.

Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.

MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!
Good job!
 
I think we will know alot more by the way the team responds at Sparty this weekend. If they come out and coaches stick to and execute a game plan then and pull out a big W, I will be more of a believer.
 
We're not as bad as that Illinois game y'all. I have my nit picks and will gladly support firing Frost and friends if no bowl game. Until then, I'm intrigued. Just as any real fan at this point in Nebraska's slide should be.
 
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After rewatching the Oklahoma game, I really think we have just about everything we need to put together a bowl worthy season. Now, I've been as critical of Frost this year as anyone else (Illinois game made me all but give up on him). But finally in year 4, I think we're beginning to see him make the adjustments he needs to win here. Not abandoning the run game when it's not working, getting bigger receivers, hybridizing the defense to 3/4 - 5/2 mix, etc. Essentially adjusting to the B1G, rather than the other way around. No shame in that, other than the smack he talked when he first got here.

I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.

With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:

QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.

Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.

Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.

MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!
Who's hoping we lose out? I hope we win every remaining game on the schedule. It's also why I don't think 6 wins is enough.
 
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I think we will know alot more by the way the team responds at Sparty this weekend. If they come out and coaches stick to and execute a game plan then and pull out a big W, I will be more of a believer.
This. So much rides on the game this week. Damn, we really need a win in East Lansing. Beat a surging MSU in their house at night, and we just might turn this around. Lose and the narrative of futility will intensify. This is a winnable game for sure. Now let’s do it.
 
After rewatching the Oklahoma game, I really think we have just about everything we need to put together a bowl worthy season. Now, I've been as critical of Frost this year as anyone else (Illinois game made me all but give up on him). But finally in year 4, I think we're beginning to see him make the adjustments he needs to win here. Not abandoning the run game when it's not working, getting bigger receivers, hybridizing the defense to 3/4 - 5/2 mix, etc. Essentially adjusting to the B1G, rather than the other way around. No shame in that, other than the smack he talked when he first got here.

I'm still in the camp of bowl game or fire him, but with that being said, I'm all for just hanging in there and seeing how the season shakes out. It's good to have potential (and realistic) candidates in mind, and I trust Alberts has contingencies brewing just in case. However, we shouldn't be rooting for our team to lose out just so that we can appear smarter to others on the board. Sometimes it's better to be supportive than smarter, because you never know when it's gonna come back on you and your genuine intelligence could potentially take a back seat to your own foolish zealousness.

With that being said, a few quick hits from the game:

QB - Adrian looked CRISP. If he can play like that under that amount of pressure the rest of the year, we're in any game. Finally looking like the guy we've wanted him to be that past couple years. If you can't see that, then you're high.
RB - Johnson was looking like he could be a legit lead back! Color me surprised, as I had all but written him off after watching him last year unimpressed and being more high on the guys who've started over him so far. (Side note: wtf is Stepp??)
WR/TE - Best group we've had in years by far. Even better once we get Martin back. Nice to see Falck get in there and contribute. I believe we need our stars to be on the field over walkons hands down, but between him and Liewer, I've been more high on Falck since his TD last season. Keep this group progressing. Finally have big athletic receivers with large catch radius for AM to trust himself throwing to.
Oline - Absolute worst position group on the team. Sad state for the Pipeline. Our tackles are just plain bad, and our guards even worse. I hope the staff starts playing around with the lineup. If it were up to me, I put Prochezka at LT, slide Corcoran to LG, Cam at C, let Banks, Piper, Nouli, and Sichterman battle for RG, and keep Benhart at RT and hope he improves if rest of line stabilizes.

Defense is playing lights out. Need more pressure though. What happened since the first half of the Illinois game?? Gotta get Payne and the bunch going again. Good pressures, but gotta get home to the QB. Linebackers playing much better than anticipated, although Henrichs needs to tighten up his coverage game. Defensive backs are a mixed bunch. CTB doing ok and not thrown to much, Newsome seems shaky and often on the receiving end of a first down pass by the opposing team. Clark seems better at coverage, but perhaps not as much in defending the run game? Safeties are playing about as great as we need them to be.

Kicker tryout ASAP. Culp was a cool story, but I'm thinking LSU benched him for a reason. Kid's got the yips. Did well last year because anyone with a pulse in the kicking game could claim the job, and he apparently plays well in empty stadiums but just doesn't have the compsure for real games with crowds. Punting improved when Pryzup came in. Too bad for Cerni, but gotta go with what works here. Keep Toure (or Martin when back) at returner. Please, for the love of God, no more CTB back there.

MSU is gonna be tough this week. We're gonna need to get the line situation figured out, and hopefully some semblance of a kicking game if we're going to win this one. I think we have everything else we need to not only win this one, but win any remaining game this season. Not that we will, but can. I'm looking forward to them playing Northwestern, as I think we can finally beat them by double digits unlike how that series has played out so back and forth and close games the past handful of years. GBR!
Good stuff.
Two thoughts:
1. We should have had at least two wide open sacks, but overran Rattler. So we at least “got home” just left the key at the party.
2. There’s been a lot of talk of shaking up the OL personnel. While I’m not opposed to exploring options, there’s a reason the 5 starters were chosen. Shifting guys around isn’t necessarily a magic solution.

I’m hyper critical of Frost, but always want him to succeed.
 
Thanks for noting the improvements in special teams.

It's obvious when:
  • a punt returner drops a punt (or catches it at the 1, steps back into the end zone, gets grabbed by a coverage guy, and then flings the ball over his shoulder for a safety; or gets backed into by his coverage, forcing a fumble; or swats at a bouncing ball, resulting in a fumble recovery by the other team)
  • a punter shanks a punt
  • an opponent returns a KO for a TD
  • a FG kicker misses a chip shot
  • a PAT gets returned for two points (a 3-point swing) BUT
It's not so obvious when:
  • a coach replaces a punter and gets 14 yards per possession improvement in field position
  • a coach replaces a punt returner and gets a simple 10-yard return to set the offense up in good field position, the short drive ending in a TD
  • an opponent can't return a kickoff because the kicks are sailing over their heads
But other than the placekicking shitstorm — ironically the only ST aspect we were confident in at the beginning of the year — the coaches seem to have made the proper adjustments.

Just need to get the PK past his case of the yips.
 
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Good stuff.
Two thoughts:
1. We should have had at least two wide open sacks, but overran Rattler. So we at least “got home” just left the key at the party.
2. There’s been a lot of talk of shaking up the OL personnel. While I’m not opposed to exploring options, there’s a reason the 5 starters were chosen. Shifting guys around isn’t necessarily a magic solution.

I’m hyper critical of Frost, but always want him to succeed.
After 4 games, I find it hard to believe that Piper won the job. His performances look more a matter of him being given the job rather than legitimately winning it over Hixson, Noulli and likely 1 or 2 others. Just my opinion.
With Piper as one of the starting 5 in the OL, I highly doubt the best 5 are on the field. I think in a legitimate battle among Piper, Hixson, and Noulli, that Piper finishes in 3rd place and I don't even think it's close.
I think we will see a couple more changes in the OL as the season moves along, and I think there are reasons for that.
 
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After 4 games, I find it hard to believe that Piper won the job. His performances look more a matter of him being given the job rather than legitimately winning it over Hixson, Noulli and likely 1 or 2 others. Just my opinion.
With Piper as one of the starting 5 in the OL, I highly doubt the best 5 are on the field. I think in a legitimate battle among Piper, Hixson, and Noulli, that Piper finishes in 3rd place and I don't even think it's close.
I think we will see a couple more changes in the OL as the season moves along, and I think there are reasons for that.
It’s hard to imagine other guys being worse than what we’ve seen, but if coaches are giving guys spots who aren’t earning it… well they may be writing their own pink slip.
I was happy to see coaches try a change, but also wonder if they know their roster if we’re suggesting a wholesale shuffle.

There’s always a lot of accusations about that with WR/backup QB etc. It could be a combination of guys not doing what they need to in practice and coaches not doing enough to get them ready.
 
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Good stuff.
Two thoughts:
1. We should have had at least two wide open sacks, but overran Rattler. So we at least “got home” just left the key at the party.
2. There’s been a lot of talk of shaking up the OL personnel. While I’m not opposed to exploring options, there’s a reason the 5 starters were chosen. Shifting guys around isn’t necessarily a magic solution.

I’m hyper critical of Frost, but always want him to succeed.
I'm going to have to disagree with your second point. I'm okay with Corcoran, Jurgens, and Benhart for now. But the starting guards were putrid and both need to go.
 
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After 4 games, I find it hard to believe that Piper won the job. His performances look more a matter of him being given the job rather than legitimately winning it over Hixson, Noulli and likely 1 or 2 others. Just my opinion.
With Piper as one of the starting 5 in the OL, I highly doubt the best 5 are on the field. I think in a legitimate battle among Piper, Hixson, and Noulli, that Piper finishes in 3rd place and I don't even think it's close.
I think we will see a couple more changes in the OL as the season moves along, and I think there are reasons for that.
Sichterman is just as bad as Piper. We definitely had the wrong guys starting at guard, and if not that says everything about the recruiting and development we've had at that position over the last 4 years.
 
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It’s hard to imagine other guys being worse than what we’ve seen, but if coaches are giving guys spots who aren’t earning it… well they may be writing their own pink slip.
I was happy to see coaches try a change, but also wonder if they know their roster if we’re suggesting a wholesale shuffle.

There’s always a lot of accusations about that with WR/backup QB etc. It could be a combination of guys not doing what they need to in practice and coaches not doing enough to get them ready.
I think that has played a part in the lack of success thus far. I recall 4 years ago SF informing Austin that Cam was gonna be the center. And he has been. Its not that much of a stretch for me to think that SF said that Piper was gonna be his LG, and Austin having no say in the matter.

I agree that we are very poor at the Guard position. We're not good at the Tackle spots either, considering NU is playing Big Ten football. I do think Hixson was an improvement over Piper, yet, Hixson should be nothing more than a backup.

I did take the Piper to Hixson move as a good sign. The bar had been set so low, that it didn't take much to see a slight positive change. If, by chance I were to see another change of an incumbent in the OL, I would welcome it.

I think that type of move "could" indicate to me that a conversation behind closed doors, (which none of us are privy to) may have meant someone in a position of authority made a suggestion that a change might not hurt. Yet again, I'm totally guessing.

I don't want to be repetitive of what I've been saying for 10 days or so, but I think SF may be being pushed into a corner and is now willing to try other combinations to somehow make this running game go.

If any of us knew what Alberts impression of improvement is it would simplify things. In the event, (again guessing) if Alberts had told SF he needs to win 5-6 games in order to maintain the HC job, that is definitely reason for SF to make a change(s) in order to try to reach that standard.

I'm all for whatever it takes to get this OL up to at least mediocre. I personally think there are 2 more guys on the OL that should be replaced.
 
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Sichterman is just as bad as Piper. We definitely had the wrong guys starting at guard, and if not that says everything about the recruiting and development we've had at that position over the last 4 years.
I agree on Sicht. Terribly slow. I would think Noulli would be an improvement.
At issue with the OL is the lack of "gelling". We are 4 games into the season, ready for the meat of the schedule and we remain weak at least 3 positions.

The time should be to slowly insert other guys into the lineup to see if they can turn up the performance of that single position, and make this a one step at a time transition.

I don't think anyone can objectively say that this unit has come together as one unit, and that is critical to the success of the running game.
 
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loser-losers.gif
 
Sichterman is unbelievably slow. I think my mom could move faster than him, and she doesn't move terribly fast.
 
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I'm going to have to disagree with your second point. I'm okay with Corcoran, Jurgens, and Benhart for now. But the starting guards were putrid and both need to go.
Jurgens has been solid, Benhart serviceable, but Corcoran has been getting abused all season.
He’s just not ready (I was concerned pre-season) and apparently no one else is?? Lots of talk of Prochazca getting more looks, but true frosh LT is never a good option.

From what I’ve seen Corcoran and Piper have been the biggest liabilities with Sichterman not far behind. I really thought if Corcoran got the nod over Banks that he’d be more ready made.
Everyone realizes it’s a mess up front, and whether it’s personnel, scheme, technique/development- coaches need to figure it out fast.
 
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Jurgens has been solid, Benhart serviceable, but Corcoran has been getting abused all season.
He’s just not ready (I was concerned pre-season) and apparently no one else is?? Lots of talk of Prochazca getting more looks, but true frosh LT is never a good option.

From what I’ve seen Corcoran and Piper have been the biggest liabilities with Sichterman not far behind. I really thought if Corcoran got the nod over Banks that he’d be more ready made.
Everyone realizes it’s a mess up front, and whether it’s personnel, scheme, technique/development- coaches need to figure it out fast.
Idk, from what we've seen from Prochezka, I've seen him look competent, if not borderline dominant other than maybe one whiff. Not a fan of underclassmen on the line either, but if a dudes a dude, let's let him rip. Maybe Corcoran handles guard more naturally?
 
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