Improvement 2018 vs 2019

[CrabHusker]

We are still gonna be a bowl team.

I like your optimism, but I’ll remain cautious. I was cautious in August and haven’t seen anything that could change my mind.

 

[HuskerWeatherman]

I suppose. At this point, I really don't care if we are better than last year or not. I care about wins. We got 4. I think we will get 3 more and a chance for an 8th win in a bowl.

Certainly, years from now, people will look back at 2019 and mostly just see wins and losses -- not exactly how they came to be.

For me, what's especially frustrating as that we were (finally) gifted one of the friendliest schedules we could ever hope for. We'd looked at the 2019 schedule for years and drooled over it. Weak non-conference schedule, only playing 1 of the 4 bigtime programs in the East, and the most difficult games in Lincoln. That's a scenario that may only come around once every 20 years. And we are struggling with it!

 

[ramsker]

It’s hard to look improved when they’ve spent more time on the field because the offense isn’t as productive as last year. Mix the 2018 offense and the 2019 defense and this is a bowl team. No question.

This.

Never thought I'd say this about a Scott Frost coached team . . . but the offense is absolutely killing the defense in 2019.

 

[Deleted member 3570]

Certainly, years from now, people will look back at 2019 and mostly just see wins and losses -- not exactly how they came to be.

For me, what's especially frustrating as that we were (finally) gifted one of the friendliest schedules we could ever hope for. We'd looked at the 2019 schedule for years and drooled over it. Weak non-conference schedule, only playing 1 of the 4 bigtime programs in the East, and the most difficult games in Lincoln. That's a scenario that may only come around once every 20 years. And we are struggling with it!

5 years from now we will be good enough to handle any schedule, tough or easy. People need to understand what this is right now. I'm always amazed at how short Husker fans are on the patience virtue. I mean, we've dealt with crap for 18 years. Just giving it a little more time is not gonna kill us.

 

[ramsker]

We are still gonna be a bowl team.

I wish I could share your optimism, but this just seems like bravado at this point. Based solely on how the team has played up to this point, getting 2 more wins seems a pretty tall order. If you're going to do it, you need to get 2 wins out of the 3 game tilts with IN, MD and Purdon't. If you don't get them there, you're relying on some kind of "any given Saturday" miracle, and NU basically hasn't had those in a really long time--almost to the point of defying probability.

 

[HuskerSuperGenius]

It’s hard to look improved when they’ve spent more time on the field because the offense isn’t as productive as last year. Mix the 2018 offense and the 2019 defense and this is a bowl team. No question.

This times 10!

We don't lose to Colorado if Pickering is healthy.

The big things that jumped up and bit us on offense:

1. The unexplainable lack of growth of the offensive line with three returning starters and another year of S&C.

2. Mills was supposed to be Ziggy. Scott and staff bet heavily on that and recruited more Duck R type backs rather than one more Ziggy to back to back up whether Mills would pan out as Ziggy's replacement. Maybe they thought Washington was going to really bulk up?

3. Lack of progression of the TE. First three games they were gang busters but the last three games they have disappeared. That's regression in my book as Stoll, Allen and Rafdal are to talented to not get 4-6 balls between them a game to back the safeties and LB's off the line of scrimmage.

MN loss was mental fatigue when the team realized that they were out of playmakers on offense and the defense needed to come up with 2-3 turnovers if not defensive touchdowns to win the game. The Defense started to over play, trying to make big plays instead of play their assignments, strip the ball instead of make tackles and it all fell apart. I didn't see lack of passion I saw frantic play on defense, and we are not talented enough to play frantic.

To win six games this year we need to score 24 points a game or more.

With our depleted playmakers on offense that means the defense needs to be plus 2 or more on turnovers (short field) for our depleted offense.

GBR

 

[Deleted member 3570]

I wish I could share your optimism, but this just seems like bravado at this point. Based solely on how the team has played up to this point, getting 2 more wins seems a pretty tall order. If you're going to do it, you need to get 2 wins out of the 3 game tilts with IN, MD and Purdon't. If you don't get them there, you're relying on some kind of "any given Saturday" miracle, and NU basically hasn't had those in a really long time--almost to the point of defying probability.

OK

 

[Deleted member 3570]

This.

Never thought I'd say this about a Scott Frost coached team . . . but the offense is absolutely killing the defense in 2019.

Good God man. It's halfway through year 2. Relax and let the process take its path. Frost isn't looking for a temporary fix like Herm Edward's. He's completely changing every aspect of the program to establish a LONG TERM winning tradition again. What is so dang freaking hard for fans to understand about that.

 

[Atlanta Husker]

You are about spot on to what i'm thinking. Entire secondary. DL most likely has improved. Not really a single guy on offense. A LB or two, certainly Tannor.

What i'm trying to get at is... why is Fisher such a good coach that he didn't need guys for "his system" where he could make Domann, Dismuke, Bootle, and Jackson better without waiting for his recruits? I'll admit, Fisher was a guy I wasn't sure how he'd resonate here, not active on social media and a different personality. But I don't think anyone could argue the results he's getting on the field. On the flip side, why can't our coaches make our two tackles that had/have over 20 starts each better? What happened with Martinez? Why can a WR not step up or more importantly why can't a WR where it's the easiest position to step on the field and play right away emerge from our 2018 or 2019 recruiting class?

The lack of improvement by the Wide Receiver group is a major reason for concern. Especially given when offense is supposed to be Frost's specialty. Doesn't bode well for future recruiting or performance improvement on the field.

 

[AzHusker]

Stoll is honestly the only one on offense I could come up with. On defense, I'd say the entire D line, Miller, Tannor, and Taylor.

Stoll - that guy who never gets any touches? (not his fault). I'd add Dismuke and LJ to the list of improved folks. Will Honas, too. Definitely D-line - could use more depth since the D is on the field so much.

We miss Tanner Farmer and Gerald Foster bigtime. Miss Ozigbo. Miss a healthy kicker. Miss a freshman QB who didn't know any better so he just played football.

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

High hopes for AM. Exceed McKenzie Milton who was one of the most electrifying players in the country prior to his injury. Unfortunately Husker Hope once again, dashed.

 

[HuskerInTexas]

Good God man. It's halfway through year 2. Relax and let the process take its path. Frost isn't looking for a temporary fix like Herm Edward's. He's completely changing every aspect of the program to establish a LONG TERM winning tradition again. What is so dang freaking hard for fans to understand about that.

Just out of curiosity, how are you defining Herm's temporary fix is different than what we're doing?

 

[Sofa King]

After reading through this thread, I'm surprised by the lack of emphasis on how poorly the Oline has played/developed. IMHO, this is the #1 reason why the offense has been so lousy and inconsistent in 2019.
A kid playing center who had never even played a single snap at the position in his life prior to South Alabama.
Two guards with little experience, one of them a walk-on.
One tackle who's better off at guard and the other with a bum ankle.
Now, is this for lack of talent or inexperience? Is this an indictment of Coach Austin? Maybe both?
Either way, if the Oline clicks, the entire offense hums. Watch tOSU protect Fields with just five guys and then watch to see how many guys are running wide open, either through the line or in the secondary. However, put tOSU's skill guys behind our porous and ineffective Oline and their production would collapse, too.

 

[Elwood von Kiowa]

Maybe this is just a reflection on my lack of analytical insight, but it seems tough to get a good read on individual improvement vs. regression this year. I think the D is better, most notably D line (MN notwithstanding) and DBs. LBs maybe not so much.

Still wondering what's up with AM. Hopefully the bye week plus sitting against MN will give him a chance to heal up and "reset". MW has been a disappointment, and 99% of that is between his ears (legal issues aren't helping). Mills has been sporadic, but hasn't lived up to the hype. JD has been about what we expected, but he can't do it all himself. Other WRs need to step up.

This O line has been the biggest disappointment. I think a lot of that is chemistry. We don't have the right guys in every position, and the better performers can't fill all the gaping holes.

TEs I think have been an improvement, though they haven't played as much of a role as I expected. For whatever reason, the offense just hasn't gelled.

I think you could summarize the team as "off balance". There is more pressure on the offense because we don't have a kicker. Therefore there's "fear of failure" because that 3-point backup plan isn't available. Everyone in some form is trying to make up for some shortcoming with their platoon, and it's throwing off the balance.

I'm hoping the bye week will help us get re-balanced.

 

[Deleted member 3570]

After reading through this thread, I'm surprised by the lack of emphasis on how poorly the Oline has played/developed. IMHO, this is the #1 reason why the offense has been so lousy and inconsistent in 2019.
A kid playing center who had never even played a single snap at the position in his life prior to South Alabama.
Two guards with little experience, one of them a walk-on.
One tackle who's better off at guard and the other with a bum ankle.
Now, is this for lack of talent or inexperience? Is this an indictment of Coach Austin? Maybe both?
Either way, if the Oline clicks, the entire offense hums. Watch tOSU protect Fields with just five guys and then watch to see how many guys are running wide open, either through the line or in the secondary. However, put tOSU's skill guys behind our porous and ineffective Oline and their production would collapse, too.

Agreed. I just don't get the criticism of Martinez. It's not his fault at all.