It's not a 3-4 defense issue

[ShortSideOption]

Sick of hearing that this could be our problem. Sick of hearing it won't work in the B1G. Currently, Wisconsin is the #1 Total Defense in college football only allowing 170 yards per game of offense. They also are #1 in scoring defense, only allowing 4.8 points per game. According to the 247 composite, we have the 24th ranked team for talent and they have the 33rd. Further, Georgia Southern plays a 3-4 and somehow held Minnesota to 125 rushing yards (like we did last year in the 3-4 in our curb stomping of the Gophers) while they have the 102nd best team talent according to those rankings.

It ain't the scheme... it's the execution.

 

[Full Husker]

What did you see as the biggest defensive problem in the last game? The linebackers?

 

[we're back]

***: and the reason for poor execution is.................?

 

[ShortSideOption]

What did you see as the biggest defensive problem in the last game? The linebackers?

We were out of place and when we did get to the right spot it was about the poorest execution i've seen. And you can't really measure this, but I don't think anyone would disagree, that we mentally were not as ready as Minnesota. The Gophers were there to take our lunch money and remain undefeated.

 

[ShortSideOption]

***: and the reason for poor execution is.................?

Start with accountability and work from there, IMO. Someone doesn't make a tackle, in the wrong gap, yank them. It won't be worse. And i'm not saying that doesn't happen at all, it just seems like guys are making mistakes and then I see them still out there in some instances.

My issue is people start throwing out running a 4-3 when they say our DL with 3 guys out there is getting killed anyway. Alex Davis would be an awful 4-3 OLB. JoJo Domann would be relegated to nickel packages. 3-4 or 4-3, we still have the same guys out there not executing and not wanting it as bad as the other team.

 

[Big South]

Do you think the loss of Gifford was this big?

 

[NU_Alum]

Start with accountability and work from there, IMO. Someone doesn't make a tackle, in the wrong gap, yank them. It won't be worse. And i'm not saying that doesn't happen at all, it just seems like guys are making mistakes and then I see them still out there in some instances.

My issue is people start throwing out running a 4-3 when they say our DL with 3 guys out there is getting killed anyway. Alex Davis would be an awful 4-3 OLB. JoJo Domann would be relegated to nickel packages. 3-4 or 4-3, we still have the same guys out there not executing and not wanting it as bad as the other team.

It sounds a little like Frost isn't following through on his rules 100% of time and the inconsistency is hurting the team mentality.

If people should be pulled and aren't being pulled, everyone knows it.

Are we lacking consistency from the coaches on who plays and how much?

 

[we're back]

Accountability equals coaching.

Also, Nebraska is ranked 24th in talent. Which positions account for that talent? Offense? Defense? Line? Skill positions? And finally, how much of that talent is actually playing or is it based on freshmen and redshirts that aren't seeing playing time?

 

[ShortSideOption]

It sounds a little like Frost isn't following through on his rules 100% of time and the inconsistency is hurting the team mentality.

If people should be pulled and aren't being pulled, everyone knows it.

Are we lacking consistency from the coaches on who plays and how much?

I do think there's a bit of deviation there, but I won't harp too much on it. Jurgens is a good example, but he had a pretty good game against Minnesota.

 

[RedWheel]

And you can't really measure this, but I don't think anyone would disagree, that we mentally were not as ready as Minnesota.

Just throwing this out there. Is it possible that what we saw Saturday night was the result of a team that is mentally and physically tired? They have been going since early August without a break. Whether they should be tired or not can certainly be debated, but what we saw on Saturday looked like a team that did not want to be there. Some of the younger, fresher guys looked much better when they got their shot. The team clearly did not show up on either side of the ball on Saturday and what I keep hearing is lack of technique and discipline. Those are the first to go when athletes are tired, physically, or perhaps more importantly, mentally.

Perhaps I am just looking for a problem that can easily be fixed with a bye week and some good practice. We still have a number of issues even if they are fresher when they next play, but hopefully we are not as bad as we played against UM. We are still nowhere near ready for Wisconsin or Iowa, but we certainly should be able to beat Illinois, Purdue and Maryland.

 

[HuskerFed]

? to ***. I see three things that bother me on the D. 1- the tackles cannot defeat the double team, 2- the LBs are not reading the blocks and not stepping to fill the hole but catching them 3 yds deep and 3- we seem to be unable to set the edge regularly.
???

 

[ShortSideOption]

Accountability equals coaching.

Also, Nebraska is ranked 24th in talent. Which positions account for that talent? Offense? Defense? Line? Skill positions? And finally, how much of that talent is actually playing or is it based on freshmen and redshirts that aren't seeing playing time?

I'll break down the top 25 of our ratings

Offense
1) Wandale Robinson - starter
3) John Raridon - 2nd string
5) Adrian Martinez - starter
8) Bryce Benhart - redshirting
10) Cam Jurgens - starter
11) Mo Washington - starter
13) Luke McCaffrey - redshirting
17) Jaevon McQuitty - bust
19) Matt Farniok - starter
22) Darien Chase - redshirting
23) Demaryion Houston - redshirting
24) Jamie Nance - redshirting
25) Jaron Woodyard - bust

Defense
2) Lamar Jackson - starter
4) Eric Lee Jr. - 2nd string
6) Nick Henrich - redshirting
7) Noa Pola-Gates - redshirting
9) Ty Robinson - redshirting
12) Marquel Dismuke - starter
14) Darrion Daniels - starter
15) Tate Wildeman - 3rd string
16) Caleb Tannor - situational
18) Avery Anderson - bust
20) Keem Green - redshirting
21) Carlos Davis - starter

13 on offense, 12 on defense, so spread out pretty well. Find it interesting that 3 of our 13 offensive starters that are top 25 are WRs that can't get on the field when we are begging someone to step up.

Our defensive redshirts look promising for sure, but 2 of them are DL which isn't where our problem is, not sure if Henrich could have played this year as he was so small then got injured, and Noa Pola-Gates has played in a game or two but he must not quite be ready yet. Our DBs are playing well tho.

I also have zero idea how this compares to other teams.

 

[NU_Alum]

I do think there's a bit of deviation there, but I won't harp too much on it. Jurgens is a good example, but he had a pretty good game against Minnesota.

I think Jurgens was just one example but a big one. He should have played into the position through this year, IMO and earned it that way. He was given the position. Would Frost have allowed a 3rd string to stay on the team/play significant time if that person did was Washington is alleged to have done?

I'm wondering if practices/lifting/studying requirements are being held firm for everyone. The leadership/want to is lacking for some folks and that often is a result of not being happy/feeling slighted with your leadership.

I don't understand Alex Davis playing so much either.

There are probably others I'm missing.

 

[Full Husker]

Bad tv coverage by FSI where I watched, so maybe it was the television, but on many of M's running plays it looked like we had two or three or more guys on the ball carrier, but not bringing him down. Were they all trying to strip the ball? At the same time, on those plays it seemed like M linemen where not blocking but pushing the running back for two or three extra yards. Do the rules now allow a Walter Camp flying wedge? As I said maybe it was the tv or the drinks due to frustration.

 

[ShortSideOption]

Just throwing this out there. Is it possible that what we saw Saturday night was the result of a team that is mentally and physically tired? They have been going since early August without a break. Whether they should be tired or not can certainly be debated, but what we saw on Saturday looked like a team that did not want to be there. Some of the younger, fresher guys looked much better when they got their shot. The team clearly did not show up on either side of the ball on Saturday and what I keep hearing is lack of technique and discipline. Those are the first to go when athletes are tired, physically, or perhaps more importantly, mentally.

Perhaps I am just looking for a problem that can easily be fixed with a bye week and some good practice. We still have a number of issues even if they are fresher when they next play, but hopefully we are not as bad as we played against UM. We are still nowhere near ready for Wisconsin or Iowa, but we certainly should be able to beat Illinois, Purdue and Maryland.

We definitely needed the bye week, I think our coaches knew this would be tough. On the road against an undefeated team and really beat up on our side of the ball. We really needed this bye week.