Final Game thoughts.
Well, I don’t know what to say. This feels like a low point in Nebraska football. But hey, the season’s young and we will have plenty of more low points to come.
The bar just keeps sinking lower and lower.
Once again, we play jusssssssst well enough to lose.
Clutch drive by Thompson and the offense to go 98 yards after the interception. That should have been enough. But of course, it never is.
Because the defense can’t seal the deal . . . again.
Their QB tried to throw a few picks but once again, we can’t come up with the play to end it. Tommi Hill . . . who was just awful all game long . . . decides to run up and grab a receiver instead of playing the ball for what could have been an easy interception to end the game. Just a reminder, his back was NOT turned to the line of scrimmage. He should have seen it all the way. In my opinion, he simply panicked at crunch time.
It was a good drive by GS to take the lead—some great catches—but once again our opponent plays with an incredible confidence that our players simply can’t muster.
And our final field goal attempt . . . of course it was never on line. Off his foot, you KNEW it had no chance.
Once again, we just can’t make a play.
Once again, Team Choke walks off the field and now comes the . . . we thought we were going to win right until the final seconds . . . lies we keep hearing for years and years now.
Dead man walking season officially begins now. This team is bad. This team is awful. Our defense looks like hot garbage. Players going rogue. Players leaving their feet inexplicably to make sensational looking tackles . . . only to barely touch the ball carrier on his way by.
Sometimes, the other team gets a good play. Don’t try to make a sensational tackle trying to negate the yards already gained. If they have the first down, so be it. Don’t throw good water for bad sulking through a tackle attempt.
October 1st can’t get here fast enough. Barring a miracle, this season is already over.
Players that don’t play for each other. Players that can’t make plays when it counts. Players that get pushed around by FCS schools that clearly want it more than they do.
Our players want to bring back Husker football. That is too much to ask of anybody. I think a lot of Husker fans would just like them to bring back football. You know . . . tackling, blocking, being able to field a punt and return it, some semblance of players acting like they have brain cells in their heads.
Speaking of brain cells. What was that tap on the receiver’s shoulder on third and five before the snap? I’ve never seen that before. Is that a new strategy? Every week, the dumbest team in America lowest the silly bucket into the trough.
Offensively, this team could be dynamic—even without an elite offensive line. But you just can’t give possessions away. Giving away the first possessions is really the difference in the game. Too many three and outs at inopportune times. But Grant is special. So is Ajay. The receivers are deep and other than some inexplicable drops at times, have looked great.
But our defense stinks. Granted, GS is a pretty good offense. But some of those run plays particularly in the first half were head-scratching. Too easy. Can’t GIVE the other team easy plays like that. Notice that other teams don’t give us those easy play very often.
Like I said, I think most fans would be satisfied with just bringing back football.
Nebraska got a number of breaks. The players can’t blame bad luck on this loss. NU had two calls reversed on their final drive. GS had a mind-numbing meltdown at the end of the first half robbing themselves of points.
NU was reasonably lucky this night.
They say that luck favors the foolish. But I say good luck doesn’t help the foolish. If I’m in Vegas determined to lose my life savings, I will succeed in losing my money even if I get relatively lucky. Luck just delays the inevitable.
So where are we? Folks, we might not be favored in another game this year. The only hope is that this team just doesn’t like being favored. You can’t “bring back” Husker football by pounding FCS and non-power-5 schools—and our players act like they are not interested—this goes back to Pelini actually. Maybe an opponent like OU will wake some players up. Maybe being an underdog will snap some of the players out of their funk. This team plays tight. They play scared. That’s a heck of a way to try to bring back the glory days. The pressure is too much.
Anthony Grant is fantastic. Thompson is a pretty cool cucumber. Ajay Allen is a star rising. Isn’t it like Nebraska that as we fix one problem . . . we put one finger in the dyke . . . and other holes suddenly spring up.
Such is life when you just ABSOLUTELY CAN’T MAKE A PLAY AT CRUNCH TIME.
Oklahoma next week. Is a steamroller coming to Lincoln? The Scott Frost experiment is all but over.
Dead man walking season has begun. Callahan lived it. Riley lived it. Funny this time, it is the traditionalists that get to enjoy the fun of Dead man walking season. I don’t think they are gonna like it . . . that is if you can find any of them still around pounding their chests.
And our next coach, I don’t give a you know what if Tom Osborne approves.
Let’s do a REAL search this time. Let’s hire the best coach—regardless if they ever played here. Let’s make them surround themselves with good assistants—not old friends. Giving a huge raise to an overmatched coach does NOT make him a legit Nebraska coach.
Let’s find a coach that has actually witnessed a Big Ten football game in their lifetime. By the way, we are in the Big Ten now.
Stop me if I’m going too fast.
Oh . . . our scholarship numbers on the OL and DL have been incredibly low for far too long. Recruit some DANG linemen.
Did I mention we are in the Big Ten now?
Maybe I am going too fast.
So . . . welcome to Dead man walking season. Oh joy.
And try . . . try . . . try to be good to each other. Yes I know, YOU knew all along. There, feel better?
But try to be good to each other.
We’re all hurting.
And there is more hurt coming.
Take care all.
