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What changes excite you?

Hville

Blackshirt
5 Year Member
A recent thread asked us what new contributors excited you and I avoided stating my opinion in fear of hijacking the thread. It had good dialog but nothing that tripped my trigger. The truth of the matter is I can't get anymore excited about new contributors this year than I could the last three years when from a team perspective they have all been inadequate to affect our quality of play. I suspect this year will be no different unless "something else" changes.

This "something else" that I'm referring to is our number 1 underlying problem. Lack of fundamentally sound football. I can't remember the specific quotes by Frost but he has alluded to re-focusing their efforts towards getting back to the basics. Sound blocking skills, running correct routes, quality tackling and following your assignments. I don't think any amount of new exciting recruits or transfers will ever overcome our lack of sound fundamentals we have seen in the last 6 years. I think SF started his career here with a high level of concentration of installing "scheme's" and largely underestimated the basic individual skills. I hated the idea of fast, fast, fast we will correct mistakes in the film room practice attitude.

Now in saying that I'll go out on a limb in regards to our defense last year. I was preaching to many on here how poor our tackling had been through the riley years and into the first two years of Chin. Part of that could have been due to the number of tackling technique changes. However I saw marked improvements last year. We probably reduced our "hit em down" tackling attempts rather than wrapping them up by half and it showed in our defensive success last year.

Now onto the offense. Our number 1 problem in my humble opinion is blocking. Both in technique and assignments. I have never seen such a pattern of blown assignments, half ass attempts of whiff blocking and just general poor line play. I'm sick of watching the guard and tackle both take on the same defensive lineman while a d-lineman right in front of the tackle walks through untouched to disrupt QB play or our running back in the middle. While you aren't exchanging field position, these missed blocks are just as bad as a turnover in that they more often lead to drive killers. Our biggest issues on offense last year were moving the ball and then all of a sudden get bogged down by a play in the backfield and almost always due to a blown blocking assignment.

So in saying all that, I'm excited to see if this staff can make the adjustments in development that they seem to be referring too. If so, I think 9 wins....even this year.......are attainable.
 
This "something else" that I'm referring to is our number 1 underlying problem. Lack of fundamentally sound football. I can't remember the specific quotes by Frost but he has alluded to re-focusing their efforts towards getting back to the basics. Sound blocking skills, running correct routes, quality tackling and following your assignments. I don't think any amount of new exciting recruits or transfers will ever overcome our lack of sound fundamentals we have seen in the last 6 years. I think SF started his career here with a high level of concentration of installing "scheme's" and largely underestimated the basic individual skills. I hated the idea of fast, fast, fast we will correct mistakes in the film room practice attitude.
This is, hands down, my biggest critique of the first part of Frost's tenure here.

Practice makes permanent, and there seemed to me to be too much emphasis on getting more reps vs. ensuring that those reps have the needed quality control; and out-thinking rather than out-executing the other team.

This was exacerbated by a lack of talent (maybe more specifically, a kind of talent that's not well-suited to the system they're working within), and some cultural issues that perhaps came because Frost was then in a position to choose whether to elevate players who were a better athletic fit (but weren't always ready, doing the right things, or earning their keep) over those who were more experienced, had done everything asked of them, etc.

The stated emphasis this year on slowing down the practices, making more corrections immediately gives me hope that we'll see those fundamentals improve. When you add to that a roster that's physically & athletically looking more and more like it's in line with what it's going to be asked to do, that makes me feel significantly more optimistic this year that we can turn the corner.
 
I agree the changes in practice, slowing it down, more attention to detail. Along with that I’m hoping to see a more physical running game. They seem to be transitioning the offense to bigger wide receivers and running backs in my opinion. Hopefully that’s to develop a more downfield physical running attack. I’m also hoping there’s a change in philosophy with our passing game. They need to take more shots downfield and in the middle of the field. Hopefully this year we see the tight end involved more. I’m hoping this year we see what the change in offensive coordinator brings to the table. Good thread topic! Should be a fun discussion!
 



A recent thread asked us what new contributors excited you and I avoided stating my opinion in fear of hijacking the thread. It had good dialog but nothing that tripped my trigger. The truth of the matter is I can't get anymore excited about new contributors this year than I could the last three years when from a team perspective they have all been inadequate to affect our quality of play. I suspect this year will be no different unless "something else" changes.

This "something else" that I'm referring to is our number 1 underlying problem. Lack of fundamentally sound football. I can't remember the specific quotes by Frost but he has alluded to re-focusing their efforts towards getting back to the basics. Sound blocking skills, running correct routes, quality tackling and following your assignments. I don't think any amount of new exciting recruits or transfers will ever overcome our lack of sound fundamentals we have seen in the last 6 years. I think SF started his career here with a high level of concentration of installing "scheme's" and largely underestimated the basic individual skills. I hated the idea of fast, fast, fast we will correct mistakes in the film room practice attitude.

Now in saying that I'll go out on a limb in regards to our defense last year. I was preaching to many on here how poor our tackling had been through the riley years and into the first two years of Chin. Part of that could have been due to the number of tackling technique changes. However I saw marked improvements last year. We probably reduced our "hit em down" tackling attempts rather than wrapping them up by half and it showed in our defensive success last year.

Now onto the offense. Our number 1 problem in my humble opinion is blocking. Both in technique and assignments. I have never seen such a pattern of blown assignments, half ass attempts of whiff blocking and just general poor line play. I'm sick of watching the guard and tackle both take on the same defensive lineman while a d-lineman right in front of the tackle walks through untouched to disrupt QB play or our running back in the middle. While you aren't exchanging field position, these missed blocks are just as bad as a turnover in that they more often lead to drive killers. Our biggest issues on offense last year were moving the ball and then all of a sudden get bogged down by a play in the backfield and almost always due to a blown blocking assignment.

So in saying all that, I'm excited to see if this staff can make the adjustments in development that they seem to be referring too. If so, I think 9 wins....even this year.......are attainable.
Great post
 
I'm excited to see a special teams unit that doesn't look like a little league team.

We've all seen high school teams that are yelling at the sideline during punts/kicks because they are short a person and there is mass confusion trying to get someone in to fill the open spot.

It's sad that the Huskers didn't even make it to that level this past year when they didn't even know that they were short a player and allowed that fake punt where the punter walked to a 1st down.
 
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I agree the changes in practice, slowing it down, more attention to detail. Along with that I’m hoping to see a more physical running game. They seem to be transitioning the offense to bigger wide receivers and running backs in my opinion. Hopefully that’s to develop a more downfield physical running attack. I’m also hoping there’s a change in philosophy with our passing game. They need to take more shots downfield and in the middle of the field. Hopefully this year we see the tight end involved more. I’m hoping this year we see what the change in offensive coordinator brings to the table. Good thread topic! Should be a fun discussion!
Well you brought up what would have been my 2nd problem with the offense. I limited my dissertation to the first one to keep it under 20 minutes. But I agree with changing the passing philosophy. I could go on and on regarding that point but would be hijacking my own thread :Biggrin: :Biggrin:
 



Well you brought up what would have been my 2nd problem with the offense. I limited my dissertation to the first one to keep it under 20 minutes. But I agree with changing the passing philosophy. I could go on and on regarding that point but would be hijacking my own thread :Biggrin: :Biggrin:
We're used to it so fire away! lol Like to hear more of your thoughts on this subject because it's a very interesting topic imo.
 
We're used to it so fire away! lol Like to hear more of your thoughts on this subject because it's a very interesting topic imo.
Yes it’s a good topic! Unfortunately the Luke M thread is getting all the posts. I would like to hear more about his thoughts on our down field passing. I think our tight ends have been underutilized for three coaching staffs. So I’m excited to attack the middle of the field more.
 
Yes it’s a good topic! Unfortunately the Luke M thread is getting all the posts. I would like to hear more about his thoughts on our down field passing. I think our tight ends have been underutilized for three coaching staffs. So I’m excited to attack the middle of the field more.
I've said all I'm going to say on the LM deal as he's no longer a Husker. Wish him well and that's that. Certainly AM has a lot to prove this season on getting the ball down field with our passing attack. I understand the reason for all those swing passes out to the flat but I've kind of seen enough of them. What I do not understand is why our TE's have been so under utilized imo. We had some talent there and I was under the impression Frost used them a lot in his offensive scheme? Guess I thought wrong. So knowledgeable fans expanding on WTH has been going on the past several years with our passing game is interesting to me.
 
I've said all I'm going to say on the LM deal as he's no longer a Husker. Wish him well and that's that. Certainly AM has a lot to prove this season on getting the ball down field with our passing attack. I understand the reason for all those swing passes out to the flat but I've kind of seen enough of them. What I do not understand is why our TE's have been so under utilized imo. We had some talent there and I was under the impression Frost used them a lot in his offensive scheme? Guess I thought wrong. So knowledgeable fans expanding on WTH has been going on the past several years with our passing game is interesting to me.
Definitely and I feel the same way!
 



I've said all I'm going to say on the LM deal as he's no longer a Husker. Wish him well and that's that. Certainly AM has a lot to prove this season on getting the ball down field with our passing attack. I understand the reason for all those swing passes out to the flat but I've kind of seen enough of them. What I do not understand is why our TE's have been so under utilized imo. We had some talent there and I was under the impression Frost used them a lot in his offensive scheme? Guess I thought wrong. So knowledgeable fans expanding on WTH has been going on the past several years with our passing game is interesting to me.
The spread is called to be just that spread. When your wrs don make themselves successful down field, it becomes less spread, and having Wandale,who was going to get his, until the end zone anyways, as THE over the middle threat, no real sideline threat etc, the spread isnt the spread, and it also hurts the TEs.
We actually pose a threat to every inch of the field, even those sideline passes will be looking good.
And notice, Wandale didnt score much, because in the red zone they paid extra attention to him, plus passing is harder ,because theres....less field to spread.
 

I've said all I'm going to say on the LM deal as he's no longer a Husker. Wish him well and that's that. Certainly AM has a lot to prove this season on getting the ball down field with our passing attack. I understand the reason for all those swing passes out to the flat but I've kind of seen enough of them. What I do not understand is why our TE's have been so under utilized imo. We had some talent there and I was under the impression Frost used them a lot in his offensive scheme? Guess I thought wrong. So knowledgeable fans expanding on WTH has been going on the past several years with our passing game is interesting to me.
Austin Allen was our 2nd leading receiver in 2020. Allen, Vokolek, and Stoll represent 3 of the team's top 7 receivers. Our tight ends accounted for over 43% of completions to players not named Wan'dale Robinson.
 

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