Fall Camp Update: Day 9

[jeans15]

Notes and quotes from practice,


- Mckewon," A reminder of how good Nebraska has it: Wisconsin's grass practice field looks like the park out back."


- Lewis, Kondolo and Bondi earned their degrees.


- The team practiced in side Memorial stadium.


-Mike Riley after the # 1st legit scrimmage of Fall Camp. Passing game looked great with Westy and DPE back.


-Welch, "In scrimmage, Tommy Armstrong completed 60-65% of his passes, couple TD throws, a TD run, and zero turnovers. Really solid night."


- Riley: Tackling wasn't as good as# want. As expected, much harder for guys to finish tackles when they haven't practiced it much.

 

[jeans15]

More Notes and Quotes,


-Morgan was EVERYWHEREtonight, catching short, mid, deep passes including over-middle TD darts from Tommy (11) & Fyfe (25)


- Armstrong did rip off one big TD run. "I love seeing that," Riley said with a smile. "I haven't seen that in 12 years."


- Mckewon," Ryker Fyfe has made a big move and a bid for the backup job. Riley called him “a ballplayer.” Likes Fyfe’s craftiness."


- Gaskins, "Tommy highlights: 50yd run down sideline on 1st series. 46yd play-action to DPE on 3rd series. 3rd & 4th down conv's to TE Carter. "


-Josh Harvey, HURT IN SCRIMMAGE: Senior wide receiver Taariq Allen (shin). Junior linebacker Michael Rose (shoulder). Junior running back Terrell Newby (shoulder). Freshman defensive back Antonio Reed (head). Itsounds like the only concerning one was Allen. At the point of Riley's conversation with the media, they still didn't know the extent of the injury.

Harvey’s Donuts:
* Tonight was one of Tommy Armstrong’s best practices the media has been allowed to see to date. He threw two touchdown passes and also had a nice 50-yard run for one.

 

[Husker Todd_rivals48744]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

 

[c3ntral08]

No surprise Morgan looks great. 5.8 from the southeast. I knew from watching 30s of his vids that he was the truth. If he stays healthy Bell's records will fall, that's a promise.

 

[ExxHusker]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

I don't think people are naysayers. Most just said if Tommy can't make the leap and find and get the ball to open receivers without the excessive turnovers (and near turnovers) we have all seen then his downside is much bigger than his upside.

He may be able to do this with strong coaching. We all hope this is the case I'm sure. The turnovers are just too much to have to overcome against quality competition in this highly competitive era.

 

[dockentwo]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

No; its been slow and its Saturday night. A great big thank you for this thread being here though. Most actually are just hopeful and maybe a little frustrated; for the qb corps to step up and improve in a few categories. There will be lots of posts. I actually have used ignore only twice; one is now one of my favorite posters - he was trying to point out some Pelini regime faults, I was trying to defend a coach to get more time he wouldn't use : I was wrong. Great scrimmage news; how neat is it that HCMR helped Fyfe through whatever summer problems he had and Fyfe is now excelling. There are no quarantees, some great opportunities. GBR

 

[Husker.Wed._rivals]

It is hard to get a good picture of what went on from the information available about the scrimmage. From the sound of practice reports TA seems to be coming along. He hit the TE across the middle a couple times and apparently hit some screens. Meaning, maybe he is getting some touch on his passes. It sounds as if the O-Line is struggling. Riley said he was not pleased (first time I've heard him say these words) with consistency. I think he is referring to the 1's running game getting stuffed causing 3 and outs.

 

[Tyante]

Something I am curious on with Fyfe. Did he have a bad attitude in spring? It seems like he took some time off in the summer to figure out what he wanted to do and is back competing. I may be off on this, but moving up to #2 QB from where he was for the spring game seems like he has bought in now.

 

[NikkiSixx_rivals269993]

Thanks for the update. Great news on TA, Fyfe, & Morgan. Hope the injuries are minor.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan_rivals19671]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

I guarantee you every single reasonable Husker fan is rooting for TA to become a badass QB. One good practice isn't going to undo what we've seen to date though, but this practice report sounds encouraging. Hope he keeps it up.

 

[rrthusker]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

Tommy will be Tommy but a better QB just because of Danny. How much better is the key? Once again guys,its easy to point the finger at Tommy
but until the OL can pass block effectively and consistently don`t expect miracles.

 

[dinglefritz]

Tommy will be Tommy but a better QB just because of Danny. How much better is the key? Once again guys,its easy to point the finger at Tommy
but until the OL can pass block effectively and consistently don`t expect miracles.

One of Tommy's biggest issues IMO was locking in on his primary receiver (often Bell) and ignoring a wide open guy. It sometimes led to big plays but also contributed to his turnovers and incompletions. IMO TA was better without Kenny on the field. It MADE him be aware of other guys and go through his progressions to some degree. I just think he had the attitude that he was going to throw it towards Kenny and hope he made a play.

 

[rrthusker]

One of Tommy's biggest issues IMO was locking in on his primary receiver (often Bell) and ignoring a wide open guy. It sometimes led to big plays but also contributed to his turnovers and incompletions. IMO TA was better without Kenny on the field. It MADE him be aware of other guys and go through his progressions to some degree. I just think he had the attitude that he was going to throw it towards Kenny and hope he made a play.

Interesting take and you are probably correct. I remember seeing Carter and AA wide open several times without even getting a look.

 

[otismotis08]

One of Tommy's biggest issues IMO was locking in on his primary receiver (often Bell) and ignoring a wide open guy. It sometimes led to big plays but also contributed to his turnovers and incompletions. IMO TA was better without Kenny on the field. It MADE him be aware of other guys and go through his progressions to some degree. I just think he had the attitude that he was going to throw it towards Kenny and hope he made a play.

Agreed. DL should help TA with progressions and finding the easy completion, rather than forcing throws to a primary target.

 

[rez dog 70]

One of Tommy's biggest issues IMO was locking in on his primary receiver (often Bell) and ignoring a wide open guy. It sometimes led to big plays but also contributed to his turnovers and incompletions. IMO TA was better without Kenny on the field. It MADE him be aware of other guys and go through his progressions to some degree. I just think he had the attitude that he was going to throw it towards Kenny and hope he made a play.

He was his security blanket.

 

[rez dog 70]

Guys, the problems are all connected...
Bad coaching led to the bad offensive line play. Which was because of the lack of true competition from the coaching staff. Tommy couldn't grow as a player because these linemen couldn't protect him. The two biggest problems hampering Tommy's growth are gone. I expect to see a big jump in his game this year.

 

[rez dog 70]

You see this in the NFL a lot. You have a good QB go to a crappy team with a lousy offensive line and he regresses. It's not because he's not as good... it's cause he's playing in survival mode!

 

[JohnRossEwing]

Guys, the problems are all connected...
Bad coaching led to the bad offensive line play. Which was because of the lack of true competition from the coaching staff. Tommy couldn't grow as a player because these linemen couldn't protect him. The two biggest problems hampering Tommy's growth are gone. I expect to see a big jump in his game this year.

Exactly! This is why I am so excited for this season and why my expectations are so high, this staff makes me feel very confident.

 

[HuskerNinja]

Not many comments on this thread. Could it be that all the Tommy naysayers have nothing to talk about since he had a solid night?

Ha! The thread was 14 minutes old between the OP and your comment. Give us a chance!

In all seriousness, the best scenario is that Tommy just continues to improve and really solidifies the spot. Given the time, hopefully he evolves into more of a true NFL style QB with great ability to read defenses, go through progressions and hit the short and intermediate game better. Fewer dumb INTs would be fantastic. I would love to see him lead us to 10 wins this year and then lead the team on a serious push to the front next season.

Fyfe pushing TA is a great thing from a competition standpoint and a bit surprising considering his recent personal issues. Who knows, maybe he just thrives under Lansdorf's tutelage and ends up as a really strong #2 that we'd feel comfortable going with if the situation merited it. We forget, but the coaches haven't coached our team for all that long. It's exciting to see what professional level coaching looks like. Fyfe seemed really raw coming in, but he has some talent to be developed. I am not counting him out.

 

[Husker Todd_rivals48744]

It was actually closer to 50 mins from the original post and 14 mins from the update, no biggie though. I was bored, so I just wanted to see if I could get some discussion going. Give myself something entertaining to read.

 

[dinglefritz]

Guys, the problems are all connected...
Bad coaching led to the bad offensive line play. Which was because of the lack of true competition from the coaching staff. Tommy couldn't grow as a player because these linemen couldn't protect him. The two biggest problems hampering Tommy's growth are gone. I expect to see a big jump in his game this year.

Better center play should help the whole offense. Our playing time decisions were disgusting at center. TA never knew half the time when the dang snap was coming or where it was going and then you could usually count on our starting center getting knocked back into the backfield.

 

[k9_r]

Tommy is the 1st or 2nd best QB in the West (as he plays right now) depending on how the Illinois guy plays. Wes Lunt can be pretty good.

Hill, Kaaya and Cook are much better overall than any others we'll face so we'll need defense and running to beat them but TA can be a big part of winning all the other games.

 

[marteau]

It was actually closer to 50 mins from the original post and 14 mins from the update, no biggie though. I was bored, so I just wanted to see if I could get some discussion going. Give myself something entertaining to read.

thanks for updates---i appreciate them since i live in Colorado

 

[nebcountry]

Gone is qb read/wr read throw to the wide open opposing defensive back. We will call a play, everyone on offense will run the play, and everyone will do their best to execute. TA has to be able to throw it to a spot that is open/will be open, and both TA and the receiver will always be "on the same page". The receivers are precision route running to put themselves in the same spot(s).

This was one practice/scrimmage. I'm going to wait to celebrate TA completing 65% of his passes with limited interceptions until the end of the season.

 

[ReuniteGondwanaland]

All the reports are getting me really, really excited to see Morgan play. We have a lot of juniors and senior WRs on the roster but it's starting to sound like he's going to play anyway, and probably in our top 5 receivers from day one. Some people have questioned if Westerkamp or Pierson-El could be a true #1 receiver. Morgan might not be this year, but probably soon... love the various things our top receivers bring to the field.

Sounds like Gates is moving into the 1a spot at RT. Good thing, IMO. I've seen what Sterup can do, and while he's a good player and I'm glad he's on the team he's limited by his lack of agility. Sounds like we'll have at least two redshirt freshmen force their way into the main OL rotation this year. Occasional mistakes are likely but I like the long-term of these kids outplaying more experienced competition.

Glad Armstrong had a good scrimmage since various reports said Bush and Darlington seem to have regressed a bit. If Armstrong is the man and still #1 by a good margin, then go Tommy. If Langsdorf can improve his touch and accuracy in the short passing game so the running backs and tight ends become a bigger factor he can easily get to 60% on his passes, which I think is kind of the floor of where we need him to be.

 

[RedSea_rivals91325]

Nothing against Fyfe, but sort of disappointed to hear that neither Bush nor Darlington are contending for second this fall. Good news is they still have some time to develop I guess.

 

[sparky4986]

Nothing against Fyfe, but sort of disappointed to hear that neither Bush nor Darlington are contending for second this fall. Good news is they still have some time to develop I guess.

After the spring ball I actually thought we would see more of Bush and less of Fyfe.

 

[jflores]

I didn't really think any of the backups would push TA too much, but my vote was with Darlington for "best of the rest". I got half of it right I guess, it sounds like from most media sources that TA is squarely 1 and its a healthy drop back to 2.

I'm excited as heck that TA is improving. There's really no reason not to root for the kid, we sure as heck don't have a clear "better" player sitting around.

 

[dinglefritz]

After the spring ball I actually thought we would see more of Bush and less of Fyfe.

And to think one of our resident poster recruiting "analysts" was on here saying Fyfe didn't have the talent to be on the team at QB. I'm still waiting for "his board". Fyfe has game experience and sufficient tools to backup TA.

 

[suhnami_rivals]

After the spring ball I actually thought we would see more of Bush and less of Fyfe.

Bush is a RFr right? And he was extremely raw when he came in... so it could be he still has a ways to go. We'll see I guess. We'll have a lot of these questions answered by October I think.

 

[suhnami_rivals]

And to think one of our resident poster recruiting "analysts" was on here saying Fyfe didn't have the talent to be on the team at QB. I'm still waiting for "his board". Fyfe has game experience and sufficient tools to backup TA.

Other than you clearly pushing for Fyfe there hasn't really been a lot of evidence to support your position. This is really the 1st significant comments about him in fall practice...

 

[dinglefritz]

Other than you clearly pushing for Fyfe there hasn't really been a lot of evidence to support your position. This is really the 1st significant comments about him in fall practice...

Considering that many didn't even think he would still be here this fall, that says something about his talent compared to our other scholarship QBs now doesn't it. How exactly was I "pushing" FOR Fyfe? I merely pointed out that Mr 200 something posts recruiting guru didn't know diddly about football. He stated that Fyfe shouldn't even be on the team. Obviously a couple of guys that have coached in the NFL and know QBs think Mr 200 something posts free board recruiting analyst doesn't know anything either. Snot nosed punks blowing about their "boards" and talent evaluation on a free message board don't know jack.

 

[suhnami_rivals]

Well other than you previously saying he should be the starter over TA you're not pushing for him, much.

 

[NikkiSixx_rivals269993]

And to think one of our resident poster recruiting "analysts" was on here saying Fyfe didn't have the talent to be on the team at QB. I'm still waiting for "his board". Fyfe has game experience and sufficient tools to backup TA.

Yep, I remember that thread.. but I thought it was a different poster. Regardless, I've always thought Fyfe would do well in this style of offense and glad to be hearing good reports about him. He's my darkhorse MVP prediction for this year.

 

[dinglefritz]

Well other than you previously saying he should be the starter over TA you're not pushing for him, much.

You better show me the quote where I posted that he should start over TA. I mentioned that he should play and let TA sit for a series to watch but I don't ever recall ever saying such a thing even during an emotional outburst after watching TA make multiple bad decisions in the passing game. You need to quit making stuff up.

 

[NebChicago]

Curious... I have seen only the briefest in speculation on the one "suspended defensive starter" and nothing on the other suspensions.
Are we not speculating because we are gentlemen? Or because no one knows? Obviously don't want to throw around wrong names, I just figured it would get out there some how by now?

 

[jflores]

Curious... I have seen only the briefest in speculation on the one "suspended defensive starter" and nothing on the other suspensions.
Are we not speculating because we are gentlemen? Or because no one knows? Obviously don't want to throw around wrong names, I just figured it would get out there some how by now?

Mostly because they won't matter.

Per Banker himself in the Portland Tribune article, only one is really going to hurt. And I think most people have pushed their chips in with Rose or Rose-Ivey.