Husker football is alive and well.
- Thread starter rez dog 70
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Ok. Tell me how we've grown. Despite the last two games, Nebraska is still in the top ranks of both penalties and turnovers. Yes, we looked great against MSU and Rutgers, but the average is still the average.
For one to assume the last two games are representative of this team and staff, is to dismiss all the other head-scratching losses and questionable coaching decisions. I love what I have seen from Nebraska against Michigan State and Rutgers, but only a fool would say that is the official "we've turned the corner" moment.
I guess I just don't understand the people who think this is an immediate all or nothing situation. As in, we all have to either believe Riley is the answer, or we want him fired and thus want to hump Pelini's leg. And I really don't understand how people are willing to anoint Riley and staff as having done anything, at our current place and record, but beat a top-ranked Michigan State team.
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I tend to agree with you about this, to an extent. While I do think we might be on an upswing, it's too early to absolutely proclaim this to be true.
I would love to see these kinds of threads after the game this Friday... If we beat Iowa then it seems pretty clear we are on a good trajectory. Their is plenty to like about what we've seen the last two weeks, but a loss this week (especially if it's a bad loss) and this thread loses a lot of steam.
Exactly. But I guess I understand that we love to dream big, which is why we post on these boards.
To say "despite the last two games" is the flaw in your statement. Why can you not look at the reduction in penalties, the improvement on D and the rushing yards as seeing improvement?
Those last two games are exactly why people are optimistic. Sorry that you can't be.
Those last two games are exactly why people are optimistic. Sorry that you can't be.
I think improvement is obvious in these categories. I also think if we lose on Friday people go back to bashing the coaches who can't get it done. If we win Friday, I am ready to say that we are definitely poised for good things next year.
To our fan base, a lot hinges on Friday. I still think these coaches will get it done, win or lose, but if we win, it will bring a lot more unity to the fan base in my opinion.
Our losses aren't due to Riley and the staff not busting their ***. Again... i told everyone we had a serious problem with the program. And again posters decided to come after me. That's fine. But anyone who was an honest broker could see the players were having a very difficult time with Riley being the coach instead of Bo. And in sports if everyone in the unit isn't on the same page you're gonna have problems. Honestly, I'm surprised we didn't have a team wide meltdown on day one. Riley is why it didn't happen. Nate Gerry all but confirmed what looked what was going on. But that doesn't fit your agenda to take down Riley. CLASSIC.
You have to admit how insane some of the excuses were though and I think he is right this seasons record is on the coaches. That does not mean a win against Iowa would not be great
Again! Nate Gerry comments all buts negates any criticism you can muster against the coaches.
I hear what you're saying, but I think there has to be some middle ground to this.
We can't discount the reasons some people are floating, that we lack depth, talent (this one is questionable, as we certainly have shown enough talent here down the stretch), cohesiveness between players and coaches (this one is difficult to pin down). I do think these were factors to a certain degree.
However, the coaches haven't been stellar either. If the team had been better coached, we wouldn't be sitting with a losing record today.
There has been enough dysfunction on the Nebraska sidelines that I believe the blame can be spread far and wide. It isn't all coaches, but they have their part. It isn't all players either, but they have their part. Just my opinion, as there really isn't any way to quantify it.
As far as what would be great, I can only go by what Wasker said himself. If we beat Iowa, he will be upset. Maybe he meant disappointed, which I can get behind. But he said upset. I will never understand this sentiment. He even tied it directly to the coaches.
Everything you just posted is opinion. And the fact that you think you have additional insight over any other posters here is so funny. My agenda is not to "take down Riley," rather, it's to remain objective, look at the facts, and make my determination after. That's what an educated person does.
You know Rover you do not always have to believe you are " Head Cheerleader"
In fact your comments blasting players and their effort level were really uncalled for and are not really considered "Being a good fan"
I read into what he said that he was disappointed, That this team is good enough to beat MSU and possibly Iowa but not good enough to beat Purdue and I agree with him the reason was failure of coaching and some injuries but mostly coaching.
I think all the excuses, ( sorry reasons) given as to our weak areas are probably all true to some extent - what however I am saying is that they were not the reasons we are at 5 wins - I could see those things being the reason we only won 8 games this year, but to be at our current record is a coaching failure
IMO ... Nebraska has only played one game this year that would translate to a win against Iowa (Minnesota)
even if you look at the MSU game if TA throws 2 picks including one in the red zone and we give up close to 500 yards we aren't going to win.
If we get QB play and a hamstrung offense like we did at rutgers we get hammered
we need to be near perfect and get a little help from Iowa to win
even if you look at the MSU game if TA throws 2 picks including one in the red zone and we give up close to 500 yards we aren't going to win.
If we get QB play and a hamstrung offense like we did at rutgers we get hammered
we need to be near perfect and get a little help from Iowa to win
Good post. The coaches are human beings and make mistakes like everybody else. Some of the playcalling HAS been moronic. But when you don't know how players are gonna perform you limit the people involved i would think. And passing is a glorified pitch and catch. Where running the ball takes a complete effort by everyone involved. And playing pitch and catch can net you big yards. That's what i think was going on before switching up the line for Michigan State.
Again, maybe he was disappointed. But in his follow up post, he made it clear he doesn't like Riley. To me, I gave him an opportunity to clarify what he meant, but I felt like it was angst at the coaches, period. He is behind the players, which is good, but fans need to be behind both coaches and players until it is infinitely clear the coaches need to go. That's usually when you see posts like this from Wasker. Not in the first season, especially not after a couple of wins. Again, my opinion on this.
Anyone who thinks the results of this season lies solely on the coaches, then they are being very short sighted. There are a lot of factors in play here.
Black Friday: #5 Iowa (11-0) vs. Nebraska @ Lincoln
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-6, 2-4 B1G West) enjoyed a bye week on Saturday, ahead of the 2:30 CST kickoff on ABC on Black Friday in Lincoln. ESPN has a story titled "Huskers split on significance of spoiler role against #5 Iowa." Ferentz will wait until, after the game with Purdue to talk about the next team on the schedule, but his first game at Iowa, as a head coach, was in 1999 against a Nebraska team ranked #5 in the land.
If Iowa gets Purdue taken care of properly, the Hawkeyes may be in a reverse of roles to close out the 2015 regular season ...
First year Nebraska coach Mike Riley spoke to the media following practice on Tuesday. He spoke about the team's need for a bye week.
"We've played 11 straight weeks. We went right through fall camp and started playing games, so I'm approaching this week a little bit differently than I would normally." Riley said. "We are going to practice two hard days. One of them was today, one of them will be tomorrow and they'll have some lifting times. Then I'd like to get them rested. We'll start practicing Sunday afternoon."
Iowa opened up to a 24-7 lead in last year's Nebraska game. But, the Huskers
rallied back, as QB #4 Tommy Armstrong lead Nebraska to a tie in regulation.
The Huskers took care of business winning 37-34 in OT over the Hawkeyes.
Coach Riley also talked about how he and his staff have been involved in a lot of Friday games in the past. Riley was scheduled to be in Cedar Falls on Friday night on a recruiting visit, but weather likely sidetracked that trip for him.
"In my old league, we were playing any night. We played them all…Thursday, Friday, Saturday. So we were always pretty flexible...It's just about the countdown to the game and it doesn't matter the day of the week." Riley said. "Having a bye really, really helps us, considering that it's a Friday game. It's about time for us. I've really appreciated this team a lot. I think that they've stayed the course, battled a lot of injuries, got better and positioned ourselves to set the table for a big game."
Coach Riley proceeded to explain how the Iowa game is another great opportunity for the team to come out and shine. Since 1981, Nebraska leads the Iowa series 6 wins to 2 losses, with Iowa's wins in Ferentz's first season, as an OL coach (1981) and in 2013, after Iowa's last Senior Game win.
"It's really exciting." Riley said. "This is another great opportunity for this year's team. We've been on a little bit of a roller coaster in a lot of ways, so it would be just a great opportunity to win."
The third College Football Playoff poll for 2015.
I think its how you look at it - yes there are a lot of contributing factors but it pretty clear at least to me that coaching cost us the Illinois game, the Wi game and probably the BYU game . The Ill game was clock mgmt, the Wi game was playcalling at the end of the game and the BYU game was lack of coaching on how to defend a Hail Mary
Win those 3 and we are 8-3 and things are not as bad and maybe even the players buy in better than they have - so yes I blame the coaching staff - These kinds of mistakes should not happen with an experienced staff. Now they have done some good things and yes there are issues on other areas but yes the coaching staff has made mistakes that led directly to losses
Really, I supported Iowa retaining Kirk Ferentz, since I rested most of the problems on the Iowa players, rather than the coaching staff. The coaching staff had issues, don't get me wrong, but like with College Basketball, the players have to execute their assignments. In the late 1990s, Iowa basketball made the choice to let Dr. Tom Davis go with the intent to get to the next level. It ended up Iowa fell to the lowest levels, since the early 1970s.
Nebraska, Minnesota, WIsconsin and Missouri are very similar programs, with Nebraska the only one without an NFL team, but otherwise, the only Division I program around. Heck, the University of Nebraska at Omaha program was sent dark, as well. The landscape has really changed over the past 34 years, when Iowa beat Nebraska 10-7 in coach Ferentz's first game as a Hawkeye.
I believe Mike Riley was an interesting hire for Nebraska. The seven year itch with Bo Pelini didn't work out.
We shall see over time, whether it pays off. Iowa finished 5-6 the first season I ever saw the Hawkeyes and Huskers play on the gridiron.
Both Iowa and Nebraska have been on the wrong side and right side of games ...
This is where there is not unity. In my opinion, I don't think the players needed to be coached to not let the other team catch the ball. I don't believe this was a coaching issue.
I also think the Wisconsin game where they ran three straight was designed to burn Wisconsin's timeouts. Absolutely if they would have passed and gotten a first down, people would call it good coaching. But Tommy was barely completing 33 % in that game, so what if he passes incomplete? Wisconsin then has the ball and a timeout remaining.
It is easy to claim bad coaching cost us those games, but I don't see it as clearly as you do.
The 1981 win over Nebraska was huge, 10-7, since Iowa was coming off 19 seasons of non-winning football. It will be very interesting to see, if Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes team in 2015 can finish it out 12-0. The 2002 Hawkeyes finished 8-0 in the Big Ten, but they were not undefeated in the regular season.
For 22 years, the Nebraska Huskers found a similar case ... then the 1994 Huskers finished ...
peace