Spring Practice Notes: Practice #9

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Tuco, has to remember Nebraska hadn’t been winning much prior to 1962.

I understand fine that Nebraska hadn’t won much prior to 1962. I just don’t get how beating a then average to below average Michigan team in 1962 is anything more than Nebraska beating Colorado in 2018. 50 years from now I don’t believe anyone is going to point at the Colorado game as the game that righted the Nebraska football ship.

 

[HuskerO58]

Too many of us keep thinking NU lost because the other teams were a lot better...

Nobody has been thinking that...

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

I like everyone's enthusiasm but these things take time. I am eager to win as well. Patience is going to be needed. IMO 6 wins next year is expected, 7 would be great. I just dont see 9 wins. Now 2019 schedule is set up to be a break through year for the Huskers. I see top 10 in two years. That schedule is gravy. 10-2 or 11-1.

Disagree. What you are doing is managing expectations and holding Frost to a different level of expectation than you did the coaches before him. You wouldn’t have “demanded” anything less than 8 or 9 wins for Riley or Pelini. I can promise you Frost isn’t planning on 6 or 7 wins.

There are 8 winnable games on that schedule.
Akron
Troy
Colorado
Purdue
Illinois
Minnesota
Northwestern

And any 1 of the remaining 5 games. Most likely Iowa, Michigan St or Michigan.

 

[jlb321_rivals110621]

Too many of us keep thinking NU lost because the other teams were a lot better...NU lost because Riley and his staff are clowns.

Good points. All of us have varying degrees of expectations based on our own assessments and at the end of the year the the staffs performance can be characterized broadly as one of the below

exceeded expectations
met expectations
failed to meet expectations - needs to improve

for me meeting expectations is 6-7 wins based on new systems, new unproven QB that may not be an ideal fit for the offense, some degree of talent and depth gap, one of the hardest schedules in the nation

if we win 8+ - I will be ecstatic and clearly in the camp that in year 1 this staff exceeded expectations. What sometimes has happened in the past is those that predict X # of wins - lets say 8 or more in this case aren't willing to state that the team and staff under-performed if we win less but rather make the arguments/excuses of - new systems, new unproven QB that may not be an ideal fit for the offense, some degree of talent and depth gap, one of the hardest schedules in the nation.

It is certainly reasonable and you can make an argument for the expected win total to be a minimum of 8 - but then be willing to say that the team under-performed -failed to meet expectations- if they win less. I am not willing to make that assessment if we win 6 or 7 next year.

after year one 6 wins is a massive failure - I simply don't have big expectations ever in year 1 - for me it was the same for Callahan, Pelini, and Riley

 

[dinglefritz]

I think it’s pretty clear Gebbia and Martinez are separating themselves. If Noah can get cleared that would be great.

I would bet that Martinez redshirts and that the QB battle comes down to Gebbia and Bunch. Martinez's arm is not near where it needs to be.

 

[bshirt73]

Too many of us keep thinking NU lost because the other teams were a lot better...NU lost because Riley and his staff are clowns.

100% on the money.

 

[Redscarlet]

I understand fine that Nebraska hadn’t won much prior to 1962. I just don’t get how beating a then average to below average Michigan team in 1962 is anything more than Nebraska beating Colorado in 2018. 50 years from now I don’t believe anyone is going to point at the Colorado game as the game that righted the Nebraska football ship.

Devaney didn’t Know how good Michigan was going to be at the end of the year, but he felt they could win in Ann Arbor and is was important for him because he was from Michigan and he pointed to that game before the season and it was their first away game.

Don’t know why you’re throwing Colorado in on any of this. Michigan is Frost first away game just like Devaney first away game..

No need to out think yourself on this.

 

[bshirt73]

I would bet that Martinez redshirts and that the QB battle comes down to Gebbia and Bunch. Martinez's arm is not near where it needs to be.

Martinez says his shoulder is at 90% and getting better. "Not near to where it needs to be"....How can you know that? Maybe I missed that?

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Martinez says his shoulder is at 90% and getting better. "Not near to where it needs to be"....How can you know that? Maybe I missed that?

Because he is 15+ months post surgery and not yet 100%.

 

[SnohomishRed]

I believe we see a team play very hard this year. When you do that, I think we will win a game we are not supposed to i.e., Michigan or Wisconsin.

But I have no idea of the win loss record, part of the issue is the last two coaches. Pelini was a lazy recruiter who was the walking dead the last couple of years, every recruit knew he was going to be fired. Riley, recruiting was all smoke and mirrors as was the rest of his coaching style. I believe our recruiting the last three years was a step below Pelini and that is not a good thing. He also recruited a different style of player which I felt at the time would hurt when he left

The roster is not that talented maybe middle of the road in the conference and third maybe 4th in the west. I think we make a bowl game this year but I am only at this point hoping to see improvement and some better fundamental play

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Devaney didn’t Know how good Michigan was going to be at the end of the year, but he felt they could win in Ann Arbor and is was important for him because he was from Michigan and he pointed to that game before the season and it was their first away game.

Don’t know why you’re throwing Colorado in on any of this. Michigan is Frost first away game just like Devaney first away game..

No need to out think yourself on this.

Colorado is the 1st P5 non conference game, like Michigan was in 1962.

 

[bshirt73]

Because he is 15+ months post surgery and not yet 100%.

So not being 100% means he's "not near to what he needs to be"?

 

[huskerfan1414]

Colorado is the 1st P5 non conference game, like Michigan was in 1962.

Youre right, Michigan as a program in the early 60s=colorado as a program in the late 2010s. Exactly...
Youre trying too hard to be argumentative. It was a big win for the Huskers, just get over it.

 

[SoFL Husker]

DaiShon Neal walked into the weight room and looked down at his chart. The number 645 was written on it. As in, pounds. Pounds for him to potentially squat that day.

The Omaha Central grad will be honest with you. He had never squatted that much before and on that very day was asking himself, "Can I do that?" His teammate, Alex Davis, told him to go do it.

What Neal did next is something he might not have thought himself capable of back in early January. But now in April, he can tell you that, yes, he has squatted 645 pounds for three reps. Yes, he has benched a max of 455 for three reps.

That weight room climb doesn't just win you snaps on Saturdays, of course, but Neal has good reason to be proud of his gains, having built himself up to 6-7, 290 pounds, a 20-pound hike while losing body fat in the process. So that's one thing.

Here's another thing: The fourth-year junior defensive end likes what the M.O. is from his new defensive line coach Mike Dawson.

Attack. Every play is a chance to make a play.



VIDEO OF BUNCH
http://www.1011now.com/content/spor...-darkhorse-in-Nebraska-QB-race-479475463.html

So we have Stille, Neal, DThomas, and a Davis Twin setting the edge? Those guys are a stout bunch. I know Freedom is still here but I hope he spins inside. Still, lots of big-bodied guys this year. GBR

 

[SoFL Husker]

Those lifting numbers are unbelievable.

Indeed. Looks like Neal needed a challenge in the weight room. Hope it translates to the field. As a card carrying Tradition Coalition/TO/Husker Power advocate, football games are won in the off-season. GBR

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Youre right, Michigan as a program in the early 60s=colorado as a program in the late 2010s. Exactly...
Youre trying too hard to be argumentative. It was a big win for the Huskers, just get over it.

I don’t think I am being argumentative. I stated an opinion about the 1962 Michigan game. People chose to engage in dialogue. Sort of the point of message boards.

 

[HuskerO58]

Riley, recruiting was all smoke and mirrors as was the rest of his coaching style.

Not sure how Riley's recruiting was smoke and mirrors? He upgraded Nebraska's talent level and depth in most positions from when he first came here. His 2018 class was starting out and projecting to be great, but then the season started and everyone realized Riley and Co couldn't coach and were going to be shown the door.

 

[jlb321_rivals110621]

Disagree. What you are doing is managing expectations and holding Frost to a different level of expectation than you did the coaches before him. You wouldn’t have “demanded” anything less than 8 or 9 wins for Riley or Pelini. I can promise you Frost isn’t planning on 6 or 7 wins.

There are 8 winnable games on that schedule.
Akron
Troy
Colorado
Purdue
Illinois
Minnesota
Northwestern

And any 1 of the remaining 5 games. Most likely Iowa, Michigan St or Michigan.

colorado, purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, NW - I would say for 4 of those games even if you say we are the better team the margin for error is small - meaning it isn't a big mismatch

even if you arbitrarily say Neb has an 80% chance of winning each of the 4 or 5 games above the probability of winning all 4 games is 41% and if you include all 5 games at 80% probability of winning each game the probability of winning all 5 is 33%. Despite us potentially being the better team in those 5 games the odds are against us winning all 5.
You have to have nearly an 80% probability of a win in each individual game to have a 50/50 chance of hitting a trifecta.

if you figure we lose 1 game we should win and win 1 game we are supposed to lose that equals 7 wins

you have us winning all 5 of those games + a game we are likely going to be decent underdogs to get to your 8

if you had to bet $1000 dollars on us either winning all 5 of the games against P5 competition you have counted as wins or 1 game against the other 5 which do you consider more likely?

 

[huskerfan1414]

I don’t think I am being argumentative. I stated an opinion about the 1962 Michigan game. People chose to engage in dialogue. Sort of the point of message boards.

 

[Solana Beach Husker]

My expectations are to be entertained. I have already been entertained by Frost and his teams moreso than all husker teams post 2013 combined. I've watched maybe 3 total games since 2013, and the product was garbage at best, and SOOOOOOO boring. And I went to something like 56 straight home games up to 2011. Frost understands that he has two jobs: Entertain Fans, and build good young men...that is all there is...it doesn't matter how many we win, but Frost has to control the narrative so we keep tuning in in a positive manner.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

colorado, purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, NW - I would say for 4 of those games even if you say we are the better team the margin for error is small - meaning it isn't a big mismatch

even if you arbitrarily say Neb has an 80% chance of winning each of the 4 or 5 games above the probability of winning all 4 games is 41% and if you include all 5 games at 80% probability of winning each game the probability of winning all 5 is 33%. Despite us potentially being the better team in those 5 games the odds are against us winning all 5.
You have to have nearly an 80% probability of a win in each individual game to have a 50/50 chance of hitting a trifecta.

if you figure we lose 1 game we should win and win 1 game we are supposed to lose that equals 7 wins

you have us winning all 5 of those games + a game we are likely going to be decent underdogs to get to your 8

if you had to bet $1000 dollars on us either winning all 5 of the games against P5 competition you have counted as wins or 1 game against the other 5 which do you consider more likely?

I would bet $1000 that we win 8.

 

[jlb321_rivals110621]

I would bet $1000 that we win 8.

if the O/U were 7.5 regular season wins I would take the under
will be interesting for sure

 

[Redscarlet]

Colorado is the 1st P5 non conference game, like Michigan was in 1962.

So it’s a home game too.

 

[footnfan1]

Yes, that didn't read the best. What I meant was that they looked like they put forth the effort and were aggressive and physical, the score wasn't close, they were out-manned. It was the mindset and attitude I was referring to.

UCF lost the QB in the first ..maybe the early 2nd quarter. Game over at that point. They did play tough,never gave up.Timing is everything, UCF would have rolled Michigan if they had played with Milton at QB,especially so last year.

But, there was this....

And then M got a fair amount of "protection" P5 protection

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

So it’s a home game too.

So it’s a similar game to Nebraska 1962 because it’s a road game against the same opponent? Ok

Point it is a stretch to make a connection.

 

[dinglefritz]

Martinez says his shoulder is at 90% and getting better. "Not near to where it needs to be"....How can you know that? Maybe I missed that?

Martinez, Frost and Verduzzcolini have all stated that his shoulder/arm isn't where it needs to be. I've heard several media types who have watched him throw say that he lacks arm strength and zip right now. He would have to be quite a bit better in other aspects of the game than the other QBs to make it worth playing him IMO. We'll see. He has a summer to get stronger. In the mean time, Frost etal have been very complimentary towards Gebbia and Bunch. Personally if it's an even race, I let Martinez redshirt and put another year between himself and the Sophomores.

 

[jlb321_rivals110621]

UCF lost the QB in the first ..maybe the early 2nd quarter. Game over at that point. They did play tough,never gave up.Timing is everything, UCF would have rolled Michigan if they had played with Milton at QB,especially so last year.

But, there was this....

And then M got a fair amount of "protection" P5 protection

UCFs starting QB got hurt late in the second quarter ... the starter is in the game on the touch down you posted with 11+ minutes remaining ... the score was 31-0. So the game was over well, well before their starter was injured. And I agree, the game would have been more competitive with Milton at QB. I might remind you that we aren’t going to have Milton either

 

[footnfan1]

UCFs starting QB got hurt late in the second quarter ... the starter is in the game on the touch down you posted with 11:52 remaining ... the score was 31-0. So the game was over well, well before their starter was injured. And I agree, the game would have been more competitive with Milton at QB. I might remind you that we aren’t going to have Milton either

IIRC, he went out, and came back in.to hand it off several times, but I could be wrong. It was painful to watch knowing, that the game came too early for Frost to have what he needed to make a significant difference.

 

[jlb321_rivals110621]

IIRC, he went out, and came back in.to hand it off several times, but I could be wrong. It was painful to watch knowing, that the game came too early for Frost to have what he needed to make a significant difference.

No arguments here ... i am by no means doubting Frost - just tough sledding at times in year one.

 

[footnfan1]

No arguments here ... i am by no means doubting Frost - just tough sledding at times in year one.

He learned A LOT in year one.As a HC, he could not call a timeout to save his life. Year one Temple loss was all on Coach Frost.The D was gassed,kept hoping for a stop, he got one when the game was over.

He'll be a fine coach for UN. He certainly became one at UCF. Good luck.

 

[bshirt73]

Martinez, Frost and Verduzzcolini have all stated that his shoulder/arm isn't where it needs to be.

Hmmmm....then I must have missed that. I stand most humbly corrected.

 

[dinglefritz]

Hmmmm....then I must have missed that. I stand most humbly corrected.

I'm sure he could still play if need be if there was a game tomorrow, but I think we may have better options this fall. We get to find out in a few months. Can't wait. I actually get to go to games this fall..I think. No more dance competitions.

 

[Red Burns Brighter]

I would bet that Martinez redshirts and that the QB battle comes down to Gebbia and Bunch. Martinez's arm is not near where it needs to be.

I’ll Take that bet.