There is only one spot in the AP rankings that separates No. 8 Nebraska and No. 7 Wisconsin in Saturday's matchup at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. However, if you listen to oddsmakers, message board posters and selected media types, one would think the two programs are very far apart.
The Badgers have been installed as an 11-point favorite to beat Nebraska. Wisconsin's status as the favorite is understandable for three reasons: a) They are playing at home and Camp Randall Stadium is a notoriously hostile environment for visiting teams and b) the Badgers have beaten their first four opponents by a combined score of 204-34 and c) while Nebraska is 4-0 like Wisconsin they have outscored their opponents by a combined 171-88.
Not that I profess to being betting expert but part of the premise for establishing point spreads is not necessarily about who oddsmakers believe is going to win and which bet are people most likely to take. Common sense says Wisconsin for the above reasons.
Wisconsin State Journal columnist Tom Oates wrote a refreshing piece of journalism in his Sunday column. He pointed out that Wisconsin is 4-0, winning by 34, 35, 42 and 49 points "against a group of hand-picked opponents that fell far short of expectations.
Oates notes that UNLV is rebuilding, Oregon State is experiencing a rare down year, Northern Illinois was a disappointment and South Dakota was out of its league.
In his Sunday column, Oates asks a couple questions even Nebraska fans wonder about: So did UW pound on some patsies or is it as good as its lopsided scores would indicate? More important, were the Badgers tested enough to prepare them for the Cornhuskers?
"We've definitely played a lot of good teams so far, just nobody at the level of Nebraska," Badgers defensive tackle Patrick Butrym said. "We need to just pick up the way we're playing overall. Everybody deals with that coming out of the non-conference schedule. It just needs to happen. I think we're ready for that because we've done this before."
Oates also added that More from Oates "if there's cause for optimism, it is that UW dominated its opponents like it should have. The starters rarely played in the fourth quarter, but in the first three quarters the Badgers' scoring margin was a telling 166-20.
Still, just enough problems surfaced along the way -- not rushing well early in games, missing tackles on defense, forcing few turnovers, committing too many penalties -- that the Badgers know they'll have to improve to beat the Cornhuskers, who knocked off Wyoming 38-14 on Saturday to improve to 4-0.
At which point I would add let's evaluate the competition each team has faced. OK, both have faced a D-I AA team. Nebraska beat UT-Chatanooga 40-7 and Wisconsin beat South Dakota 59-10. As for the Div. I-A schools both have faced. Nebraska has beaten Fresno State (42-29), Washington (51-38) and Wyoming (38-14). Wisconsin defeated UNLV (51-17), Oregon State (35-0) and Northern Illinois (49-7). Let's also keep in perspective that Oregon State lost 29-28 to Div. I-AA Sacramento State at home. Wisconsin's opponents are a combined 5-10. Nebraska's foes are a combined 10-6.
The truth of the matter is point spreads, predictions, etc. are a lot of conjecture and hyperbole but while the Badgers are a talented team offensively, they are hard to read however as they've played four of the worst teams in college football. UNLV just got whipped by 27 points by Southern Utah. Northern Illinois is obviously a practice game for any major conference team. The level of competition goes way up this week and the Huskers having played better competition have scored 42,45,51 and 38 points while not even playing very well.
I don't think Nebraska's defensive line is as dominant as people thought in the preseason and the secondary is a youth problem. You can prepare and motivate, but if you don't have the horses, there is only so much you can do. I'm more concerned with the Husker offense as an unknown. The good news is that the offense has moved the ball the last two weeks without being as reliant on the big play. The problem is Nebraska has a quartterback in Taylor Martinez whose decision making has improved but is still a work-in-progress primarily because he is a sophomore.
As for Wisconsin's offense, it features a big and bulky offensive line. The Badgers line averages 6-foot-5, 325-pounds per man but I still mantain that Wisconsin is likely to try generating its yards by spreading the Huskers out as opposed to say two or three tight ends.
The big question mark is whether or not the Husker offense can move the ball against a good defense, and they haven't really played one yet. Generally, by the fifth game, a team knows its identity. Nebraska isn't going to pull a shut down secondary out of a hat, and the pressure the front four applies is harried and un-controlled and is the kind of thing mobile quarterbacks like Russell Wilson eat up with that inexperience in the secondary. If Nebraska wins, there will be a lot of patient defense, pocket-containing pressure, and a fourth quarter where the offense is toss-sweep right and toss-sweep left getting 6-7 yards a pop.
Nebraska's biggest advantage in this game is the fact that Wisconsin's starters have only played three quarters in each of their four games. Of course, that advantage won't matter if the Badgers are ahead by three touchdowns entering the fourth quarter but if its a close game or if Nebraska is ahead -- advantage Huskers because they are better conditioned.
Showing posts with label Fresno State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fresno State. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Huskers still a work in progress
While it was disturbing to see No. 11 Nebraska make Saturday's 51-38 closer than it needed to be, the pluses definitely outweighed the minuses.
The Huskers led 20-17 at halftime and then opened the floodgates by taking a 44-17 lead early in the fourth quarter only to let the Huskies back in the game. Nebraska was never in danger of losing the game mind you but for the second time in as many weeks the defense lost its edge. Washington amassed 420 yards of offense and even more more disturbing Nebraska allowed to covert 7 of 14 third downs.
Granted, the loss of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard with a quad injury is a glaring one. His replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) got picked on all day. One would think Green will get better but he is not yet ready for primetime, all the more reason the Huskers really need Dennard healthy this season
You cannot expect Nebraska to have the kind of production in the back end when you have lost four NFL-caliber players (Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Eric Hagg (with Dennard still out due to injury.) While Ciante Evans, Green, Josh Mitchell, Daimion Stafford and other youngsters s are taking their licks (and their shots from opposing quarterbacks), it is incumbent on the front seven to generate pressure – particularly the front four.
In general the defensive line (especially defensive tackle Baker Steinkuher) played better than in last week's 42-29 win over Fresno State by getting more pressure on Keith Price than they did on Derek Carr but the fact that the defense did not capitalize on the offense's momentum is rather alarming.
The Huskers are going to need more quarters like the third when they head to Madison, Wisconsin, to play the Badgers.
Speaking of the offense, that unit enjoyed a definite growth spurt. Sure there were big plays but there were also drives. Nebraska had four scoring drives of seven or more plays, including a 10 play march late in the third that was capped with another Brett Maher field goal. So much for the concern over losing alex Henery as Maher is now 7 for 7.
The offensive line certainly deserves ample praise, especially walk-on Seung Hoon Choi and Tyler Moore. Nebraska put up 464 yards of total offense (404 rushing) as for the first time this season first-year coordinator Tim Beck used one play to set up another. On the game's opening play, with the defense thinking run, quarterback Taylor Martinez lofted a 50-yard completion to Kenny Bell to the Washington 3. On the next play, Martinez completed a touchdown pass to fullbak Tyler Legate on a bootleg.
As for Martinez, his passing numbers weren't pretty in completing 10 of 21 for 155 yards but he made much better decisions and protected the ball much better. Martinez will never be an NFL caliber passer or media friendly but he appears to be growing into his role.
It was also encouraging that when the offense had to run the ball to seal the win, they did. Running back Rex Burkhead rushed 22 times for 120 yards and two scores but most importantly, freshmen running backs Braylon Heard and Aaron Green supplied some good relief off the bench.
It wasn't pretty but overall an improvement over Fresno State.
The Huskers led 20-17 at halftime and then opened the floodgates by taking a 44-17 lead early in the fourth quarter only to let the Huskies back in the game. Nebraska was never in danger of losing the game mind you but for the second time in as many weeks the defense lost its edge. Washington amassed 420 yards of offense and even more more disturbing Nebraska allowed to covert 7 of 14 third downs.
Granted, the loss of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard with a quad injury is a glaring one. His replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) got picked on all day. One would think Green will get better but he is not yet ready for primetime, all the more reason the Huskers really need Dennard healthy this season
You cannot expect Nebraska to have the kind of production in the back end when you have lost four NFL-caliber players (Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Eric Hagg (with Dennard still out due to injury.) While Ciante Evans, Green, Josh Mitchell, Daimion Stafford and other youngsters s are taking their licks (and their shots from opposing quarterbacks), it is incumbent on the front seven to generate pressure – particularly the front four.
In general the defensive line (especially defensive tackle Baker Steinkuher) played better than in last week's 42-29 win over Fresno State by getting more pressure on Keith Price than they did on Derek Carr but the fact that the defense did not capitalize on the offense's momentum is rather alarming.
The Huskers are going to need more quarters like the third when they head to Madison, Wisconsin, to play the Badgers.
Speaking of the offense, that unit enjoyed a definite growth spurt. Sure there were big plays but there were also drives. Nebraska had four scoring drives of seven or more plays, including a 10 play march late in the third that was capped with another Brett Maher field goal. So much for the concern over losing alex Henery as Maher is now 7 for 7.
The offensive line certainly deserves ample praise, especially walk-on Seung Hoon Choi and Tyler Moore. Nebraska put up 464 yards of total offense (404 rushing) as for the first time this season first-year coordinator Tim Beck used one play to set up another. On the game's opening play, with the defense thinking run, quarterback Taylor Martinez lofted a 50-yard completion to Kenny Bell to the Washington 3. On the next play, Martinez completed a touchdown pass to fullbak Tyler Legate on a bootleg.
As for Martinez, his passing numbers weren't pretty in completing 10 of 21 for 155 yards but he made much better decisions and protected the ball much better. Martinez will never be an NFL caliber passer or media friendly but he appears to be growing into his role.
It was also encouraging that when the offense had to run the ball to seal the win, they did. Running back Rex Burkhead rushed 22 times for 120 yards and two scores but most importantly, freshmen running backs Braylon Heard and Aaron Green supplied some good relief off the bench.
It wasn't pretty but overall an improvement over Fresno State.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Unlike the Holiday Bowl, Saturday's game will have Nebraska's attention
Nebraska and Washington meet for Round 3 in Lincoln, NE, on Saturday. Or as they say in baseball as a three-game series wraps up, it's the rubber match.
The two meetings last year between the two teams were the confluence of extemes. On Sept. 18 in Seattle, Nebraska chewed up the Huskies and spit them out. Quarterback Taylor Martinez had 139 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. The Husker defense was equally dominant as the Blackshirts intercepted Jake Locker (who complete just 4 of 20 passes) twice. Nebraska rolled to a 56-21 win and catapulted to No. 6 in the rankings, leading most people to believe the Huskers were a darkhorse National Championship contender.
Nebraska, however, struggled down the stretch as the offense became a shadow of what it was early in the season, mostly due to Martinez's ankle injury. Nebraska was 10-2 in the regular season but a 23-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game relegated the Huskers to a second straight Holiday Bowl appearance, where they trounced Arizona 33-0 one year earlier. Washington had to win its last three regular season games just to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible.
Washington was a better team at the end of the regular season than it was when the two teams met in Seattle while Nebraska had regressed since that time. While most people were predicting a much closer game, those same people figured Nebraska would still win by two touchdowns or more.
However, a strange thing happened, Washington won 19-7 but dominated much more than the final score suggested. The Huskers had no answer at all for running back Chris Polk, who rushed for 177 yards on 34 carries and one touchdown. Incidently, Polk is back and if that's not bad enough facing him comes one week after the Blackshirts were gouged by Fresno state's Robbie Rouse for 169 yards rushing.
Even worse than the loss, the Huskers appeared very apathetic about playing in the game even though they said all of the right things leading up to the contest. Perhaps we should have seen it coming because bowl games are often decided by which team is more motivated to be there. Nebraska entered last season with goals being: Beat Texas. Win the Big 12 North. Win the Big 12 Title Game. Get to a BCS Bowl Game. They achieved only one out of four. Considering the Huskers lofty preseason goals going awry coupled with playing a team they had already crushed and it's understandable why the team put up a listless effort.
On the other hand, Washington had not been to a bowl game since 2002 and had a winless season in 2008, the year before current head coach Steve Sarkisian arrived, so even the lowest end bowl game was an exiting proposition. Considering that the Huskies had their doors blown off by Nebraska in the earlier meeting, they were largely being told the second matchup would not be much different. Couple that with the fact that Washington entered the game having won its last three regular season games and its understandable why the team entered the Holiday Bowl feeling the need to prove the doubters wrong.
The dynamics are a lot different this time. Granted, there is one common denominator to each tea's 2011 season, they both struggled to put away a WAC team at home. Fresno State put a scare into the Huskers before Nebraska prevailed 42-29. Washington, meanwhile, blted to a 21-0 first quarter lead before holding off Hawaii 40-32. Both teams also opened the season against a Div. I-AA team. Despite an uneven offensive performance, the Huskers were not threatened as they defeated Tennesee-Chattanooga 40-7. Washington, meanwhile, struggled to beat Eastern Washington 30-27.
So what does all of this mean for Saturday? Nebraska has been tabbed a 21 point favorite and is the No. 11 ranked team in the nation. While the Huskers are considered the favorite to win the Big Legends division, this season has more of an "under the radar" feel than last season. Couple that with the fact that the Husker defense, which has been the team's calling card since Bo Pelini became the head coach, looked suspect last week against Fresno State. OK, it wasn't 2007 Kevin Cosgrove but substandard nonetheless.
A Pelini coached defense won't have two bad efforts in a row, right? Probably not but one thing is for certain, unlike the Holiday Bowl, this matchup will have Nebraska's attention. Which bodes well.
The two meetings last year between the two teams were the confluence of extemes. On Sept. 18 in Seattle, Nebraska chewed up the Huskies and spit them out. Quarterback Taylor Martinez had 139 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. The Husker defense was equally dominant as the Blackshirts intercepted Jake Locker (who complete just 4 of 20 passes) twice. Nebraska rolled to a 56-21 win and catapulted to No. 6 in the rankings, leading most people to believe the Huskers were a darkhorse National Championship contender.
Nebraska, however, struggled down the stretch as the offense became a shadow of what it was early in the season, mostly due to Martinez's ankle injury. Nebraska was 10-2 in the regular season but a 23-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game relegated the Huskers to a second straight Holiday Bowl appearance, where they trounced Arizona 33-0 one year earlier. Washington had to win its last three regular season games just to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible.
Washington was a better team at the end of the regular season than it was when the two teams met in Seattle while Nebraska had regressed since that time. While most people were predicting a much closer game, those same people figured Nebraska would still win by two touchdowns or more.
However, a strange thing happened, Washington won 19-7 but dominated much more than the final score suggested. The Huskers had no answer at all for running back Chris Polk, who rushed for 177 yards on 34 carries and one touchdown. Incidently, Polk is back and if that's not bad enough facing him comes one week after the Blackshirts were gouged by Fresno state's Robbie Rouse for 169 yards rushing.
Even worse than the loss, the Huskers appeared very apathetic about playing in the game even though they said all of the right things leading up to the contest. Perhaps we should have seen it coming because bowl games are often decided by which team is more motivated to be there. Nebraska entered last season with goals being: Beat Texas. Win the Big 12 North. Win the Big 12 Title Game. Get to a BCS Bowl Game. They achieved only one out of four. Considering the Huskers lofty preseason goals going awry coupled with playing a team they had already crushed and it's understandable why the team put up a listless effort.
On the other hand, Washington had not been to a bowl game since 2002 and had a winless season in 2008, the year before current head coach Steve Sarkisian arrived, so even the lowest end bowl game was an exiting proposition. Considering that the Huskies had their doors blown off by Nebraska in the earlier meeting, they were largely being told the second matchup would not be much different. Couple that with the fact that Washington entered the game having won its last three regular season games and its understandable why the team entered the Holiday Bowl feeling the need to prove the doubters wrong.
The dynamics are a lot different this time. Granted, there is one common denominator to each tea's 2011 season, they both struggled to put away a WAC team at home. Fresno State put a scare into the Huskers before Nebraska prevailed 42-29. Washington, meanwhile, blted to a 21-0 first quarter lead before holding off Hawaii 40-32. Both teams also opened the season against a Div. I-AA team. Despite an uneven offensive performance, the Huskers were not threatened as they defeated Tennesee-Chattanooga 40-7. Washington, meanwhile, struggled to beat Eastern Washington 30-27.
So what does all of this mean for Saturday? Nebraska has been tabbed a 21 point favorite and is the No. 11 ranked team in the nation. While the Huskers are considered the favorite to win the Big Legends division, this season has more of an "under the radar" feel than last season. Couple that with the fact that the Husker defense, which has been the team's calling card since Bo Pelini became the head coach, looked suspect last week against Fresno State. OK, it wasn't 2007 Kevin Cosgrove but substandard nonetheless.
A Pelini coached defense won't have two bad efforts in a row, right? Probably not but one thing is for certain, unlike the Holiday Bowl, this matchup will have Nebraska's attention. Which bodes well.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Evaluating solely on margin of victory is shallow
As the No. 11 ranked Nebraska football team prepares to host Washington Saturday, Husker head coach Bo Pelini made a statement in his weekly press conference that truly resonated:
"There's consternation around here if you don't win 50-0 every week, that's just part of the deal. If I start worrying about what the public thinks I'll end up in a rubber room."
While that statement might apply to only a segment of Husker fans, it certainly has a heavy grain of truth. Take for example, the Huskers first two wins, 40-7 over Tennessee-Chattanooga and 42-29 over Fresno State. The common denominator in both games was a feast or famine offense that made some big plays but also had some plays go backward. With the UTC win, some Husker fans saw anything less than a 55-0 win as a disappointment. The truth of the matter is, if starting quarterback Taylor Martinez plays the entire game Nebraka probably wins 55-0 but why have starters risk injury in a blowout just to pad the score?
Consternation about the Fresno State win is much more understandable but not because of the 13-point margin of victory against a team where the Huskers were favored by 28 points. The disturbing part was how the supposedly vaunted defense got pushed around. Had Nebraska won say 31-17, had a similar offensive process but a much more stout defense there would probaly not be the level of consternation.
Honestly, margin of victory is an extremely shallow way of evaluating a game. Just as examples: In 2004, Nebraska opened with a 56-17 win over Western Illinois. In 2006, the Huskers opened with a 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech and in 2007 Nebraska opened with a 52-9 win over Nevada. All three games had a similar margin of victory but in the LA Tech and Nevada wins, Nebraska played near flawless whereas in the 2004 win, the Huskers had six turnovers and that was a problem that never got fixed.
There are literally two types of Husker fans. There is the kind that demands greatness and expects to see them at the same level as the mid 1990s when the team won three National Championships in four years. They except nothing else and will not wait for it to happen. They figure Nebraska has the resources and fan base to be near the level of the 90s and it needs to happen now. They also expect the Huskers to dominate at nearly every position and if one area of the football team is lax, they are adamantly angry about this and demand coaching fires, change in personal, and claim it a failure. They defend their perfectionist ideas by saying that they will not lower expectations of the program and they expect things that are holding us back to get corrected now. In essence, they also view teams like Alabama and Oklahoma and their success, and feel like Nebraska is a failure for not holding onto to that success it once had.
Then there Husker fans who are apathetic and have low expectations. They still want similar success as the 1990s but view the landscape of college football differently in the past decade. They see the diminshing success over the years of he likes of Notre Dame, USC and Florida State and realize that the Huskers can't hold a certain level of success indefinitely. If things dont go well, they are willing to work with urrent coaches and players to improve. They are willing to accept things as they are as long as the program is moving in that direction. They are willing to wait for success and many times are concerned with the type of program that is run along with winning.
They have more of a realist mentality. They view the other the aforementioned Husker fan as too emotional, unable to realize parity in this landscape, and unable to chill out. They want similar success, but feel that patience is key to that success. They also realize development of players take time and are willing to watch a player mature over time before giving up on him, whereas the other camp expects great things from certain recruits immediately, as they have seen other recruits impact teams that fast.
"There's consternation around here if you don't win 50-0 every week, that's just part of the deal. If I start worrying about what the public thinks I'll end up in a rubber room."
While that statement might apply to only a segment of Husker fans, it certainly has a heavy grain of truth. Take for example, the Huskers first two wins, 40-7 over Tennessee-Chattanooga and 42-29 over Fresno State. The common denominator in both games was a feast or famine offense that made some big plays but also had some plays go backward. With the UTC win, some Husker fans saw anything less than a 55-0 win as a disappointment. The truth of the matter is, if starting quarterback Taylor Martinez plays the entire game Nebraka probably wins 55-0 but why have starters risk injury in a blowout just to pad the score?
Consternation about the Fresno State win is much more understandable but not because of the 13-point margin of victory against a team where the Huskers were favored by 28 points. The disturbing part was how the supposedly vaunted defense got pushed around. Had Nebraska won say 31-17, had a similar offensive process but a much more stout defense there would probaly not be the level of consternation.
Honestly, margin of victory is an extremely shallow way of evaluating a game. Just as examples: In 2004, Nebraska opened with a 56-17 win over Western Illinois. In 2006, the Huskers opened with a 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech and in 2007 Nebraska opened with a 52-9 win over Nevada. All three games had a similar margin of victory but in the LA Tech and Nevada wins, Nebraska played near flawless whereas in the 2004 win, the Huskers had six turnovers and that was a problem that never got fixed.
There are literally two types of Husker fans. There is the kind that demands greatness and expects to see them at the same level as the mid 1990s when the team won three National Championships in four years. They except nothing else and will not wait for it to happen. They figure Nebraska has the resources and fan base to be near the level of the 90s and it needs to happen now. They also expect the Huskers to dominate at nearly every position and if one area of the football team is lax, they are adamantly angry about this and demand coaching fires, change in personal, and claim it a failure. They defend their perfectionist ideas by saying that they will not lower expectations of the program and they expect things that are holding us back to get corrected now. In essence, they also view teams like Alabama and Oklahoma and their success, and feel like Nebraska is a failure for not holding onto to that success it once had.
Then there Husker fans who are apathetic and have low expectations. They still want similar success as the 1990s but view the landscape of college football differently in the past decade. They see the diminshing success over the years of he likes of Notre Dame, USC and Florida State and realize that the Huskers can't hold a certain level of success indefinitely. If things dont go well, they are willing to work with urrent coaches and players to improve. They are willing to accept things as they are as long as the program is moving in that direction. They are willing to wait for success and many times are concerned with the type of program that is run along with winning.
They have more of a realist mentality. They view the other the aforementioned Husker fan as too emotional, unable to realize parity in this landscape, and unable to chill out. They want similar success, but feel that patience is key to that success. They also realize development of players take time and are willing to watch a player mature over time before giving up on him, whereas the other camp expects great things from certain recruits immediately, as they have seen other recruits impact teams that fast.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Light bulb goes on late for Husker offense but defense suspect in win over Bulldogs
After the No. 10 ranked Nebraska football team's 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga, much of the angst over the Huskers performance centered around the offense. The Huskers gained 364 yards of total offense (239 rushing, 135 passing) but those stats were somewhat skewed because 99 came on two plays (a 47-yard run by quarterback Taylor Martinez and a 252-yard run by running back Rex Burkhead).
As for the Huskers 42-29 win over Fresno State, yes the offense was still choppy at times but that's to be expected considering the collective youth of the offense and the fact that Nebraska is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck). The Huskers amassed 438 yards of offense (232 rushing, 219 passing).
Much like the win over UTC, the Husker offense had a home run or strikeout element. Martinez had a 57-yard run and also had pass completions of 42 yards to Kenny Bell, 53 yards to Kyler Reed and 42 yads to Jamal Turner. That's 194 yards on four plays. However, when it matter most, Nebraska's offense pulled its weight, which can't be said very often the past two seasons. Fresno State cut the Nebraska lead to 35-29 on Kevin Goessling's 37-yard foeld goal with 5:24 left in the game. The Huskers took over and Burkhead carried six times for 34 yards then Martinez scored on a 46-yard run to seal the win. Game. Set. Match. Drive home safely.
The disturbing aspect of Nebraska's game against the Bulldogs, however, is the defensive performance. Fresno State, which like Nebraska has a young offensive line, blew open serious holes in the running game and gave quarterback Derek Carr more than ample time to throw. The Bulldogs rushed for 190 yards (169 from Robbie Rouse on 36 carries). Carr completed 20-of-41 passes for 254 yards. Granted, the Husker secondary is still without starting cornerback Alfonso Dennard, who most believe is one of the best (if not the very best) in the nation at his position. However, the Huskers did not sack Carr once and only pressured him when they blitzed. That's significant because Nebraska (while occasionally dials up blitzes) prefers to rely on the front four to get pressure and for good reason when you have elite defensive linemen like Jared Crick, Cameron Meredith and Baker Steinkuhler.
What was even more disturbing was the resistance against the run that Nebraska showed. Well, lack thereof would be a better description. The Bulldogs opened some huge holes for Rouse. Yes, he is a talented running back who did a good job of following his blocks but that performance evoked memories of Nebraska's 19-7 loss to Washington. Incidentally, that same team comes to Lincoln next week. That performance, however, was at least understandable because at that point in the season the defense felt the burden over the offense's ineptitude. While the 2011 edition of the Nebraska offense is still a work in progress, it is defenitely better than the one that ended the 2010 season. Well, better to the point where they don't lead the world in terrible offense.
The most disturbing aspect of the defense's effort Saturday is the fact that since Bo Pelini took over as the Huskers head coach, he has established a culture of developing players. Yes, some years the talent is better than others but the culture has been such that, you lose one player, the next guy is ready.
While anyone can have a bad game, the Husker defensive performance in the Holiday Bowl and Saturday (that's two of the last three games they've taken the field if you're scoring at home) is that considering the Huskers are in the Big 10 conference that becomes significant. While spread offenses in the Big 10 have become much more mainstream than influential media types believe, it is still a conference much more likely to line up in the I-formation ad run right into the teeth of defenses (as Fresno State often did Saturday) than the Huskers former conference (the Big 12) that is a sinking ship. However, that's another story for another time.
As for the Huskers 42-29 win over Fresno State, yes the offense was still choppy at times but that's to be expected considering the collective youth of the offense and the fact that Nebraska is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck). The Huskers amassed 438 yards of offense (232 rushing, 219 passing).
Much like the win over UTC, the Husker offense had a home run or strikeout element. Martinez had a 57-yard run and also had pass completions of 42 yards to Kenny Bell, 53 yards to Kyler Reed and 42 yads to Jamal Turner. That's 194 yards on four plays. However, when it matter most, Nebraska's offense pulled its weight, which can't be said very often the past two seasons. Fresno State cut the Nebraska lead to 35-29 on Kevin Goessling's 37-yard foeld goal with 5:24 left in the game. The Huskers took over and Burkhead carried six times for 34 yards then Martinez scored on a 46-yard run to seal the win. Game. Set. Match. Drive home safely.
The disturbing aspect of Nebraska's game against the Bulldogs, however, is the defensive performance. Fresno State, which like Nebraska has a young offensive line, blew open serious holes in the running game and gave quarterback Derek Carr more than ample time to throw. The Bulldogs rushed for 190 yards (169 from Robbie Rouse on 36 carries). Carr completed 20-of-41 passes for 254 yards. Granted, the Husker secondary is still without starting cornerback Alfonso Dennard, who most believe is one of the best (if not the very best) in the nation at his position. However, the Huskers did not sack Carr once and only pressured him when they blitzed. That's significant because Nebraska (while occasionally dials up blitzes) prefers to rely on the front four to get pressure and for good reason when you have elite defensive linemen like Jared Crick, Cameron Meredith and Baker Steinkuhler.
What was even more disturbing was the resistance against the run that Nebraska showed. Well, lack thereof would be a better description. The Bulldogs opened some huge holes for Rouse. Yes, he is a talented running back who did a good job of following his blocks but that performance evoked memories of Nebraska's 19-7 loss to Washington. Incidentally, that same team comes to Lincoln next week. That performance, however, was at least understandable because at that point in the season the defense felt the burden over the offense's ineptitude. While the 2011 edition of the Nebraska offense is still a work in progress, it is defenitely better than the one that ended the 2010 season. Well, better to the point where they don't lead the world in terrible offense.
The most disturbing aspect of the defense's effort Saturday is the fact that since Bo Pelini took over as the Huskers head coach, he has established a culture of developing players. Yes, some years the talent is better than others but the culture has been such that, you lose one player, the next guy is ready.
While anyone can have a bad game, the Husker defensive performance in the Holiday Bowl and Saturday (that's two of the last three games they've taken the field if you're scoring at home) is that considering the Huskers are in the Big 10 conference that becomes significant. While spread offenses in the Big 10 have become much more mainstream than influential media types believe, it is still a conference much more likely to line up in the I-formation ad run right into the teeth of defenses (as Fresno State often did Saturday) than the Huskers former conference (the Big 12) that is a sinking ship. However, that's another story for another time.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Fresno State coach full of bravado but not much else
Fresno State head coach Pat Hill is definitely a refreshing personality in a profession that features many dud-like sayings like "one game at a time" or "if we don't make mistakes, we'll win." All of that jazz.
Hill brings his Bulldogs into Lincoln, Nebraska Saturday for a matchup against the No. 10 rated Cornhuskers. Much has been made of Hill's infamous statement years ago of "we'll play anyone, anywhere, anytime." So much so that Hill has been lauded to the point where people point out that in an age where more and more coaches are afraid to take non-conference risks out of fear they might ruin their shot at a .500 season and a precious bowl bid, Hill spits in the face of that strategy and wants to take on any team that will have him. Hill does it because he has to do it. Let's face it, how much respect is a team from the Western Athletic Conference going to get by going in beaten in that conference. On the other hand, conferences like the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12 and so on are loaded with tests so how can one blame those coaches for scheduling "easy games."
OK, I get the idea of praising Hill for having a personality many coaches do not have. Yes, he is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise timid coaching environment. However, has his way been successful? That depends on your idea of success.
Fresno State is 16-17 against BCS Conference opponents since 2001, which is more wins than any other non-BCS school during that time. More applicable to gamblers, though, is Hill’s "against the spread" record against those schools, which is 23-10. OK, that's fine. Puff your chest with this "anywhere, anytime" stuff all you want but beat them. If you're satisfied with simply losing by less than Las Vegas bookies thought you would, why take the field?
So, given the tremendous against the spread success against stronger competition, the same has to be true of the Bulldogs in WAC play, right? His record against the WAC is 75-36. He has never been below 4-4 but never above 6-2.
Fresno State has won just one WAC title (a share in 1999) since Hill took over in 1997. The problem seems to be that Hill puts so much emphasis on the “big games” — most of which come on the road at places hundreds or thousands of miles away — that his players often suffer a letdown when they get into winnable conference games.
In 2001, Fresno State had early season wins against Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin that allowed them to jump to No. 8 in the rankings. The tough schedule caught up with them. They lost to Boise State and Hawaii early in WAC play.
In 2004, the Bulldogs scored a big win at 13th-ranked Kansas State was followed quickly by losses to Louisiana Tech, UTEP and Boise State. Fresno State finished 10-3 overall.
In 2005, the Bulldogs started 8-1 and almost won at USC, losing 50-42. That was the same USC team that lost to Texas in the BCS Title Game. While the narrow loss put them on the national map, losses in winnable games against Nevada and Louisiana Tech ended all hopes of a conference championship.
So, has Hill’s strategy been successful? True, his program is more relevant than before his tenure but it should be dually noted that Boise State and Hawaii have both made it to BCS bowls out of the WAC by taking a different approach. Fresno State’s best bowl game during that time is hard to even figure out. The MPC Computers Bowl? The New Mexico Bowl?
Yes, Hill routinely gets his teams up to play against big-time opponents and he routinely fails at preventing a hangover effect in the following conference games. True, Hill could care less what you, I or the man on the moon think. He’s going to keep scheduling the toughest possible opponents at the toughest venues in the country.
Look, there's a lot to like about Hill even more than his refreshing personality that media types and fans espouse. Under Hill's leadership, Fresno State has greatly improved the academic performance of its football players. During Hill's tenure the team has produced (as of 2005) 65 Academic All-WAC players, compared to a total of nine in the entire history of the program before Hill's arrival.
His Bulldog teams have reached a bowl game in eight of the last nine seasons to being on national television as much as any team this decade, the Bulldog program is regularly recognized for its success. That success transcends to the classroom, where once again the Fresno State team has posted a very strong Academic Progress Rate score. Fresno State's APR score ranks fourth in the western United States among public institutions, and second among California public schools.
As for how Hill's approach plays into the concern of Husker fans that post on message boards and call talk radio, well, let's just say that a segment of Nebraska fans were less than impressed with the team's 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga. Of course, those same perspective-lacking schnooks fail to realize that had starting quarterback Taylor Martinez played the entire game AND if starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard played, the Huskers probably win 56-0. Then again, it is more prudent to play backups in a blowout game. Seriously, for you "statement win" wonks, is 56-0 THAT much more impressive than 40-7? Secondly why play Dennard if you win the game without him anyhow?
Nebraska is favored by 24.5 points. Fresno State lost 36-21 last week to the California Golden Bears at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Bulldogs led 7-0 in the first quarter and 19-14 at halftime. Midway through the fourth quarter it was 36-14. So, the Bulldogs started strong and faded as the game progressed.
I expect them to learn their lesson and play hard for all four quarters this week. Nebraska will also learn from their mistakes, mainly in communications between players on the field, and post an even stronger effort at Memorial Stadium than last week.
The Bulldogs will bark and show their teeth, but I don’t believe they’ll bite enough of the Huskers to score more than 20 points. Huskers will win say 38-14.
Hill brings his Bulldogs into Lincoln, Nebraska Saturday for a matchup against the No. 10 rated Cornhuskers. Much has been made of Hill's infamous statement years ago of "we'll play anyone, anywhere, anytime." So much so that Hill has been lauded to the point where people point out that in an age where more and more coaches are afraid to take non-conference risks out of fear they might ruin their shot at a .500 season and a precious bowl bid, Hill spits in the face of that strategy and wants to take on any team that will have him. Hill does it because he has to do it. Let's face it, how much respect is a team from the Western Athletic Conference going to get by going in beaten in that conference. On the other hand, conferences like the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac 12 and so on are loaded with tests so how can one blame those coaches for scheduling "easy games."
OK, I get the idea of praising Hill for having a personality many coaches do not have. Yes, he is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise timid coaching environment. However, has his way been successful? That depends on your idea of success.
Fresno State is 16-17 against BCS Conference opponents since 2001, which is more wins than any other non-BCS school during that time. More applicable to gamblers, though, is Hill’s "against the spread" record against those schools, which is 23-10. OK, that's fine. Puff your chest with this "anywhere, anytime" stuff all you want but beat them. If you're satisfied with simply losing by less than Las Vegas bookies thought you would, why take the field?
So, given the tremendous against the spread success against stronger competition, the same has to be true of the Bulldogs in WAC play, right? His record against the WAC is 75-36. He has never been below 4-4 but never above 6-2.
Fresno State has won just one WAC title (a share in 1999) since Hill took over in 1997. The problem seems to be that Hill puts so much emphasis on the “big games” — most of which come on the road at places hundreds or thousands of miles away — that his players often suffer a letdown when they get into winnable conference games.
In 2001, Fresno State had early season wins against Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin that allowed them to jump to No. 8 in the rankings. The tough schedule caught up with them. They lost to Boise State and Hawaii early in WAC play.
In 2004, the Bulldogs scored a big win at 13th-ranked Kansas State was followed quickly by losses to Louisiana Tech, UTEP and Boise State. Fresno State finished 10-3 overall.
In 2005, the Bulldogs started 8-1 and almost won at USC, losing 50-42. That was the same USC team that lost to Texas in the BCS Title Game. While the narrow loss put them on the national map, losses in winnable games against Nevada and Louisiana Tech ended all hopes of a conference championship.
So, has Hill’s strategy been successful? True, his program is more relevant than before his tenure but it should be dually noted that Boise State and Hawaii have both made it to BCS bowls out of the WAC by taking a different approach. Fresno State’s best bowl game during that time is hard to even figure out. The MPC Computers Bowl? The New Mexico Bowl?
Yes, Hill routinely gets his teams up to play against big-time opponents and he routinely fails at preventing a hangover effect in the following conference games. True, Hill could care less what you, I or the man on the moon think. He’s going to keep scheduling the toughest possible opponents at the toughest venues in the country.
Look, there's a lot to like about Hill even more than his refreshing personality that media types and fans espouse. Under Hill's leadership, Fresno State has greatly improved the academic performance of its football players. During Hill's tenure the team has produced (as of 2005) 65 Academic All-WAC players, compared to a total of nine in the entire history of the program before Hill's arrival.
His Bulldog teams have reached a bowl game in eight of the last nine seasons to being on national television as much as any team this decade, the Bulldog program is regularly recognized for its success. That success transcends to the classroom, where once again the Fresno State team has posted a very strong Academic Progress Rate score. Fresno State's APR score ranks fourth in the western United States among public institutions, and second among California public schools.
As for how Hill's approach plays into the concern of Husker fans that post on message boards and call talk radio, well, let's just say that a segment of Nebraska fans were less than impressed with the team's 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga. Of course, those same perspective-lacking schnooks fail to realize that had starting quarterback Taylor Martinez played the entire game AND if starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard played, the Huskers probably win 56-0. Then again, it is more prudent to play backups in a blowout game. Seriously, for you "statement win" wonks, is 56-0 THAT much more impressive than 40-7? Secondly why play Dennard if you win the game without him anyhow?
Nebraska is favored by 24.5 points. Fresno State lost 36-21 last week to the California Golden Bears at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Bulldogs led 7-0 in the first quarter and 19-14 at halftime. Midway through the fourth quarter it was 36-14. So, the Bulldogs started strong and faded as the game progressed.
I expect them to learn their lesson and play hard for all four quarters this week. Nebraska will also learn from their mistakes, mainly in communications between players on the field, and post an even stronger effort at Memorial Stadium than last week.
The Bulldogs will bark and show their teeth, but I don’t believe they’ll bite enough of the Huskers to score more than 20 points. Huskers will win say 38-14.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Huskers not alone in needing to iron out rough edges
The perfectionist Nebraska football fan would like to have seen the Huskers season-opening 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga have a lot fewer rough edges.
However, there are a few things that miss the point about that argument. For openers, if quarterbck Taylor Martinez plays the entire game, Nebraska probably wins 54-7 but in a lopsided game it is much more prudent to get the second and third teamers some much need playing time. If you hadn't watched the game, you would have immediately thought the Huskers were a powerhouse but a 40-7 win is nothing to complain about whether it's Game #1 or Game #10. Consider what else took place around the naton. No. 2 Alabama beat a Kent State team that is probably just as weak as UT-Chattanooga 48-7. No. 6 Florida State was a 34-0 winner over Louisiand-Monroe, an opponent just as weak as Kent State and UT-Chattanooga. No. 18 Ohio State beat Akron 42-0. Not that big of a deal considering Akron is consistently one of the worst teams in the nation.
The point is that other teams had their problems Saturday, too, and we haven't begun to mention reigning National Champion Auburn needing a miracle to beat Utah State 42-38. While we're at it, let's mention Sacramento State going into Oregon State and winning 29-28. Sac State, people! Div. I-AA Sac State. Oklahoma is the top-ranked team in the nation and played like it n beating Tulsa 47-14 but keep in mind led the Sooners 17-0 in the Big 12 title game only to lose 23-20.
The truth of the matter is, nobody is a juggernaut. Yes, the Huskers need to learn to develop consistency, but there is no team that resembles the 1995 Huskers let alone say, the 2004 USC Trojans or the 2001 Miami Hurricanes out there. Yes, Nebraska has a long way to go, but the Huskers can get better.
True, there were some impressive performances around the Top 25 ike No. 11 Wisconsin rolling UNLV 51-17. In some circles, Wisconsin is consdered the favorite to win the Big Ten conference and they certainly played like it Thursday. The Huskers have three more nonconference games (Fresno State, Washington and Wyoming) before vsitng Wisconsin on Oct. 1. Fresno State lost to a pretty meidocre (and frequently overrated) California team 36-21 but a garbage time touchdown made that game closer than it appeared. Washington narrowly escaped at home with a 30-27 win over Div. I-AA Eastern Washington. Wyoming also narrowly beat Div. I-AA Weber State 35-32.
Point being, the Huskers have a month to clean up their mistakes before the aforementioned road trip to Madison, Wisc. so there is no need to panic.
True, the Huskers' season-opener was more ragged than you would have liked, especially on offense as the timing and spacing in the backfield seemed surprisingly bad on several occasions. However, I didn't see anything that priactice and time shouldn't overcome. The young offensive line needs to come together -- and very quickly at that. They had a few good moments but to many not so good.
No need to worry yet. Let's see how much the Huskers get cleaned up this week and what they put on the field Saturday against a Fresno State program that has had a history of knocking off college football's giants.
However, there are a few things that miss the point about that argument. For openers, if quarterbck Taylor Martinez plays the entire game, Nebraska probably wins 54-7 but in a lopsided game it is much more prudent to get the second and third teamers some much need playing time. If you hadn't watched the game, you would have immediately thought the Huskers were a powerhouse but a 40-7 win is nothing to complain about whether it's Game #1 or Game #10. Consider what else took place around the naton. No. 2 Alabama beat a Kent State team that is probably just as weak as UT-Chattanooga 48-7. No. 6 Florida State was a 34-0 winner over Louisiand-Monroe, an opponent just as weak as Kent State and UT-Chattanooga. No. 18 Ohio State beat Akron 42-0. Not that big of a deal considering Akron is consistently one of the worst teams in the nation.
The point is that other teams had their problems Saturday, too, and we haven't begun to mention reigning National Champion Auburn needing a miracle to beat Utah State 42-38. While we're at it, let's mention Sacramento State going into Oregon State and winning 29-28. Sac State, people! Div. I-AA Sac State. Oklahoma is the top-ranked team in the nation and played like it n beating Tulsa 47-14 but keep in mind led the Sooners 17-0 in the Big 12 title game only to lose 23-20.
The truth of the matter is, nobody is a juggernaut. Yes, the Huskers need to learn to develop consistency, but there is no team that resembles the 1995 Huskers let alone say, the 2004 USC Trojans or the 2001 Miami Hurricanes out there. Yes, Nebraska has a long way to go, but the Huskers can get better.
True, there were some impressive performances around the Top 25 ike No. 11 Wisconsin rolling UNLV 51-17. In some circles, Wisconsin is consdered the favorite to win the Big Ten conference and they certainly played like it Thursday. The Huskers have three more nonconference games (Fresno State, Washington and Wyoming) before vsitng Wisconsin on Oct. 1. Fresno State lost to a pretty meidocre (and frequently overrated) California team 36-21 but a garbage time touchdown made that game closer than it appeared. Washington narrowly escaped at home with a 30-27 win over Div. I-AA Eastern Washington. Wyoming also narrowly beat Div. I-AA Weber State 35-32.
Point being, the Huskers have a month to clean up their mistakes before the aforementioned road trip to Madison, Wisc. so there is no need to panic.
True, the Huskers' season-opener was more ragged than you would have liked, especially on offense as the timing and spacing in the backfield seemed surprisingly bad on several occasions. However, I didn't see anything that priactice and time shouldn't overcome. The young offensive line needs to come together -- and very quickly at that. They had a few good moments but to many not so good.
No need to worry yet. Let's see how much the Huskers get cleaned up this week and what they put on the field Saturday against a Fresno State program that has had a history of knocking off college football's giants.
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