The Nebraska football team did exactly what its fan base hoped it would do in easily dispatching the overmatched Minnesota Gophers 41-14 on Saturday in the Great Lakes State.
The Huskers led 34-0 at halftime and could have easily scored 70 if they wanted to but what good would that do against a lousy Minnesota team? Anyhow, Nebraska (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) entered the week rated No. 13 in the Associated Press poll but also had serious questions as to how good the team is. Keep in mind, the Huskers had that ugly 48-17 loss to Wisconsin and that Jeckyl and Hyde 34-27 win over Ohio State in which they trailed 27-6 midway through the third period.
So what did Nebraska's win over Minnesota show us as the team was fresh off a bye week?
The cynic would say that Minnesota is God aweful. Well, that statement is not false as the Gophers are now 1-6 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten. Minnesota has also been outscored 144-31 in its last three games and if the Huskers hadn't called off the dogs in the second half that margin would be even greater.
Again, seeing Nebraska go after a lesser club and take control is encouraging but given Minnesota's lack of collective talent, the quality of this win has to be taken with a grain of salt. The truth of the matter is, no more teams are left on the schedule of Minnesota's quality -- or lack thereof.
Nebraska's offense assembled 515 yards of total offense and it did so without quarterback Taylor Martinez having a drop dead, awesome day. Remember last season? The Husker offense was not the same without a healthy Martinez. The sophomore quarterback put up solid but not spectacular numbers in completing 13-of-22 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also had 10 carries for 60 yards. Those numbers are not great but when you have a running back like Rex Burkhead rushing 24 times for 113 yards and a score, Martinez does not need to be great. ABC had a well-timed graphic in the first quarter stateing that 39 percent of Burkhead's carries have either gone for a first down or touchdown. Yes, statistics can convince you of anything but that graphic strongly suggests that if No. 22 has the rock in his hands, there's a good chance the chain won't be sitting still.
It’s not that Martinez isn’t a special offensive threat—clearly, he is. But when Nebraska’s offense is more than just the T-Magic show, and Martinez doesn’t help the opposition (like he did against Wisconsin), Nebraska’s offense can be formidable.
Defensively Nebraska was solid but not great. This group has sarcastically been label an extension of the 2007 Kevin Cosrove led group that ranked 114th in otal defense. Please, give those comparisons a rest people. The 2007 team let even the worst offenses move up and down the field at will. This Minnesota offense is terrible and produced just 260 yards of total offense and no points when the game matter. Please, no more Cosgrove references. OK.
The fact that the Gophers coverted 7 of 15 third down conversions was a little disturbing but four of those successes came after the Huskers built a 34-0 halftime lead. However, the Huskers will face a far more formible offense next week when Michigan State comes to Lincoln.
Showing posts with label Kevin Cosgrove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Cosgrove. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Martinez the least of Nebraska's problems
Welcome to another Monday of addressing knee jerk reactions. If you listen to some Nebraska football fans, message board posters and in some cases mainstream media members, you would think quarterback Taylor Martinez was the primary (and only) reason for the Nebraska football team's problems.
The term problem, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt since many college football teams would gladly take the Huskers problems of being 5-1 and ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll after Saturday's stunning 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State. Nebraska being 5-1 is not necessarily a problem, only the process most people figured is not what most (including myself) anticipated. In head coach Bo Pelini's four seasons, the Huskers made a transformation from being the worst defense known to man under former defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove in 2007 when they were 114th in the nation in total defense to No. 4 in 2009. The defense was not as strong last season but definitely strong enough in 2009 and 2010 to where if Nebraska had an even mediocre offense, it would have bee good enough to win a Big 12 title.
Fast forward to 2011, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson leaves and Husker fans celebrated pretty much en masse as running backs coach Tim Beck was promoted to offensive coordinator. Watson's departure alone made Nebraska fans dance in the streets. Most people figured the offense would take time to find its way in 2011 while the defense did a lot of heavy lifting. Sure, losses like cornerback Prince Amukamara, safeties Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes would be felt. However, the Huskers boasted a high end returning player at every level of the defense -- tackle Jared Crick, linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonso Dennard.
So far, only David has lived up to his preseason hype. To be fair, Dennard is still working his way back into form after missing the first four games to a quad injury. Crick and defensve end Cameron Meredith, however, have been big disappointments. If not for David's mid third quarter forced and recovered fumble of Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller, the Huskers don't even begin to make their second half charge.
So how does all of this pertain to Martinez? Let's talk about that for just a minute. Does Martinez have his issues? Yes. Is Martinez free of fault? No. However, when you look at the Huskers entire body of work over the course of six games, the team's problems are less about him and much more about the defense. In fact, it's not even close.
Forget the Ohio State game for just a nano-second. Let's just assume Nebraska has a defense that most of us come to expect under Pelini. Keep in mind, Nebraska entered Saturday's game ranked No. 73 in total defense. For the sake of discussiom, let's say they are ranked in the top 40 in a worst case scenario. None of the games are even close except for Wisconsin, which was a 48-17 loss.
Even in that game, Nebraska trailed 20-14 late in the first half. The offense actually looked OK at that point before. The offensive line was blocking, running back Rex Burkhead was running well and Martinez was throwing at least decent. If the defense had been playing well, perhaps Beck and Martinez (who let's face it is an average at best passer) wouldn't have been in a position where they felt they constantly needed to score. Though it's easy to hammer Martinez for forcing passes into double coverage, perhaps he would not have been compelled to do so if it did not appear that Wisconsin was going to score on every damn possession.
On Saturday, Nebraska's Blackshirts (if you want to call them that) gave up 246 yards of offense in the first half. If the defense came to play, Nebraska wins this game going away. Keep in mind, Ohio State had a 12-3 minute top of possession edge in he first quarter. So Martinez is not Joe Montana. This may shock the "Bench Martinez's ass" camp but he came up big in the second half along with running back Rex Burkhead.
Martinez completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, 95 yards on 16 carries. All of that while guiding Nebraska to its biggest come-from-behind win in school history. OK, Martinez, I know it kills you but give the kid some credit.
The bottom line is quarterbacks will have games where they throw interceptions. In case you have never watched a game in your life, great ones throw the. Average ones throw them. Bad ones throw them. The point is Nebraska's defense is supposed to be good enough to where the offense can make a couple mistakes a game so that they can overome them. At this point, that is not close to being the case.
Speaking of the defense, we'll examine that more during the bye week as the Huskers next play at Minnesota on Oct. 22. However, to take a preliminary look, I ask, at what point does Nebraska play the Peso (4-2-5)? It worked like a charm the last few years. I realize conventional widom says you need a three linebacker defense against the Big 10, but right now conventional wisdom sucks. Are the Huskers served better by putting more speed on the field. Does it pay off to have the linebackers in the game when they are non-productive anyway?
Back to Martinez, here's a late breaking story for football fans. Quarterbacks are going to have incompletions, bad reads, and intereptions at every level. It's part of the game. Has Martinez played as well as he can? No. He definitely needs to improve but it stans to reason that the difference between a top ten Nebraska team and the team we see today is not and has not been Martinez. It has been the defense.
Though I have been a Husker fan for 24 years and a graduate for 14, I simply do not get a certain segment of our fans. I get it that Martinez's throwing motion and decision making can be frustrating but we all need to realize that if we want to put in a quarterback that doesn't throw interceptions, you'll never find one. Gee whizz. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers must al really suck.
So while you are busy being convinced that Martinez is the problem, I say this: Keep a healthy Martinez and fix the damn defense and everything else will fall into place.
The term problem, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt since many college football teams would gladly take the Huskers problems of being 5-1 and ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll after Saturday's stunning 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State. Nebraska being 5-1 is not necessarily a problem, only the process most people figured is not what most (including myself) anticipated. In head coach Bo Pelini's four seasons, the Huskers made a transformation from being the worst defense known to man under former defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove in 2007 when they were 114th in the nation in total defense to No. 4 in 2009. The defense was not as strong last season but definitely strong enough in 2009 and 2010 to where if Nebraska had an even mediocre offense, it would have bee good enough to win a Big 12 title.
Fast forward to 2011, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson leaves and Husker fans celebrated pretty much en masse as running backs coach Tim Beck was promoted to offensive coordinator. Watson's departure alone made Nebraska fans dance in the streets. Most people figured the offense would take time to find its way in 2011 while the defense did a lot of heavy lifting. Sure, losses like cornerback Prince Amukamara, safeties Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes would be felt. However, the Huskers boasted a high end returning player at every level of the defense -- tackle Jared Crick, linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonso Dennard.
So far, only David has lived up to his preseason hype. To be fair, Dennard is still working his way back into form after missing the first four games to a quad injury. Crick and defensve end Cameron Meredith, however, have been big disappointments. If not for David's mid third quarter forced and recovered fumble of Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller, the Huskers don't even begin to make their second half charge.
So how does all of this pertain to Martinez? Let's talk about that for just a minute. Does Martinez have his issues? Yes. Is Martinez free of fault? No. However, when you look at the Huskers entire body of work over the course of six games, the team's problems are less about him and much more about the defense. In fact, it's not even close.
Forget the Ohio State game for just a nano-second. Let's just assume Nebraska has a defense that most of us come to expect under Pelini. Keep in mind, Nebraska entered Saturday's game ranked No. 73 in total defense. For the sake of discussiom, let's say they are ranked in the top 40 in a worst case scenario. None of the games are even close except for Wisconsin, which was a 48-17 loss.
Even in that game, Nebraska trailed 20-14 late in the first half. The offense actually looked OK at that point before. The offensive line was blocking, running back Rex Burkhead was running well and Martinez was throwing at least decent. If the defense had been playing well, perhaps Beck and Martinez (who let's face it is an average at best passer) wouldn't have been in a position where they felt they constantly needed to score. Though it's easy to hammer Martinez for forcing passes into double coverage, perhaps he would not have been compelled to do so if it did not appear that Wisconsin was going to score on every damn possession.
On Saturday, Nebraska's Blackshirts (if you want to call them that) gave up 246 yards of offense in the first half. If the defense came to play, Nebraska wins this game going away. Keep in mind, Ohio State had a 12-3 minute top of possession edge in he first quarter. So Martinez is not Joe Montana. This may shock the "Bench Martinez's ass" camp but he came up big in the second half along with running back Rex Burkhead.
Martinez completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, 95 yards on 16 carries. All of that while guiding Nebraska to its biggest come-from-behind win in school history. OK, Martinez, I know it kills you but give the kid some credit.
The bottom line is quarterbacks will have games where they throw interceptions. In case you have never watched a game in your life, great ones throw the. Average ones throw them. Bad ones throw them. The point is Nebraska's defense is supposed to be good enough to where the offense can make a couple mistakes a game so that they can overome them. At this point, that is not close to being the case.
Speaking of the defense, we'll examine that more during the bye week as the Huskers next play at Minnesota on Oct. 22. However, to take a preliminary look, I ask, at what point does Nebraska play the Peso (4-2-5)? It worked like a charm the last few years. I realize conventional widom says you need a three linebacker defense against the Big 10, but right now conventional wisdom sucks. Are the Huskers served better by putting more speed on the field. Does it pay off to have the linebackers in the game when they are non-productive anyway?
Back to Martinez, here's a late breaking story for football fans. Quarterbacks are going to have incompletions, bad reads, and intereptions at every level. It's part of the game. Has Martinez played as well as he can? No. He definitely needs to improve but it stans to reason that the difference between a top ten Nebraska team and the team we see today is not and has not been Martinez. It has been the defense.
Though I have been a Husker fan for 24 years and a graduate for 14, I simply do not get a certain segment of our fans. I get it that Martinez's throwing motion and decision making can be frustrating but we all need to realize that if we want to put in a quarterback that doesn't throw interceptions, you'll never find one. Gee whizz. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers must al really suck.
So while you are busy being convinced that Martinez is the problem, I say this: Keep a healthy Martinez and fix the damn defense and everything else will fall into place.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Dennard in, Crick out, Blackshirts need to rebound
The No. 9 ranked Nebraska defense entered the 2011 season highly touted but so far has lived down to its advanced billing. Though the Huskers are 3-0 and have a head coach who is considered one of the best defensive minds in college football, Nebraska's defense ranks 61st nationally in rushing defense, 66th in scoring defense, 67th in total defense and 78th in pass defense. Not numbers that are normally associated with a Bo Pelini defense.
As the Huskers head into Wyoming (also 3-0), the have a confounding dynamic on defense with cornerback Alfonzo Dennard an defensive tackle Jared Crick, both considered among the elite in the nation at their position. Pelini told Nebraska media members that cover the team daily that Dennard would in fact start after having sat out the forst three games wiith a quad injury. Dennard's return will certainly be a welcome site considering that his replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) has had a baptism by fire from opponents.
Crick, meanwhile, is listed as questionable with what is believed to be a concussion that he sustained near the end of Nebraska's 51-38 win over Washington Saturday.
Crick has not practiced this week.
"I don't know the terms and all those things," Pelini said. "He got dinged."
No one will ever accuse Pelini of being forthright about injuries. In fairness to Pelini, however, many coaches have that tendency. If Crick does not play, that will mean Terrence Moore, Chase Rome and Thadius Randle get much more playing time.
The question is, should either one play considering that Nebraska has its Big Ten conference opener at No. 6 Wisconsin looming on Oct. 1? You could make the argument that the Huskers win Saurday's game even if neither one plays but there are no absolutes.
If Crick indeed suffered any kind of concussion, he absolutley needs to sit this one out. Not to be self-righteous but we are talking about a young man's life versus a football game.
As for Dennard, his absence is a huge reason why the defense has played so poorly this year, at least by Pelini era standards. Since Dennard appears to be at least near full strength as the coaches indicate then he at least needs to get some playing time Saturday but no more than necessary.
Granted, Dennard (a senior) is a veteran player so it's not like he has forgotten how to play football but he at least needs to get into game shape. Wisconsin is not an opponent that you use just to shake off rust. Yes bringing Dennard back this week presents a risk because if he re-injures himself the statement becomes, "You shouldn't have rushed him back." However, the outcome of a decision does not make it good or bad. It's the reason behind it.
While the Husker defense has been below par at times, it's not 2007 Kevin Cosgrove material that ranked 112th in the nation. With a bright defensive mind like Pelini, however, the belief is that the defense will right the ship to some degree. How much? Who knows?
Nebraska's defense could use a shot in the arm but with Dennard in and Crick possibly out that's one step forward and one step backward. The Husker defense, however, needs a bounceback week after two straight games of yielding 400 plus yards of total offense. Nebraska does not have to pitch a shoutout but another game of 25 plus points and 400 plus yards won't cut it no matter who does or does not play.
As the Huskers head into Wyoming (also 3-0), the have a confounding dynamic on defense with cornerback Alfonzo Dennard an defensive tackle Jared Crick, both considered among the elite in the nation at their position. Pelini told Nebraska media members that cover the team daily that Dennard would in fact start after having sat out the forst three games wiith a quad injury. Dennard's return will certainly be a welcome site considering that his replacement (sophomore Andrew Green) has had a baptism by fire from opponents.
Crick, meanwhile, is listed as questionable with what is believed to be a concussion that he sustained near the end of Nebraska's 51-38 win over Washington Saturday.
Crick has not practiced this week.
"I don't know the terms and all those things," Pelini said. "He got dinged."
No one will ever accuse Pelini of being forthright about injuries. In fairness to Pelini, however, many coaches have that tendency. If Crick does not play, that will mean Terrence Moore, Chase Rome and Thadius Randle get much more playing time.
The question is, should either one play considering that Nebraska has its Big Ten conference opener at No. 6 Wisconsin looming on Oct. 1? You could make the argument that the Huskers win Saurday's game even if neither one plays but there are no absolutes.
If Crick indeed suffered any kind of concussion, he absolutley needs to sit this one out. Not to be self-righteous but we are talking about a young man's life versus a football game.
As for Dennard, his absence is a huge reason why the defense has played so poorly this year, at least by Pelini era standards. Since Dennard appears to be at least near full strength as the coaches indicate then he at least needs to get some playing time Saturday but no more than necessary.
Granted, Dennard (a senior) is a veteran player so it's not like he has forgotten how to play football but he at least needs to get into game shape. Wisconsin is not an opponent that you use just to shake off rust. Yes bringing Dennard back this week presents a risk because if he re-injures himself the statement becomes, "You shouldn't have rushed him back." However, the outcome of a decision does not make it good or bad. It's the reason behind it.
While the Husker defense has been below par at times, it's not 2007 Kevin Cosgrove material that ranked 112th in the nation. With a bright defensive mind like Pelini, however, the belief is that the defense will right the ship to some degree. How much? Who knows?
Nebraska's defense could use a shot in the arm but with Dennard in and Crick possibly out that's one step forward and one step backward. The Husker defense, however, needs a bounceback week after two straight games of yielding 400 plus yards of total offense. Nebraska does not have to pitch a shoutout but another game of 25 plus points and 400 plus yards won't cut it no matter who does or does not play.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
How much will the Husker defense improve in Pelini's second year?
It is generally assumed that after having had one season to absorb the scheme, Nebraska’s defense will make “a huge jump” during the 2009 season.
Second-year Husker head coach Bo Pelini said as much during his press conference on the eve of the beginning of spring practice Tuesday. After leading the nation in terrible defense in 2007 (ranking 112th overall), the Huskers climbed to 55th overall a year ago.
The No. 55 ranking was exactly the same as where Nebraska finished during a 7-7 season in 2002 with Craig Bohl as the defensive coordinator. In 2007, Kevin Cosgrove made Bohl look like Charlie McBride.
Nebraska ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in total defense, No. 3 in rushing defense and No. 6 in scoring defense last year after picking up the rear in each category in 2007.
Last year, Nebraska allowed about 10 fewer points and 125 fewer yards per game than the 2007 defense that Pelini was hired to fix. That improvement can be traced to playing with better effort along with the offense averaging over 34 minutes per game in time of possession to help a still building defense.
The 2008 Huskers held four of their last seven opponents below 300 total yards, but also scorched for 62 points and 508 yards at Oklahoma, 52 points and 462 yards by Missouri and nearly nine yards per play at Texas Tech.
We’ve heard all of the arguments why the Husker defense should be better. The real question is how much should we expect the defense to improve? Top 30? Top 20? Top 10?
My realistic expectation would lie somewhere between 20-30. Since the Big 12 has become chalk full of offenses that resemble basketball teams in pads, I’m not sure that a Top Ten defense is realistic but if Nebraska can finish say in the Top 25 in defense, that means we are slowing downing the potent offenses and putting the clamps on the bad ones.
We all long for the days of the Peter Bros., Grant Wistrom, and Jared Tomich causing nightmares. With the exception of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, however, Nebraska’s defense does not have anyone that compares to Blackshirt defenses of that era. And even in Suh’s case, he only began to scratch the surface last season with his potential.
The Husker defense will need to be better since the offense is breaking in a new starting quarterback and a new group of receivers. Secondly, they players know what to expect and there should be a lot less thinking about their assignments. Therefore what they do should come as second nature. In turn, that will mean Pelini will be more comfortable implementing more intricate things within the scheme like we saw when his LSU defenses wreaked havoc.
Despite the Huskers having limitations at some positions, especially linebacker, Pelini resisted the temptation to burn redshirts in order to develop those players the right way. Those redshirted players such as Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Alonzo Whaley and Micah Kreikemeier should be ready to contribute. However, let’s not forget that the only way of truly telling how good a player is until he plays in game situations.
The two biggest keys, however, to the Husker defense making a quantum leap are forcing more turnovers and simply executing assignments better. The Huskers forced just 17 turnovers last season.
There’s no doubt that Nebraska’s defense played with better effort in 2008 after a sorry effort in 2007. However, there were also plenty of blown assignments that led to big plays. Just picture Colorado’s Riar Greer blowing by Husker cornerback Lance Thorell.
Therein lies Pelini’s statement of “We were our own worst enemy sometimes.” Playing defense is a combination of playing with a controlled fury and discipline.
With Suh, Pierre Allen and hopefully a healthy Barry Turner coming back, the defensive line should still be pretty stout despite losing Zach Potter and Ty Steinkuhler.
The linebacking corps has plenty of young players ready to make their mark but their youth also means you have to live with mistakes as well as big plays. The secondary brings back a lot of experience and talent and should improve. Therefore, we should not be seeing the amount of assignment busts we saw last season.
Second-year Husker head coach Bo Pelini said as much during his press conference on the eve of the beginning of spring practice Tuesday. After leading the nation in terrible defense in 2007 (ranking 112th overall), the Huskers climbed to 55th overall a year ago.
The No. 55 ranking was exactly the same as where Nebraska finished during a 7-7 season in 2002 with Craig Bohl as the defensive coordinator. In 2007, Kevin Cosgrove made Bohl look like Charlie McBride.
Nebraska ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in total defense, No. 3 in rushing defense and No. 6 in scoring defense last year after picking up the rear in each category in 2007.
Last year, Nebraska allowed about 10 fewer points and 125 fewer yards per game than the 2007 defense that Pelini was hired to fix. That improvement can be traced to playing with better effort along with the offense averaging over 34 minutes per game in time of possession to help a still building defense.
The 2008 Huskers held four of their last seven opponents below 300 total yards, but also scorched for 62 points and 508 yards at Oklahoma, 52 points and 462 yards by Missouri and nearly nine yards per play at Texas Tech.
We’ve heard all of the arguments why the Husker defense should be better. The real question is how much should we expect the defense to improve? Top 30? Top 20? Top 10?
My realistic expectation would lie somewhere between 20-30. Since the Big 12 has become chalk full of offenses that resemble basketball teams in pads, I’m not sure that a Top Ten defense is realistic but if Nebraska can finish say in the Top 25 in defense, that means we are slowing downing the potent offenses and putting the clamps on the bad ones.
We all long for the days of the Peter Bros., Grant Wistrom, and Jared Tomich causing nightmares. With the exception of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, however, Nebraska’s defense does not have anyone that compares to Blackshirt defenses of that era. And even in Suh’s case, he only began to scratch the surface last season with his potential.
The Husker defense will need to be better since the offense is breaking in a new starting quarterback and a new group of receivers. Secondly, they players know what to expect and there should be a lot less thinking about their assignments. Therefore what they do should come as second nature. In turn, that will mean Pelini will be more comfortable implementing more intricate things within the scheme like we saw when his LSU defenses wreaked havoc.
Despite the Huskers having limitations at some positions, especially linebacker, Pelini resisted the temptation to burn redshirts in order to develop those players the right way. Those redshirted players such as Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Alonzo Whaley and Micah Kreikemeier should be ready to contribute. However, let’s not forget that the only way of truly telling how good a player is until he plays in game situations.
The two biggest keys, however, to the Husker defense making a quantum leap are forcing more turnovers and simply executing assignments better. The Huskers forced just 17 turnovers last season.
There’s no doubt that Nebraska’s defense played with better effort in 2008 after a sorry effort in 2007. However, there were also plenty of blown assignments that led to big plays. Just picture Colorado’s Riar Greer blowing by Husker cornerback Lance Thorell.
Therein lies Pelini’s statement of “We were our own worst enemy sometimes.” Playing defense is a combination of playing with a controlled fury and discipline.
With Suh, Pierre Allen and hopefully a healthy Barry Turner coming back, the defensive line should still be pretty stout despite losing Zach Potter and Ty Steinkuhler.
The linebacking corps has plenty of young players ready to make their mark but their youth also means you have to live with mistakes as well as big plays. The secondary brings back a lot of experience and talent and should improve. Therefore, we should not be seeing the amount of assignment busts we saw last season.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Husker fans unite -- root for Pitt to go down!
OK, I took the plunge for another year of the NCAA Tournament and filled out a bracket, joining some old University of Nebraska friends on the ESPN.com website.
With a wife, three kids that are two years old and under plus a full-time job, I have barely watched college basketball. So this year, I winged it more so than any other year. I picked Louisville to beat UConn for the title.
Like most years, there are a handful of teams that can claim a realistic chance of winning it all. Louisville, UConn, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan State and Pittsburgh just to name a few.
I generally root for the Big 12 but of the teams I mentioned, I don’t have a huge preference on who wins the title. Well, with one exception – and I know I speak for many Husker fans.
Pittsburgh.
I have nothing against Pitt players or coach Jamie Dixon. I really don’t even have anything against Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt.
It’s just that damn athletic director Steve Pederson, who is Nebraska’s former athletic director. Thankfully, NU chancellor Harvey Perlman gave the arrogant, elitist Pederson the axe in mid-October 2007.
I was talking to a friend from my college years who lives in Lee’s Summit, MO, by phone the other day. This friend of mine has said a few times that Pederson, who is a North Platte, Neb. Native, is to Nebraskans what OJ Simpson is to most of America.
At first, I found the comparison somewhat odd to compare Pederson to a convicted felon but the more I think about it, the more I see it as a fair statement.
Not to rehash old skeletons but Pederson, Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove were the biggest lightning rods for Husker fans. If any of those individuals even as much as passed through the state of Nebraska, none would be welcomed with open arms but I don’t think they would be tarred and feathered either. Pederson, however, would be extremely vilified. Maybe even tarred and feathered. Not only was he a bad AD. He will go down as the man who gutted Husker football of all the things that made the program unique.
Remember when Pederson was hired, he was viewed as the anti-Bill Byrne. He was a native Nebraskan. He was going to make football priority No. 1 whereas Byrne tried to appeal to all sports. Which is fine to a point but football is the bell cow of every athletic program followed closely by men’s basketball.
Heck, I bought into Pederson being the right guy but when he fostered a culture of disconnect Husker Nation might as well have been Husker “alien-Nation.” I had the chance to meet Bryne several times when I was in college working as a reporter for the Daily Nebraskan and production assistant for KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln. I didn’t always agree with his decisions as AD but in talking to him I at least felt like he was a good person.
I’ll admit I’ve criticized Callahan and Cosgrove my share of the time and rightfully so. However, I do not think either one are bad people. They just have their shortcomings as coaches. Well, Callahan is a good assistant coach, just a bad head coach. Cosgrove might have been a good defensive coordinator at one time, just not at Nebraska.
As for Pedeyshine, I think us Husker fans should thank our lucky stars that Tom Osborne lost the Nebraska gubernatorial election and wound up as Nebraska’s AD. Think about it, if Osborne won the election, we might still be stuck with Pederson today.
Husker fans unite when watching the NCAA tournament – your favorite team is who ever Pitt’s opponent is!
With a wife, three kids that are two years old and under plus a full-time job, I have barely watched college basketball. So this year, I winged it more so than any other year. I picked Louisville to beat UConn for the title.
Like most years, there are a handful of teams that can claim a realistic chance of winning it all. Louisville, UConn, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan State and Pittsburgh just to name a few.
I generally root for the Big 12 but of the teams I mentioned, I don’t have a huge preference on who wins the title. Well, with one exception – and I know I speak for many Husker fans.
Pittsburgh.
I have nothing against Pitt players or coach Jamie Dixon. I really don’t even have anything against Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt.
It’s just that damn athletic director Steve Pederson, who is Nebraska’s former athletic director. Thankfully, NU chancellor Harvey Perlman gave the arrogant, elitist Pederson the axe in mid-October 2007.
I was talking to a friend from my college years who lives in Lee’s Summit, MO, by phone the other day. This friend of mine has said a few times that Pederson, who is a North Platte, Neb. Native, is to Nebraskans what OJ Simpson is to most of America.
At first, I found the comparison somewhat odd to compare Pederson to a convicted felon but the more I think about it, the more I see it as a fair statement.
Not to rehash old skeletons but Pederson, Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove were the biggest lightning rods for Husker fans. If any of those individuals even as much as passed through the state of Nebraska, none would be welcomed with open arms but I don’t think they would be tarred and feathered either. Pederson, however, would be extremely vilified. Maybe even tarred and feathered. Not only was he a bad AD. He will go down as the man who gutted Husker football of all the things that made the program unique.
Remember when Pederson was hired, he was viewed as the anti-Bill Byrne. He was a native Nebraskan. He was going to make football priority No. 1 whereas Byrne tried to appeal to all sports. Which is fine to a point but football is the bell cow of every athletic program followed closely by men’s basketball.
Heck, I bought into Pederson being the right guy but when he fostered a culture of disconnect Husker Nation might as well have been Husker “alien-Nation.” I had the chance to meet Bryne several times when I was in college working as a reporter for the Daily Nebraskan and production assistant for KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln. I didn’t always agree with his decisions as AD but in talking to him I at least felt like he was a good person.
I’ll admit I’ve criticized Callahan and Cosgrove my share of the time and rightfully so. However, I do not think either one are bad people. They just have their shortcomings as coaches. Well, Callahan is a good assistant coach, just a bad head coach. Cosgrove might have been a good defensive coordinator at one time, just not at Nebraska.
As for Pedeyshine, I think us Husker fans should thank our lucky stars that Tom Osborne lost the Nebraska gubernatorial election and wound up as Nebraska’s AD. Think about it, if Osborne won the election, we might still be stuck with Pederson today.
Husker fans unite when watching the NCAA tournament – your favorite team is who ever Pitt’s opponent is!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Cosgrove interview reeks of denial
Kevin Cosgrove has spoken. About his experience as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator from 2004-2007 that is.
I know, why beat a dead horse? The 2008 Huskers showed much promise under first-year head coach Bo Pelini in going 9-4. Steve Pederson, Bill Callahan and Cosgrove are gone. Cosgrove has been mainly silent since being dismiss after Nebraska’s abysmal performance, especially on the defensive side of the ball in going 5-7 in 2007 – until now.
Cosgrove is now the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota after being out of coaching last year. Cosgrove did a one-on-one interview with www.gopherhole.com writer Nadine Babu. The interview reeks of a coach in denial. Granted, there’s not much Cosgrove can say to appease us Husker fans.
Criticize Callahan all you want for not granting Omaha World Herald reporter Mitch Sherman an interview when Sherman traveled to the New York Jets practice facility but at least Callahan has the common sense to keep his mouth shut.
Cosgrove seems like a decent guy as a person and while he was at Nebraska he never made excuses for the defense’s failures but the general tone of this interview just seems a bit too whiny and a lack of willingness to accept accountability.
Here are some of the things he said about his Nebraska days in the interview and italicized are my responses to his responses:
About Nebraska's rating of 112th in total defense in his last season here: "I don’t know, I didn’t even look at it, because the way things went down there, it was done before the season was even over. We all knew we were fired before that. It was just a tough time, and I don’t look back at that. But, we did lead the nation in sacks (in 2005), did you know that?"
Really. It’s mildly strange that you allude to us leading the nation in sacks in 2005 now considering that defensive backs coach Phil Elmaisson (aka Uncle Elmo) said that sacks were overrated. We also led the nation in bad defense in 2007 under your watch I might add. Pelini proved this year that our players weren't nearly as bad as the record last year said they were. They may not have been good enough to win the Big 12, but they weren't bad. Heck, Cosgrove made Craig Bohl look like Charlie McBride.
About ensuring that another year like 2007 doesn't happen to him as a coach again: "Well, I’m not going to make any excuses for what happened there, but if you look at my past, we’ve had many successes on the teams I’ve been with. If I do remember, I think we won Big 10 Championships on four of the teams I’ve coached, and I won a Big 12 North Championship on a team I coached, so I think my record will speak for itself. If I’m going to be judged on one year in this profession, it seems like the people in blogs will do it, not my peers. That’s just the way it is."
For starters, celebrating a Big Ten title at Wisconsin is one thing considering that Michigan and Ohio State have combined for 75 of 164 conference titles in Big 10 history. Wisconsin has 11, three in the 1990s under Barru Alvarez. However, blowing your horn about a Big 12 North title at Nebraska is ridiculous. Granted, it was a good achievement at the time considering the Huskers hadn’t done since in seven years but we don’t celebrate division titles at Nebraska. And if your peers rather than blogs judge you as a coach then explain why you were out of coaching for a year?
About what he did in his year off from coaching: "I’ve done a lot of research and studied trends in college football; the game changes constantly. I was able to do the things I never was able to when you’re actually working a job. I also coached my son in football, who is a senior in high school."
Again, Cos seems like a decent guy personally and best of luck to Minnesota but my next door neighbor is a nice guy too. That doesn’t make him a good defensive coordinator. Maybe Cos can succeed in the right set of circumstances but he also had four years at Nebraska to learn to stop the zone read and never came close.
About what he would say to his critics: "When I was at Wisconsin, working for Barry (Alvarez) we never even knew that stuff existed. I never saw anything negative; the only thing I ever saw was positive. Then I went to Nebraska, and I started looking at the negative stuff, and that was probably the worst thing I ever did. It was the worst thing our team ever did, because our players started reading it. They were not only beating up me, but the players, and that’s a bad thing when that happens. That’s their team, they’re beating up the kids, and that’s not right. As a coach, I can take it. Everybody has their opinions, and God bless them, but I’m moving on, and I’m excited to be a Minnesota Gopher right now."
Cos’s family did not deserve the abuse it got (i.e. death threats at his office and his son getting taunting at his high school football game). Granted, that’s probably just one clown out of every ten among Husker fans but those people need to be locked in a rubber room. However, Cos also needs to realize that the biggest reason for the fan negativity is the team’s horrible performance. And the players flat out quitting on him is indeed his fault.
I know, why beat a dead horse? The 2008 Huskers showed much promise under first-year head coach Bo Pelini in going 9-4. Steve Pederson, Bill Callahan and Cosgrove are gone. Cosgrove has been mainly silent since being dismiss after Nebraska’s abysmal performance, especially on the defensive side of the ball in going 5-7 in 2007 – until now.
Cosgrove is now the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota after being out of coaching last year. Cosgrove did a one-on-one interview with www.gopherhole.com writer Nadine Babu. The interview reeks of a coach in denial. Granted, there’s not much Cosgrove can say to appease us Husker fans.
Criticize Callahan all you want for not granting Omaha World Herald reporter Mitch Sherman an interview when Sherman traveled to the New York Jets practice facility but at least Callahan has the common sense to keep his mouth shut.
Cosgrove seems like a decent guy as a person and while he was at Nebraska he never made excuses for the defense’s failures but the general tone of this interview just seems a bit too whiny and a lack of willingness to accept accountability.
Here are some of the things he said about his Nebraska days in the interview and italicized are my responses to his responses:
About Nebraska's rating of 112th in total defense in his last season here: "I don’t know, I didn’t even look at it, because the way things went down there, it was done before the season was even over. We all knew we were fired before that. It was just a tough time, and I don’t look back at that. But, we did lead the nation in sacks (in 2005), did you know that?"
Really. It’s mildly strange that you allude to us leading the nation in sacks in 2005 now considering that defensive backs coach Phil Elmaisson (aka Uncle Elmo) said that sacks were overrated. We also led the nation in bad defense in 2007 under your watch I might add. Pelini proved this year that our players weren't nearly as bad as the record last year said they were. They may not have been good enough to win the Big 12, but they weren't bad. Heck, Cosgrove made Craig Bohl look like Charlie McBride.
About ensuring that another year like 2007 doesn't happen to him as a coach again: "Well, I’m not going to make any excuses for what happened there, but if you look at my past, we’ve had many successes on the teams I’ve been with. If I do remember, I think we won Big 10 Championships on four of the teams I’ve coached, and I won a Big 12 North Championship on a team I coached, so I think my record will speak for itself. If I’m going to be judged on one year in this profession, it seems like the people in blogs will do it, not my peers. That’s just the way it is."
For starters, celebrating a Big Ten title at Wisconsin is one thing considering that Michigan and Ohio State have combined for 75 of 164 conference titles in Big 10 history. Wisconsin has 11, three in the 1990s under Barru Alvarez. However, blowing your horn about a Big 12 North title at Nebraska is ridiculous. Granted, it was a good achievement at the time considering the Huskers hadn’t done since in seven years but we don’t celebrate division titles at Nebraska. And if your peers rather than blogs judge you as a coach then explain why you were out of coaching for a year?
About what he did in his year off from coaching: "I’ve done a lot of research and studied trends in college football; the game changes constantly. I was able to do the things I never was able to when you’re actually working a job. I also coached my son in football, who is a senior in high school."
Again, Cos seems like a decent guy personally and best of luck to Minnesota but my next door neighbor is a nice guy too. That doesn’t make him a good defensive coordinator. Maybe Cos can succeed in the right set of circumstances but he also had four years at Nebraska to learn to stop the zone read and never came close.
About what he would say to his critics: "When I was at Wisconsin, working for Barry (Alvarez) we never even knew that stuff existed. I never saw anything negative; the only thing I ever saw was positive. Then I went to Nebraska, and I started looking at the negative stuff, and that was probably the worst thing I ever did. It was the worst thing our team ever did, because our players started reading it. They were not only beating up me, but the players, and that’s a bad thing when that happens. That’s their team, they’re beating up the kids, and that’s not right. As a coach, I can take it. Everybody has their opinions, and God bless them, but I’m moving on, and I’m excited to be a Minnesota Gopher right now."
Cos’s family did not deserve the abuse it got (i.e. death threats at his office and his son getting taunting at his high school football game). Granted, that’s probably just one clown out of every ten among Husker fans but those people need to be locked in a rubber room. However, Cos also needs to realize that the biggest reason for the fan negativity is the team’s horrible performance. And the players flat out quitting on him is indeed his fault.
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