Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[entropy]

probably not for several months..

I'd honor the scholarship, but assume he'll never play

[Hannibal]

Rule changes, without question. If you were to revert the rules to what they were in 1977 these spread offenses would be extinct within three years. OL were FAR more limited in the use of their hands, and DBs were completely the opposite. Quarterbacks had less freedom in unloading the football when under pressure, and pass rushers had a lot more freedom in applying that pressure.

Football schematics are just like nature in that they constantly evolve to the fill the niches available within the rules. The "spread" wasn't invented; it evolved.

Is it rule changes, or is it the coaches finally ditching all of the conventional wisdom that they formed back in the 1940s that stubbornly hung on through the '70s, '80s, and '90s? Conventional wisdom like always kicking on fourth down and making dual threat quarterbacks stay in the pocket. I was wondering why teams didn't pass the ball way back as early as the 1980s. The run-and-shoot made its NFL debut in the late '80s and within a few years, the three terrible teams that were running it (Houston, Atlanta, and Detroit) all made the playoffs. Detroit won the only playoff game in the franshise's history running the run-and-shoot. They put up some good numbers with some really shitty quarterbacks, and teams couldn't gang up on Barry Sanders because they had to cover four receivers. Then they switched back to a conventional power offense the next year and the offense tanked because there were no running lanes. They haven't won a playoff game since.

Mobile QBs and four wide receiver sets have always been a nightmare to defend. I think that a huge factor in the explosion of these offenses is that coaches have finally accepted how potent they are, and they no longer try to invent excuses not to run them.

[Wild Hoss]

Is it rule changes, or is it the coaches finally ditching all of the conventional wisdom that they formed back in the 1940s that stubbornly hung on through the '70s, '80s, and '90s? Conventional wisdom like always kicking on fourth down and making dual threat quarterbacks stay in the pocket. I was wondering why teams didn't pass the ball way back as early as the 1980s. The run-and-shoot made its NFL debut in the late '80s and within a few years, the three terrible teams that were running it (Houston, Atlanta, and Detroit) all made the playoffs. Detroit won the only playoff game in the franshise's history running the run-and-shoot. They put up some good numbers with some really shitty quarterbacks, and teams couldn't gang up on Barry Sanders because they had to cover four receivers. Then they switched back to a conventional power offense the next year and the offense tanked because there were no running lanes. They haven't won a playoff game since.

Mobile QBs and four wide receiver sets have always been a nightmare to defend. I think that a huge factor in the explosion of these offenses is that coaches have finally accepted how potent they are, and they no longer try to invent excuses not to run them.

JMO, but any scheme built on 5-6 man protections back in the day when OL had to keep their hands inside their shoulder pads would be doomed to failure.

Frankly, its not just the rules today either, but also how they are enforced. Pass protection in the Big 12 for instance, could barely be differentiated from WWE rasslin?. It wasn?t unusual, at all, to see defenders in headlocks, or OL with a hand pulling on a defender?s collar. Pick plays are standard faire.

Pretty much every applicable rule change in college since the 1970s has favored offense. Pass pro. Grounding. Pass interference. Placement of hashmarks. The NCAA- and ABC- wants touchdowns...and they?re getting them.

[Wild Hoss]

hoss.. it is interesting that places like LSU and bama are taking different approaches to winning.

Solid D and an offensive style that controls the ball and beats you up...

I don?t think there?s any question they have demonstrated that it works. The questions I?d have to ask are:

1) Does it work for teams who don?t have a million-dollar payroll?

2) Would it work over the course of an entire season if they had to play 3-4 high quality spread offenses? SEC offenses are notoriously conservative, playing scared of the defenses. There?s good reason for that, but at the same time I also believe it to be a self-reinforcing cycle to some degree.

[entropy]

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/daily-buzz-nebraska-bo-pelini-standing-by-recruit-zack-darlington-after-scary-concussion-082713

National media's reaction to what Darlington's dad said..

[entropy]

Matt Hayes Sporting News

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2013-08-28/first-and-10-sec-bcs-champion-oregon-ohio-state-stanford-texas-michigan-manziel

9. Big Red Loyalty

Remember when Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman publicly reprimanded Huskers coach Bo Pelini for his sideline behavior, declaring in 2010 that "it's something we'll have to address with Bo."

Maybe Harv, upset because Bo was instilling some good, old-fashioned Youngstown values in his team, can publicly say something about this:

Late last week, Apopka, Fla., QB Zack Darlington, who has committed to Nebraska, sustained a severe concussion in his team's season opener. So what did Mr. Mean Pelini do?

He told Darlington even if he never played another down of football because of the injury, he'll still give Darlington a scholarship. No word yet if Pelini raised his voice when telling Darlington of Nebraska's unwavering loyalty to its commitment.

Stick to fundraising, Harv.

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130827/HUSKERS/130828952

Sam's article on #3

[Wild Hoss]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130827/HUSKERS/130828952

Sam's article on #3

One of the really great attributes of college football, IMO, is watching the kids grow. Taylor's example is one of the most stark, and publicized, examples I can recall. We'll see how the story ends here pretty soon.

[hack]

Agreed. That was a big part of why Michigan's run to the fixed-match they lost to Louisville in April was so fun. Watching Burke become a real PG was just a joy on a game-to-game basis.

[Mike]

How is Fumbles Martinez looking in fall camp?

[entropy]

good

[entropy]

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The question, in an era not so long past, required minimal deliberation.

When to trade the long-term benefit of a redshirt season for the chance to contribute as a true freshman?

[+] EnlargeBo Pelini
Brett Davis/US PresswireIf playing freshmen will give Nebraska an edge, coach Bo Pelini is willing to get rookies on the field.
Answer: Only if necessitated by a lack of depth or in the instance of extreme readiness. Such a philosophy helped construct championship-caliber football teams.

Patience is no longer the standard. Alabama played 11 true freshmen en route to a second straight national title last year. Sixteen rookies saw time at Ohio State a year ago in its undefeated season.

Once, no program reaped the rewards of redshirting more than Nebraska.

And in five seasons under coach Bo Pelini, the Huskers have largely remained conservative in using first-year players. Since 2008, 25 true freshmen, including three walk-ons, burned redshirts. Last year, it was five, though defensive end Avery Moss preserved his status with a medical waiver after a September shoulder injury ended his season.

This fall, though, the outlook appears different. As many as a dozen newcomers, including three junior college transfers, remain in contention to play as the 18th-ranked Huskers open Saturday against Wyoming at Memorial Stadium.

Primarily, this group arrived more prepared, Nebraska coaches said. The Huskers also need help, in particular among the front seven on defense. And Pelini’s staff may take a more liberal stance in its redshirt decisions after a lack of defensive depth burned the Huskers late last season.

A weary unit surrendered 115 points and more than 1,200 yards to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game and Georgia in the Capital One Bowl. It marked the first time in school history that Nebraska scored at least 30 points in consecutive games and lost both.

So now, if they’re ready and they can help, they’re going to play.

“We’re not going to lower the expectations because we’re young,” secondary coach Terry Joseph said. “They've had to get in there and learn on the run.

“It starts with coach Pelini. One thing that we want with the guys that we’re recruiting is they have to love football, love competing, love studying, love lifting weights, love getting better. That’s what you have with these guys. They love being around the game.”

Freshmen Maliek Collins, A.J. Natter and Kevin Maurice have performed well up front on defense, where Nebraska lost Kevin Williams to a season-ending knee injury and can’t rely too heavily on senior Thad Randle, burdened by knee problems. Collins, Natter and Maurice may get to play; defensive end Randy Gregory, No. 2 in ESPN’s JC 100 last year, is a lock.

Linebackers Josh Banderas and Nathan Gerry are pushing for time. Fellow linebacker Courtney Love, slowed this month by a hamstring injury, could work his way into contention along with safety D.J. Singleton.

Freshmen running backs Adam Taylor and Terrell Newby look set to make an impact. Same goes for versatile tight end Cethan Carter. Gabe Miller was recruited to step in at long snapper. Receiver Kevin Gladney and offensive tackle David Knevel have earned praise.

And that’s not to mention juco transfers Matt Finnin and Chongo Kondolo on the O-line.

You see, there’s new blood abound.

“The kids we’re talking about are physically talented,” running backs coach Ron Brown said. “But the mental toughness, the ability to learn quickly and to think quickly and to overthink out there, it’s huge to whether a guy plays early or not.”

Defensive coordinator John Papuchis said the emotional maturity of the newcomers has most impressed the coaches.

"It has to do with your body," Papuchis said, "how you prepare for practice, how you handle yourself in the meeting rooms. Things can get hectic and chaotic. If you've ever watched us, [you know] I’m a screamer. Sometimes, coach Bo is a screamer. So they get a lot of feedback; let’s just put it that way."

The young players who can handle it get the first chance to play.

Don’t overlook that a few of these newcomers have pointed toward Saturday for months -- perhaps years. Banderas, the son of an ex-Husker out of Lincoln Southwest High School, committed early. He formed a bond with Gerry, from Sioux Falls, S.D., and another early pledge.

They attended games together last year, then showed up early in the summer and trained together.

“They were able to establish their relationships before the onslaught of practice,” linebackers coach Ross Els said. “It makes a difference.”

Banderas is bidding for time behind sophomore David Santos at middle linebacker. Gerry offers depth among a young group at the outside spots and as a defensive back in the nickel package.

Taylor and Newby provide something of a thunder-and-lightning combination to complement Ameer Abdullah and Imani Cross. Taylor is a “fast dude with power, a brute,” Brown said, while Newby is “very fluid, graceful, athletic.”

Under Pelini, seven running backs have played as true freshmen. Cross and walk-on fullback Andy Janovich did it last year. So it’s more expected for Taylor and Newby. Regardless, Brown said, they’ve got to earn their way on the field.

The prospect of a deep freshman class excites fans and veteran players alike.

To play or not to play? In a new era, there’s a new answer.

“As long as they’re ready,” said senior receiver Quincy Enunwa, who played as a true freshman in 2010. “These guys put in the work. They have a want-to, a drive. If they have the skill, we want them on the field.”

[entropy]

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209240365&DB_OEM_ID=100

UNL basketball schedule

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130831/HUSKERS/130909883

[entropy]

Top 10 Total Offense Games Against Nebraska

NU Opponent, Date (Attempts) Yards

1. at Oklahoma, Nov. 24, 1956 (85 att.) 656
2. at UCLA, Sept. 8, 2012 (94 att.) 653
3. Wisconsin, Dec. 1, 2012 (60 att.) 640
4. Notre Dame, Oct. 16, 1948 (81 att.) 620
5. Washington, Sept. 21, 1991 (87 att.) 618
6. Ball State, Sept. 22, 2007 (79 att.) 610
7. at Missouri, Oct. 6, 2007 (85 att.) 606
8. Wyoming, Aug 31, 2013 - 603
8. Georgia, Jan. 1, 2013 (71 att.) 589
9. at Colorado, Nov. 23, 2001 (77 att.) 582
10. at Oklahoma, Nov. 20, 1954 (80 att.) 577