Call of the Game, post Mizzou
Well, well, well….that didn’t work out.
This is a tough one fans. I’m not even sure I, your faithful reporter can change what many are feeling today.
That Missouri game took a lot out of me too.
You all know me. I’m a cockeyed optimist. I look for the positive in things. No, I’m not oblivious to problems and concerns. I want us to win and return to glory just as much as any fan. But I’m inclined to support the program and hope that the leadership from Steve Pederson and Marc Boehm all the way through the coaching staff has both the ability and the will to do the things, plug in corrections and motivate the players to do better.
I’m not inclined to jump ship. I’m not inclined to condemn. I don’t call for people to be fired. Not my job. If I were the HC, the AD or the Chancellor, that would be in my wheelhouse. But it is not. I’m just a radio guy and a big fan.
I admit my closeness to the program probably jades me a little. I know these people. I know how hard they work. I see how dedicated they are. I see them anguish in pain when we lose and how proud they are of the players when we win. And I recognize that everybody in that profession works hard. They are all dedicated. They all recruit and scheme and evaluate hour after hour. But only one team wins on Saturday. And after that Missouri game, Husker fans everywhere must be wondering if we’ll be that team any more Saturdays this fall.
Good question. Honest question.
Let me tell you what I think (an opinion no more valuable than anybody elses). Nebraska has the talent and experience to win each of the remaining six regular season games. Yes, we are thin on the defensive line but there is enough there to get it done each time out. That would be a 10-2 regular season and probably a Big 12 North Division title. To get there however a couple of key things must change.
In no particular order, it starts with passion. The defense doesn’t have it right now. The Blackshirts appear defeated. They appear to lack confidence, conviction and on-field leadership. Somebody needs to step forward and through voice and action, lead his teammates. Maybe that person is one of the younger guys? Coach has pulled redshirts off of guys like Anthony Blue, Prince Amukamara, Blake Lawrence, Austin Stafford. Maybe their time has come? Will they give up big plays? Yes. But so are the veterans.
On offense, I’d like Coach to re-define his running package. It appears that at the very least we are highly predictable. It appears easy to identify our running situation by the groupings we have on the field. If I can figure it out, certainly opposing defenses can. Maybe off of that “look” we should try some play action or “tunnel screens?” Would it hurt to create a few plays involving the fullback? Could we do something with mis-direction? I’d like to see maybe Niles Paul on the “flash” plays that Missouri and WF used so effectivly against us. You should know that Nebraska currently does practice running formations and plays a lot. Maybe a little bit more?
To me, though the singular most important element still in play around here can be defined by one word: Pride. Do these guys have enough of it? I think some of our players do. But do enough of them? Don’t know. Clearly there has to be a crisis of confidence right now. Do all of these guys really believe in what they are doing? Do they have full trust in the system? If not, the coaches must do something to fix that. They must create, invent, assemble some kind of package that will work consistently and then motivate the players to give it 100% effort.
Call me a Husker Geek. I think they will. I hope they will.
Even though we have the talent to win the last six, we are also capable of losing the last six too. That would result in a 4-8 season, the worst since before Bob Devaney arrived in 1962. Yes, fans…..such a doomsday scenario is possible. Likely? No. Possible? Yes.
But along the way, we fans have to remain as resiliant as we ask the players to be. We have to take the blows and not lose faith.
This football program has given us a ton a thrills over the years. Now the time has come to extend a little credit while we try to find our way back.
GBR!
JR
