Husker Fans: Focus on Future
4 comments so far
September 30, 2008 by
When I first sat down to write something about our disappointing loss this weekend, I intended to watch a tape of the game and break down every mistake made that lost it for us. Instead, I found myself thinking about what starts a turnaround. Phil Steele broke down teams that had close wins or losses one year and checked that against records the following year (a close game is decided by 1 TD or less). Teams that netted 2 or more close losses (+1 for close loss, -1 for close win) were 75% more likely to have a better record the next year. On the flip side, teams were more likely to have a losing season the year after winning a number of close games. A game like this would have been a blowout last year, but now, we're moving in the right direction.
Let's be realistic. There were plenty of mistakes made early in the game. We still haven't shown up to play in a first quarter yet. Our running game takes too long to develop. Our play calling seems bland and obvious in the first few offensive and defensive drives. The athletes sometimes seem confused or out of position. Individuals players aren't in the right place to make a big play or tackle. But these are correctable issues because it's a far cry from not showing up in entire games or having a coaching staff that never makes an adjustment or having players doing the wrong thing the whole game. By this time next year, these mental mistakes should be nearly eliminated.
The difference is coaching. People want to blame Bo for his fiery attitude losing this game for us. Coaching is more about what occurs Sunday through Friday than about what happens on Saturdays. He came out and was more critical of the team than I could have imagined. He includes himself when he says the Huskers made too many mistakes. Yes, his penalty was a boneheaded move that cost us another shot at stealing that game, but it's the toughness he instilled in his players that allowed them to be in it up until the end. The fourth quarter stamina has been the most impressive item in every game so far, and I think it's been overlooked by plenty of people. I still cannot determine if it's a mental or physical toughness that keeps our players hitting, tackling, or driving up until the end, but I'll take either one.
One thing is for sure, we're looking a team that doesn't just give up. If Oregon State had given up after getting hammered by Penn State, we wouldn't be looking at three Big 12 teams in the top 5 this week and USC nearly falling out of the top 10. Radio announcers down here in Kansas City said that Missouri should easily put up at least 6 touchdowns or 50 points without any real effort. They said it would be a positive for Nebraska if they stopped Chase from completing 6 passes or got him under 74% completion. I hope the Tiger players think that too, because 2008 is the year of the upset, and they come to our house.
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iggy Sep 30 08
These comments by Missouri faithful really bother me. Take the fact that they haven't won in Lincoln in a Generation and set that aside for now and let's just look at this from the pure emotional perspective.
Missouri wants this game, and I would guess they want it badly they have some demons to excercise and I get that.
But if they think that Nebraska doesn't feel the same or more urgency than Missuori and that this team will just lay down at home and allow itself to get embarassed at home this year they are sorely mistaken. This game is a season altering game for both teams Missouri wins it and they see a coronation and an open doorway to the b12 north the b12 title and a shot at all the marbles. Nebraska sees it as a chance for validation. Face it NU got embarassed far too often last year but it really started in Columbia, some can argue that USC broke the defense last year, but I think it was Mizzou that put us out of our misery (or into it as the case may be)
They are sadly mistaken if they think that loss does no resonate with the faithful in Lincoln and I would expect a harsh welcome on the field (and maybe even off of it) for Mizzou. I'm not saying with have the firepower to win this ball game, but I am saying that Missouri will have to play Four Quarters to get it. This team will give nothing for free in Lincoln this year.
Husker Football Sep 30 08
On bad game does not a bad season make. It really will all come down to how we play against Missouri. If we play a hard game, a strong game, we can keep our heads up even if we lose.
It all comes down to how focused the players end up being, I guess.
tom Sep 30 08
I'm not giving up on this season, and I hope I didn't come across that way. I just started writing an article that was angry and negative, and I've had plenty of that to go around. We're still very likely to get to seven wins with some very heartbreaking close losses thrown in the mix.
Dwayne Sep 30 08
This article is exactly what I've been thinking since this loss. I'm not upset we lost against Va Tech, but disappointed. NU played horribly and we had a chance to nearly win it. Upsetting no, disappointing yes. I guess my memory doesn't fade nearly as quickly as some because upsetting to me is 38-0, at the half, at home. Va Tech was this team's fourth game. We've got some upside and everyone knows when that coin is tossed, it's zero zero. I love the attitude of this staff in that we aren't conceding anything to anyone.