Thoughts Following the Win Over ISU
There are many things worth discussing following NU's win over Iowa State on Saturday. And, by all means, have at them Husker fans. From the revived running game to the supposed 'Gold Out' that ISU fans tried to create, the topics abound. For me, the things that merit the most discussion are Taylor's mastery of the QB position and cutting Coach Cos some slack.
How 130 Yards Is a GREAT Performance
Zach Taylor continues to just impress the hell out of me. There are those fans who will see 130 yards and 1 touchdown pass and think this was a pedestrian performance for Taylor. Those people would be wrong. Taylor demonstrated total mastery of this offense. From the opening drive for a touchdown, to a fantastic two-minute drill, to killing the clock (3-2-1- snap) at the end, he controled this game. I'd much rather see that than an erratic performance that yielded more yards (like against KU). Taylor completed 81% of his passes, mostly of the short variety because of the wind and gameplan. He also showed huge guts at the end of the half.
His throw to Mo Purify was right on the money, and he stood in and delivered despite pressure. That's making a play. That's how QBs win ball games. Don't believe me, ask Bret Meyer, who couldn't complete a ball under pressure. Or, ask the ISU defense who left the field completely deflated after that score to end the half. Taylor is a gamer, and NU will miss him next year, no matter how strong Sam Keller's arm is.
Cos and Company Shut 'em Up (for at least one week)
Everyone who bashed coach Cosgrove and the Blackshirts leading up to this game, raise your hand. Okay, now lower your hands, pick up a pen and write the following - "I'm sorry". There, that was simple.
The Blackshirts played a great ballgame Saturday night. Give the players credit for playing hard and with purpose. Give the coaches credit for being aggressive in calling blitzes and defenses to keep Meyer off balance. And, give the offense some credit for running clock to keep the Big Uglies up front fresh and able to persue Meyer.
Of course, we at BRN honestly don't think ISU was all that great. I think that showed in several places too. So, hopefully the defense continues to find ways to improve every week. It would be nice to hit Mr. Freeman hard next week. And, NU will need all the defense they can get against Texas.
10/9/2006
I don’t see how Jones and Grixby played great games. ISU picked them apart even with the push of the DL. Please explain…..
10/9/2006
THughes,
Thanks for the comment. Read my post again, please. I didn’t say those two players played great games, individually. I said the coaches called a good game, and that the players gave great effort.
Mostly, folks need to recognize what Cos did in terms of calls - moving Carriker inside again to get Barry Turner on the field, trying the (gasp!) dime defense against 3-4 WR sets, and blitzing both LBs and safeties. It was a good defensive game plan. And NU executed it well. Meyer was not nearly as effective against NU as he was last year or 2004.
About the corners - they are who they are. I don’t think Jones played that poorly against KU or ISU. He defended passes in those games and had a nice pick on a fade pattern (against KU). He reminds me a lot of Bowman last year, in that he is very talented but learning the nuances of D1 ball. Grixby is just…limited, I guess is he nice way to put it. He’s honestly a nickle corner playing on the outside. He has athletic enough, but is just small. I give him a lot of credit for keeping his chin up and going hard. Until the frosh (i.e. Thenarse, Young) are ready, he’s going out there. So, all we can do is cheer.
By the way, Todd Blythe is a loud-mouth, quasi-talented push off artist masquerading as a Big 12 wide receiver. He’s not even the best WR on his own team, let alone this conference.
10/9/2006
Darren,
Agreed, Cos finally pulled his panties out of his crack and experimented a bit. As Young and Thenarse mature, perhaps we can get Carriker his first sack. It was nice to see a few blitzes. Evidentally, Menelik Holt didn’t work out so well (or fast enough) in the secondary. I was hoping he might be able to make the transition and match up with the taller, faster receivers in the Big XII. On to KSU, who shouldn’t pose much of a problem. Hope we get to see it on FSN. Out.
10/10/2006
I’ll admit that I raised my hand. But I haven’t quite picked up my pen. Yes, the defense did do some good things and it was nice to see the blitzing. I would, however, like to see our front four make a few more plays on their own. The bottom line is that we beat an average team.
I’ll have my pen ready to go for the Texas and Missouri games.
10/10/2006
Thanks for the comment, Scott. I think your summary of ISU (“average”) is pretty accurate.
I agree that MU and UT will pose much stiffer challenges to the blackshirts. Uh…Limas Sweed and Jammal Charles are just a shade better than Blythe and Hicks. Yikes.
As was the case for parts of the ISU game, NU may have to rely on their offense to control the game and help the defense. How many of us really thought that would be the case this year? Honestly, I didn’t.