Nebraska’s offense couldn’t win a winnable game, and I put this one squarely on the OC’s play calling.
Rhule, time to find a new OC, this one isn’t the right fit for Nebraska!
Mike Nolan, List Manager
#fire satterfield
He has definitely gotten worse as the year has gone on. Huskers have the talent to put up 30 points per week.
I agree, it’s time to cut ties.
Tommy Thompson
Just call me “Pa”
Go Big Red
Go Cardinals
If that is true then Rhule needs to go as well. No one can make me believe the OC is on an island and can do what he wants and the Head Coach is clueless as to what is going on. So, if the OC needs to go then the Head Coach needs to follow him out the door. There is no room for an OC doing his own thing.
John Papenhagen
Even the Journal-Star, usually a pretty liberal grader, gave a D to the play-calling on Saturday, specifically noting that 4 straight running plays into the middle at the goal line seemed like a really strange time for a change of strategy. They also pointed out that the coaches seem reluctant to call deeper pass plays. (Have ANY screen passes worked lately??)
I don’t know if these issues are because we have an OC who wants to run a round hole offense with square peg players, if the players just can’t execute plays during games (presumably they are executing these plays in practice or else why would they be on the playlist?) or if the calls are just too obvious to opposing DC’s.
I’ve had the UCLA game as their best shot to get win #6 for a few weeks (I thought Indiana would be a close loss and OSU the blowout, though.)
I guess we’ll see if they’re earning their ‘NIL’ or just being null.
I am not saying I agree or disagree about the play calling. However, evidently the Head Coach either doesn’t see a problem or he for whatever reason just doesn’t step in. In my opinion if there is a problem it is a Head Coach problem and not an OC problem. The HC should have the authority to make the necessary changes in play calling. That is one of the reasons he has the position he has.
John Papenhagen
Our screen game is anemic because Neyor and Banks just aren’t good blockers. It’s crazy to expect those plays to suddenly work for some reason unless we have different players on the outside (Bullock, etc)
I agree, Satterfield has cost us several games over the last two years. I think Ruhle is a big-picture, culture-first kind of coach that relies on his coaches to carry out his schemes. He needs to realize that Satterfield is failing to get it right and overcome his loyalty to him.
Ultimately, the head coach is responsible for everything, and then it becomes the Athletic Director’s problem to resolve.
I don’t think we’re there–yet. Ask again in 13 months.
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If it is too easy to diagnose the Husker offensive playbook, the UCLA game provides the additional challenge in that it will be the third straight game where the opposing DC will have had a bye week to prepare for Nebraska’s offense.
This team will get it sorted out.
We knew that OL was a weakness. The incoming recruits will be good but building the line will take time.
WR are not getting open, and they are not blocking well. Some of this is player development and coaching.
QB will be fantastic and this will take care of itself. We have a lot to be excited about here.
Play calling has been uninspired at times. Will not be surprised if there are changes in assistant coaches after the season.
The Indiana game was bad all around. The Ohio State game was improved, but we had a major miss with inability to push it in at the goal and with drives that ended in FG versus TD.
The trajectory is correct. Some of the results are frustrating. IU was maddening.
We will all have an additional game to watch this holiday season. Start getting ready for the bowl game watch party. Many of us have forgotten how to do that …
The problem is that the QB won’t be here long enough to be fantastic if the playcalling continues to be s**t.
I think the UCLA game will be a clear indication of whether or not changes are needed in the assistant coaching staff. A win on Saturday means bowl eligibility and that might take the pressure off for the USC, Wisconsin and Iowa games, possibly leading to another win or two. All 4 remaining opponents have issues, as does Nebraska. The team that can minimize its problems while exploiting its opponent’s problems should win.
Anything less than a 7 win season and Raiola might be a target for other teams to lure away with higher exposure and more NIL money.
Agreed. I feel pretty good about the UCLA game on Saturday. Seems the Ohio St game has the boys believing they can hang with anyone and should be a boost against the Bruins. Plus, it’s in Lincoln. Unfortunately, I will be attending a wedding on Saturday and won’t get to watch it. My wife has already threatened me to “not be the mayhem guy” on the TV commercial during the ceremony.
I was out of town and unable to watch the game live. I watched it on Tuesday.
It was certainly a winnable game and I agree with the consensus that the overall play calling was abysmal. That and a few questionable calls doomed us.
One positive was Raiola’s scrambling and running. In my mind that was one thing that he was missing in the comparisons to Mahomes. It really opens things up. I hope that part of his game continues.
Greg Zimmerman, UNL '75
Overland Park, Kansas
I wonder if Dylan has an injury (shoulder?). He’s just not throwing like he was earlier this year. Also I wonder how many plays are checkdowns/audibles that he makes that don’t work out. We’ll see tomorrow I guess what things look like.
There’s a lot more tape to study of Dylan’s play (as well as the OL) now than there was in September, too.
Nebraska’s currently a 7 point favorite at home against UCLA. Minnesota is a 3 point favorite at Illinois, which is surprising.
Big Red Wrapup and several LJS/OWH columnists have written that Nebraska’s play-calling for the last two games has been sub-optimal. (I’m being polite.) The deep pass seems to be missing from the repertoire, and the screen pass overused. Finding a more meaningful way to get Haarberg into the game seems like a good idea, too.