I think someone else said "square peg in a round hole" when referring to Sean Clifford. I agree....he lost a lot of talent around him. His physical skills limit his ability to make plays.
The difference in the game? Scott Frost had the balls to bench a two-year starter for a freshman. CJF didn't until it was clear Clifford was fully baked. Hate typing that as I love the kid. Living in Ohio, his state championship performance at St. X is legendary.
Offense
Defense
Love Sean Clifford and you could see him helping and cheering on Levis. I wonder if it was a relief to be pulled. I also wonder who CJF will start next week at home against Iowa. On one hand, maybe SC just needed to stand on the sidelines and clear his head. On the other, Levis played well and deserves to start with a game planned around his skill set. My bet? He starts SC but on a very short leash.
The difference in the game? Scott Frost had the balls to bench a two-year starter for a freshman. CJF didn't until it was clear Clifford was fully baked. Hate typing that as I love the kid. Living in Ohio, his state championship performance at St. X is legendary.
Offense
- It is very clear that our WRs simply are awful at blocking. That has caused us to completely abandon anything off the edge like bubble screens and jet sweeps.
- Our RB, at least at this point, are pedestrian compared to anything in the CJF era. But some of that has to do with the fact that opposing defenses simply concentrate of defending tackle to tackle due to our poor WR blocking.
- It is hard to see if the WR are getting open or running crisp routes. But the fear of Levis creating, as he did on the long throw to Frier, seems to have opened up the O a little
- Don't understand the play-calling in the red zone. But I do have to say with a limited offense (only between the tackles) the red zone if more difficult. And running fades to shot WRs? We've got two outstanding TE that or 6-5 or better. Can't we run jump balls to them on 4th down? Why not roll Levis out so they have to guard the run and to layers deep?
- Nebraska blitz, seemingly, on every single play. We didn't make them pay outside of one TD run where a broken tackle led to an easy job into the end zone. Maybe the lack of blocking or maturity at WR is killing us. Gotta flood that blitzer's zone when you see it at the snap as a hot read.
- We had a really nice Screen set up at a critical time but the pass was lofted so softly it gave the D time to recover.
- Two really questionable coaching decisions: Going for a long FG early in the game instead of pinning Neb deep early. the second was going for it on 4th and 10 from the 13-yard line down by 7 with 3:45 to go in the game and three timeouts. Neb had just thrown a pick with a Frosh QB and wasn't about to throw it up by 4 with 3:40 left. Then to throw a 7-year pass to Frier while needing ten?
- RB's ran hard and the line blocked but it was also against a D trying to protect a lead for all of the second half.
- Still waiting to see a pass on a "run, PASS, option" (RPO)
Defense
- It looked like they were unprepared for the speed that McCaffrey brought to the position. Seems to me, you run blitz and let the kid beat you through the air, if he can. We gave up way too many chunk plays to him running. Their RB were not exceptional.
- I didn't see much of Joey Porter. He did play but wasn't highly involved.
- Some poor discipline on the roughing play. Our LBers don't play team ball; they want to be on TV. They come in too hot and do a lot of preening after plays. I saw a guy talking trash after we gave up 7 yards of first down. Jeesh.
- Our OLB seem slow....we simply do not set an edge and give up a LOT of yards around end.
- We got a TURNOVER!!!
- This is, to me, the worst part of our game (OK, red zone O is worse).
- SP consistently does dumb things. They kicked off to #24, probably seeing something on film, and he would consistently catch the ball and get to the 18 or so instead of fair catching it and getting the ball at the 25. That is a big ball control difference. OK, he is a fresh that never had the ball kicked to him? Somebody get in his ear and coach him up for God's sake!
- Dotson with a nice punt return but that was individual effort.
- Not sure how your FG try ends up five yards short on anything but a desperation FG try.
Love Sean Clifford and you could see him helping and cheering on Levis. I wonder if it was a relief to be pulled. I also wonder who CJF will start next week at home against Iowa. On one hand, maybe SC just needed to stand on the sidelines and clear his head. On the other, Levis played well and deserves to start with a game planned around his skill set. My bet? He starts SC but on a very short leash.
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