Dirk Nails It
- Thread starter WestCoastCornhusker2
- Start date
This is a clear case of where the numbers don't lie.
Too many people get all ga ga over some highly rated punter and start to believe the press clippings only to see the same old problems.
I have said this before and stand by it, I think there is a house cleaning coming in the coaching staff. They have to bring in someone to work on STs and fix some of the other obvious problems. In my most humble opinion, Frost stays, but he will need to make changes.
And frankly who could argue with that?
Too many people get all ga ga over some highly rated punter and start to believe the press clippings only to see the same old problems.
I have said this before and stand by it, I think there is a house cleaning coming in the coaching staff. They have to bring in someone to work on STs and fix some of the other obvious problems. In my most humble opinion, Frost stays, but he will need to make changes.
And frankly who could argue with that?
Wow, what amazing insight! Dude hits another grand slam!
I mean, none of us have brought up the special teams issues at all, none of us have talked about it, Frost has not talked about it, no other reporters had figured it out until now.
I don't know for sure if it is out yet but a friend told me (he works with Dirk) that Dirk is doing an article that is about how Saban has had some good wins at Bama.
I mean, none of us have brought up the special teams issues at all, none of us have talked about it, Frost has not talked about it, no other reporters had figured it out until now.
I don't know for sure if it is out yet but a friend told me (he works with Dirk) that Dirk is doing an article that is about how Saban has had some good wins at Bama.
did you read the article? he brings eye-opening stats about how bad we actually are.
We all know it. I appreciate when someone really digs into the data and extrapolates it in great detail. No one can spin this or explain it away. The sample size is large enough. This proves there is a major fundamental flaw in how they coach, develop and recruit.
We could be disgusted if we were middle of the pack in ST, but we are not. We are damn near in last place in ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Where's the accountability? I'm pretty sure the end of year evaluation touches on this.
I had a feeling Dirk would be crafting up something special about the special teams. Hopefully SF reads this article.
Attention to detail is very much lacking in this staff overall. Also with regards to special teams, what's that they say about the definition of insanity??.....
Attention to detail is very much lacking in this staff overall. Also with regards to special teams, what's that they say about the definition of insanity??.....
When you think about it, whenever Dirk starts writing long, in-depth stories, the end is usually near. Not a good omen for Frosty.
Good for him. Bad for Frost. It's like being in a court room and the entire jury is nodding in agreement with the prosecutor.
I agree Tru. I remember John Kroeger? from Henderson who was a consistent 45+ yard punter in high school. He couldn't do the job in front of 80,000.
Assuming every offensive coach is let go and we retain SF. Something like Tom Herman as the Offensive Coordinator/QB coach, and then find the very best OL coach and ST coach available, and with the returning talent NU has the potential to become a real problem for teams to contend with.
I wonder if he will stick around like Riley did for like 5 hours, just hanging with the reporters.
Bring in Sam Koch in the offseason. He's only been one of the best in the NFL for the last 15 years.
Dirk mentions 11 games where respectable special teams “could have” got us a victory.
I’m just imaging getting W’s in 5-6 of those games and I think the narrative is significantly different, even spread out over 3.5 seasons.
Related: Culp had an off season injury issue. How many flipping specialists can we have injured in Frost’s tenure?? I think it has to be an NCAA record.
I’m just imaging getting W’s in 5-6 of those games and I think the narrative is significantly different, even spread out over 3.5 seasons.
Related: Culp had an off season injury issue. How many flipping specialists can we have injured in Frost’s tenure?? I think it has to be an NCAA record.
What is important to understand is that how you play on special teams is always more important than just how you play on special teams. It is almost always a barometer of your team’s overall discipline and focus. Play like **** for four straight years on special teams and more than likely you are losing games for other reasons as well. Gauging the play of your special teams is like a doctor who tests your blood pressure at a routine check up. It is never really about your blood pressure. It is an indication of other underlying issues.
Holy crap. I knew our ST were terrible, but this is eye opening. 11 games that are most likely won with just average ST play. Unreal.
What makes this even more frustrating is we have a guy like Bill Busch with a long track record of being a good ST coach and ace recruiter and he isn't in an on field coaching role. Mario should have been sent packing and Busch hired, before the season.
What makes this even more frustrating is we have a guy like Bill Busch with a long track record of being a good ST coach and ace recruiter and he isn't in an on field coaching role. Mario should have been sent packing and Busch hired, before the season.
Two things. Kicking in college is way different not just because of the crowds. You go from just punting it as far as you can to trying to directional kick and achieve the greatest hang time possible for coverage. The other thing I'll note is that Hiring the guys you suggest doesn't mean that they'll recruit well. I agree that Frost has brought in some excellent offensive talent and it showed up against OU. I'm not sure that "cleaning house" would be the smartest thing to do but we'll see what happens.
"That’s 11 games (out of 36 total) where respectable special-teams play could’ve
delivered victory."
And this excludes terrible special teams on games we got blown out loss and from games we actually won despite terrible special teams.
Colorado 2018: Three special-teams penalties for 30 yards. A 10-yard average
deficiency in kick returns. A 7-yard edge in field position, per drive. A missed 43-
yard field goal. It doesn’t take much to swing a five-point game.
Troy 2018: When your margin for error is already small — a knee injury sidelined
quarterback Adrian Martinez — you can’t afford to give up a 58-yard punt return
for touchdown. Nebraska did, falling behind 10-0. And later missed a 33-yard field
goal. The Huskers lost 24-19.
Northwestern 2018: Lightbourn opened the game by kicking the ball out of
bounds. Barret Pickering missed a 45-yard field goal, then a 20-yard extra point.
Officials flagged CJ Smith for holding on a 19-yard punt return. The Huskers blew
a 10-point lead in the final three minutes.
Ohio State 2018: The Buckeyes blocked Isaac Armstrong’s first punt and grabbed
a 7-yard edge in average field position. But the lowlight came after Nebraska’s
game-opening, 75-yard touchdown drive, when Lightbourn nearly whiffed on an
onside kick attempt. “It certainly didn’t look like what we’d practiced,” Frost said.
Indiana 2019: Pickering, fresh off an injury, missed a 32-yard field goal.
Armstrong’s 19-yard third-quarter punt gave Indiana the ball at Nebraska’s 35,
setting up a Hoosier touchdown. And William Przystup hit a wayward kickoff out of
bounds. Indiana won 38-31.
Wisconsin 2019: The 14th-ranked Badgers probably win this one anyway, but
Nebraska had legitimate upset hopes after scoring the first touchdown. Then Aron
Cruickshank returned a weak kickoff 89 yards for six. Brody Belt needlessly toted
the opening kickoff to the 14-yard line. Pickering missed a 41-yarder. Little things.
Iowa 2019: Not again. Cam Taylor-Britt’s pick-six lifted a dormant Memorial
Stadium crowd in the second quarter. But Pickering lofted the next kickoff like a
meat ball at Little League practice. Ihmir Smith-Marsette made a hard left turn and
ran around every potential tackler, untouched. The Hawkeyes won by a field goal.
Northwestern 2020: Four times Northwestern punts pinned Nebraska inside
the 20. The Huskers couldn’t do it once. They also allowed a pair of 36-yard
Iowa's Ihmir Smith-Marsette breaks free on way to returning a kickoff for a touchdown against Nebraska in
2019. returns (one kick, one punt), both of which led to touchdowns. The Huskers lost
21-13.
Iowa 2020: Iowa owned an 11-yard field-position edge per drive. But two key
mistakes inflicted most of the damage. In the first quarter, a 31-yard Hawkeye punt
return set up a touchdown. In the fourth, the Huskers lost a golden chance to
mount the go-ahead drive when Taylor-Britt muffed a punt at the NU 38. Iowa
recovered and kicked a field goal.
Illinois 2021: Where to begin? The 34-yard punting average from Daniel Cerni?
Taylor-Britt fielding a punt at his own 1 and taking a safety? Two kick returns shy
of the 25? The most baffling errors, though, came from trusty Connor Culp, who
missed two extra points. Talk about about getting off on the wrong foot.
Oklahoma 2021: Culp missed 50- and 35-yard field goals, but the biggest blow
came when OU blocked an extra point and returned it for two points. A potential
14-10 deficit became 16-9. The Huskers held their own in punts, returns and
average field position, but placekicking spelled doom.
delivered victory."
And this excludes terrible special teams on games we got blown out loss and from games we actually won despite terrible special teams.
Colorado 2018: Three special-teams penalties for 30 yards. A 10-yard average
deficiency in kick returns. A 7-yard edge in field position, per drive. A missed 43-
yard field goal. It doesn’t take much to swing a five-point game.
Troy 2018: When your margin for error is already small — a knee injury sidelined
quarterback Adrian Martinez — you can’t afford to give up a 58-yard punt return
for touchdown. Nebraska did, falling behind 10-0. And later missed a 33-yard field
goal. The Huskers lost 24-19.
Northwestern 2018: Lightbourn opened the game by kicking the ball out of
bounds. Barret Pickering missed a 45-yard field goal, then a 20-yard extra point.
Officials flagged CJ Smith for holding on a 19-yard punt return. The Huskers blew
a 10-point lead in the final three minutes.
Ohio State 2018: The Buckeyes blocked Isaac Armstrong’s first punt and grabbed
a 7-yard edge in average field position. But the lowlight came after Nebraska’s
game-opening, 75-yard touchdown drive, when Lightbourn nearly whiffed on an
onside kick attempt. “It certainly didn’t look like what we’d practiced,” Frost said.
Indiana 2019: Pickering, fresh off an injury, missed a 32-yard field goal.
Armstrong’s 19-yard third-quarter punt gave Indiana the ball at Nebraska’s 35,
setting up a Hoosier touchdown. And William Przystup hit a wayward kickoff out of
bounds. Indiana won 38-31.
Wisconsin 2019: The 14th-ranked Badgers probably win this one anyway, but
Nebraska had legitimate upset hopes after scoring the first touchdown. Then Aron
Cruickshank returned a weak kickoff 89 yards for six. Brody Belt needlessly toted
the opening kickoff to the 14-yard line. Pickering missed a 41-yarder. Little things.
Iowa 2019: Not again. Cam Taylor-Britt’s pick-six lifted a dormant Memorial
Stadium crowd in the second quarter. But Pickering lofted the next kickoff like a
meat ball at Little League practice. Ihmir Smith-Marsette made a hard left turn and
ran around every potential tackler, untouched. The Hawkeyes won by a field goal.
Northwestern 2020: Four times Northwestern punts pinned Nebraska inside
the 20. The Huskers couldn’t do it once. They also allowed a pair of 36-yard
Iowa's Ihmir Smith-Marsette breaks free on way to returning a kickoff for a touchdown against Nebraska in
2019. returns (one kick, one punt), both of which led to touchdowns. The Huskers lost
21-13.
Iowa 2020: Iowa owned an 11-yard field-position edge per drive. But two key
mistakes inflicted most of the damage. In the first quarter, a 31-yard Hawkeye punt
return set up a touchdown. In the fourth, the Huskers lost a golden chance to
mount the go-ahead drive when Taylor-Britt muffed a punt at the NU 38. Iowa
recovered and kicked a field goal.
Illinois 2021: Where to begin? The 34-yard punting average from Daniel Cerni?
Taylor-Britt fielding a punt at his own 1 and taking a safety? Two kick returns shy
of the 25? The most baffling errors, though, came from trusty Connor Culp, who
missed two extra points. Talk about about getting off on the wrong foot.
Oklahoma 2021: Culp missed 50- and 35-yard field goals, but the biggest blow
came when OU blocked an extra point and returned it for two points. A potential
14-10 deficit became 16-9. The Huskers held their own in punts, returns and
average field position, but placekicking spelled doom.
And this is why Frost will not be here in 2022. I agree with the poster above that said a housecleaning will be made a condition of staying at NU. Frost will not clean house. He will not accept that kind of a rebuke and it will cost him his job and likely his career as a HC. Callahan did the same thing, never to be seen as a HC again.
The really good coaches aren't buddies with their staff. It's friendly, but purely professional. They bring good guys in that are a good fit for the culture. They will cut a guy loose without their AD having to tell them to do it. The fact that no one is trying to hire away anyone from our staff is a glaring red flag
That's the problem. You would think a guy like that could make a world of difference as a full-time Special Teams Coach.
Spot on. Although I do think a couple schools have tried to come after Coach Fisher.
Take Alabama staff changes (Saban doesn't hire personal buddies but runs a professional program) for example since 2018:
-OC 3 different Offensive Coordinators
-DC 2 different Defensive Coordinators
-ST 2 different Special Teams coaches
-OL 3 different Offensive Line coaches
-RB 3 different Running Back coaches
-WR 2 different Wide Receiver coaches
-DB 3 different Defensive Back coaches
-LBs 2 different Line Backer coaches
-DL 3 different Defensive Line coaches
Saban hires great assistants and they mostly get promoted to better jobs with higher pay in other programs.
That stuff really matters. I'm a big fan of Dabo Swinney. When he was named interim coach, he instilled good culture immediately. Theyd go to the movies the night before the game and he would have them pick up the entire theater, their trash and everyone else's. They immediately started wearing suits when they walked up to the stadium for a game. He stressed attention to detail and high standards of accountability.
I'm not close enough to Nebraska's program to see the day today, but you definitely get the sense that a laid-back attitude is a little bit too ingrained in this team. No fear of failure. No pulling guys out of games after repeated screw ups. Excessive and repeated penalties. Delay of game has been a problem, etc
dru.
I think at this point the program does whatever it takes to get rid of this issue, NU doesn't have to have the best ST group in the conference, just in the upper third would be just fine.
SF needs to be willing to ask for help. No one expected Tom Osborne to have every solution to every problem. Thats an ingredient of every great coach.
It's a hallmark of good coaching. Callahan always brought NFL guys in over the summer to lend insight. I think the players will really listen to someone who's achieved success at the high levels
Sean Snyder will be available, unless the next USC coach retains him. Maybe we can offer him an actual coaching position this time, and not an analyst position.
It baffles me why we have a full-time Tight Ends coach and two Linebacker coaches, but no Special Teams Coordinator.
It baffles me why we have a full-time Tight Ends coach and two Linebacker coaches, but no Special Teams Coordinator.
There are a few teams who don't have dedicated special teams coordinators. I think it's a big mistake. Can't help but think it's treated like an afterthought.
Beckton. There's no need for a full-time Tight Ends Coach. Can't they work with the O-Line coach on blocking, and the WR coach on receiving?
Or get rid of Verduzco and just let Frost coach the QBs. Bring McKenzie Milton on as a grad assistant to work with them.