Nelson - doghouse
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It wasn't Willie, cause he was on the road again, and I seen Carter on the field, so that leaves Mekhi, or however you spell it. He wasn't missed.
Yeah, they just skipped right over him and let Ives get a chance to shine. And that big kid ran the ball pretty well!
Good coaches bench the 2nd stringer tied with the 4th stringer because of standards. Somehow the first stringers are always on their best behavior.
Somehow I doubt EJ is dicking around.
That’s really unfortunate for Nelson. Today could have been a confidence builder for him. Let’s face it, him and Ives have been DOC backs running the ball against anyone with a pulse. Today was one of those games that he didn’t have to be as fast reading the play to have some success. And sometimes that success helps slow the next games down that are against better talent.
Ives got some confidence today. Next week will be critical to show that they can play at this level. Some of us fans can see that some of those runs those two go down at the LOS really could have been big runs had they saw the play develop. Plus running timid makes it easier to tackle you.
do you guys remember Rhamir when he first got to Nebraska? He was a DOC back. But he eventually started reading the play, making the right cut back, knowing what speed to go, and not having to really think heavy on it. Rhamir turned into a solid back before all the injures. Can Nelson or Ives? Cause there’s a lot of great athletic kids playing high school football but most of them, can’t play on this level. Still not sure Ives or Nelson can.
Like I said, next week hopefully we get answers
Ives got some confidence today. Next week will be critical to show that they can play at this level. Some of us fans can see that some of those runs those two go down at the LOS really could have been big runs had they saw the play develop. Plus running timid makes it easier to tackle you.
do you guys remember Rhamir when he first got to Nebraska? He was a DOC back. But he eventually started reading the play, making the right cut back, knowing what speed to go, and not having to really think heavy on it. Rhamir turned into a solid back before all the injures. Can Nelson or Ives? Cause there’s a lot of great athletic kids playing high school football but most of them, can’t play on this level. Still not sure Ives or Nelson can.
Like I said, next week hopefully we get answers
I have zero confidence in either of them. I think this week we'll see exactly what the coaches think of them cause this game really matters for the program.
Like another Cincy game where EJ is the bellcow? I could also see us going away from the run almost all together next week. Not fully abandon but I could see it being a 40 attempt game for Dylan. Our strength is throwing the ball, even if it’s the loathed dink and dunk that we can get from Michigan. Points are points. And like you said, this game really matters.
Dana seems to have developed the offense into where the back is gonna catch a few flares which are in place of a running play. I expect (barring injury) a huge dose of EJ this week with some Mozee sprinkled in. Assuming we can get the ball away from Michigan, I could see DR throwing it 40+ times in the game.
At this point in our program, to me its just "win baby win" and **** the style points. Until we ever develop a quality OL that can move the line of scrimmage, I think Dana has to improvise. Still not convinced we can run the ball against good people.
The fact that Ives is comfortable in the pass game is more than I was looking for out of him. There are some things Ives can do if the blocking is there. EJ can make do with less of that.
100% agree, this one is just about winning no matter what it looks like.
Coaches need to watch the tape and figure out a couple things
1. How to get some stops on defense. If we run out with 6 in box like Cincy and try to stop everything with focus on pass I think we are probably cooked in this game. I I would get 8 guys at LOS stunt, stem and whatever you need to do to get in second and long knowing you will give up some big plays on first down. Second and long is still a running down that must account for QB in numbers so call your defense accordingly. Get them backed up and crowd will get loud on 2nd and 3rd and long. We cannot let this QB get comfortable by being in second and 3rd and short all day. I personally think Butler will come out in a base defense and we will be lite in box when counting QB which has me concerned. If we do that and are actually able to get stops that would be amazing but overall this matchup doesn't give me warm fuzzies.
2. Figure out how much you need to score and set game plan accordingly. I 100% expect this means we will throw 40+ (like you said) and believe that DR playing well is key (see the field, get ball to right guy quickly and be accurate) . Our basic execution without penalties has been much better (this gives me hope) this year so that needs to continue. While the o-line has now proven in can dominate inferior opponents, can it hold up against a front like Michigan to give DR some time and open few holes for EJ. I personally think offensive game plan needs to be targeting 30+ point and o-line will dictate whether that is achievable as I expect rest of offense to do there job against Michigan.
3. Assuming we do 1-2 I like our special teams to maybe be the difference. I saw some things on Saturday that i thought were done to be on tape for Michigan. We have some kids that can snap, punt, kick and return the ball and it is now it is also extremely well coached. Maybe for once, special teams will change the game for the good guys.
Overall, I am still really worried about LOS in this matchup, particularly with game plan and way Michigan played yesterday. Rhule and current staff have done a great job moving this thing forward, Just not sure we are quite there yet up front. Michigan has 3 guys in front seven in (Benny, Moore & Hausmann) that are better than anything we see at practice or this season with exception of Corleone at Cincy and Michigan will most likely handle or NG easily on that side of ball.
Agree with everything but Mozee. I think Ives is next up.
I don’t either until I do. Respect is earned and Brathel has yet to earn the level of respect of being able to recruit High School talent. He hasn’t shown that he knows the difference between recruiting William and Marry or UConn vs Nebraska. I just worry he will die on a hill for guys like Ives and Nelson. It really makes me worried about Jamal Rule to, just seems like the same guy as Ives and Nelson. Tired of thinking we don’t need to spend money on the RB room. Good backs are hard to find and i worry we one or two of them away from being really good this year.
Georiga spent on a back up RB and it has already probably resulted in not losing to TN . more wins, results in a better bowl. Better bowl, more money. It can end up easily paying for itself
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If we win over UM ppl will say it wasn't a quality win because UM wasn't that good.
Yep. It looks like Mozee is gonna be a slot receiver with maybe a couple carries mixed in. He just looks like he has so much more upside than Ives or Nelson. I still continue to dislike the way the RB coach settles on players with limited ability.
When we have a kid like EJ who carries the ball 25 times and catches 7 balls against Cincinnati, this seems like the type of touches that should attrack some of the top RB's going forward. I just think he has that small school Temple/UConn mentality of just trying to develop a RB rather than going after, or trying through the portal to get someone whose already developed.
Last year they brought in Dowdell, but I'm talking about the game breaker type back. NU really needs one of those in this style of offense. Last year OSU brought in the kid from Ole Miss and Michigan brought in Haynes this year, those kids can take it to the house on you. We don't have that threat.
It kinda goes with having a quality OL, I guess you don't get one without the other.
I wouldn't be one of those however. NU hasn't beaten a ranked team since 2016, almost a decade ago.
Michigan is still a traditional power with lots of tradition and good athletes, plus they know how to win.
Last year Michigan stunk at QB, was transitioning off the powerful national championship team, had their ups and downs, yet at the end of the year they were still good enough to go to Columbus and beat the team that would win the natty about 3 games later. Then Michigan followed it up by beating Bama in a bowl game.
I would see, based on the trajectory of this program as a huge win and an important win. Saturday is a benchmark of where we are at considering we were all-out to beat Cincy.
I agree with the RB recruiting philosophy, but it's Barthel that has that philosophy. Hopefully Dana can foot his foot down and stop that nonsense. We do indeed need big time backs, although we did try with Parker the kid from St. Louis. Don't know what's up with him.
Ives might be the most unathletic NU RB to get significant snaps I have seen at NU in my entire life.
Our season is toast if EJ gets hurt. Another game where our coaches decide to develop a subpar athlete that will never amount into a successful player at NU while Mozee and others sit on the bench wasting their talent.
Except Mozee did play. He had three catches for 26 yards. He will not RS unless he gets injured and he may well be a feature back before he leaves. NU actually had a better NIL deal signed or ready to be signed with Dowdell and then KY showed up with a bigger bag. He left the game with a thigh injury yesterday. CharMar is averaging 30 ypg for the U, should we have overpaid for him? He probably ain’t much better than Ives, who probably has a standard deal.
So EJ will get more reps, he will get better and we hope he doesn’t get injured.
Dowdell was/is a garbage RB too. The RB position was an embarrassment under Riley, Fost, and now Rhule.
People need to chill on Mozee. His time will come. Did he even play rb in high school? I have no problem with how they used Mozee so far.
For the good of the program, I hope he actually develops, but I have the same thought as you.
mozee looks amazing receiving. So why break that just because you can’t recruit talent at RB? That’s super unfair to Mozee and to the team and the fans.
I have faith that Dana will try to fix it but I worry Rhule will go to bat for Barthel and Point to Johnson’s success. Matt’s offense is making massive strides and not because he hired guys he feels comfortable with but because he’s brought in guys that know football. He needs to fix one more. Either by releasing him from recruiting or his job.
Well, we had 271 yards of total offense against Cincy, not exactly an offensive explosion. Even last year other than pathetic Wisconsin, NU didn't exactly walk the ball downfield against teams once Dana took over.
Maybe after Saturday we will have a better idea of how far this offense has moved.
You know, by playing another actual football team.
I wanted to speak on this but didn't want it to come across as hate towards one of our players. Plus by starting a post about it would've definitely looked that way. So let me clarify this one more time before stating my thoughts lol.
Ives has one of the ugliest running style I've ever seen. He seemingly runs straight up and is so robotic. Just doesnt look fluid at all to me. I know he had a Lotta success but man he's a tough watch for me. Idk if it's coach speak or not from Rhule but man I just don't see it in him. Now I'm hoping like he'll I'm wrong but I think whatever Nelson did he costed himself bigtime cause he would've had a field day with some if those holes Ives was running through.
Ok I'm done now . Go ahead and tell me how much I hate our guys and how wrong I am about Ives (God I hope I am). He could end up being a solid back but his style is very unappealing to my eyes.
Holla
I didn't see this thread until tonight and I was thinking the same exact thing about Ives. I just didnt wanna come off as a hater. If hrs our 2nd best RB we are in trouble if EJ gets hurt.
Holla
It's better than last year for sure. Not sure how much better but obviously it's better. You are right tho Michigan will give us a much better look.
Holla
Mozee can make people miss and I’ve been impressed by how many tackles he’s broken for no bigger than he is. Ives is a guy who is pretty much a straight line runner who hasn’t shown great vision. It will be interesting to see if we can get Mozee the ball in space on the perimeter. His best attribute is that he can line up in the backfield or split out similar to EJ. Dana can use Mozee interchangeably with EJ albeit EJ has clearly been much better in the run game. The good news is I believe Mozee will do nothing but get better.
No sh*t. I was talking about NU's offense impotency against Cincy. 353 yards and only 20 points is nothing to shout about.
I wasn't shouting. You were wrong with your data. Not saying we were great, just saying what the actual numbers were.
You wont find a bigger hater of Barthel, and Rhule's approach to the RB position than myself. I have maintained that position since Rhule's first year.
I have previously stated Rhule will be fired because of the RB position just like Bill Callahan when he refused to replace Cosgrove.
How many more years of allocating massive resources to the WR position and making the RB an afterthought will it take for the athletic department finally makes a change? Tim Beck and Ron Brown were the last coaches to take the RB position seriously and that was in 2013. Here we are a decade later with one bowl game win.
We have had some of the most talented Wrs in our program history come through the past decade and what did we get for it? An *** kicking every November.....
While I don't agree Rhule will be fired for lack of a great back eventually, it does make you wonder why we don't get a game breaker type back here.
I do think until we start to have a dominant OL we won't get a dominant RB cause they kinda go together. Our path to greatness during our heyday was dominating OL and DL along with a stable of great RB's. Unless and until we get a truly great back, the ceiling for NU football is only so high.
Rhule/Barthel do seem to have a thing for that big, pounding back in his early rotation. I.E. Gabe Ervin (remember, Rhule said, "That's what they look like"), Dowdell, and now apparently Ives who looks like anything but.
We haven't had a dominant Oline going on 20 years now. That never stopped Brandon Jackson, Roy Helu, Rex Burkhead, and Ameer Abdullah from dominating at NU and getting drafted to the NFL.