Happy Thanksgiving Husker Nation!!!

Since we have hammered the Scott Frost angle all season, trying to figure out why close games continue to go against Nebraska, this week we will start by giving “Thanks” to some people that deserve it.

Adrian Martinez will likely end up having the worst winning percentage of any Nebraska quarterback of all time.  I’d say you can blame about 5% of that record on him.  He has never had the type of players around him that Tommy Armstrong had, let alone Tommie Frazier.  He has made plays that are reminiscent of Taylor Martinez.  He will wind up with more total yards than Eric Crouch.

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Unfortunately, he will likely go into the Joe Dailey category on one end, but he was simply as electric as any player we have had this decade on the other.  I will miss watching him and wish he had better results because the effort was always there.

I watched Austin Allen at state basketball his senior year.  I had a hard time envisioning him being a tight end, but I know that high school ability doesn’t project so easily.  Since that time Allen has developed into arguably the best receiving tight end in Husker history.  He has been fun to watch and should be a good NFL prospect.  I’ve enjoyed his growth as much as any player in recent memory.

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When Cam Taylor-Britt arrived at Nebraska, I thought that he was the type of player that Frost would bring in over and over.  He played quarterback in high school and was the best athlete on the field no matter where he played.  He was the type of hard-working kid that Nebraska was known for.  Taylor-Britt has not disappointed in his Husker career.  Cornerbacks are always noticed when they screw up, but Taylor-Britt goes long stretches without even a mention.  He has been the best player of the Scott Frost era in many ways and will be one of the hardest players to replace next season.

 There will be a lot of other players moving on after this game, some more of my favorites include Marquel Dismuke (one of the original California kids that Mike Riley brought in, one of the only ones that panned out), Deontai Williams, Ben Stille and Samari Toure.  It’s ok not to name them all, but all Huskers will hold a special place for many of us as they move on.   Instead of worrying about the fate of Scott Frost and the replacement staff, I’ll choose to remember this group that played the game as hard as they could.  They continue to represent the best of what Nebraska is about.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Wisconsin 30 Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28.  Typical of Nebraska versus Wisconsin, Nebraska moves the ball up and down the field, but can’t stop the Badgers big bad running back.  So many questionable calls make this one frustrating.  Don’t get me wrong, Nebraska continues to step on their own foot on special teams and questionable red zone strategy.  That makes the blown calls all the more glaring, but if Nebraska would clean up their own mess, those bad calls would matter way less.

Quick Notes:

Logan Smothers…When Nebraska recruited Smothers, it was another lifetime ago.  He was a Rivals top 250 player and a top ranked dual threat quarterback coming out of high school.  He has two full years learning the offense and is a coach’s son.  I can’t tell you he will beat Iowa, but I can tell you, I have more confidence in him that I’ve had in a back-up quarterback starting his first game in a long time.  He is super athletic.  Hopefully Coach Frost can find ways to get him in the open field, it could go a long way toward winning on Friday. 

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Brody Belt…Belt didn’t start against Wisconsin, but he made the most of his opportunities.  He exploded into holes and was patient and didn’t run into the offensive lineman without a plan.  It sounds like Jaquez Yant will be starting against Iowa, but I look for Belt to take a dozen touches in the game.  If he plays like he did last week, that will be a good sign.

Samari Toure…Toure has been the best treat for Nebraska fans.  I’ve mentioned him in this blog more times than I can remember.  He has been the explosive playmaker that Nebraska has looked for since Stanley Morgan was here.  Every week teams have looked silly trying to find him down the field and every week it seems like he delivers a huge play when Nebraska needs it the most.  It was a short time in Lincoln for Toure, but he will be missed by Husker fans for a long time.

Garrett Nelson…I’ve argued since he got here that Nelson is the kind of kid that was hurt by a lack of depth his freshman year.  He played and played so hard, but he had no idea what he was doing and would have benefited from a redshirt.  Now, he is playing like and old All Big Eight type of hard-nosed linebacker that many of us remember from the old days.  It’s likely he will lead the team in sacks and tackles for loss.  A lot of people have complained early that he wasn’t that good, but if there were a dozen more players like him on the roster, it’s doubtful Nebraska would suffer on the scoreboard like they have. 

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Score Prediction:  Iowa 23, Nebraska 21 

It pains me to say this, but after watching this team all year, I can’t help but acknowledge that they will have a lead in this game with under a minute to play and lose it by a field goal.  Don’t ask me how I know, I just know.  If by some miracle, Nebraska doesn’t give up two touchdowns by turnover or special teams, they will win this game.  Iowa just makes plays based on the other team’s mistakes.  This Nebraska team just can’t help themselves.  Sounds like a warm day is in store, so I still look forward to spending my last fall day in Memorial Stadium.  Here is to better days ahead, and GBR!!

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So Now What? And Who?

What a bye week right?  We went from having a full staff and wondering if Frost would be kept after the Iowa game, to knowing he is coming back, but the offensive staff will be completely new in 2022.

There are a lot of reasons that Scott Frost probably should not have been brought back after this season.   After having a season with the best Blackshirts defense in a decade, a fourth year starting quarterback and what we thought would be a rebuilt special teams unit, Nebraska has underachieved this season.  This is the fourth season in a row that Nebraska will have failed to finish above .500 under Frost and failed to make bowl game.  It’s the worst start to a career at Nebraska in the last 50 years for a head football coach.  That’s really difficult to stomach.

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So why would Athletic Director Trev Alberts keep Scott Frost after all of that?  

I think a lot of it has to do with how Nebraska has played this year.  They are 1-6 overall in conference play, but they have still outscored their opponents in those 7 games.  That’s remarkable.  They have played every ranked team outside of Ohio State within a touchdown.  Even that game was close throughout.  Special teams have likely cost Nebraska at a minimum two more wins and probably more than that.  

Adrian Martinez has had to do too much on his own.  And while the Blackshirts have played lights out a lot of the season, they haven’t been able to get to the quarterback enough against lesser teams to create the turnovers needed to cruise in games they should have won.

You can argue that there are still holes in the overall roster that need to be addressed and maybe they can with more time.

In the end, I think that Trev Alberts sees the landscape of college football and how much it is changing.  With the new transfer rules, recruiting will become a different beast than it has been in our lifetime.  Name and Image Likeness (NIL) rules have changed what Universities can offer outside of full scholarships.  Large buyouts and recycling a new coach every three to four years has proven to be a futile exercise in most cases.  Many schools considered Blue Blood football powerhouses are out wandering the wilderness.  Florida State, Florida and Miami are in the hotbed of football prospects, yet they have failed to maintain top 20 teams this last decade.  Rebuilding a program may simply require small changes over big shakeups in this new world.

And that is why Alberts has zigged when others have zagged.  This is going to be a crazy offseason to hire a new coach.  I get the argument that it probably will be like that forever moving forward.  Frost is the hometown hero and maybe it’s wise to not throw the baby out with the bath water.  Eventually Alberts may be forced to decide to relieve Frost, but at this point, it was a calculated gamble to continue on this path, no matter how painful it might be to get to where Nebraska wants to go.  I don’t know that I agree with it, but I support Alberts for realizing the old way may not be the best way when it comes to moving forward.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Ohio State 44 Nebraska 24.  The actual score was Ohio State 26, Nebraska 17.  It was the second time in the Frost tenure that he has held tight with the Buckeyes.  For whatever reason, Nebraska has played ranked teams better this season than unranked teams.  How does that help Nebraska to finish out this season?  Who knows, but this week may not be as kind as the others.

Quick Notes:

JoJo Domann…I hit on Domann in my last blog, but since he isn’t playing another game this season, I wanted to at least pay a tribute to him for his career.  He went out with a bang, playing arguably his best game ever against Ohio State.  Domann has been one of the few bright spots on the defense during his career and he will leave a big gap in the Blackshirts the rest of they season.  Not many players can play so many roles for a team, but Domann has been able to play defensive back, linebacker and edge rusher at a high level.  If Nebraska is ever going to get back to the top of the Big Ten, they need a dozen players like Domann.  

Rahmir Johnson…Johnson has proven out to be the most consistent runner in the backfield this year.  He hasn’t blown up for big gains in the running game, but he has been the best at moving the offense forward behind an average run blocking line.  Johnson has three more years of eligibility left.  It will be interesting to see if he can continue to improve at a high level moving forward

Samari Toure…He has been a lightning bolt for Nebraska this season.  He is what everyone hoped that Kanawai Noa and Wan’Dale Robinson would have been for the Huskers.  Toure will likely get a look in the NFL draft this spring.  His numbers would likely be even better if Nebraska was a little more accurate in the quarterback department.

Offensive Assistant Coaches…For three years, Nebraska’s offense has continued to perform well below expectations.  It was just a matter of time for most of the staff to be turned over.  It has cost Nebraska dearly to be inconsistent when they have played lesser opponents.  Also, their inability to run the football against the titans of the Big Ten outside of the quarterback position almost cost Coach Frost his job.  Whatever Frost decides moving forward, he must establish a better game at the line of scrimmage.  It has been this teams Achilles heel for almost a decade.        

Score Prediction:  Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 21 

I probably have this prediction too close.  Nebraska has every reason to mail it in this weekend if they get off to a slow start.  Wisconsin is playing about as well as Ohio State right now and may have the better defense.  Nebraska matches up well with their offense, but on the defensive side, Nebraska likely won’t make it to three touchdowns.  I’m going to say they make it, but it is probably because of a late touchdown when the game is already in hand.  I will be staying warm this week watching the game.  Better than freezing in Wisconsin! GBR!!

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The End Is Near...

As a fan, you can’t do much to affect the outcome of a game.  If you could, Nebraska’s fans would have pushed multiple teams to winning records and Scott Frost would be a hero in his home state.  

Instead, we are where we are as a Husker football program, in the doldrums of another losing season.  I know that JoJo Domann gave the impression that they (the players) know who the real fans are and that they don’t leave before a game is over, but Husker fans are hardly fair weather.  One could argue that this last five years have shown that Nebraska fans truly are the best fans in the country, and possibly all time.  With the expectations for Nebraska as a football program, they certainly have continued to show up despite terrifying results the last half decade.

That’s what most people outside of the state don’t really understand.  Nebraska football, outside of religion (and maybe inside of it) is the one thing that defines the people of this state through and through.  Football is a hard game, for hard players and Nebraska people, and their roots are as hardy as they come.  Nebraska people come from a mindset that you work as hard as you can, and you deal with the consequences of that.  They expect that same result from their football teams.

That’s what makes this so frustrating.  As fans, we can’t impact much on the field, but most Husker fans understand that this team is working hard.  We obviously can’t see practice and we only get a certain amount of coverage of how things are going until Saturdays, but the product has been better this year.  The results have not.

This doesn’t mean that Scott Frost needs to be fired at this point in the season.  

It does mean that you can see that outcome from here.  Ohio State comes to Lincoln this Saturday and they will be looking to cut the Husker’s heart out and serve it to them on a platter.  They are playing for the types of rewards that 40 plus years of Husker fans witnessed every year.  Great teams step on bad teams and don’t let them breath.  Right now, Nebraska is playing for air every week.

So, Husker fans will continue to come to the last two games of the season.  That’s what we do.  When it’s all said and done, Husker fans will continue to show up.  That’s where the program is.  The fans are the only thing that’s a guarantee.  That’s where we are.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 27, Purdue 24.  The actual score was Purdue 28, Nebraska 23.  Adrian Martinez continues to be the difference in games.  His injuries and inability to be a threat in the running game makes this Husker team inefficient.  Martinez has to be able force teams to spy him in the run game, or they just drop back into coverage.  Martinez isn’t accurate enough to throw receivers open and it makes Nebraska too one dimensional.  It is back-to-back games where average defensive teams have shut Nebraska down for long stretches of the game.

Quick Notes:

JoJo Domann…I don’t want to harp on Domann’s comments about the fans too much because he is a young kid and probably just as frustrated as most of the fans.  He also is playing at an All-Conference level.  He has basically taken out the tight end position this year from being a factor against the defense.  He is probably Nebraska’s best pass rusher as well.  If you had eleven Domanns this defense would be an all timer Blackshirt unit.  

Nick Henrich and Luke Reimer…Whatever happens, Nebraska will have these two studs back next season.  They have been super consistent this season.  They are in the top four in tackles in the Big Ten.  Top it off, technically they have three seasons left.  You wonder if other players at inside linebacker can move around to the outside because if you must beat these two out, you are going to have play at a level we haven’t seen since the Lavonte David days.  The future at inside linebacker is so bright.

Jaquez Yant…Yant continues to be the best big play running back on the team.  He has the size and the speed that you need to be an all-conference back in the Big Ten.  The problem is, he is raw, doesn’t know the plays as well as he should, and he hasn’t figure out how to run hard on each play.  That’s likely because he isn’t sure what he should do.  If Yant comes back next season with a strong off season, Nebraska could have their running back of the next three years figured out.

Omar Manning…Whatever you want to think about the coaching staff and how they have handled Manning, you must admit, when healthy he is the best-looking receiver on the team.  He is so big and fast, if Nebraska has any chance of winning these final games, Manning will need to be a big part of it.  If Samori Toure can get his touches and Zavier Betts continues to blossom along with Manning’s surge, Nebraska should be able to put some points on the board.

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Score Prediction:  Ohio State 44, Nebraska 24 

A month ago, I would have figured Nebraska would have four or five wins and be knocking on being bowl eligible and knowing that they had a chance to put a big pelt on the wall, they would play Ohio State close.  I’m afraid the last three weeks have taken the wind out of those sails.  Nebraska’s defense is hanging on by a thread each week and the offense continues to be their own worst enemy.  That’s the wrong combination to be a top five level team in the country.  Nebraska will need the Adrian Martinez that played against Michigan to show up if they have any hope at all.  Have a beer and GBR!!