Week 3 Reflection

     I know most of you are probably going to enjoy reading this post just about as much as I'm enjoying writing it, but let's hunker down and get through it. Yes, this is a reflection of the Huskers' loss to Northern Illinois, but since we all know what happened with the game, I'll discuss a few other topics being thrown around thus far in the early week. So let's get into it, enjoy everyone... as much as you can!

     Flat, pathetic and straight up awful. Those are the best 3 adjectives I could come up with for the offense after Saturday's loss at home. The opening drive looked very promising until the easy pick six off of the (way too easy to read) bubble screen. After that, to quote the kids of today, the offense was "shook". No push up front, dropped passes, poor route running, and Tanner Lee looked more uncomfortable in the pocket than a vegan at a steakhouse. All jokes aside, the offense was horrendous throughout the entirety of the game, and as usual, it all starts up front. The offensive line has been far from perfect throughout the year thus far, but Saturday was utterly horrible. Nebraska's O-line averaged nearly 30 lbs. more than the Huskies D-line, yet they were consistently knocked backwards 3 yards on every play. Starting with the run game, or lack there of, I have two big questions: 1. Why the severe drop in run blocking just because Bryant is out? and 2. Why Ozigbo for only 3 plays? Addressing the first one is a bit tougher. It's clear Tre Bryant is the number 1 back, but running him into the ground for the first two games (when he's had injury issues already) was not something I was particularly a fan of. Secondly, it just seemed like the blocking dropped off a cliff once Wilbon jumped in. Yes, his pass protection is part of that, but specifically more with the run blocking, Wilbon had to find most of those yards himself. He finished with 90 yards on 24 carries while the Huskers finished with 85 as a team. I wholeheartedly believe Wilbon earned around 75 of those yards on his own due to his lack of blocking. I might be missing something, but I think Tre had bigger holes and I just don't understand why, especially against a MAC opponent like Northern Illinois. The second question I had was the decision to finally play Devine Ozigbo, but only play him for 3 plays. Waiting until late in the 3rd Quarter of the 3rd game to play one of the arguably top RBs on roster is puzzling enough, but for only 3 snaps? There's clearly a lot more to this story, likely something big, but I don't think Riley and his staff are handling it very well. I don't know anything of the situation, but if there's a reason to sit a player for 2.5 games, either come out with it or there isn't a reason. It was clear Ozigbo has been ready for his shot, dragging defenders for 8 yards on his first carry, but if you're going to bench him, there better be a reason. I thought he provided a nice spark to an otherwise stagnant offense, but with only 3 plays there's not a lot he could've done. I'm interested to see how this story progresses in the future.
     Jumping to Tanner Lee and the passing game, I think everyone is starting to realize why I haven't been overly impressed by him. I do want to put a lot of the blame on the Offensive line for the NIU loss, but regardless of the pressure, Lee holds the ball way too long in the pocket, is very inaccurate and inconsistent with his throws, locks in with tunnel vision on one receiver and just seems to panic if his man is covered. Coming out of camp, all I heard about Lee was that he could make the reads, look off the defense and hit his check downs when needed. I have yet to see that this season, and I think he's starting to get into his own head with it. As I said before, the issues do start up front. The constant lack of protection leads to Lee often getting hit when he throws the ball (partly due to how long he holds it), resulting in a few of his picks this season. The offensive line needs to improve tenfold if Lee has any chance of resurrecting this season. Hopefully Coach Riley and Coach Langsdorf can calm him down and get him to progress through his reads. His check downs were open quite a bit on Saturday, and Lee didn't even look their way.

     On the defensive side, I'm going to lay off them a bit this week. Although there are still issues that need to be addressed, they held NIU scoreless for 3 quarters and gave up just 213 total yards. The big stat that impressed me was holding Northern Illinois to just 3-13 or 23% on third downs. That's a huge improvement as Oregon posted a 50% conversion rate on the Blackshirts for third downs, and Arkansas State had 54%. There was the big drive in the fourth quarter given up by the defense, right after Nebraska had taken their first lead of the game, but when your defense only gives up 7 points total and forces the opponents to punt 5 times, you can't be very upset. Tackling does need to improve though, there were some bad misses and even worse, horrible attempts where players simply tried to bump the defender to the ground. I'm not going to name names, but Lamar Jackson and Antonio Reed need to learn that they have arms for a reason, WRAP UP!! Overall though, good performance from a young defense, hopefully starting to get a grip on the system. Look for pass rush and tackling to hopefully improve as they understand it more.
     Special teams (apart from JD Spielman and Drew Brown) still have yet to impress me this season. I first want to state that the blocked FG at the end of the half was entirely the fault of the offensive line. I watched that from the sideline and it was clear they were not ready to protect. Props for Drew for still getting the kick through the uprights off the bounce though! I think it still should've counted just for that! Anyways, protection needs to improve as well as coverage. It's painful to watch our punt team run right by the return man because they either over-pursue or don't break down to contain him. Switching to Nebraska's Punt Return, DPE had quite a few issues fielding those punts on Saturday. I'm not sure if he was just not paying attention or if he was concerned about getting lit up, but either way the punt return needs to improve a lot. It seems as though nearly everyone is confused on most of our special team units, and that's never a good thing. We'll see how the team improves with the fans, the AD and everyone else grumbling at them after that horrible loss.

     One fun stat I learned earlier this week is that since Coach Riley has taken over, there have been 8 games where Nebraska has had 40+ pass attempts. The Huskers are 0-8 in those games, so I think we really need to establish a stronger rushing attack. Thanks for reading my reflection on the game and please comment if there's any other teams or games you'd like me to post about! Also, be sure to tune in every Tuesday evening from 7-8 pm for my radio show The 2nd String with my friend Nate as we talk about everything College Football! You can listen by clicking on KRNU2 after following the link at http://krnu.unl.edu/. Hope you're all ready for a fun week of Homecoming Celebrations at UNL! GO BIG RED!

#CollegeFootballKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 3 Predictions

     Hey everybody, I hope you're all ready for week 3 of College Football!! Now I know there are not a lot of big games this week, but I think there are a few interesting match-ups that could turn some heads. Besides, you never know what's going to happen any given Saturday! Here are my interesting games to watch this weekend and my predictions, enjoy!

#25 UCLA at Memphis

     Most of you might wonder why I'm even making a pick on this game and assume that Josh Rosen will pick apart the Tigers in an easy, blowout win. I think this could be a closer game than most people think. The Tigers finished 8-5 last year and had an extra week to prepare for this game since their match-up with UCF was canceled and rescheduled last week. Having that extra week should definitely help Memphis as they didn't overly impress in their 37-29 win over UL-Monroe in week 1. Senior QB Riley Ferguson is high on a number of expert's NFL draft boards, but is still fairly unknown to most of the nation. He didn't look strong in the opener, throwing for just 97 yards 0 TDs and a pick on a 40% completion rating. However, he threw for nearly 3,800 yards last year along with an impressive 32:10 TD to INT ratio, so he could just be shaking off some early season rust. The other part of this match-up that I like is the time. This game is an 11 am kick Central Time, which means it's going to feel like 9 am to the Bruins traveling from LA. Morning games can sometimes cause a team to come out sluggish, but throwing a two hour time zone difference could make it even more difficult for the Bruins to wake up early on in this game. One factor to watch in this game will be the Memphis rushing attack against the Bruins rush defense. UCLA has given up an average of 331.5 yards on the ground through just two games, and the Tigers had 319 yards rushing in their lone game against the Warhawks. The dynamic duo of Sophomore RBs in Patrick Taylor Jr. and Darrell Henderson combined for 300 on their own along with 3 TDs. Look for the Tiger's ground game to be a big factor in this one, they will be able to control the clock and keep the ball out of the hands of Josh Rosen. For UCLA, the key will be forcing tough 3rd down situations. Memphis was in the middle of the nation last year, ranking 64th in 3rd down conversions with right around 40%. If they Bruins defense can get some key stops, they can prevent the upset. I think Josh Rosen and crew will be fine, but look for Memphis to put up a fight. The spread is 3, so expect a close game. UCLA 36, Memphis 31.

#23 Tennessee at #24 Florida

     A key SEC East showdown will take place in The Swamp as the Vols travel to Gainesville to take on the arch rival Gators. Usually this game has big implications on who will win the SEC East, but with Florida having so many suspensions (9), its hard to imagine that this will be one of the major games in the East this year. Nonetheless, anytime these two teams battle, it's always fun. If there's any saving grace for Florida, it's that they've had an extra week to prepare for Tennessee as they had to cancel their game last weekend from Hurricane Irma. Hopefully this extra time has given Malik Ziare some time to learn the offense a little more and develop some more chemistry with his offense. The Gators could not move the ball against Michigan in their opening game, and were it not for Wilton Speight throwing two easy pick sixes, Florida probably wouldn't have scored. Tennessee on the other hand mounted a phenomenal comeback (much to my disgust) against Georgia Tech in their opener, and came away with a 42-41 2OT win! Vols QB Quinten Dormandy has looked good so far thus season, throwing for 415 yards, 4 TDs and just 1 pick through two games. I think the difference maker could be Tennessee RB John Kelly. Kelly has been a big part of the Vols offense with over 200 yards and 4 TDs this season, so watch for them to ground and pound against the Gators. I'm sure they'll make it a little closer than necessary because it's Tennessee and Florida, but the suspensions are still too much for the Gators. Vols win it 29-20.

#18 Kansas State at Vanderbilt

     This one has potential to get interesting. Kansas State will have their first true test as they travel to Nashville to take on the Commodores. The 18th-ranked Wildcats have blown out their two previous opponents, but again, they've played Central Arkansas and Charlotte. Vandy hasn't played much competition yet either, but Junior QB Kyle Shurmur is not someone you want to play very often. Shurmur has thrown for 498 yards and 7 TDs with a very impressive 76.1% completion rating. The Wildcats were one of the worst in pass defense a year ago, so we'll see how well they hold up against Shurmur and company. I think Vandy is a much tougher team than most people think, and they could cause a lot of teams headaches this season. Both teams have solid QBs with lots of weapons, so defense will be the key to victory in this game. K-State RB Alex Barnes is tough to bring down, so the Commodores will have wrap up and make sure tackles. It's hard to predict this game since we really haven't seen much from either team, but I'll go with the home team. I wouldn't be surprised either way, especially with Bill Snyder coaching in a game. Commodores win a good one at home, 43-38.

Kentucky at South Carolina

     Another SEC East battle that most people probably will overlook. The Wildcats travel to Columbia, SC to take on the red-hot Gamecocks. The Wildcats have been a sneaky team over the past couple years, and they'll be bringing a powerful run game along with them on the road. Sophomore RB Benny Snell Jr. rushed for over 1,000 in his Freshman year, and already has 170 so far this season. South Carolina has only given up an average of 133.5 rushing yards, so Snell could have a tough time breaking free. The big story in this game lies with the Gamecock's Sophomore QB Jake Bentley. Bentley has been fantastic this season, throwing for 402 yards, 4 TDs and 1 pick. He has completed 61.4% of his passes and really commands the offense well. I think his play will lift South Carolina over the Wildcats, but look for Kentucky to get pressure. Bentley has already been sacked 4 times this season, so protecting him will be key for South Carolina. I think this will be a fun one to watch, but Bentley leads the Gamecocks to victory! South Carolina 37, Kentucky 28.

#3 Clemson at #14 Louisville

     Alright, we all know that Lamar Jackson is worth at least 21-28 points on his own, even against Clemson. The big issue in this game is whether or not he'll have any help from his friends. Apart from the Heisman in the backfield though, the Cardinals don't have too much to offer. Jackson was sacked 46 times last year, 3rd worst in the nation. Clemson has one of the best pass rushing front four in the nation that has already recorded 11 sacks this season. Lamar will get his yards and his points, but I'm sure he'll be under pressure all night long. On the other side of the ball, Kelly Bryant has his first start on the road. While Louisville doesn't have the most threatening defense, but the sheer magnitude of this game could get to Bryant's head. Game of the week, on the road, against the reigning Heisman winner? Look for Bryant to press on a lot of plays and force some passes early in the game before his nerves settle down. If he comes in as cool as a cucumber, Clemson will win this game outright. With two dynamic QBs, defense is always the key. Clemson has the edge, but this game came down to the wire last year. I'd love to see Lamar get the upset and his revenge, but I think the Tigers are just too strong on defense. Expect another stellar game from the reigning Heisman winner, but the Tigers chomp the Cardinals in a tight one on the road. Clemson 30, Louisville 28.

Northern Illinois at Nebraska

     Just as my friend Nate and I discussed on our radio show, this is a game that Nebraska needs to win convincingly. Northern Illinois is not a very strong team, and they've lost their starting QB for at least a few weeks with an elbow injury. The Huskies have not played much competition this year, so coming into Memorial Stadium will be a huge challenge for them. They will look to establish a ground game with RB Marcus Jones, but if they've watched any film, I expect them to pick on our secondary early and consistently throughout the game. That's where most Husker fans will have their eyes too, the Blackshirts' secondary. They've been burned for an average of 390 yards over two games, ranking 2nd to last in the nation. Northern Illinois should prove to be a much easier opponent for the Huskers. I'll be interested to see what changes are made on defense, and how they deal with the injuries like Josh Kalu. Offensively, hopefully Tanner Lee will settle down after that Oregon game and progress through his reads to find the open man. I'm expecting to see Tre Bryant back tomorrow as well, but limiting his carries would not be a bad idea. Getting other backs experience and keeping Tre healthy for BIG 10 play would be very helpful for the offense. As I've stated the past couple of weeks, I'm not to worried about our offense scoring points, but I would love to see Drew Brown get his chance at some long Field Goals. The kid has the leg for it and if we get around the 40 and get stopped, give him the shot! I'm excited for tomorrow, and ready for a solid Husker victory! Nebraska 41, Northern Illinois 20.

     I hope you all enjoyed my predictions and have a great day of watching football! If you're going to the Husker game, look for me on the sidelines! Also, be sure to subscribe to my blog so you can receive an email whenever I make a post and tune into The 2nd String on KRNU2 online every Tuesday from 7-8 pm! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!

#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando

Week 2 Reflection

     Well, I avoided writing this reflection for as long as I could. Luckily, a couple of my friends got married this past Saturday, so I was able to avoid watching most of the first half train-wreck live. Going back over the film, there were obviously a lot of bad things that I will touch on, but quite a bit of good as well. Hopefully everyone can hold back on the "Fire Diaco" chants after the Blackshirts second half performance. Yes, there is still a lot of work to be done, but there was improvement throughout the game. Here's my in depth analysis on the game!
     Let's get the bad stuff out of the way early and talk about the defense. Giving up 42 points and over 400 yards in one half was absolutely pathetic. Lamar Jackson (along with everyone else in the secondary) was burned constantly throughout the game and Oregon QB Justin Herbert could've read through all of his textbooks with the time he had in the pocket. There was no pass rush at all throughout the game and the run defense was gashed multiple times by Royce Freeman. I'm not entirely sure what the answer will be, but all areas of the defense need work. I knew it would not be a 180 turn around with the defense, but they looked completely unprepared for Oregon. The secondary gave up another 365 yards through the air, making them the 2nd worst pass defense in the nation. The defensive line still has yet to record a sack on the season, and the linebackers struggled to contain the edge. Again, there were some bright spots. I thought Luke Gifford and Chris Weber both played well in the second half, and Defensive linemen Mick Stoltenberg and Dontre Thomas plugged up holes very well. The second half shut out gives the Huskers a lot to build on as they head into their final non-conference game before opening up BIG 10 play with Rutgers on the 23rd. I think we'll continue to improve on defense, and our next few weeks will give the Blackshirts a great chance to do that. I'm hoping to see a little more pressure on the opposing QBs in the upcoming weeks.
     Looking to the offense, Tanner Lee and Tre Bryant are the biggest concerns. Hopefully Bryant can get back to health soon and the knee doesn't have any issues. He's clearly the number one back and like Nate and I discussed on our radio show, The 2nd String, I doubt any defense is overly concerned with our other backs at this point in the season. Regardless, getting some of the other RBs on roster some carries would not be a bad thing for the offense. Switching over to Tanner Lee, there's a lot he'll need to improve on over the season. He's sitting at just 52.1% completion rating for the season through 2 games, and his performance at Oregon was not stellar by any means. There were some flashes of greatness and accurate throws, but there were a lot of passes where I think he tried to force too much. Tanner finished with 4 picks, but I'll take away 1.5 of them. The first one was off the hands (and helmet) of Stanley Morgan, so definitely not Lee's fault. The reason I only take away half of Lee's last interception of the game is because although his arm was hit while he threw, I personally don't think he should've been throwing that direction. It looked like he was throwing to the sideline at Stanley Morgan, but when looking at the film, Morgan did not have much room and I just don't like the idea of going for it all on 1st down of a potential drive to tie up the game. This goes back to my forcing throws comment. Riley gave him this job because Lee not only has a great arm, but a great ability to read the defense and find the open man. This offense is built around finding the open route and picking apart the defense systematically. I think Lee will recover and be a solid QB this season, but he needs to progress threw his reads instead of forcing throws. That's a lot like Tommy Armstrong used to do at times. My advice would be to trust in the offense and make the reads necessary to be consistent with his throws. But I'm simply a football fanatic.
     Overall, I'm not terribly worried about the offense, but I do believe our ground game will struggle if Bryant isn't able to come back soon. Wilbon is decent out of the backfield, but not quite as decisive or powerful when he runs. No one knows what has happened to Devine Ozigbo, and new comer Jaylin Bradley will likely get his first look at action this weekend. Right Tackle Matt Farniok looked really good in his first start at Oregon, and I would not be surprised or upset to him take over that starting spot full time. Lee will improve, again, this is his first time playing in a couple years and there's a lot that goes into Coach Riley's offense. Defense showed some flashes, just need to put it all together now! Hopefully we can have a solid win against Northern Illinois this week and prep up for BIG 10 Conference play next week! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!

#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando