Hey everyone, I apologize that I did not have any picks for week 4. With the 11 o'clock start for the Huskers I did not have time before the game to make a post and I was busy on Friday night. I will for sure have some picks this week!
Now onto my reflection of the Huskers and the rest of the College Football Nation as we look back on week 4 of the season. The Huskers pulled out a 36-28 victory over the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss. Nebraska looked like they would cruise to an easy blowout with a 22-0 lead at the half, but the Huskers were out coached in the second half and let So. Miss back into the game. My two biggest concerns are the pass defense and the red zone offense. Let's start with the big one and discuss the defense. Obviously pass defense has been the Huskers biggest problem through the non-conference schedule. Everyone blames the secondary, which is natural, but from what I've seen, most of the issues lie in the middle with the linebackers. If you go back through the film, many of the passes that teams torch us with are between the hashes in the middle of the field. Yes, there have been plenty of deep bombs on the sidelines, but our corners are there, they just need to turn and make a play on the ball. Easier said then done, but in the case of the linebackers, they are no where near the holes that offenses continually seem to hit in the middle of the field. I'm not sure if they are not dropping back into their zones quick enough, or if they are having trouble staying with their man, but something is wrong. One route in particular that we seem to have problems with is the swing route to the running backs. Every time an offense runs that, our linebackers are at least two steps late getting outside. That is one route that is consistently killing us. As for the secondary, they need to make plays. Our corners are almost always in good position coverage wise, but they need to turn and play the ball more. I always used the side line to my advantage when I played. Shade the receiver toward the edge while running and looking back at the ball. As long as you can feel where the receiver is at, you can easily stick with him. Lastly, we need more pressure. Our defensive line is supposed to be one of the best in the conference this year, and they need to start playing like it. My friend Freedom has been playing like a mad man and rightfully earned his Blackshirt on Monday. However, for most of the game, our defensive line is no where near the QB. They often get a sack early in the game, disappear for about 2-3 quarters, and then return at the end of the game. For our defense to be what the Huskers need them to be, our defensive line needs to get a lot more pressure on opposing Quarterbacks. These three components are essential to any defense's success. All are fixable, but it's easier said then done. We'll see what the Blackshirts come up with heading into BIG 10 Conference play.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was good, but not great. The problem was that great was right in front of them for the taking, but instead we settled for 5 straight field goals. The offense looked very good in the first half against Southern Miss, but only until they got to the 25 or inside that. Once in the redzone, or on their half of the field for that matter, the offense seemed to hit a wall. Penalties, bad play calls, and just poor execution really kept the Huskers out of the endzone. The run game was not very effective all game, and that's becoming a problem. The offensive line really needs to start opening more holes and getting the run game powered up. The run game is crucial to success in Coach Riley's system. The play action is set up by the run game, and that's how we can torch the opposing defenses for big gains in the passing game. Tommy has played with tremendous confidence and composure through the non-conference schedule. If he can keep that up, with a little more help from his friends, Nebraska still has a legitimate chance to win the West Division and compete in the BIG 10 Championship. Hopefully DPE will return within the next couple weeks and give Tommy another vital weapon on offense. The Huskers have all the components to be one of the top offenses in the Conference and possibly the country, they just need to execute.
Around the nation, some teams are making some big splashes and surprising a lot of people. Utah, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and LSU would be my top four teams through the first month of the season. With no other factors besides how they played in September, these are my top four. They have been the most impressive teams and all have a chance at staying in the hunt for the playoffs. Utah seems to get stronger every game, and everyone watched them unleash an all out attack on Oregon last Saturday. Notre Dame lost their starting QB & Safety, but haven't lost a step on the field, we'll see if they can continue that success at Clemson this weekend. LSU has done one thing so far this season, hand the ball to Leonard Fournette. That's all I expect them to do going forward. Fournette is playing like an absolute monster and no one can tackle him. We'll see if anyone can figure out how by the end of the season. Finally, Ole Miss is in my top four as well. They have been playing at a very high level so far this season. We'll see if they can continue that through the rest of the year.
One month down already in College Football! If you would like my analysis on any other teams please leave a comment! Thank you & GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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