Well football fans, this last weekend was not kind to me. Both of my Fantasy Football teams laid an egg and the Huskers completely died during the second half against the Buffaloes. While not a fun weekend for my personal football followings, there were still some exciting games and a lot of big statements made for an interesting weekend of football. This post will have my breakdown and analysis of the Huskers' game against Colorado along with some highlight points all college football fans should take not on from the weekend. Thank you for all the support and be sure to share my blog and podcast episodes with all of your friends. Enjoy!
'Twas a tale of two halves for the Huskers on Saturday, and not a tale anyone in red wants to hear repeated. After starting hot with a 17-0 lead in the first half, Nebraska fizzled into nothing as they ended up losing 34-31 in Overtime in Boulder, CO. The Huskers' offensive attack was as dynamic in the first half as it was anemic in the second half. The defense held strong for most of the game, but were worn out by the end of it, opening the doors for 5th-year Senior QB, Steven Montez and his loaded crew of wideouts to go to work. Once the game reached Overtime, it was all but decided. Nebraska looked completely unprepared for the extended period. Let's get this over with and move into my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD break down of the Huskers' 34-31 loss to Colorado.
GOOD- The first half. This one is kind of obvious, but other than a couple of stupid penalties, the Huskers looked like a team that would not be denied in the first half of last Saturday's game. Adrian Martinez looked comfortable in the pocket and no one touched him as he completed 9 of 9 passes for 180 yards and a beautiful deep ball TD to JD Spielman. The Huskers were spreading the ball around well and Adrian was able to run out in space. Colorado's defense didn't have an answer for the Huskers' attack. Speaking of defense, the Blackshirts pitched a shutout in the first half against a team that dropped 52 in the opening week. Lamar Jackson came up with a beautiful interception and the defense was all over Steven Montez. The Buffaloes could not get the ball moving and Nebraska had all the momentum heading into the second half. This was one of the better halves of football I've seen from the Huskers in a long time. If they can start playing like this for longer periods throughout the season, this team has a very high ceiling to reach. There are glimpses of what Frost says this team will be, but you play four quarters for a reason.
EXPECTED- Colorado offense got their yards and points. When you have a 5th year Senior QB and NFL caliber wideouts, you're going to score in every game. At one point or another, you knew Steven Montez, Laviska Shenault Jr. and K.D. Nixon would get their air raid going. The Blackshirts held them off until late in the third quarter, but with the Husker offense going three and out so quickly on every drive, they lost steam late in the game. The third quarter is what really turned the game, because Nebraska became very conservative offensively on offense and did not adjust well to the Buffaloes defensive pressure. I credit Colorado for sticking with their game plan to lull the Huskers down with underneath slants and screens only to blow the top off with deep balls past the safeties. Montez has been a starter for four years now, his 375 yards and 2 TDs should surprise no one. The Blackshirts did well to hold him in check for nearly 3 quarters, but if their offense can't help them out, their efforts will break down at some point. Colorado is a dangerous team and with Mel Tucker at the helm, they'll cause some havoc in the PAC-12 this year. I expected Colorado to move the ball and put up some points, which is what they did, unfortunately for Husker fans it all came in the fourth quarter.
BAD- Coaching adjustments. Yes, the second half is a big contender for my BAD category, but I believe this game was lost due to the lack of adjustments and game strategy from Scott Frost and his staff. Full disclaimer, I am still all for Frost and his staff. I do believe they will build this team up to compete at very high levels and they will be a force to be reckoned with in coming years. However, this loss falls on his shoulders. Starting with the timeout before Nebraska even ran a play in the third quarter, the team looked completely lost in the second half. As mentioned earlier, I feel Nebraska became too conservative with their offensive play calls and that ultimately led to their inability to move the ball. I do credit Colorado for changing their defense and getting more pressure on Martinez, but Frost and crew did not counter those adjustments. My biggest issue was the ground game. It was clear that Maurice Washington was the X factor, and that the only yards to be gained on the ground were outside of the tackles. However, the Huskers tried to run up the middle, where there is very little room due to the inexperience of the interior offensive line. They were stuffed on every attempt and that resulted in quick, unproductive drives. On top of that, Martinez was very out of sync. Part of that was the pressure, but that's when you need to move the pocket. If you have a mobile QB, use his ability to your advantage and keep him away from pressure to give him a shot at high percentage throws. Martinez started hot, but was still overthrowing receivers and missing wide open targets. My last point on the BAD category is overtime. It was clear from the get go that Frost did not have an offensive attack ready to take on the Buffs in OT. For an offensive minded coach, this concerns me. The first two play calls (side handoffs in either direction) were not set up well and gained no yardage. A low snap on 3rd and 10 resulted in Martinez being sacked and with 4th and 14 looming, Frost decided to send out his back-up (x2) Kicker to attempt a 48-yarder and send it to double OT. In my humble, lazy-boy chair opinion, this was the wrong decision. Armstrong had only attempted one kick since high school, and that was earlier in the game. Nebraska practically conceded to Colorado's victory at that point and I think they would've had a better shot to win with Adrian and the offense on the field. Frost's comments on the situation after the game stated he "didn't have a play call for 4th and 14", which is concerning on another level. Again, this team is young, there were plenty of mistakes all around, but this is a bad way to lose. Nebraska looked ready to dominate this game all the way through, but couldn't adjust in game and that ultimately falls on the coaching. I have no doubt it will improve, but I was not impressed with this one.
We'll see how Nebraska answers back against Northern Illinois this weekend. This is a game they should win, but the Huskies won two years ago in Memorial Stadium, and gave Utah a fight on the road last week. Should be a fun one under the lights!
Now for some quick thoughts on the rest of the CFB world from week 2!
- LSU is looking very dangerous with Joe Burrow behind center. The Tigers have a dynamic offense for once, and their defense is always one to be weary of. They could make a playoff push if they can get by the Tide.
- Texas, even though they lost, played a great game. Oklahoma is still a step above in my opinion, but they will be tested by this Longhorn squad, probably even more than last year.
- "Maryland is Scaryland" A quote from my roommate Nate and it couldn't be more accurate. 2 weeks, 142 points. Fear the Turtle.
- Justin Fields & Jalen Hurts are unstoppable at this point with all of the weapons around them in their respective offenses. Ohio State and Oklahoma are big playoff contenders in my opinion.
- Army had a heartbreaking loss up in Ann Arbor, but it helps my case for Michigan not being very good. I still see them with at least 3 losses this year.
- I may have spoke too soon on USC, Freshman QB Kedon Slovis looked impressive in his debut.
- Cal with a very sneaky win against Washington. The PAC-12 will need a lot of help to get a team into Playoff contention.
- I'm glad I'm not on Rocky Top... lots of concerns at Tennessee after blowing the BYU game in the last few seconds. Kudos to the Cougars on the road.
- The same concern is going on in Florida State after a 1 point victory against Louisiana Monroe.
I hope you all enjoyed my Week 2 Reflections and be sure to listen to the newest episode of my CFB Podcast, The 2nd String, I do with my roommate Nate Muhlbach. Be sure to follow us on Spotify so you can stay up to date with all the CFB news and analysis. Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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