Nebraska update

[Conan]

Some pretty interesting stuff.
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LINCOLN, Neb. -- The annual rite of spring known as Nebraska's Red-White Game takes place Saturday, and the fans' sense of anticipation is heightened because it will be their first look at the Cornhuskers under new coach Mike Riley.

Riley says he is excited, too, because he has never been at a school where a spring game is so celebrated.
As of late in the week, 65,000 tickets had been sold, and the crowd at Memorial Stadium probably will swell to over 70,000 on what's supposed to be a sunny afternoon with temperatures in the 70s.
That's a stark contrast to Riley's final spring game at Oregon State. According to the report in the Corvallis Gazette-Times, a "smattering of fans" showed up at Reser Stadium last year. An OSU spokesman estimated the turnout at 5,000 to 7,000.
Riley said Nebraska's passionate fan base was one of things that drew him to Nebraska. The school holds an ongoing NCAA record of 340 straight sellouts.
"It'll be my first picture of what the football deal looks like," Riley said. "I've been impressed with that at the baseball games, the basketball games. Every time there's something going on, it's a big deal. I like that. People care, and they love their team. And I think that's just awesome."
As for what happens on the field, Riley plans to keep it simple. Players were split between red and white squads at the start of spring practice, and they will remain with their respective teams Saturday. There will be four 20-minute quarters with the clock stopping only when there's a change of possession.

Some things to watch:
LINEBACKER DEPTH: This is the position of greatest concern to Riley. Josh Banderas and Michael Rose-Ivey are the most experienced linebackers practicing this spring. David Santos has been out since offseason knee surgery. Dedrick Young, who joined the program in January, and Marcus Newby are the only other scholarship linebackers.
HELP WANTED AT CENTER: This is the most uncertain spot on the offensive line. Ryne Reeves is coming off a knee injury and hasn't done much other than individual work. Paul Thurston took over when Reeves went out during the Iowa game and shared time with Dylan Utter in the Holiday Bowl. Riley said a guard or two probably will audition at center.
OOZING CONFIDENCE: Riley said quarterback Tommy Armstrong's greatest intangible is his confidence. "He's played a lot of football," Riley said. "That really carries over to the feel and the grasp that he has for the whole game, the whole team. There is a lot of respect for that guy, and there should be."
GOING LIVE: Saturday will feature the most live action the Huskers have seen this spring. Full scrimmaging has been limited. "What we try to do when we're not taking people all the way to the ground is still practice fast so you can simulate the speed of the game," Riley said. "But I also want to get this team to the season health-wise."
BRING ON THE CONTACT: Armstrong perked up when told Riley planned to have the quarterbacks eligible for full contact in the spring game. "I'm not opposed to it," he said. "I'm kind of excited about it, actually, because we have a couple zone-read (runs) here and there. It'll be fun."
-- The Associated Press


Mike Riley's pro-style a work in progress at Nebraska

 

[RunLeeRun]

Hard to get up or down on anthing after 14 practices of a completely new system, but "Pro-style a work in progress" is an understatement. Not sure there is a QB on the roster that fits the last few years of Riley's tenure at Oregon St ... a la Mannion. Still going to have to be a run first offense, imo. QB: The kid in the above image is probably the guy to beat. Just too much experience to not be number 1, plus he's got "it" in the leadership department. But he makes too many mistakes and doesn't see the field. The kid that seems to see the field and work down the progressions the most is RFr that hasn't played a game in almost two years due to a concussion so bad that he needed a speech therapist. The most talented upside QB is a raw southpaw that looks lights out one minute then very average the next. Either way, probably going to be a struggle the next few years.
RB: Lots of material here. #1 looks to be the cali kid Newby. But there are also a few scatters and a few hammers on the roster. Won't be any trouble producing.
Oline: I think the biggest ? is actually tackle. The roster is thin and the kids over the last few years can't stay healthy. Center went 3rd string vs USC and did well enough for a walkon. The Guards have the best collection of talent seen in probably 10 years, but it's young and pretty inexperienced.
WR: This may be the most talented group on the offensive side. That's very Un-Nebraska-like. Good mix of field-stretchers, a possession guy and tall-physical kids.
TE: #1 kid is very good blocker but athletic enough to play slot (LSU missed out by only offering greyshirt). Might be a couple of other decent kids behind him, but this offense will look for better talent at that position.
DLominant. Collins is a top ten draft pick as a junior. Valentine (also) a junior is nipping at his heals. Another very good DE on one end with an old-school Nebraska walk-on workhorse on the other side to top of a very good 1st string. Depth will be an issue at DE, though.
LB: as posted depth will be an issue. LB's at Nebraska are what olinemen are at Florida. Fucked up recruiting with the previous regime. The top 3 or 4 have talent with the Banderas (mike) probably a very good fit for this fast, attacking style. Young players will play, likely.
DB: Stacked, stacked, stacked....overstacked.
Special teams: punter is all-american quality. Need to find somebody to snap the ball though. Kicker is probably average by Nebraska standards. Punt returner, Pierson-El, is one of the best players in space in the country. Teams will stop kicking to him, just eat 15 yards of field. He'll be featured prominantly in the offense.

Overall: like what I've heard about the defense. Though thin at some spots and inexperienced, this is similar to the MSU cover-4, which often plugs in new talent and still does well because they are playing fast and physical. Nebraska has more raw talent than Narduzzi ever had at MSU, imo. I don't think they will get run over like the previous Nebraska defenses did. They may give up some yards to the more polific passing teams just due to the philosophical switch. But as I said the secondary is stacked, so I like the chances with the pressure put on DB's. I don't like the idea of seeing outside backers put in the slot though. Offense....really no clue. I can see quite a bit of struggle here though, unless the Oline development just becomes really good. My biggest concern will be turnovers from the QB position. It's just not up to par. But given the schedule, defense will be able to keep them in most of them.

 

[Conan]

I wouldn't sell Riley short on his running game. The Beavers running game struggled in part due to Mannion's dominant arm and a pretty green OL last year. Also Danny Langsdorf, Riley's OC spent last year coaching in the NFL for the "NY Gnats." But he rejoined Riley as Nebraska's OC just recently. However -- I have heard that the Husker's offense has been very irregular this spring insofar as they are finding it tough to adapt to Riley's style. I have faith in his OC and his staff's ability to coach their players up pretty well and reasonably fast especially if the talent is there. I would go as far as to say that by the end of the season, their offense will be clicking just fine with an effective rushing game. Langsdorf was originally the Corvallis High School football coach, and back in the day a good friend of another local guy named Mike Riley.

 

[Conan]

...furthermore, I agree with you 100% that Nebraska's defense will keep them in games while the offense gels. (or longer)
Riley's DC is Mark Banker and he's a good one. His cover one defense is as good as you will find. If he can find a couple
of lockdown corners, they will rank high in several key defensive areas (like rushing yards allowed) and be very tough to
score on.

 

[BigdaddyQH]

Conan, you still have to play Riley homer even though he is out of Oregon State. No matter what you say, the fact is that Riley is NOT a good Head Coach. His terrible record in the Pac 10/12 speaks for itself. He is just not good. I do not know how many times I have told you this over the years, and I am always proven correct. Last season, as I predicted, his team did not even play .500 ball despite 53 returning lettermen and 7 starters on both offense and defense returning for him. You know your football but you really have to stop being such an Oregon/Oregon State homer.

 

[Conan]

Conan, you still have to play Riley homer even though he is out of Oregon State. No matter what you say, the fact is that Riley is NOT a good Head Coach. His terrible record in the Pac 10/12 speaks for itself. He is just not good. I do not know how many times I have told you this over the years, and I am always proven correct. Last season, as I predicted, his team did not even play .500 ball despite 53 returning lettermen and 7 starters on both offense and defense returning for him. You know your football but you really have to stop being such an Oregon/Oregon State homer.

If you go back just a few years I can't argue your point. However starting around the year 2000 and going forward a decade and longer, Riley's Oregon State Beavers were the 3rd winningest football program in the Pac-10.

 

[cloverleaf]

I watched a good part of the spring game and came away thinking they better find a quarterback or get some major
improvement with consistency in the passing game. The kid they are banking on looked wild passing the ball.

 

[BigdaddyQH]

If you go back just a few years I can't argue your point. However starting around the year 2000 and going forward a decade and longer, Riley's Oregon State Beavers were the 3rd winningest football program in the Pac-10.

Riley's record at Oregon State in the past 5 years is 29-32. Under .500. Riley has NEVER won a Pac 10 Championship. That says it all.

 

[MackDonald]

If you go back just a few years I can't argue your point. However starting around the year 2000 and going forward a decade and longer, Riley's Oregon State Beavers were the 3rd winningest football program in the Pac-10.

The 3rd winningest in Pac-10?....... I didn't know that. That kind of a record isn't in the "chopped-liver" category

 

[GoSooners]

If you go back just a few years I can't argue your point. However starting around the year 2000 and going forward a decade and longer, Riley's Oregon State Beavers were the 3rd winningest football program in the Pac-10.

Considering how poorly Oregon State has recruited, that's really quite an achievement. Really, the biggest underachievers in the Pac-12 has been USC. They've only been out of the top 10 in recruiting once in the last 12 years! And most years they are in the top 5. Yet have only one national championship and several losses to some much inferior schools (like Oregon St) to show for it. They've basically done nothing since Pete Carroll left. Aside from their 2004 NC team, which was a fantastic team that was chock full of NFL defensive talent, they've been a major disappointment. Even before they were hit with probation.

 

[RunLeeRun]

Junk must really hate Oregon St. Riley might not be Pete Carrol, but does anyone really think Nebraska is taking any kind of major step backwards from Bo? He didnt win any championsips either. Beating the teams you are supposed to consistantly is nice, but I'm ready to see what the guy thats known for winning when he wasnt supposed to can do. Here's what Junk misses. Bo's teams were usually a favorite to represent its division. How many times can that be said of Oregon St?

 

[Conan]

Maybe once... LOL

I think it was 2001 when SI opened up its CFB season with the Beavers at #1 in
the nation, fresh off of a resounding beatdown of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
That rank was perhaps a "bit" over the top. Of course it didn't last.

 

[RunLeeRun]

Straight from Mike Riley's lips:

On the QB run game: I’m intrigued by it. We’re not going to be a dropback passing team, or pro-style, like we were at Oregon State because of our skill set here. You don’t coach plays, you coach players. But I’m excited about this. We get to expand, coaching-wise. That will be good for us. And I want to look at doing this as we continue forward.

On incorporating blocking techniques/ QB run game used in the Osborne era: I’m interested, because we have dived into it. Anything that we can continue to pick up that best utilizes the quarterback. At Oregon State, we were 50 percent shotgun anyway, and looking at other ways to evolve. I would still like to maintain our game under center, but how they [NU] ran the quarterback, we have to explore that. Offense is all about keeping the defense off-balance. The utilization of people carrying the football ... we did that several years ago at Oregon State with the addition of the fly sweep. So we’re looking for the next move that might do that.

There are a lot of people in Nebraska that will be happy about this. And as has been pointed out many times, a true passing pro-style offense just probably doesn't fit with the often windy plains. The earlier he understands this the sooner success could come. Play great D and special teams, run the football.

On Recruiting: (The plan: hit the 500-mile radius that Riley talks about. Riley said that includes Nebraska, Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City and extends to Dallas and Indianapolis.) Can we get half of our class, 10 to 12 guys, from this radius? If we can, then can we get two top players from California? Can we get three or four from Texas? Can we get a couple more from Louisiana, a guy from Georgia? Can we go back to where De’Mornay (Pierson-El) is from (Washington, D.C. area) and get a guy? Can we get two out of Florida? And maybe the Northeast; historically New Jersey’s been good. When you look at it like that, it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Years of Nebraska success were based on that formula, and given an earlier signing period this will be even more important than ever.

From another Nebraska thread is was asked:

A few years back, Alabama wanted to talk to Riley about leading the Tide...he wasn't interested???

He was, but sometimes it just isn't about the job.....It was hard turning down Bama. But our kids were young. They grew up on the West Coast. I thought I was going to get the UCLA job. Alabama offered me the job and I didn’t get the UCLA job. A week later, Dennis Erickson went to the 49ers and Oregon State opened up. I went back. It was all timing.

 

[RunLeeRun]

Just got a commit from a 3-star dual threat QB out of Oklahoma. Seems Riley is serious about having a running threat at QB spot.

 

[Conan]

That would be something new for him. I've been used to seeing his offenses led by a gangly pocket passer type like Sean Mannion or Derek (pick 6) Anderson. The QB's these days should be rated on their footwork... from the vertical (immobile) pocket passer to the mobile QB that can scramble around and escape a pass rush, right on up to the running QB... and at the extreme end of that special ability, one with speed afoot and throws as well as anyone. Even the NFL takes QBs that can move more seriously these days.

 

[BigdaddyQH]

3 star QB's are a dime a dozen. USC just landed a 4 star QB without trying real hard.

 

[RunLeeRun]

That's USC. Thay have everything 100 miles from campus. Nebraska isnt a qb school. Regardless, 4-star, 3-star its one of the hardest positions to evaluate and the rate of flops are pretty consistant around the nation. That's without getting into the other intracacies of recruiting. seems to me, some guys just might be able to recognize/develop talent better than other We've seen it at some far off schools like MSU and OS. Now Nebraska has that coach with a history of finding gems amongst the rubble and polishing. If he's their top recruit, I dont give a fuck what the star says.

 

[Conan]

Mariota was a 3* recruit.

 

[GoSooners]

Sam Bradford was a 3 star recruit. So I never say never when it comes to QB's. I think it's always a good thing when a kid is grateful for his opportunity like this kid is. Plus I'm sure he's happy to get out of Del City. It's pretty much the shithole of the OKC metro area. One thing that maybe sometimes isn't taken into account is when a 3 star player is recruited from the highest division of HS football in a state. In this case 6A football here in OKC. I'm always a little leery of some of these 3 or 4 star 4A and 5A QB's who had a good HS career, but against some questionable opposition...That's a big reason why they have these Rivals and satellite camps. These coaches want to see just how good these players are in person when put to the test..

 

[RunLeeRun]

Russell Wilson was a 2 star...gasp. Put him up alongside those 4 stars at LA. Sometimes kids dont camp....for whatever reason, injury/life.....anyway, I'm glad we're no longer bound by the Youngstown Gentleman's agreement to not recruit each other territories. Oklahoma has given us a few good ones over the years.