Sunday, September 1, 2013

Nebraska-Wyoming Review.

There are basically 2 kinds of football fans. sunshine pumpers and realist despite the nae it's often the "realist" who live in a world of what if's. They are the ones that tell you what really happened even though it actually didn't. If you take away this, factor in that, change all of that this is what really would have happened so there for it is what really happened. Confused? Well usually so are they. Another personality quirk most realist share is they are perpetually miserable. These are not glass is half empty people. These are if you take away the fact that the glass is half empty the glass would be completely empty people. I am a sunshine pumper...mostly. I find that the sunshine pumpers though sometimes a little too positive are the actual fans. With the realist you find yourself asking wow if this is how you treat a something you are a fan of how do you treat something you hate? And you also find yourself hoping these people don't have children and feeling the children if they do. But last night after Nebraska's 37-34 victory over Wyoming I was a realist fan! I was the very fan I hate.  Last night about 10:30 I was sure Nebraska was going to struggle to win games. I called the team "shitty" on twitter and of course felt terrible about it afterwords. I did not get on players social sites and call them out. There is a special place in hell for people who do that. But I was about as negative and abusive towards Nebraska football as I get. Thankfully I didn't linger on twitter and facebook last night. I made a few posts and then logged off. I was pissed. Too pissed to hear others just as pissed as me. Nebraska football is like your brother or sister For you see I can say the team is shitty. But you can't. So after 5-10 minutes on social media I logged off ate a cold cut, smoked a cigar, listened to music watched the late games. With in a half hour I was a sunshine pumper again. Sorta. I'm still not sure with that defense how this team wins more than 8 games. But they'll win more than 4. Hey  I must be getting better. Last night I just broke my glasses case in past years I would have broke my glasses.

Offense.  C- Nebraska had 530 yards and 375 yards rushing. 2 backs had 100 yards+ 2 more had more than 80. So it was all good right? right? Uh no. Nebraska's offense in the first half was spotty at best. Minus one 62 yard run the running game did next to nothing. There I am again being a realist. In the second half it appeared Nebraska's issues were solved as they were pounding Wyoming and scoring on every possession. then with Nebraska leading 37-21 and on there way to putting the game away a freshman receiver ran the wrong route  and Taylor Martinez threw and interception. Game on. Score there and it's 40-21 or 44-21 and Wyoming becomes one dimensional. The Wyoming defense which was tired checks out and maybe just maybe Nebraska scores again and today we are all happy. Later in the game Nebraska had 4th and a chihuahua's testicle and got stuffed on a QB sneak. The greatest offensive line in the Bo Pelini era could create enough space to gain an inch.

Defense D-. They won so that saves the F. Watching this defense last night put me in the mood for some Ray Charles "Here we go again" Wyoming was 99th in rushing last year. That makes you feel all warm and fuzzy after seeing them run all over the place on Nebraska last night doesn't it Nebraska fan? And that secondary that's suppose to be the strength of the defense? Oh dear! Wyoming had 603 yards last night. Don't dwell on that it will make your head explode. Wyoming's offense is good. But not that damned good. there's only one place to go from here...up. The fact that this is year 3 of the same old same doesn't fill your heart with much optimism. They're young...they're young. Rinse and repeat. Oh UCLA scored 58 points yesterday...

Special Teams. B-. They fielded the kickoffs! Nebraska's return team was ok. Like I said they fielded the kicks. That's an improvement. The defense against the return was great all night. Sam Fultz is going to be a great punter. The Field goal was shaky but good. And we made all of our PAT's well except one that was shanked it might have been blocked. let's hope it was cause he missed it real bad.

Overall. C-. Nebraska won. 15 years from now when you look the score up it will show a win. The details will fade. They can't fade fast enough. Next week Southern Miss comes to town. They lost yesterday to Texas State 22-15. Nebraska has to win big and has to hold Southern Miss to less than 20 points. HAS TO. If they don't...God help us after that. But keep it in perspective. Nebraska won. Did Kansas State? Did Iowa? McNeese State beat South Florida 53-21. Makes 37-34 over Wyoming sound not so bad.

Last Thought.
Can we please...please start having officiating crews from conferences where neither team is involved? Don't tell me the NCAA cant afford it. This Mountain West crew last night went out of their way to keep Wyoming in the game. And of course B1G crews do the same. All of the officials do. How is there roughing the passer on a play where there was no pass? This wasn't the only head scratching call. All night this Mountain West crew kept Wyoming in the game. With calls and no calls. Poor Vincent Valentine is probably still being held. Amazingly after not calling holding all night When Wyoming could least afford it the officials called Wyoming for a marginal holding penalty. Ask me if I feel bad for them.

On the whole Dave Christianson and his staff had a better night than Bo Pelini and his staff. But their play calling at the end of the first half was baffling. Why not try and get points to end the half when you were moving the ball all half? Why waste 30 seconds at midfield? Why call a timeout with 2 seconds left and kneel down on the ball? It made no sense. And with a final score of 37-34 the way Wyoming played the end of the half may have been the difference in the game.

No comments:

Total Pageviews