[Husker] Offensive linemen playing time

[Dick Karre]

RMiller wrote:

>	[H]ow can someone (Mann) be a 3 yr starter, get sick and miss a few 
games, be replaced by someone who played 1 set of downs the previous
2 years, and then practically never play again despite all reports
that he's fine.

If the OL coaches' (or maybe it's just Wagner's) assessments are 
accurate, you could probably conclude that Byford is performing better 
in practice. He played well enough to garner honorable mention on the 
coaches' all-Big XII team.

>   Here's a quote from Slauson, who has been receiving praise for 
the last 1.5 yrs as one of the most promising young linemen at NU.
He's apparently now clearly the 2nd team right tackle.
>    
>   "I've got to compete with Carl (Nicks), who's coming off a (1) 
great game. If I have a great practice week and he doesn't do so well,
then I might step in. But if he keeps on performing like he performed,
I'm going to be second string, and I'm fine with that."

Given the issues at left tackle last week, the better question would 
seem to be why Slauson or Nicks isn't playing at that position, rather 
than battling for the right tackle spot.


>   How can a 2nd teamer (like Byford & Nicks) who saw extremely 
limited action then move into the starting lineup (due to injury)
and now be clearly the better player? If this player was so much
better all along, why did it take an injury for them to supplant the
starter? If it's a close call, why would the 2nd teamer be getting
more playing time, like a 50/50 split?

In Nicks' case, the coaches figured he'd be in the mix all along. I can 
only assume that it has taken him a while to learn the offense. This 
whole philosophy is quite a change from the past. TO (and Solich, as 
well, I believe) would not allow a starter to lose his job solely due to 
injury. BC does it differently, and I guess people have to decide for 
themselves which they prefer.

BTW, I believe Nicks is the first JC OL player to see any significant 
action in the Callahan era.

-- 
Dick Karre
dkarre at comcast.net