[Husker] USC thought and looking toward Troy

[Rod Wellman]

I was at the game also.  I don't mean to add another "me too" post,  
but I agree with Roger, and will add this:  this was a very WINNABLE  
game.  IF Callahan had done what Roger says below, we might very well  
have won.  USC had injuries in the secondary...they were staring a  
true freshman at safety.  Their starting NT was out with injury.   
Their defense still looked great, but I didn't see an NU offense that  
was totally outclassed or out of their element.  Just increasing the  
passing vs. running ratio a small bit might very well have opened up  
our running game...while still keeping Callahan's "pound the rock"  
game plan intact.  I really felt he ruined a chance to steal one from  
USC, and wasn't fair to Taylor and our receivers who have acquitted  
themselves quite well this year.  It'd be different if Taylor was a  
first year QB, or had the track record of throwing INTs or making bad  
decisions. That's not the case at all.  Give him and the passing game  
just a few more chances to make plays and I say the outcome is a lot  
different.  Roger's point of "just the threat of the pass" is a good  
one as well.  Being at the game, you can see the entire formation.   
SO many times, we had NO wideouts at all. 'SC put 11 guys in the box  
and stuffed us just about every time.  If you are going to run, just  
putting a wideout or two in the formation can at least make the  
safety think twice about playing the run all-out (especially a  
Freshman safety).

If a 3 or 4 to one ratio of run vs. pass was his game plan to win.   
It's a terrible one.  If it's his game plan to "not get embarrassed",  
that's even worse.

This reeks of the Ia. State crappy game plan where the run was there  
for the taking for us and all he did was pass, and the following week  
against OU, where all we did was run when our only chance to win was  
to mix it up enough to keep OU's defense guessing even a little bit.  
Contrast those two with the Alamo Bowl, where the mix of plays kept  
us in the game and allowed us to pull out the victory.

Sorry if I duplicated.  I, too, feel better now and can move onto  
those other Trojans coming up this weekend.

Rod W.
Sioux City, Ia.

On Sep 20, 2006, at 8:52 AM, Roger Lohr wrote:

> This is the first and only message I have read about the USC game  
> since returning last night from the game.  So, my comments are  
> likely redundant and uniformed.
>
> Having said that, I just have to say, I can't imagine why Callahan  
> didn't show at least the threat of pass on first down and continued  
> to run on first down, with two exceptions that I remember.  I don't  
> think Swift touched the ball while on the playing field...not even  
> to pick it up and hand it to the Ref.
>
> Those runs just weren't working.  Without trying to loosen up the  
> SC defense against the run with at least the threat of the pass, I  
> think Callahan took any chance of a Husker win/very close game,  
> away from the Huskers.
>
> The Husker D and special teams played well from where I sat.  But  
> the offensive play calls were the worst I recall since ISU in Ames  
> two years ago in my opinion.  (There, the run was working and he  
> went away from it).
>
> 'Sorry to take your time with 'Johnny-come-lately' opinions, but I  
> just had to say it.  This should put my total frustration to bed on  
> this one.
>
> Take care,
> Roger Lohr-Mpls
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <rczeranko at juno.com>
> To: <husker at tssi.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 12:29 AM
> Subject: [Husker] USC thought and looking toward Troy
>
>