[Husker] Oh my --- Oklahoma loses to Colorado! (fwd)

[Steve Reichenbach]

Saying that NU's defense got beat because of lack of speed might have
held water against USC, but it is absurd to claim that NU lacks the
team speed to stop Ball State from running up 610 yds of offense or to
stop Iowa State from rolling up 28 first downs.  Ball State had more
yards against NU than they did against Miami OH, Eastern Michigan,
Navy, and Buffalo.  Ball State scored more points on NU than they did
on Miami OH, Eastern Michigan, and Navy.  (Buffalo gave up 49.)  Iowa
State had more first downs against NU than they did against Kent State,
Northern Iowa, Iowa, and Toledo.  Iowa State had more points against
NU than they did against Kent State, Northern Iowa, and Iowa.  (Toledo
gave 35.)

To say that NU doesn't have the team speed to play defense better
than those teams is ridiculous.  To hear you tell it, Cosgrove is a
freakin' genius saddled with players who have less talent than also
rans in the MAC.  I've only got one question:  Have you been watching
the freakin' games?

I was at the game (watching).  Yes, the defense played better, but
this is an ISU team that scored 14 against Kent State, 13 against
Northern Iowa, and 15 against Iowa (although they ran up 35 in
losing to Toledo).  The defense will have to play still much better
against Missouri or the offense better be able to score 6+ TDs.

One particularly frustrating aspect is the long 3rd down conversions
that the defense seems to give up.  Another is how slowly NU seems
to adjust to the offensive successes of the other team.  NU seems
to play a very reactive defense, especially when they seem to have
the other team on the ropes (as in 3rd and long).  Sometimes I'm
wondering if Cosgrove is just waiting for the players to make better
plays instead of trying to make adjustments.  It seemed as if NU
did attack a little more today and did make some better adjustments,
but the result was not what you'd call dominant against a team that
is not what you'd call imposing.

I'd like to be more hopeful, but what I saw today was some improvement
but not nearly enough for what will be needed the rest of the
schedule.  Every team that remains on NU's schedule is much better than
Iowa State or Ball State.

> I wasn't at the game but I'll throw out my two cents for what it is
> worth.  It is always very difficult for me to understand how a poster
> whose profession probably is not in athletics much less football would
> know they need to simplify things and the defensive staff, Defensive
> Coordinator, and Head Coach do not realize that.  When you are a coach
> on a Div 1-A team and you are playing other 1-A teams the likelihood of
> getting out coached game after game is unlikely.  If you are coaching
> on that level you know something about x's and o's.  When Cosgrove was
> at Wisconsin he had some good to very good defenses.  I doubt if he
> just totally forgot how to come up with a defensive scheme.  One thing
> that really strikes me when I watch the defense is the lack of team
> speed.  Speed is one thing you can't coach.  Many times if a player is
> out of position speed can make up the difference.  If you have no speed
> well.......  The other thing is the continuity of getting the defensive
> sets into the game in a timely matter.  But, I would say speed is the
> major factor.