[Husker] Re: pinning the loss on Kunalic...really?

[bradalan at aol.com]

Dave that is just wrong.  Kunalic has been really good on  kickoffs.  The 
stats I saw right after the game were that the kickoff out  of bounds was his 
first in about 68 attempts this year, and only his second in  over 200.  A 
football is a funny thing, and sometimes it takes funny  bounces, which as 
we have seen too many times this season, don't always go the  way we would 
like.
 
While football is a team game, with three supposedly equal phases, I  think 
this years contributions have been about 50% Defense, 40% Special Teams,  
and 10% offense.  D and Special Teams played extremely well all  season.  
With even average performances in those phases the Huskers would  likely have 
lost 7 or even 8 games this season, instead of 4, and been nowhere  near the 
Big XII championship game.  D made the difference against OU, with  an INT 
return to the 1.  ST made the difference against Colorado and Baylor  with a 
punt return and blocked punt return for TDs.  We very well could  have lost 
to Baylor without that jump-start by the ST guys.
 
With even a marginally average offense, the Huskers could have beaten  Va 
Tech, Iowa State, and Texas, and even Texas Tech would have been a different  
game.  D and Special Teams kept them in those first three games.  Yes,  you 
can blame one blown play for the Va Tech loss, and one bad kickoff and a  
horsecollar tackle for the Texas loss, but that is very shortsighted.  A  
single touchdown by the offense in either of those games, or one less turnover  
by the offense against Iowa State, and those are wins.  If the Husker  
offense manages to drive 10 yards for a TD against Texas, that kickoff doesn't  
matter so much.
 
I think it is wrong to blame a close loss on any one player, and this  year 
on any defensive or ST player in particular.  I don't know Kunalic, or  
Larry Asante, or anyone else who made a costly mistake this year, but no  
mistake, particularly an isolated one, warrants the suggestion of yanking a  
scholarship.  I was sick when that kickoff went out of bounds, but I am  sure 
not a single person on this list feels anywhere near as bad as Kunalic does  
about it.
 
I am as disappointed in the loss to Texas as I was in the loss to  Miami 
when Dr. Tom went for two and didn't get it.  However, I am also very  proud 
of the effort of the team all year long, to fight for a top 20 season when  
by all rights they could have been 4-8.  I feel better about the TX loss  
than about any Husker loss in a long time.  The offense will get fixed, and  
the D and ST will remain at a high level, even with Suh and company  
departing.  The future is bright.
 
GO BIG RED!!!
 
Brad Bredenkamp



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Fri,  11 Dec 2009 12:47:21 -0800 (PST)
From: David Strong  <gbrlist at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Husker] Still looking for a QB
To:  Jon Johnston <jon.johnston at gmail.com>, Aaron Wolfson
<awolfson0 at gmail.com>,  Husker List <husker at tssi.com>, Mark  Landin
<marklandin at gmail.com>
Message-ID:  <12009.97007.qm at web111006.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;  charset=us-ascii


> From: Mark Landin  <marklandin at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Husker] Still looking for a  QB

> How many QB's would satisfy you, and
> from which other  positions should
> those extra schollies come from?

One good qb  would be a start, and a solid backup would be good as well.  
We don't have  either that we have seen play.

Need a scholarship?  Give Kunalic's  to someone else.

Dave