[Husker] The VaTech game was a lot like the 1996 ASU game

[Nick Chevance]

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 6:18 PM, Scott R Lawson
<SLawson at uamail.albany.edu> wrote:
> Mark a still photo is not going to tell all the story but I will stick to my
> thinking here, because even if the safety goes for the outside WR (who is
> already almost by him in that frame) the other safety would actually be able
> to 'slide' that way once the ball was in the air and probably help tackle
> the TE after about a 25-30 yard gain, but NO ONE else was going to help with
> the WR running down the sideline. Not to mention there is no one within at
> least 10 yards of the outside WR in that photo and, although I'd need a
> magnifying glass to tell it looks as if Taylor is already locked in on him
> and in mid throw.
>
> You make some great points, but I believe the safety flat out went to the
> wrong read.
>
> And Marvin Sanders (who has forgotten more about defense than we ever knew)
> was correct, he did not get deep enough in the first place in that
> situation.
>
> Scott in NY

And I did review the DVR tonight, the photo and the YouTube video and
I gotta agree with Scott here.  If you go to about the 0:46 point in
the YouTube clip (a point in the play after the photo point), you can
pick out the four receivers.  Two on the defensive right are in front
of Asante and covered by the CB, the linebacker is chasing the TE with
the left corner coming up to cover the short pass, and VT's Coale is
down the sidelines.  Coale is at the 40, the others are at the 30 and
Asante and O'Hanlon are at the 43.  Taylor is just releasing the ball.
 O'Hanlon's responsibility has got to be the deep guy, but at the
point of the pass, the receiver is effectively past him.  A 20-30 yard
pass to the middle isn't going to help them a lot, but an 80 yard deep
ball is going to hurt us a lot.

But finally, my last word on this, is that this play really doesn't
matter since it didn't lose the game.  Every player and coach shares
that responsibility.  Matt played well all day, made his share of
plays and mistakes, but made one mistake that everyone saw.  That's
really too bad.  I'm just glad none of my mistakes are that
visible.... or show up on YouTube.  Not sure how I could keep doing my
job.

Nick
-- 
“I wish I were less awkward around strangers. I never know what to say
when someone asks me who I am and what the hell I'm doing in their
house.”
Andy Ihnatko