huskerhillbilly wrote: Maybe I missed something, but has Cotton been reassigned at this point?

SnidelyWhiplash wrote:

LinvingProog wrote:

ToolFinder wrote:

bigredtxtoks wrote:

yutan87 wrote:

bigredtxtoks wrote:

yutan87 wrote: 
 National stats mean squat when you face teams that aren't any good.  

So I guess we don't have to read any more posts about how much Martinez turns the ball over compared to the rest of the nation?

I assume you know what I mean.  If you are in a conference that doesn't throw the ball well at all, you are going to have a decent ranking in pass defense.  Enter a school like Georgia and a 400 plus yard game and that stat looks like a fraud as it was.  Turnovers are pretty universal as being a bad no matter what conference you are.

But Nebraska was in a conference that runs the ball well and defends the run well.  And they were the top rushing team in the conference.

You're both off base a bit, but close.  


It's about being able to run the ball WHEN YOU NEED IT in big games. You can pad stats all season long (even in a decent Conference) but it comes down to getting those critical yards in big games and in big moments.    Our OL has failed in that area for years.   Yes, the D was the bigger problem in 2012 - but the fact is our OL hasn't been a shadow of years gone by....   Rex, TM and others have actually made our OL look better than it is (see Rex's extra 3-4 yards on so many carries, and TM's zillion yard run in the CCG).

How many drives where the running game was working were prematurely ended because of a fumble?  I'll bet it is a significant number.

How many drives were killed by an O-lineman jumping offsides?  It seems to happen...EVERY...SINGLE....GAME.  And once it happens for the first time in a game, it seems to snowball.

As for rushing yards, it can all be encapsulated with Taylor's run vs. Wisconsin.  Taylor made chicken salad out of chicken $h*+, period.  The blocking was abysmal yet we netted what, 80+ rushing yards?

Not to excuse Taylor's turnovers, but how much of it is him pressing because he's running for his  life.  Would any of you have wanted to stand back there the past few years?


Ouch!!

I like Cotton and I think he's done reasonably well with the recruiting hands he's been dealt. But yeah....no way could I muster up the guts to stand in the pocket with those opponent defenders instantly crashing through with the greatest of ease. Yikes.