Not A Good Look

It was not a good look.

A depleted Nebraska team was traveling to back yard of a preseason top ten team that stunningly underachieved and had much to prove, facing Tennessee in The Music City Bowl in  Nashville, about 200 miles from ole Rocky Top, home to the Volunteers in Knoxville.

Nebraska's record setting quarterback Tommy Armstrong was unavailable to close out his Husker career due to a hamstring injury.  The Big Red's leading receiver, Jordan Westercamp, was also out due to injury. And top tackler, senior safety Nate Gerry, inexplicably failed to go to class and made himself ineligible for the contest. Additionally, top running back Terrell Newby was hobbled, and top backup Tre Bryant was injured.

It had the look of a long day; and it was.

The Tennessee expected to challenge Alabama in the SEC, the team returning seventeen starters from a 9-4 campaign a year ago, showed up with a chip on their shoulder.

Nebraska was unable to do much offensively. Up front, the Huskers disappointed mightily, unable to generate a running game, which would seem critical to Big Red success. While Tennessee has a collection of top talent, most inclusive of DE Derek Barnett, the Vols did surrender huge amounts of real estate late in the year to teams with rushing attacks much inferior to Nebraska.

Unable to run, it came down to backup quarterback Ryker Fyfe hitting the Huskers stable of fleet footed receivers. There was some success, but Fyfe was under duress much of the day.

Tennessee DE Derek Barnett sacks Ryker Fyfe
Photo/Fansided

The Volunteers had success offensively against Nebraska. While the Huskers were adequate with respect to a pass rush, Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs was able to elude the rush running and or passing to find gains in yardage. "Lockdown U" was unlocked, as Volunteer receivers made several big plays, none more impactful than the final touchdown toss from Dobbs to Josh Malone, which ended any minimal chance for the Huskers to come back and steal this one.

Nebraska seemed outclassed, which in itself is stunning.

Nebraska started 7-0, but they did not look like a top ten team at all, and it showed limping home to 9-4.

For 2017, upgrades are needed across the board. Presumably, without Tommy Armstrong, the offense will move to a more pass oriented attack which coach Mike Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf prefer. The line was though to be emerging, but that was hard to imagine looking at this tape. The receivers are a team strength, and quarterback should be better than most think.

Defensively, there is talent, particularly in the secondary, but the front seven needs help in strength and speed. The front seven never got to a position to achieve dominance all season, and some players appeared to regress during the year; a troubling development.

A decent recruiting class appears on the horizon, and some young talent already on campus are already being whispered about. Time is getting short, and the schedule is no friend in 2017, picking up two potential top ten teams in Ohio State and Penn State.

The Music City Bowl was not a good look for the 'Huskers, and it is time to get to work on the promise of 2017.

Meanwhile, Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who was tragically killed in a car accident just prior to the season, had been on the minds of the team and Husker Nation all year.  In fact, each of the opponents paid tribute to Foltz in their own special way.

Foltz was in Nashville in spirit, and senior wide receiver Brandon Reilly paid a special and moving tribute to Sam following his second quarter touchdown reception.
 
Sam Foltz was an outstanding young man, and he will forever be in the thoughts of 'Huskers nationwide.

Finding Fertile Farm Ground

Throughout a difficult and inexplicable season where Nebraska failed to establish an identity, the Foster Farms Bowl offered an opportunity, one in which the Huskers firmly capitalized on in defeating UCLA 37-29.

Coach Mike Riley, seemingly already on the hot seat after the dismal 2015 campaign, often spoke of achieving an appropriate balance offensively.  Most in the fan base thinks the proper balance begins and ends with the run, and there is sound thinking behind that.

Certainly, it seems Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf prefer to throw, to a fault an reminiscent of the forgettable tenure of Bill Callahan. Evidence in this critical failure in coaching staff application occurred earlier this season where, after leading throughout, the 'Huskers proceeded to give a game away at Illinois. Not willing or able to run adequately, the staff instructed Tommy Armstrong to attempt 45 passes in freezing and windy weather, which produced four interceptions, and the end result was a completely unacceptable loss.

There were far too many of those this season, and the staff is no doubt aware continuance of these failures will result in their termination. However, out on the farm at the Foster Farms Bowl, Nebraska demonstrated what an optimal offense, for the Big Red, might look like.

I used to love the old option offensive attack, where when performed with precision, was a thing of beauty. Firing that onslaught of the Big Red machine at folks was just tremendous, but, sadly, the game has changed dramatically, and I do not think it could be as effective today.  There is far too much speed on the defensive line with most potential opponents, and it is much more difficult to recruit the top athletes necessary to run it. Wide receivers dream of touchdowns, knocking getting coaching points for knockdown blocks on the perimeter.  Option performers do not translate so well with NFL futures, so players will go where the can aim to perfect their NFL craft.

However, it is out on the farm where a blueprint for success, one which would match the history of Nebraska football with the game of today, and that is found at Stanford.  Under David Shaw, Stanford uses a punishing offensive line, runs when they want to and can when they need to, but uses both short and long passing games to compliment their total attack.

Nebraska offered a similar attack against UCLA. The Big Red ran early and often, establishing physicality and control, which in turn allowed Tommy Armstrong to be effective, and lethal, in the pass game.  Imani Cross ran inside, with Devine Ozigbo running strong inside and outside and making a nice catch out of the backfield. The fullback was relevant with Andy Janovich (will miss him in 2016), and a long list of targets collected Armstrong throws, most notably, freshman sensation Stanley Morgan, Jr.

Stanley Morgan, Jr./WR Nebraska
Photo/Erza Shaw/Getty Images

Nebraska ended the evening having tremendous offensive success, establishing an identify, and providing a base for future offensive operation, which opens the entire field for everyone, and allows quarterback play to be guided to maximize defensive deficiencies.

Defensively, UCLA freshman quarterback sensation Josh Rosen would be quite a challenge for the Blackshirts, who although improving in recent weeks, have been very suspect.  UCLA got out to a 21-7 lead, and Rosen is as advertised, but you had the feeling the Husker D was up to the task on this evening. Up front, we saw some tenacity that was often missing in the season.  One area Nebraska has been strong is stopping the run, and they were stout. The linebackers were active and although there were expected lapses, the secondary played pretty well.

Of course, as what is becoming customary, Nate Gerry was inexplicably tossed for targeting.  His tackle which got him disqualified was among the most fundamentally sound tackles most have recently seen.  These penalties are way to subjective, are hurting the game and are in fact simply out of control.  It must be addressed.

UCLA underachieved this season, which is becoming a pattern for the Bruins, but they are a talented bunch and defeating them in the Foster Farms Bowl is something to be proud of.  As mentioned, an offensive blueprint may have been found on the fertile ground on the farm, one which will effectively and successfully blend 'Husker heritage with the offensive complexities of the current game.

Nebraska in 2015 was very young, and if the players are buying in, with a good recruiting class, there is no reason to think the Big Red cannot win the 2016 B1G Ten Western Division.