⚡ CFB Dashboard

Opening Statement “I think it just comes down to big-boy football. The team that could run the football and the team that couldn't won and lost tonight. So give Nebraska a lot of credit. Just think they're much improved from what I saw a year ago, you know, defensively got us behind the sticks a lot with a lot of you know sacks, TFLs, explosive plays, and those are hard things to be able to overcome for our offense. So I thought we'd be able to move it a little bit better. So credit to Coach (Rob) Aurich and those guys over there; they're playing at a high level. "And then defensively, I just felt the first quarter way too much on our heels. Didn't tackle very well. They came out with just a mindset that they're going to run the football, and we couldn't stop it. And then I felt like you know the second and the third quarters it got a little closer and tighter. We started to compete better, but the play coming out of halftime on defense is unacceptable. It's a miscommunication where it's a crucial time in the game for us to be able to play well and try to keep that thing, 17 to nothing, and we couldn't do it.” On Nebraska’s sacks and tackles for loss “I think pressure, right? Like they disrupted them. You know, we didn't do a good enough job up front. Be able to give them time. We got to be able to block better. We got to be able to establish a run game. I think that's where everything starts and ends. With us we're second and nine, and second and 10, and second and eight a lot. Like there's you know there's only so many things that that we have in those situations and we can't stay on schedule and then you know to find a way to be able to go score to make it 24 to seven and then you know once again not be able to play complementary football I thought was disappointing. "So it's not all on the quarterback, I get it the quarterback, the offense coordinator, the head coach those guys are usually going to get criticized when you lose, and they're going to get the praise when you win. I think Jerry was trying to do a lot tonight. We just didn't give him enough time and opportunities for him to go out there and be successful.” On figuring out Nebraska’s run game and Anthony Colandrea’s impact “Our guys figured out they were running outside zone. All right, like point blank, like everybody in the stadium knew what was going on, and we still couldn't stop it. So it was bad on the play caller, me, not doing a good enough job of being able to get our guys lined up and playing, and good on them, man. They stuck to a game plan and have an identity of who they want to be, it doesn't matter what you do. That's who they're going to be, and I thought we made some adjustments. They did a good job early on. "I thought going for it on fourth down was a big play. We thought maybe we'd get off the field there. You know, they come back and score then on that possession, and then just some third downs. I think their quarterback has made a world of difference too as well. They're better on defense, and then their QB's really good. He's probably missed a couple. The one right before halftime, he missed the guy coming underneath, who could have maybe been a first down. But he's a good player, man. He's dialed in and knows what he wants to do and takes care of the football. He's a good leader.”