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Husker Extra live chat: Steven M. Sipple, 3/20/17
Talk all things Huskers with Steve Sipple during his weekly chat, every Monday.
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@Steve: I don't envision spring games going away. However, I will have to research the ASU situation, which intrigues me. Nebraska's spring game has become more about recruiting than anything else, and for that reason alone, I can't see it every going by the wayside.
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Driving for 6: Miles' onerous task becomes clearer while watching Dance; UW good bet to advance
JournalStar.comLet's take a drive. -
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@Steve: Yes, quite a few, actually. Chris Weber has bulked up for the inside linebacker spot. Same goes for Luke Gifford (215 to 240) for the outside LB position. Mick Stoltenberg got quite a bit bigger in the lower body, or so it appears. I was surprised how strong Mikale Wilbon looks out of pads. He's a legit 200-205 pounds at 5-foot-9. I think Stanley Morgan Jr. has grown into his frame really well. Yeah, a long list.
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i didnt think so either sip, but the reality is that this team has lots of unproven pieces, coaches and players..everything will have to go extremely well for neb to win 9 games or better in my opinion. Dont you get the sense more and more people and starting to realize that nebraska has become a middle of the road big ten team?
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@wonder: You're right. A lot will have to fall together for a big season (10-plus wins). But I say it often: Nebraska has enough talent to win the division. Riley has said repeatedly that the changes on defense don't necessarily preclude having an excellent season. He says it with enough conviction that I believe him. If anybody is conceding "middle-of-the-road" status, I would like to think they believe it's only temporary. Once you settle for "middle of the road," that's what you become.
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@Steve: I personally believe Mick Stoltenberg could be a solid answer at the position, though he has to prove it. Khalil Davis also is in the "prove-it" category. Davis is an example of a player the media has built up with hyperbole. It's time to find out if he can really play.
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@Steve: I'm taking a wait-and-see approach on the offensive line in the wake of its awful performances against Iowa and Tennessee. No way I'm pumping sunshine on that unit until it shows it can move the ball on the ground against a defense as ordinary as Tennessee's.
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@wonder: I think Stanley Morgan Jr. is that caliber of player, but I admittedly don't have a great feel for the wideout position throughout the Big Ten. I think Chris Jones would merit consideration. But those two are about it. Yes, that's a concern. If Nebraska wins big (10-plus wins), it will be because: 1. It has a strong "team" approach; 2. Players are developed well; 3. Players fit the systems well (a la Wisconsin); 4. The team is exceptionally well-coached.
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@Steve: I think Tyler Hoppes might surprise folks. The 6-4, 245-pound senior is an excellent athlete -- a dangerous down-field threat. Matt Snyder, a 6-5, 250-pound sophomore, is beginning to show why quite a bit of hype accompanied his recruitment. Jack Stoll, a 6-4, 250-pound redshirt freshman, is a tough kid. All things considered, I'm only mildly concerned about the position, in large part because of my regard for Hoppes -- a walk-on from Lincoln Southwest who began his career at Wayne State.
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@Dick: I couldn't agree more. I like that Wisconsin has a clear identity in both football and basketball. The Badgers, in both sports, have recruited to defined systems for years. They have a blue print that works for their particular situation. And yes, the teams usually are tougher than hell.
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Losing a mobile QB might hurt a little, not much and will be more than made up by QB's who can actually throw a pass accurately, short to mid to long routes, check downs, etc., TA was not a good throwing QB proven by the corp of receivers we had the last several years and mediocre at best receiving stats! TA was a good running QB, not a leader as evidenced by not being voted captan his senior year and certainly not even an average passer. Can't wait to move on to the new era of Husker QB's, not they have to play!
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@CD: Tommy Armstrong did far too much for the program to denigrate him in that manner. It frankly gets old. A lot of fans do a really great job of kicking players and coaches out the door. Bottom line, a coaching change necessitated that he try to fit into an offense that was designed for a different style of QB. That's hardly Armstrong's fault. He tried his best to adapt. In fact, he adapted well enough to beat out Ryker Fyfe and Patrick O'Brien for the job. Nothing was handed to him.
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I base it on the fact Eichorst is native to Wisconsin and worked in various AD office roles from 2006 to 2011. I base it on the not so wild opinion his goal is to replace Alvarez when Alvarez retires. I base it on the wilder opinion that the Chryst -> Anderson -> Riley moves were discussed and planned (why didn't Eichorst go after his friend Chryst for the Husker opening?). I base it on skepticism for hiring a 62 yr old coach with a career 500 record who has never won even a division title at the college level, yet is an incredible person who pacifies the masses. I then base it on the crazy and bizarre theories that Eichorst wears Bucky Badger Underoos and has a shrine to Barry Alvarez in his closet.
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@JimNE: I like the way you think, in part becomes your level of cynicism somehow eclipses mine. You just said something that long has fascinated me. That is, your "wild opinion" about the Chryst-Anderson-Riley moves. Based on what I know, it's not such a wild opinion. And if you listen to my radio show tomorrow at 7:20 a.m., I plan to ask Jeff Potrykus, UW football beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, about that very theory. (93.7 FM The Ticket in Lincoln).
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Sip, I agree with you on the TE situation. I actually think they will be a bigger part of the passing game now that all signs point to a QB who will be able to get them the ball quickly and accurately. I doubt we will be throwing a lot of downfield tosses to the TE's but who knows we haven't seen the true pro style offensive philosophy due to not having a QB who could execute it.
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@Steve: Excellent question! Freedom Akinmoladun had four sacks last season to lead all returners. But we all know his new role in a 3-4 may mean less attacking and more clogging up blockers for linebackers to make big plays. With that in mind, I would guess either Alex Davis or Marcus Newby might end up the leader in that category. Both are OLBs. If Davis is able to grasp the system and unleash his athleticism, he could be a dynamic pass-rusher.
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@Zadi: You can definitely live-stream it. Go to ...Thanks for asking!
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@Steve: No doubt about it. The offensive line is going to need to improve in a big way, in part because defenses may be able to rush more freely knowing there's a stationary quarterback waiting for them. The run game becomes very important, in part for the sake of keeping defenses honest. In a lot of ways Armstrong was a pain the rear end for defensive coordinators -- at least when he was healthy and clicking on all cylinders.
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@Steve: I think Carlos Davis may fit perfectly at the short-side defensive end spot, and he's in a situation where he's going to play a ton of snaps. I think this defense may be well-suited for DaiShon Neal, a 6-7, 270-pound specimen who backs up Freedom at field-side defensive end. Neal, though, is another player with a lot of proving to do. Also, Chris Weber seems an excellent fit for strong-side inside linebacker. He's big and gets downhill in a hurry. In a somewhat unrelated matter, I think the possibility of moving Joshua Kalu to safety makes a lot of sense because it would get more speed on the field. I like the Husker safeties, but there isn't a lot of speed in the group.
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Sip, we heard a lot about the play of DB's and QB's in the last red zone scrimmage (thanks LJS for the coverage), but not as much about the running game. Was it more a passing lighter contact scrimmage or was there some live running plays as well? If so, who won those, O or D?
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@JimNE: Great question. It is hard to gauge the running game because there was no live tackling -- just thudding up. So, it seemed there was much more emphasis on the passing game in the red zone. The running part, I'm guessing, will be worked on at a later date.
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Aside from the loss to the Irish, #Badgers know how close out NCAA games: jsonline.com/story/sports/c…by Jeff Potrykus via twitter retweeted by HuskerExtraSip 3/20/2017 9:02:56 PM
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