I liked the webcast, especially the first half when it worked, but would prefer TV so I didn't have to come in to work on Saturday.
I love, however, the webcast archive being available. I watched the whole games over a couple lunch hours! Fabulous access to Husker footage. I vote for all games available in close-up and coaches' wide angle versions on the web by midnight Saturday every week. :-)
The NU offense was pretty vanilla, and I'm guessing the defense was the same. On the offense though, there were a couple new things:
- A new (or revived) QB bootleg. The fullback runs his trap path, but the linemen block straight ahead (inside zone, maybe). The QB, instead of giving to the FB and running option with the I-back, spins out in the other direction. NU set this up with the FB give on the first drive and then Crouch kept the ball on the same action during the second drive. It may be a play added to take advantage of Eric's speed, as it is a naked bootleg (no blockers). Crouch is the fastest QB I've ever seen.
- The Big Red also ran a counter dive (maybe they'd call it counter iso) out of the Power (Maryland I) formation. The first fullback went playside to lead, like a regular iso, but the second fullback (Davies) went the opposite way and took a fake from Crouch, who always reverses out on iso any way. The I-back followed the first FB in a traditional NU iso. Might be new. Might be revived. Might be Davies went the wrong way and Crouch faked it to him for fun.
- They've used Wistrom a lot in the last two years as a motion TE. Much like what the NFL folks call and H-back. Sometimes he was shifting or motioning from a traditional TE alignment or slot alignment, but other times he was the second man in the Power set (really the WB's spot). Against SJSU the Huskers used Davies there as a second FB, just like they've done in the past, but they also put him in H-back-like motion quite often. Could be a plan to utilize Davies and Miller more together.
- One play where Davies did some H-back-ness was the first TD. It was the QB keep where it looks like trap, then it looks like option, then it turns out everyone but Crouch is blocking and he's carrying the mail off-tackle. Davies did his little motion toward the playside and then led up and in on the MLB, usually the I-backs responsibility, and Big Dan followed through that hole and looked outside to block creating a double-iso for the QB.
- They also showed some variations of the shotgun set. Usually , this set has two wide receivers on each side, but Saturday NU showed it with a Spread set (TE/WR on one side, two WRs on the other) to run a jailbreak screen for Newcombe, and with wide trips (SE to one side, TE/2 WRs to the other) to run a QB draw. My hypothesis is that we may have enough running plays cooking for that shotgun alignment of Crouch that we want to have a TE in there more often to block.
- A lot of toss sweep and outside play. A lot!
- I think there was a lot of work on the "Newcombe package" Saturday. Just not on the part of it where he carries the pig. Notice how little Thomas and Gibson were in early? Solich and Brown were largely shuttling plays with the wealth of tight ends, leaving Davison and Newcombe in the game. Bobby drew several blocking assignment usually reserved for "blocking wingback" Troy Hasselbroek late last year, including one trip in motion to attack the defensive end on the backside of an inside zone play, probably the most physical WB block needed. I think the idea is to have him out there more, so that the element of surprise when he does get the ball is greater.
So, who we play this week?