Steven M. Sipple: Pelini wary of making judgment too early
What’s this? A chance for Bo Pelini and his coaching staff to relax for a few moments?
Coaching staff in place? Check.
Recruits signed and sealed? Check.
Perhaps some R&R is in order for Pelini’s crew. But we’ll get to that later.
First, a clarification: Pelini, the new Nebraska head football coach, has said on a couple of occasions that he won’t watch videotape of last year’s Huskers in action. For some reason, that sounded strange to me.
Actually, “I’ll watch a little bit of tape,” Pelini said Wednesday. “But you can get tainted watching it. You can develop a misleading sense of these guys (players) before you even work with them. I’d just like to make my judgments after we’ve had a chance to work with them and see them in our system.”
Pelini is being cautious about film study of both sides of the ball because he isn’t fully aware of what was being asked of Nebraska players in given situations.
As for the Husker defense, Pelini might be better served to skip that tape altogether. This February cold is depressing enough.
Perhaps there’s another reason Pelini and his staff should be careful to avoid judging Nebraska players’ performance in 2007 too harshly. There’s increasing buzz that the team was somewhat lacking in flexibility and foot quickness, among other things, thanks in part to substandard training methods. Just something else to chew on.
Come to think of it, Husker defenders did look a little stiff at times trying to make tackles in the open field. And who could blame those defenders if they became fatigued after chasing Stafon Johnson, Chase Daniel, Marcus Henry, Jeremy Maclin, Hugh Charles, et al, week after week.
I need a nap just thinking about it.
Bottom line: spring practice, which begins March 26, will be a crucial player-evaluation period. Husker coaches will enter with open minds, Pelini said.
“It’s very similar to the last time I came here,” he said of his 2003 stint as defensive coordinator. “It’s literally like you’re starting over.”
Of course, Nebraska fans hope Pelini can orchestrate another extreme defensive makeover. Some magic may be needed, considering the Huskers finished 112th nationally in total defense last season and were toyed with at times (76-39 ring a bell?), which means player confidence could be an immediate issue for the new staff.
Pelini isn’t exactly lacking in confidence, as we’ve come to learn. Players tend to feed off his can-do approach.
Nobody’s asking for perfection on defense. But consistent effort would be a nice change of pace.
As for Nebraska’s defensive personnel, six starters return — ends Barry Turner and Zach Potter, interior linemen Ty Steinkuhler and Ndamukong Suh, plus cornerback Armando Murillo and safety Larry Asante.
Plenty of other defenders have ample experience, including linebacker Philip Dillard, linebacker/safety Major Culbert, safety Rickey Thenarse, cornerbacks Anthony Blue and Anthony West, ends Clayton Sievers and Pierre Allen, and interior linemen Kevin Dixon and Shukree Barfield.
Nebraska lost all three starting linebackers, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a couple cases.
Mind you, nobody expects Nebraska to lead the nation next season in turnover margin and pass defense, as was the case in 2003. But the Huskers have enough talent on hand to be a top-50 unit overall, right?
Right?
It’s safe to say Pelini had more talent with which to work in 2003 than he does now. The 2003 Husker defense featured no fewer than 10 future NFL players in prominent roles: Ryon Bingham, Le Kevin Smith, Trevor Johnson, Adam Carriker, Barrett Ruud, Demorrio Williams, Fabian Washington, Josh Bullocks, Daniel Bullocks and Jerrell Pippens.
What’s done is done, as they like to say, and Pelini now looks forward to the start of spring practice.
In the meantime, “As a staff, we’ve got to get on the same page offensively and defensively, so we can hit the ground running,” he said. “With the players, it’s a matter of getting everybody acquainted — they get to know the coaches and we get to know them. They’ll start to develop an understanding of what’s expected of them.
“And they’ll start living it, right? We’re heading in the right direction as far as that’s concerned, but it takes time. But when we hit spring ball, it’s time to go. That’s important.”
For now, perhaps it’s time for some R&R, Las Vegas-style. Don’t be surprised if a few Youngstown, Ohio-bred coaches — the Pelini and Stoops brothers, for instance — materialize this weekend at the MGM Grand in Vegas for an HBO boxing event pitting Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik, a hard-hitting middleweight from Youngstown.
Enjoy the show, fellas. That football videotape can wait.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
Coaching staff in place? Check.
Recruits signed and sealed? Check.
Perhaps some R&R is in order for Pelini’s crew. But we’ll get to that later.
First, a clarification: Pelini, the new Nebraska head football coach, has said on a couple of occasions that he won’t watch videotape of last year’s Huskers in action. For some reason, that sounded strange to me.
Actually, “I’ll watch a little bit of tape,” Pelini said Wednesday. “But you can get tainted watching it. You can develop a misleading sense of these guys (players) before you even work with them. I’d just like to make my judgments after we’ve had a chance to work with them and see them in our system.”
Pelini is being cautious about film study of both sides of the ball because he isn’t fully aware of what was being asked of Nebraska players in given situations.
As for the Husker defense, Pelini might be better served to skip that tape altogether. This February cold is depressing enough.
Perhaps there’s another reason Pelini and his staff should be careful to avoid judging Nebraska players’ performance in 2007 too harshly. There’s increasing buzz that the team was somewhat lacking in flexibility and foot quickness, among other things, thanks in part to substandard training methods. Just something else to chew on.
Come to think of it, Husker defenders did look a little stiff at times trying to make tackles in the open field. And who could blame those defenders if they became fatigued after chasing Stafon Johnson, Chase Daniel, Marcus Henry, Jeremy Maclin, Hugh Charles, et al, week after week.
I need a nap just thinking about it.
Bottom line: spring practice, which begins March 26, will be a crucial player-evaluation period. Husker coaches will enter with open minds, Pelini said.
“It’s very similar to the last time I came here,” he said of his 2003 stint as defensive coordinator. “It’s literally like you’re starting over.”
Of course, Nebraska fans hope Pelini can orchestrate another extreme defensive makeover. Some magic may be needed, considering the Huskers finished 112th nationally in total defense last season and were toyed with at times (76-39 ring a bell?), which means player confidence could be an immediate issue for the new staff.
Pelini isn’t exactly lacking in confidence, as we’ve come to learn. Players tend to feed off his can-do approach.
Nobody’s asking for perfection on defense. But consistent effort would be a nice change of pace.
As for Nebraska’s defensive personnel, six starters return — ends Barry Turner and Zach Potter, interior linemen Ty Steinkuhler and Ndamukong Suh, plus cornerback Armando Murillo and safety Larry Asante.
Plenty of other defenders have ample experience, including linebacker Philip Dillard, linebacker/safety Major Culbert, safety Rickey Thenarse, cornerbacks Anthony Blue and Anthony West, ends Clayton Sievers and Pierre Allen, and interior linemen Kevin Dixon and Shukree Barfield.
Nebraska lost all three starting linebackers, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a couple cases.
Mind you, nobody expects Nebraska to lead the nation next season in turnover margin and pass defense, as was the case in 2003. But the Huskers have enough talent on hand to be a top-50 unit overall, right?
Right?
It’s safe to say Pelini had more talent with which to work in 2003 than he does now. The 2003 Husker defense featured no fewer than 10 future NFL players in prominent roles: Ryon Bingham, Le Kevin Smith, Trevor Johnson, Adam Carriker, Barrett Ruud, Demorrio Williams, Fabian Washington, Josh Bullocks, Daniel Bullocks and Jerrell Pippens.
What’s done is done, as they like to say, and Pelini now looks forward to the start of spring practice.
In the meantime, “As a staff, we’ve got to get on the same page offensively and defensively, so we can hit the ground running,” he said. “With the players, it’s a matter of getting everybody acquainted — they get to know the coaches and we get to know them. They’ll start to develop an understanding of what’s expected of them.
“And they’ll start living it, right? We’re heading in the right direction as far as that’s concerned, but it takes time. But when we hit spring ball, it’s time to go. That’s important.”
For now, perhaps it’s time for some R&R, Las Vegas-style. Don’t be surprised if a few Youngstown, Ohio-bred coaches — the Pelini and Stoops brothers, for instance — materialize this weekend at the MGM Grand in Vegas for an HBO boxing event pitting Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik, a hard-hitting middleweight from Youngstown.
Enjoy the show, fellas. That football videotape can wait.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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