A new offensive coordinator coach and star players.

Since last weekends game against USC we have seen a lot less of the team in the media. Despite having the same press conferences; post game, Monday's HC, Tuesday's DC & OC + select players the only new things we've learned are 1) the way we nearly won in California 2) our new OC Dana Holgorsen had a lot and a little to say this week.

Let's break this down...

The 28-20 defeat, could have easily gone the other way. I know, it sounds like the same old same old. But USC got lucky with missed balls bouncing off of our players and back into their hands. Missed calls and a quarterback that just threw balls without purpose and somehow were caught by their wide receivers. It felt like we were in an episode of the Twilight Zone with all the invisible forces against Nebraska.

A few things we saw Holgorsen do that we liked: We got the ball out faster, whether we were running or throwing, the tempo was quick. This made our offensive line look really good and our quarterback seemed more decisive. We threw to 3 tight ends, several wide receiver routes, and a running back.

Holgorsen said some things that got Nebraska fans pretty excited in his very first meeting with the press. The wide receivers need to block if they want the ball thrown to them-can I get a hell yes!? Holgorsen has identified a young player who can help us win who hasn't been playing (just who is he talking about???). Lastly, he said that position coaches are sometimes blind to the talent on their roster (paraphrasing here) because they like other guys personalities better. Like Micah Mazzccua perhaps???

Also, in the world of our next opponent Wisconsin, their sky seems to be beginning to fall. Luke Fickel did not have his best showing at this weeks pre Nebraska press conference on Monday. As he began to tell the media that he made the best decision for the team to let go Wisky's OC Phil Longo the day before, his responses to the media's questions showed perhaps there was more to this story. It looked like he was let go for personal reasons (as in personality conflict). Also, when asked about who would be their playcaller. Fickels response was maybe the most flubbed that this CFB fan has ever heard; the old "what does it matter?". Did he NOT expect that question??? Wow.

Lots to unpack this Thursday and did I mention we'll have a special guest? See you at 9pm central with Greg and Minnie and all of our WONDERFUL Fan-amily, the Chatterfields or is it the Holgor-maniacs? GBR!

Another one-score loss, more egregious B1G ref hijinks, our 1st game with Holgo, a logo battle…and Wisconsin upcoming & still now bowl eligible.

We’re going to chat about USC and some of the fallout from yet another one-score loss and failure to grab bowl eligibility. There was some criticism of Dylan Raiola and some thoughts about and by Dana Holgorsen.

The Trojans for some reason took great offense at the Huskers pre-game midfield prayer tradition, much like previous painted-grass worshipper Shadeur Sanders. Apparently, kneeling on painted grass which will be stomped on by 22 pairs of cleats plus refs in a couple of hours dishonorable and must be dealt with through foul language whilst being held back by coaches.

And, oh yes, the refs. They were … well… predictable.

Nebraska lost to USC 28 to 20 - yet another one score loss, a November loss, a loss when we had already had our fifth win of the season and trying to get bowl eligible.

God knows how many statistics have come out this week on what a statistical anomaly Nebraska is when it comes to losing one score games. People have talked about it being a curse. Matt Rhule says it’s no curse, that they just have to figure out how to win games.

That seems to require an unholy lot of figuring.

From Nicole Auerbach:

Nebraska might actually be cursed. I’m not sure how else to explain the recent history of this program. I’m truly at a loss. After a painful defeat at the hands of fellow underachiever USC on Saturday, the Huskers have now lost nine consecutive games with a chance to become bowl-eligible, with eight of those losses coming in one-score games. They reached the five-win plateau way back on Oct. 5. Bringing in new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen didn’t fix what ails the Husker offense, either, failing to total 325 yards or more on offense for the fifth straight game (with freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola throwing a pair of interceptions.) The Huskers are now 9-34 in one-possession games since 2018; that .214 win percentage in those games is easily the worst in FBS over that span. I am sorry, Nebraska fans.

Our opponent this week, Wisconsin, fired their offensive coordinator Phil Longo, just a couple of days after they played Oregon pretty tough. One of the jokes on the internet was that Wisconsin didn’t play a quarterback against Oregon, which I suppose doesn’t make their starting quarterback or their second string quarterback feel any better about himself.

For tonight’s show, we will be talking to a Wisconsin guy and probably commiserating about how bad our teams are doing.

Scary Alvarez will join us, and we will discuss and have a long discussion about the game coming up this weekend.