Nebraska Football: Coaches’ New Year’s Resolutions
By Matt Koeppe
Now that the Music City Bowl is over, Nebraska football fans, players, and coaches can start looking forward to the 2017 season. As the new year starts up, people will be making resolutions to work out more, spend less money, call their moms more, and so on and so on. Here are a few pledges that Nebraska football’s coaches need to make in 2017.
All for One and One for All
The combined focus of the staff needs to be closing out the recruiting class strong. Nebraska has a lot of irons in the fire with some big time prospects. It’s time to put the Husker brand on a few of those guys.
There is already some young talent on the team already, so adding a few four- and five-star commits can only help boost the team. Grabbing some game changers such as Foster Sarell, Joseph Lewis, Chuck Filiaga, Isaac Slade-Matautia, and Greg Johnson would be huge for the future of Nebraska football.
The Three-Headed Monster
Mike Riley
The head man’s resolution should be to put together a complete season. So far, he has had a season with a strong finish (2015) and a season with a strong start (2016). Now, how about putting those two together? The 2017 team will be HIS team. His recruits, his players, his game plan. Consider this his “Prove It” year. It will be his third season on campus and there are no more excuses. Time to put all the doubts to rest and show Husker Nation he is the right man for the job.
Danny Langsdorf
Nebraska’s offensive coordinator needs to show what he can do with his offense. With the departure of Tommy Armstrong and Ryker Fyfe, Langsdorf will now have the type of quarterback necessary for his system.
Junior transfer Tanner Lee and redshirt freshman Patrick O’Brien and will be battling it out for the starting role. Both can sling the ball all over the field, including those short touch passes that Armstrong struggled with. Langsdorf needs to prove he can get offensive momentum going and keep it going regardless of who’s under center.
Mark Banker
Nebraska’s defensive coordinator should vow to have fewer breakdowns. There were times during the 2016 season where fans were left scratching their heads. The goal going in was to eliminate big plays. The Blackshirts did pretty well most of the time, but there were still too many instances where players were out of position and missing tackles. The talent and experience will be there on the defensive side of the ball in 2017, taking care of the little things should be the main focus moving forward.
The Blackshirts did pretty well most of the time, but there were still too many instances where players were out of position and missing tackles. The talent and experience will be there on the defensive side of the ball in 2017, taking care of the little things should be the main focus moving forward.