Carriker Chronicles: The QB Situation After Two Games
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00:00 Welcome to the Kroker Chronicles, the people show where we check the pulse of a frustrated
00:13 Husker Nation.
00:14 Now, there will be some weeks when I'll do a reaction to Matt Ruhle's press conference
00:19 on Mondays, and there will be some weeks when I don't.
00:22 It's just kind of how I feel going into a week.
00:24 And no disrespect whatsoever to Coach Ruhle, but this week I'm just not interested in what
00:29 is said.
00:30 All I care about is what happens on the field on Saturday.
00:34 And I do want to point something else out, because I am still repping Nebraska.
00:38 I'm going to rep the Red until I'm dead, and I'm Husker proud forever.
00:43 That will never change.
00:45 But today, there's got to be a change at the quarterback position on offense.
00:50 Something has to change.
00:51 And I'm going to define what that means later on in the show, exactly what I mean by that,
00:55 because it can mean multiple things.
00:57 But do me a favor, if you agree with me that something at the quarterback position needs
01:02 to change, and that's not optional, that's mandatory, then hit the like button.
01:08 Now, a couple of stats, they are what they are, take them for whatever you think they're
01:14 worth.
01:15 Alright, Nebraska has a 22 game losing streak versus AP ranked teams.
01:20 The last time they beat a ranked team was Oregon 2016.
01:25 Don't click off the video, don't worry.
01:28 It's just stats, it is what it is.
01:30 The last time Nebraska beat a Power 5 team in a non-conference game was Oregon 2016.
01:37 Again, something needed to change coming into this year, and two games in, something needs
01:43 to change.
01:44 Now, I do want to give Matt Ruhle credit, because speaking of press conferences, some
01:50 members of his staff wanted to cut the press conference short after the game on Saturday.
01:55 And Matt Ruhle refused, and he stayed the whole time.
01:59 Now coming into this game, and we're not going to talk a whole lot about Colorado, and I
02:03 do, I know I had said I was going to break down the Colorado game, I'm good.
02:07 Alright, here's all I'm going to mention about the Colorado game.
02:10 They had won the previous two meetings coming into last Saturday by a combined 8 points.
02:16 The issue is, Nebraska right now is only averaging 12 points per game on offense so far this
02:22 season, and I was going to see where we ranked nationally in that, and I chose not to do
02:26 so.
02:27 Okay, now, when I talk about our starting quarterback so far, Jeff Sims, and I talk
02:32 about these college players and these young men, it's not personal.
02:36 Okay, I'm going to tell you right now, it isn't personal, I'm not picking on anyone,
02:44 I have been that guy that's been analyzed myself, so I know what it feels like from
02:48 my own perspective.
02:50 Okay, so, it's just facts.
02:54 It's my opinion, and then facts to back my opinion as we go along here.
02:58 And here's the other thing, I view these young men different than I ever have.
03:02 NIL and the transfer portal has changed the game of college football forever.
03:07 When I first got to Nebraska, okay, I got there two weeks before training table opened,
03:12 before the dorms opened, before camp started, I slept on senior defensive end Justin Smith's
03:17 couch for two weeks, I ate nothing but 120 Metrix protein powder packets, okay, he made
03:24 me a steak one time, it was uber delicious.
03:26 Part of that is because I was stubborn as hell.
03:29 I didn't want money, I didn't want help from my parents, I didn't want anything, I wanted
03:33 to do it on my own.
03:35 Part of that is because that's how college football was back then, and I was happy!
03:38 I had no complaints whatsoever.
03:40 So, I do look at these young men a little bit differently, because it's more like semi-pro
03:44 ball with NIL and the transfer portal, but let's move forward.
03:48 Because I do believe Nebraska, as bad as it's looked, as deplorably deplorable, just made
03:56 that up, as it has looked at times, listen to some of these stats.
04:03 Because we could easily be 1-1 or 2-0.
04:05 Our defense has played well enough to win.
04:07 We have ran the ball well enough to win football games.
04:11 Now, Nebraska, when you have 4 or 5 turnovers, but you rush for 222 yards in your last game,
04:19 you average 5.4 yards per carry, but you only complete 50% of your passes, and average 5.4
04:26 yards per completion, the same amount as your average per rush, it's not great.
04:31 The Blackshirts held our opponent to 1.8 yards per carry and 58 total rush yards.
04:37 Throughout the year so far, our defense is giving up an average of exactly 2.0 yards
04:43 per carry, actually it's under that, I take it back, it's under that, and a total of 130,
04:50 they're averaging 1.8, 1.9 yards per carry that they're allowing per rush.
04:54 That's winning football.
04:56 Rushing for over 200 yards is winning football.
04:58 Averaging over 5 yards per carry is winning football.
05:01 They've given up an average of 56.5 yards rush yards per game, our defense.
05:06 We are averaging over, over 200 yards rushing a game.
05:11 Over 5 yards per carry as I mentioned, okay, that's winning football.
05:15 A story as old as time, run the ball, play defense, stop the run, you're going to win
05:21 football games.
05:25 Unless you're averaging 4 to 5 turnovers a game.
05:28 When you're leaving on average 10 to 14 points on the field per game, and handing the opponent
05:35 10 to 14 points per game.
05:38 Minnesota scored 10 points in the last 5 minutes of that game due to 2 short fields.
05:43 Colorado in the first half alone scored 10 points, their first 10 points due to 2 short
05:49 fields handed to them by our offense.
05:52 Not only that, our offense is driving on the first drive of the game on Saturday, going
05:56 to score, going to get a field goal attempt, going to get a touchdown, going to get a turnover.
06:00 We score again right before, I think 7 and a half minutes before half.
06:04 We're driving, I'm sorry, looks like we're going to score.
06:07 Turnover, okay, I talked after the Minnesota game how many points we left on the field.
06:11 We are leaving, the first 2 games, we probably left anywhere from 17 to 24 points on the
06:19 field and we've handed our opponents about 20 points.
06:22 I mean my God, that's a 44 point swing.
06:25 That is not winning football.
06:29 Real quick, we're doing things well, we're playing winning football and then we're not.
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07:12 Now clearly Sims, okay, has not looked like this in practice I would have to assume or
07:17 he wouldn't be playing.
07:19 I do have to wonder though with how bad he's looked in the games, barring him getting hurt
07:23 in the last game, how bad if Heinrich Harburg and Chubba Purdy, I have to assume they haven't
07:28 looked good, how bad have they looked because rule won't bring them in.
07:33 As bad as Sims is struggling, barring Sims getting banged up.
07:37 Now look at Heinrich Harburg, look at Chubba Purdy.
07:40 Harburg is second on the depth chart.
07:42 6'5", 215 pounds, from Kearney Catholic High School in Nebraska.
07:46 He's the first in-state quarterback to sign with Nebraska since 2001.
07:49 A top 20 dual threat quarterback, more than a dozen scholarship offers, won all sorts
07:54 of awards coming out of high school, a Sports Illustrated All-American candidate.
07:59 In my opinion, I've watched him practice, I've watched him practice over the years,
08:02 I've talked about his speed, I've talked about his arm, I've talked about his frame, I've
08:05 talked about it since he was a true freshman and the first time I saw him live in person
08:09 in practice in those ugly green jerseys that the quarterbacks tend to wear.
08:14 In my opinion, in a room full of talented guys, he has the highest ceiling of any quarterback
08:18 we have.
08:19 He's also athletic enough, at 6'5", 215 pounds, to play a wide receiver as well.
08:24 Chubba Purdy, younger brother of former Iowa State quarterback and current 49ers quarterback
08:29 Brock Purdy, he was a four-star quarterback coming out of high school.
08:32 Number six dual threat quarterback in the country.
08:34 Okay, he was the Arizona Offensive Player of the Year.
08:38 He transferred from Florida State.
08:39 He's only the fifth true freshman quarterback in Knolls history to start a game at quarterback
08:44 as a true freshman.
08:45 He's played in 10 games in his career with three starts.
08:48 These are both highly talented and highly touted and talented individuals.
08:53 Let me define now something different at quarterback and what that means to me.
08:57 It means, and I quote myself because I wrote it down here, "Execute the offense and not
09:02 turn the ball over.
09:03 If you can make a play great, if not, so be it.
09:08 Just hand the ball off correctly, handle motions correctly, and throw it to the guys with the
09:13 red on their helmet."
09:14 Again, I mean no disrespect to anybody who's played quarterback for us so far, but we have
09:19 played a lot of good football with a lot of ugly mixed in and something's got to change
09:23 at this particular position.
09:25 Heinrich Harburg, here's my question for him.
09:27 If it's him that gets the chance to start, play, or whatever this Saturday, can he match
09:32 his physical ability to his play on the field?
09:34 When it comes to Chubba Purdy, if you remember last year, he struggled when he got his chances
09:38 to play and you can see why Casey Thompson was the starter.
09:42 My question is, can you calm down and slow down the game in your mind because we were
09:46 told he'd get overly excited in the huddle?
09:48 Has that changed one year later?
09:50 Now, Harburg and Purdy, very small sample size and a very difficult situation to come
09:57 into on Saturday, but they were a combined 2 of 7 passing with one touchdown.
10:01 Now, if it is Sims, because I didn't say a different player, probably, I mean if it's
10:07 me, I'm giving Heinrich Harburg a chance or whoever plays better this week in practice.
10:12 That's what I'm doing.
10:13 I'm not the head coach.
10:14 I'm not the guy getting paid the moolah.
10:18 If it is Sims, and I don't know his health status at the moment that I'm recording this
10:21 video, I do not know his health status, but if it's a healthy Sims, my philosophy would
10:28 be run him over and over and over and do more option.
10:31 Do more option!
10:33 Please.
10:34 And ask him to be a game manager and run the ball and that's it.
10:40 Personally, I would give Harburg a chance.
10:43 I would absolutely prioritize whoever looks best this week in practice.
10:46 Now, here are my questions for you fine folks at home.
10:49 And actually Greg Smith had an intriguing tweet that I thought was interesting.
10:54 Greg Smith on Twitter, "Matt Rule has done a lot of correct things so far in Lincoln.
10:58 He picked the wrong quarterback and because of that it's going to be very hard to avoid
11:01 a typical Matt Rule year one where you only win one or two games is what he's getting
11:06 at."
11:07 Here's my question for you.
11:08 Is Jeff Sims, Matt Rule's, I'm just going to say it, the biggest mistake he's made since
11:15 he got to Lincoln, because if Jeff Sims doesn't come in, Casey Thompson's probably still here.
11:19 And Casey Thompson with him a quarterback, we're at least one and one if not two and
11:23 oh, and I could argue that Logan Smothers, and I do believe this, would have probably
11:28 led us to one if not two victories so far this year if he was a quarterback as well.
11:33 You know what, I actually, I don't want to ask that question.
11:35 I don't like the narrative that that could possibly create.
11:38 Again, nothing's personal here.
11:41 Just let me know.
11:42 Who do you think should start a quarterback this Saturday?
11:45 Jeff Sims, Heinrich Harburg, or Chubba Purdy?
11:49 Number two, my second question, what will Nebraska's record be going into the Michigan
11:52 game?
11:53 Will they be 0-4?
11:55 Dear God no.
11:56 Will they be 1-3 or 2-2?
11:57 Let me know in the comments below.
12:01 Last but not least, your thoughts on Marcus Satterfield as our offensive coordinator so
12:06 far.
12:07 Alright ladies and gentlemen, go check out Connor Hayden of Corinth Creeks, John Johnson
12:15 of Corinth Nation, Don Harreld, who is highly entertaining in his own right, and he needs
12:19 to get his name out there, at CarrikerChronicles.com, their game reactions, what they're saying
12:24 this week, what Nebraska needs to do different, and their predictions for our game this upcoming
12:29 Saturday.
12:30 I will be putting out another video later this week.
12:32 I don't even know if I'm going to do a prediction because we better beat Northern Illinois,
12:36 but I got a couple of things on my mind.
12:38 You can find it all at CarrikerChronicles.com, and this is about the worst time under God's
12:44 hot sun to plug merchandise, but I'm going to do it because I don't think I've done it
12:48 yet.
12:49 You can also get a bunch of cool merchandise at CarrikerChronicles.com and support the
12:53 show.
12:54 I know we truly appreciate it.
12:55 Go Big Red and always remember, to throw the ball.
12:58 - Good.