College FB Plus: Frost melts down in opener
Hit the replay button on Nebraska.
Seven straight games, seven straight losses, all by single digits.
The latest flop was on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland when the Huskers squandered a 24-13 second half lead and dropped a 31-28 decision to Big Ten rival Northwestern.
And Nebraska coach Scott Frost continues to pile up some startling numbers as a head coach: 5-21 in games decided by seven points or less, 3-21 in games in which the Huskers trailed at halftime and 15-30 overall in a coaching career in Lincoln moves closer and close to closing with a whimper.
Nebraska opened its 2022 college football season against Northwestern the same way it ended its 2021 season--with a close, if only, what if, loss.
This time it was Big Ten West rival Northwestern, a team the Huskers had crushed 56-7 last season.
Frost, knowing his job was in jeopardy, made some changes in the off season, primarily on offense, where a new QB (Texas transfer) Casey Thompson and a new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple were imported.
New season, new hope, right?
Well not exactly, although you couldn't tell that on the opening drive of the game when Thompson led the Huskers 75 yards downfield to a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
This was a matchup of a pair of 3-9 teams from a year ago, so expectations were not off the charts.
uth be told, it was a well-played, clean entertaining show, with Northwestern looking like a team that it would contend for a division title as it had been in the previous two even numbered years of 2018 and 2020, as opposed to the 3-9 wipe outs in 2019 and 2021.
But Nebraska--especially on offense, looked and played better until midway -n the third quarter when the Huskers scored a pair of back-to back touchdowns to take a 28-17 lead.
Different year right, new hope?
Well, that was until Frost decided to play the role of head coach and called for an onsides kick--which failed.
Northwestern recovered, scored a touchdown and took control of the momentum of the game as well as eventually winning it.
Coaches take risks all the time.
Frost admits it was his call and his mistake.
Fair enough, especially since the Nebraska defense played all day without the ability to make simple tackles and was pushed across the line of scrimmage.
But then it got weird.
a post-game interview, Frost said, "I think we're going to have learn as an offensive staff you've got to be a little creative in this league.'"
And then this little aside, when asked how it felt not to be involved directly in the offense, Scott said, "It was tough on me.''
So he decides to get in the game by calling for a misguided onsides kick?
He throws Whipple and the offensive staff under the bus?
Hopefully, apologies were offered before the 7- hour plane ride back to Lincoln.
The offense was fine. It made a few mistakes. It produced 28 points and probably would have had more if were not for a questionable red zone fumble call against the Huskers in the first half.
The defense was the problem on Saturday.
Ominously, however, so was the head coach.
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Who's Hot
Illinois QB and Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito completed 27 of 37 passes for 192 yards and 2 TDS and Chase Brown scored 3 TDS and rushed for 151 yards in a 38-6 opening win over Wyoming.
The State of Illinois opened with Illinois and Northwestern both posting victories. The two schools were a combined 8-14 a year ago.
NC QB Drake Maye, who was named as the Carolina starter this week, passed or 5 TDS for 294 yards and rushed for 55 yards more in the Tar Heels 56-24 win over Florida A&M.
FSU beat Duquesne 47-7, which doesn't seem like a big deal. But this is a FSU which LOST to Jacksonville State last season and has not had a winning season since 2019.
Who's Not
Nebraska obviously. The Huskers needed a win over Northwestern to not only break their losing streak, which is now at 7, but to boost the confidence in a coach whose seat was already toasty.
Florida A&M --The Rattlers played the game without 25 players who had eligibility problems, but they played anyway, which prompted A&M coach Willie Simmons to say: We proved we belonged tonight.''
Hawaii The Warriors were a creditable 6-7 a year ago and hosted Vanderbilt (2-10 a year ago and LOST 63-10. Ouch.
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Most coaches will tell you there are no such things as moral victories.
New UConn coach Jim Mora might feel differently after his debut as the Huskies coach on Saturday against Utah State, nearly a 30 point underdog.
Play it forward (Games to look forward to this week)
Notre Dame at Ohio State--Someone is in for a surprise
Utah at Florida--Biggest game in Utah history?
Oregon vs. Georgia (Atlanta)--Ducks can stun the world and make new (and former Ga defensive coordinator) Coach Dan Lanning an instant hero.
Top 10
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Utah
7. Oklahoma
8. Baylor
9. USC
10. Notre Dame.