Latest / Return to Glory - Nebraska / Episode 30 | Things We Know, Think We Know, Don't Know

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Episode 30 | Things We Know, Think We Know, Don't Know · Return to Glory - Nebraska

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Go big red the takes the numbers the chaos hunter
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: austin deck talking corn husker football basketball and everything nebraska
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: sports welcome to the return to glory.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Podcast return to glory podcast hunters arbor nikki here doing
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: a solo deep dive on things we know things we
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: think we know, and then things we just do not
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: know yet. For eight months, probably longer than that, but
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: we talked about what this Nebraska team could be. Two
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: games in, we have some evidence, not going to say
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  Speaker 2: all the evidence, but we have some evidence, not enough
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  Speaker 2: evidence to crown us national champs yet, but enough evidence
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  Speaker 2: to kind of audit what we thought in the preseason.
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  Speaker 2: So today, I'm going to put into three buckets, the
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  Speaker 2: things that I know from two games in, the things
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  Speaker 2: that I think I know, and then the things that
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  Speaker 2: I just don't know yet. So, number one, things that
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  Speaker 2: we know. This offense has more explosiveness than several of
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  Speaker 2: our offenses have. I think we can say that at
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  Speaker 2: least with certain, and this is comparing to past offenses,
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: not to Offenses of the past or other offenses in
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  Speaker 2: college football. We have over 1,000 yards in two games,
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  Speaker 2: and we're averaging over 7.6 yards of play. Last year,
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  Speaker 2: we were at 5.8. 5.3 and 24, 5.1 and 23,
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  Speaker 2: you get the picture. And yes, opponents come into play.
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  Speaker 2: But I do think that you can say this offense
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  Speaker 2: has more explosivity out of it, and that's due to One,
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  Speaker 2: I think Anthony Calandria, but two, the development of this
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  Speaker 2: running back room and the oppressive job that EJ Barthel
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: has done over the past couple of years. And then three,
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  Speaker 2: this receiving group, kind of having three of them that
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  Speaker 2: all are unique in their own way, but very explosive.
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  Speaker 2: Number two, Anthony Calandria, he changes the entire temperament of
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  Speaker 2: this offense. Through two games, he's thrown 68%. Completion percentage,
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  Speaker 2: he's got seven touchdown passes, one interception, which we know
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  Speaker 2: how that was. I mean, it was an interception by
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  Speaker 2: the book. The point is not that he's just this
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  Speaker 2: flawless quarterback, but the point is that with him, Nebraska
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  Speaker 2: looks explosive. We look aggressive. We look like we're attacking
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  Speaker 2: the other team. We look comfortable against Ohio and Bowling Green.
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  Speaker 2: And a lot of that has to do with you know,
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  Speaker 2: the style of play that he has. But for me,
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  Speaker 2: the most important thing, he is a gamer. He's played
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  Speaker 2: a lot of games. He's experienced. You can just tell
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  Speaker 2: things don't affect him. So Anthony Calandria, second thing that
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  Speaker 2: we know just changes his offense. And number three, we
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: have multiple playable running backs and receiving options. And I
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  Speaker 2: think this is important when it comes to injuries, most
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: importantly when it comes to injuries, but at the same time,
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  Speaker 2: you can get different looks and different styles out there
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  Speaker 2: when you play different guys. Now, again, if one or
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  Speaker 2: two guys emerge as this better player than the others,
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  Speaker 2: then I think it's important that we play them more,
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: and I think we might be seeing that, especially in
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: the running back room with Jamal Rule, but The good
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  Speaker 2: news is we have guys that have experience that have played.
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  Speaker 2: And the number four, finally, can't believe we're actually saying this,
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  Speaker 2: but Nebraska is back to burying an inferior opponent. We
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  Speaker 2: showed that we can do that now in back-to-back games.
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  Speaker 2: It sounds pretty basic. It sounds like, well, yeah, we should.
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  Speaker 2: But it matters. The game was 35-0 at halftime, and
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  Speaker 2: we just took it to Bowling Green. So, Those are
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  Speaker 2: the things I think we can say we know for sure.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Things we think we know, and I think maybe some
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: people think they do know this, but I think the
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  Speaker 2: offensive line is materially better. We heard that in the offseason.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: We think we know that. Yes, our rushing yards have
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: been very good through two games, 7.8 yards a carry.
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  Speaker 2: I think the things that we want to see is
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  Speaker 2: proving it against bigger size and talent up front on
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  Speaker 2: the opposing team. We think, number two, we think that
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  Speaker 2: we learned on the defensive end from Ohio. The Bowling
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  Speaker 2: Green game looked much, much better on the defensive side.
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  Speaker 2: They were two for 12 on third down, only had
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  Speaker 2: 169 yards of offense. Ohio, there was some question marks there,
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  Speaker 2: I think, from the defensive side. And yes, the third quarter,
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  Speaker 2: Bowling Green put together a drive. We say put together
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  Speaker 2: a drive. It wasn't like it was this drive the
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  Speaker 2: whole field. I think it was a 13-play, 30-some-yard drive. So, yes,
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  Speaker 2: they were able to score a touchdown there on us,
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  Speaker 2: but we think we got better from week one to
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  Speaker 2: week two there. And another thing is that we think
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  Speaker 2: we know that we're deeper. Roster's just deeper. We have
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  Speaker 2: more experience. We have more veterans. We have a lot
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  Speaker 2: of guys that can play meaningful snaps. We trust a
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  Speaker 2: lot more bodies. We'll see if injuries come into play
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  Speaker 2: and when conference play puts a little toll on the bodies.
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  Speaker 2: We'll see who's all playing, but we think we have
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  Speaker 2: better depth on this team. And then third bucket here,
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  Speaker 2: things that we just truly do not know yet. And yeah,
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  Speaker 2: if you want to be an optimist and you want
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  Speaker 2: to really drink the Kool-Aid, then maybe you can say
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  Speaker 2: you know these things. But things that I just can't
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  Speaker 2: see us.
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  Speaker 2: We don't know yet. Can Nebraska, can we win when
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  Speaker 2: Calandria is just average? Now, we hope that he's never average.
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  Speaker 2: We hope that he's always really good. But there will
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: be games I anticipate that he's not going to throw
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  Speaker 2: for as many yards as he has and look this
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  Speaker 2: efficient with his legs. Teams are going to be better.
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  Speaker 2: Teams are going to have different schemes for him, which
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  Speaker 2: is going to be good because it can open up
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  Speaker 2: other areas of our offense. But If he has an
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  Speaker 2: average performance, can Nebraska still rally and win the game?
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  Speaker 2: Second thing, go back to the run game, which has
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: been very efficient here in the first two games. When
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  Speaker 2: we play a powerful front, and you know what? It
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: might start this week against North Dakota being a little
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: bit bigger up front. Can we create efficient yards? And
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  Speaker 2: then on the flip side, can we stop the run?
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  Speaker 2: Which I think we're going to see a little more
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  Speaker 2: of a taste this week as well. So, again, going
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: back to the offensive and defensive lines, when we play
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  Speaker 2: better opponents, what's that going to look like? Number three,
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  Speaker 2: and I guess you could maybe say that both these
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: quarterbacks we've played have been mobile. That's been the narrative,
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  Speaker 2: but can we contain a mobile quarterback still with our legs?
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  Speaker 2: We saw the Ohio guy get loose a couple of times.
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  Speaker 2: Much better job in week two. What does that look
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  Speaker 2: like when we play a true mobile quarterback now? Good
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  Speaker 2: news is I'm not sure how many of those we
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  Speaker 2: play in the Big Ten. We're going to play a handful.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: Malik Washington from Maryland last year ran a lot on us.
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: So we will see what that looks like. We just
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  Speaker 2: don't know anything yet. Number four here on things we
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  Speaker 2: don't know and things that I think we hope we
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: figure it out, but we just don't know yet with
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: this team. When it comes to the fourth quarter, yes,
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: the one-score game narrative can We piece things together and
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: find a way to win a one-score game. And over
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  Speaker 2: the last several years, last year, I think we said, yep,
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  Speaker 2: we got that figured out. Well, have we? Let's see.
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  Speaker 2: Can we win close games again here moving forward in
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: the season? And then another thing I just don't know,
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: because it really hasn't been great in past years with
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  Speaker 2: Matt Rule. Can we win this game with decision-making and
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  Speaker 2: pure coaching? You know, when it comes to managing clock
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  Speaker 2: and executing on third and fourth downs, you know, exploiting matchups,
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: can we out-coach the other team? I don't know that
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  Speaker 2: that's always happened in the Matt Rule era. It's happened
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  Speaker 2: at times. So, you know, can this coaching staff find
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  Speaker 2: their way to out-coach? And I think, you know, the
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: assistant coaches that Coach Rule has hired for this year
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  Speaker 2: specifically so far, you know, signs it. That's going to
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  Speaker 2: be true. We have a good coaching staff, but is
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  Speaker 2: that actually going to be the case here as we
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  Speaker 2: move forward in the season? So here's, I guess, overall
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  Speaker 2: why I refuse to just go head over heels on
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  Speaker 2: this 2-0 team yet. We've been 2-0 before, not a
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  Speaker 2: lot recently, but 2-0 last year we were. We beat
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  Speaker 2: Akron 68-0, if you remember that last year, and we
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  Speaker 2: end up finishing the year 7-6. Yes, there was a
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: Dylan Raiola injury, QB injury that came in there, but
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: I guess Dylan Riella sucks now, according to everybody. So
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  Speaker 2: I guess that maybe shouldn't be a measure of why
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  Speaker 2: last year fell off, but 2024. we were 2-0 as well,
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: and we beat Colorado. We also finished 7-6. So where
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  Speaker 2: we're at, I guess, is not new. But what I
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  Speaker 2: think maybe is more encouraging is some of the, if
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: you use the word, efficient on both ends. I think
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  Speaker 2: that maybe can get your hopes up here when you're
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: looking at comparing it to past seasons. So that's my
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: deep dive here on things that we know, we think
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: we know, and we do not know. Wacky Dacky Wednesday
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  Speaker 2: will be here tomorrow, and we'll hear his recap on
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: the game, including his reaction to the Vikings game as well.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: Big win over the Packers for him. So go Big Red.
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  Speaker 3: The headlines change, but the mission stays. From Memorial Stadium
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  Speaker 3: to PBA days. Football Saturdays, basketball nights.
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  Speaker 2: Every story chasing.
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  Speaker 1: Red and white.
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  Speaker 3: Recruiting buzz, big time commits. Camp battles, coaching hits. Transfer
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  Speaker 3: moves and rising stars. The road to glory's never far.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: This is Return to Glory.
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  Speaker 2: Where every headline tells a story.
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  Speaker 3: Big Red pride every season, Husker Nation's got a reason.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: From touchdowns, dunks, and championship dreams, we'll be back with the.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: Latest from every team.
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  Speaker 1: Until next time, keep the faith.
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: Keep believing, because the Return to Glory is just beginning.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: Go Big Red!
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: See you next episode!