Husker Dan: Stumbling in the Red Zone

Can Mark Whipple solve Nebraska’s inefficiency in scoring from inside the 20?

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

If the Huskers are to have any chance of a winning football season this fall, they will need to tackle (no pun intended) several issues.

One of the most pressing of them is the Huskers' inability to score once they get near the red zone (the opponent's 20 yard line). Nebraska has had little trouble moving the ball between the 20 yard lines, but when they get close to scoring, too often they have struggled.

In fact in 2021, Nebraska ranked among the worst teams (No. 106 out of 130) in FBS red zone scoring. Is it any wonder Nebraska won only three games last year?

To shore up the Huskers' red zone scoring, Scott Frost hired Mark Whipple as the new offensive coordinator. Whipple held the same title the past three years with the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Just what effect did Whipple have on Pitt's red zone scoring? In 2019, Whipple's first year at Pittsburgh, the Panthers ranked #103.
That's not much better than Nebraska's 2021 ranking.

But in Whipple's second year, Pitt rose from 103rd to 32nd. And last year, the Panthers ended the season ranked 37th. Not bad.

If Whipple can make that kind of impact with the Husker offense this fall, Nebraska might have a chance to make a big jump in the win column. But unfortunately, Whipple doesn't have the luxury of waiting two years to make the leap. The future is now - or needs to be by Aug. 27 in Dublin, Ireland.

Herbie's not OK?

Sadly, longtime mascot Herbie Husker has been told he must undergo a redo. Why the change? Some people thought his OK sign could be interpreted as a white supremacist hand signal.

Herbie a white supremacist? Who knew?

But not to worry. His new look has Herbie flashing a "We're No. 1" sign. There. Doesn't everyone feel better now?

Sigh...

How ’Bout Them Huskers!

Don't miss the latest podcast about the world of Husker sports. Each week my grandson Will and I discuss whatever's current in the world of Husker athletics as well as what's new in the sports world in general. Just Google "How ’Bout Them Huskers!" and you'll be given a list of all our podcasts.

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