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The Impact of UCF's Winning Streak on Riley

Doc Fumble

Doc Fumble

Coaching Legend
Dec 15, 2017
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The Heart of Huskerland, Lincoln, NE
There were some very interesting takes by Doc and SUH in the Diaco to OU thread about how Riley's horrible season led to the coming of Frost. Rather than drive that thread further off-topic and feel the Wrath of Chris (wink), I thought I'd add to that discussion here.

There is no question that the start of the season didn't go as Mike Riley and his coaching staff (and us fans) had hoped. But I would argue that one of the things that made it next-to-impossible to salvage a so-so season and a bowl game was the dramatic rise of Scott Frost at Central Florida. To be very blunt, Husker fans were already sitting up and taking serious notice of Frost's UCF season back in September.

When his Knight team laid the smackdown on the road against a Maryland team that had upset Texas, I would argue that Husker Nation was already in full drooling mode....and it only intensified each week afterwards with each proceeding UCF win. It didn't take long before the "hot young head coach on the rise" media attention started surrounding Frost. At the time, Frost talked about the importance of his team staying focused.

When this was happening, the Husker players and coaches were not deaf and blind. They had to have been well-aware of how Frost's successes were impacting the fan base. I suspect that all the hoopla was making it harder for the Husker coaches and players to remained focused on the tasks at hand. With SE's departure the 'Frost Effect' went into Turbo Mode among the fan base --- which had the opposite, 'energy sapper' effect on the Husker coaches and players. Once Eichorst was canned, I would argue that it would have taken the Coaching Job of All Time to keep the team focused.

I'm not trying to make excuses for the dismal performance of Riley's team last season. But I believe its no coincidence that the Huskers' woes snowballed in direct proportion to Frost's mounting successes.
 
DrFumblerooski said:
There were some very interesting takes by Doc and SUH in the Diaco to OU thread about how Riley's horrible season led to the coming of Frost. Rather than drive that thread further off-topic and feel the Wrath of Chris (wink), I thought I'd add to that discussion here.

There is no question that the start of the season didn't go as Mike Riley and his coaching staff (and us fans) had hoped. But I would argue that one of the things that made it next-to-impossible to salvage a so-so season and a bowl game was the dramatic rise of Scott Frost at Central Florida. To be very blunt, Husker fans were already sitting up and taking serious notice of Frost's UCF season back in September.

When his Knight team laid the smackdown on the road against a Maryland team that had upset Texas, I would argue that Husker Nation was already in full drooling mode....and it only intensified each week afterwards with each proceeding UCF win. It didn't take long before the "hot young head coach on the rise" media attention started surrounding Frost. At the time, Frost talked about the importance of his team staying focused.

When this was happening, the Husker players and coaches were not deaf and blind. They had to have been well-aware of how Frost's successes were impacting the fan base. I suspect that all the hoopla was making it harder for the Husker coaches and players to remained focused on the tasks at hand. With SE's departure the 'Frost Effect' went into Turbo Mode among the fan base --- which had the opposite, 'energy sapper' effect on the Husker coaches and players. Once Eichorst was canned, I would argue that it would have taken the Coaching Job of All Time to keep the team focused.

I'm not trying to make excuses for the dismal performance of Riley's team last season. But I believe its no coincidence that the Huskers' woes snowballed in direct proportion to Frost's mounting successes.
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This is true Fumblerooski but I also will point out the bigger elephant in the room. This team was weak. Weak physically. They were not putting in the time in the weight room like they should have been. They could last maybe a half to 3 quarters with most of the teams, then they would run out of gas and get runover. This issue has been there since Riley started. And really showed up last year.

To your point though every week UCF won the chant became louder and louder for Frost. I rememember sitting watching us get destroyed by Ohio State and myself and several others around me were talking about Frost. We didn't want to see this crappy product on the field anymore and we knew there were weight room issues then. As the weeks went by and we piled up more losses and UCF piled up more wins it became apparent that Riley was out and Frost would soon be in.

I'm just glad TO was/is still around. He was a huge assist in Frost coming back to Lincoln. If not for him I don't think Frost comes.
 
SUHnami said:
I also will point out the bigger elephant in the room. This team was weak. Weak physically. They were not putting in the time in the weight room like they should have been. They could last maybe a half to 3 quarters with most of the teams, then they would run out of gas and get runover. This issue has been there since Riley started. And really showed up last year.
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I somehow managed to delete the majority of my earlier post.

What I was going to say was that Riley made it crystal clear what his approach was going to be when he started. He said the coaching staff lays out the expectations and then its up to the players to be responsible enough adults to follow through on what they've been asked to do.

Now that sounds really good IN THEORY. But sadly, today's young men are not nearly as focused, mature, committed and responsible as we were at that age, right guys? :)
 
DrFumblerooski said:
Rather than drive that thread further off-topic and feel the Wrath of Chris (wink).
Click to expand...


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Removed Spleen of Jordan said:
The key moment was when Eichorst was let go. You don't fire the sitting athletic director in order to keep the current head coach. Frost could have gone 9-3, 10-2 after that. The die was cast.
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I agree. While the Powers-that-Be were all 'poo-pooing' its significance beyond Eichorst, it was no coincidence that it took place days after the football team lost to N. Illinois. But hope springs eternal and while it was still possible for Riley to turn around the season, the giant, ever-increasing shadow Frost was casting turned what little hope existed within the program to no hope at all. And that explains the team's death spiral from the second half of the Wisconsin game on.

The fact that there were actually diehard Husker fans ROOTING FOR RILEY TO CONTINUE LOSING tells you all you need to know.
 
DrFumblerooski said:
There is no question that the start of the season didn't go as Mike Riley and his coaching staff (and us fans) had hoped. But I would argue that one of the things that made it next-to-impossible to salvage a so-so season and a bowl game was the dramatic rise of Scott Frost at Central Florida. To be very blunt, Husker fans were already sitting up and taking serious notice of Frost's UCF season back in September.

******snip******

I'm not trying to make excuses for the dismal performance of Riley's team last season. But I believe its no coincidence that the Huskers' woes snowballed in direct proportion to Frost's mounting successes.
Click to expand...

I dunno. Quite Frankly, there was almost no chance that Riley was going to be successful at Nebraska. When Bo was fired I wanted Frost to be the guy, but Eichorst dropped the Riley turd in our punchbowl.....and here we are.

If Riley could have salvaged an 8 and 4 season with a middling bowl win, he may have been brought back, even with the dismissal of Eichorst and Frost's success at UCF.

Thankfully, we didn't have wait long for Riley's imminent failure to be completed.

On to better things, I say.
 
cornstar said:
If Riley could have salvaged an 8 and 4 season with a middling bowl win, he may have been brought back, even with the dismissal of Eichorst and Frost's success at UCF.
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That's certainly conventional wisdom talking. But I disagree. The cultural disconnect between Riley's program and what the fan base expected was SO huge -- and the attraction to Frost was SO intense -- that I don't believe a middling season would have been enough to save him despite his nice guy image.

I truly believe that there was a genuine fear among the Powers-that-Be that if Mike Riley had been retained for another season, Nebraska's sell-out streak would have ended this year. There was THAT much widespread disillusionment with the direction that Riley's program was headed.
 
[QUOTE="DrFumblerooski, post: 112906, member: 211896" QUOTE] I agree. While the Powers-that-Be were all 'poo-pooing' its significance beyond Eichorst, it was no coincidence that it took place days after the football team lost to N. Illinois

I had a rather interesting conversation with someone recently who lives across the street from an influential player in the events following the N. Illinois game. So I was told, this individual's driveway was filled with vehicles of no insignificant value. Did this mean something? Did this mean nothing? All I know is the person telling about the influx of vehicles felt immediately that something was afoot. This of course, was long before UFC's stellar run.

My personal feelings are that Eichorst's demise was the result of his hire. And that Riley's demise was in turn the result of who he hired. They both took their shots.........and missed. This was as far as my analysis went.

Now as to your premises Fumble, I actually never thought about the relationship of Scott's successes and the death knoll for Coach Riley, but it is an interesting thought. Did UFC's success instigate fan apathy? I rather doubt it. Did it magnify and illuminate fan discontent? Now that is an interesting consideration
 
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DrFumblerooski said:
That's certainly conventional wisdom talking. But I disagree. The cultural disconnect between Riley's program and what the fan base expected was SO huge -- and the attraction to Frost was SO intense -- that I don't believe a middling season would have been enough to save him despite his nice guy image.

I truly believe that there was a genuine fear among the Powers-that-Be that if Mike Riley had been retained for another season, Nebraska's sell-out streak would have ended this year. There was THAT much widespread disillusionment with the direction that Riley's program was headed.
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You could be right.

But it would have been tough to fire a guy after 2 straight 9 win seasons.
 
Riley is what he is and always been. SE wasn't a fit here either
 
DrFumblerooski said:
The fact that there were actually diehard Husker fans ROOTING FOR RILEY TO CONTINUE LOSING tells you all you need to know.
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That is very disturbing to me. Perhaps not for the reason you may think.

I find it very disturbing that supposed "diehard Husker fans" would root for Riley (and therefore NU) to lose. I understand people wanted Riley gone, but to root for a loss is unconscionable to me. I knew Riley would no longer be the coach when we were getting pounded by the Gophers, but never once have I ever rooted for a loss.
 
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j d said:
That is very disturbing to me. Perhaps not for the reason you may think.

I find it very disturbing that supposed "diehard Husker fans" would root for Riley (and therefore NU) to lose. I understand people wanted Riley gone, but to root for a loss is unconscionable to me. I knew Riley would no longer be the coach when we were getting pounded by the Gophers, but never once have I ever rooted for a loss.
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I agree with you and I honestly dont know ANY die hard fans who were rooting for Riley and the HUSKERS to lose. I think we all wanted to win every game. I just think most understood with each loss we were closer to getting a better coach. I still screamed and yelled at the tv every single Saturday just like I did every other game.
 
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j d said:
That is very disturbing to me. Perhaps not for the reason you may think.

I find it very disturbing that supposed "diehard Husker fans" would root for Riley (and therefore NU) to lose. I understand people wanted Riley gone, but to root for a loss is unconscionable to me. I knew Riley would no longer be the coach when we were getting pounded by the Gophers, but never once have I ever rooted for a loss.
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Correct. I never cheered for NU to lose. However I did cheer for a coaching change. It was evident that Riley wasn't going to get the job done. Once Wisky from the 7 minute mark of the 3rd quarter on ran all over us, I knew we'd be lucky if we won another game. OSU came in and showed us that. We somehow came back and beat Purdue. I thought for a moment we were going to beat Northwestern then another pick 6 happened and that was it. We were done then.
 
It wasn't Nebraska Football plain and simple even if they had squeaked by in a couple of those games. I was always hoping for a win but could tell we probably wouldn't.
You could see it a mile away. Just watching the team in the tunnel you could tell. It just never did feel right.
 
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DrFumblerooski said:
We've already got a Doc here and DrFumblerooski is too long. Feel free to call me Fumble. :)
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Sorry to be staunchly opposed my friend, but we do not want "fumble" to be a part of NU football in any way, shape or form......... :)
 
innmc said:
It wasn't Nebraska Football plain and simple even if they had squeaked by in a couple of those games. I was always hoping for a win but could tell we probably wouldn't.
You could see it a mile away. Just watching the team in the tunnel you could tell. It just never did feel right.
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I might be alone in this , but I always felt lucky when we won. Not good but lucky.
That never felt right to me
 
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