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Moral Buckeyes & Progress
Feit Can Write	· November 6, 2018 · College Football, Huskers	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports	· No Comments
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Let's talk for a minute about "moral victories".
Scott Frost doesn't want to acknowledge moral victories, and I don't blame him. Most competitors would rather punch their mother than celebrate a moral victory. You either win or you lose…and unfortunately this Nebraska team will end the season with more losses than wins. Nobody wants to be a part of team that leads the league in moral victories. That mindset percolates down to the fan base to the point where a moral victory has become taboo.
Personally, I don't care if fans want to recognize or applaud a moral victory. Because no matter if it is sarcastic ("Nebraska forced Ohio State to punt for the first time in three games!") or honest ("Nebraska played well enough to beat a top ten team on the road"), you're really doing the same thing:
You are acknowledging the progress this team is making.
And let's be realistic: while we all want to win – and win now – this program is not currently built for that. If you're still hinging your satisfaction with the 2018 Huskers strictly on wins and losses you will be disappointed. Period.
But if you choose to acknowledge where this program has been – both in the last few years, and in the last few months – I suspect you can see the signs of progress. Forcing Ohio State to punt, not getting blown out on the road by a top 10 team, fighting until the very end – these are not thing you could count on previous Husker teams giving you. We all want the wins, but I won't apologize for being happy with the manner in which NU loses. I won't judge you if you want to do the same.
So what did we learn?
The offense can spread the touches. It would be very easy for Frost and offensive coordinator Troy Walters to lock in on their proven offensive talents (Martinez, Ozigbo, Washington, Spielman, and Morgan) when calling plays on the road against the #10 team in the country.
And to be sure, that happened as Martinez, Ozigbo, and Washington combined for 47 carries, while Morgan and Spielman led the team with seven and six receptions, respectively. But look at the other guys who got yards on Saturday: Jack Stoll, Austin Allen, Bryan Reimers, and Mike Williams. In addition, Spielman and Morgan each had a carry, and Washington and Ozigbo both caught a pass.
This approach is such a win-win. It opens the field up for your playmakers and gives guys the experience to prove themselves to the coaches and their teammates. Give credit to Frost and Walters for putting guys in positions to make plays, and to Martinez for being willing to find the open man.
The Blackshirts are capable of carrying their weight. One of the narratives for this team is the offense can be explosive, which is necessary because the defense is a work in progress. Some of that work seems to be paying off. The defense is more aggressive, more sound, and much better at making big plays then they were a month ago.
Example 1: After the botched onside kick gave Ohio State prime field position at the NU 31, there had to be a 90% chance of the Buckeyes scoring at least three points. Instead, the Blackshirts stood strong and stopped the Buckeyes on four downs.
Example 2: The Blackshirts forced several fumbles and recovered two. The much maligned Lamar Jackson intercepted a pass in the end zone. I'll take my chances being +2 on turnovers on the road any week.
While NU seemed to run out of gas a little bit in the fourth quarter when it was obvious the Buckeyes wanted to run, the progress shown should not be ignored.
Ohio State's black jerseys are perfection. As somebody who is typically not a fan of alternate uniforms – and especially those that are black just for the sake of being black – I love Ohio State's all black look. Seriously, look at this picture. Those are simple and clean, with crisp stripes that tie everything together. They don't need a space age custom font that can't be read, nor any other unnecessary bells and whistles. I challenge you to show me a better all-black look.
I've long been on record that only the Blackshirts should wear black jerseys, but I would happily reverse that decision if Adidas stole this design from Nike.
So what don't we know?
What's up with Caleb Lightbourn? I ask this not to disrespect the young man, but out of a sincere sense of concern. To put it politely, Lightbourn has had a very rough season. He lost his punting job to Isaac Armstrong. He's had some big miscues in key moments that have cost the team valuable field position. And after what I will generously call a botched onside kick attempt, he now has two entries on the list of Worst Husker GIFs of the 21st Century.*
*A list headlined by the undisputed champion titled (and I'm not making this up) "Nebraska lineman false start by falling on his ass".
Personally, I feel for Lightbourn. While I have no idea what the heck happened on that onside kick – or what it was supposed to look like – I feel strongly that his other blooper (the slip and fall against Purdue) was not his fault. If you'll remember, that was a damp, misty day and several other players were slipping and falling to the point where several people suggested NU had the wrong footwear on for the conditions.
But more to the point, I feel bad for Lightbourn for how his NU career has unfolded. He came here in 2016 fully expecting to redshirt behind a senior starter. Those plans changed dramatically on July 23, 2016 when Sam Foltz died. After that, he had to replace not only one of the best punters in the conference, but a beloved team leader.
I doubt he'll ever say it, but I think that redshirt year would have done wonders for Lightbourn's skill level and confidence. Instead, he's ridden a roller coaster with more downs than ups, lost his primary job, and has "fans" openly mocking him and calling for him to never see the field again. I hope he can find confidence, success, and end up in a GIF making an incredible play.
Just how aggressive is Scott Frost? On NU's first drive, Frost goes for it on 4th and 2, keeping a scoring drive alive. He follows it up with an onside kick attempt. Late in the third quarter, facing a short 4th & 1 from their own 13, Frost appears to ponder going for it, before calling a timeout and punting it away.
In the fourth quarter, down by nine, NU has a 4th and goal from the OSU 1. Frost elects to take kick the field goal and cut the deficit to six points. Ohio State takes the ensuring drive and scores at touchdown, and Nebraska responds with a touchdown of their own. Down by five, with 1:55 left and two timeouts, Frost opts to kick it deep. Nebraska never gets the ball back.
I offer these points not to question or criticize Frost's decision making. Obviously, hindsight plays a big role in determining if a decision was good or poor. But nine games into Frost's tenure at NU and I don't feel if I have a good indication on if he's going to be an aggressive, go win the game coach or a more conservative, don't lose the game leader. Certainly, there is a time and place for both, but it has felt inconsistent to me this year. Maybe this will change as Frost becomes more confident in each of his three units.
Has the college basketball concept of "make up calls" come to football? In the first quarter, Ohio State was called for offensive pass interference on a very questionable play. Two plays later, Dicaprio Bootle was flagged for an equally questionable pass interference penalty.
In the second quarter, OSU's Jordan Fuller was kicked out for targeting. On the Buckeye's next drive, the replay booth (with a possible assist by Urban Meyer) initiated a targeting review against a Nebraska player.
The only thing worse than making a bad call is making an equally bad call against the other team to try to balance things out. Big Ten referees have enough to worry about without trying to make sure their bad calls are distributed equally.
The best thing I saw on Saturday: Ohio State's band is known for fun and creative performances that become viral sensations. On Saturday, they spelled out the name of Tyler Butterfield, a Cornhusker Marching Band member who died last week in a car accident.
The worst thing I saw on Saturday: The broadcast itself. For most of the first half, Fox's director seemed more interested in winning an Oscar for cinematography than showing a football game. There were low angle shots, sky cam shots, close ups, and other unnecessary bells and whistles. Just show me the game, and save the fancy camera angles for replays.
5 Players I Loved
Adrian Martinez. Performances like this are the reason Patrick O'Brien and Tristan Gebbia transferred.
Devine Ozigbo. The best way to appreciate how far he has come is to think what the 2016 or 2017 version of Ozigbo might have done in this game. I guarantee those previous editions do not get 86 yards, a touchdown, and some key short yardage gains.
JoJo Domann. Some guys just have a knack for making plays. JoJo Domann certainly appears to be one of those guys. Kudos to Erik Chinander for recognizing this and getting JoJo on the field.
Lamar Jackson. "Development" can mean getting a walk-on to outshine a scholarship guy. It can also mean getting one of the program's top recruits to perform up to his potential.
Tight ends Jack Stoll and Austin Allen. Historically, Nebraska tends to ignore the pass catching (and mismatch creating) abilities of their tight ends. So it was great to see Stoll haul in three catches – including a clutch one-hand grab on 4th & 2 – and Allen get behind his man for a 41 yard gain.
Honorable Mention: J.D. Spielman, Stanley Morgan, Mohamed Barry, Aaron Williams, Jacob Weinmaster, sideline reaction shots of Urban Meyer looking upset.
5 Areas for Improvement – Special Teams Edition
Punt protection. A simple breakdown in protection led to a block and a safety that played a big role in the game.
Kickoff returns. No disrespect to Nebraska's return specialists, but until you can consistently get a kickoff return past the 25 – without flags – I would much rather have you take advantage of the new fair catch rule. To use a baseball analogy, it seems silly to swing for home runs when you struggle to hold the bat correctly.
Onsides kicking. Here's the thing: if you have the confidence in your kicker to call a surprise onside in the first quarter, you should have an equal amount of confidence calling a traditional onside late in the fourth.
Punt Returns. Good news: NU forced four Ohio State punts. Bad news: the lone return lost two yards, and another punt should have been fielded before rolling inside the 10.
Punter Flopping. Memo to Isaac Armstrong: We all hate it when soccer players flop after the slightest contact, but if you can pick up a free first down by displaying your stunt man skills, you will be a hero.
2017 Big Ten Predictions
Feit Can Write	· September 23, 2017 · College Football	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Football, nebraska cornhuskers	· No Comments
This is the first full weekend of Big Ten action, which means it is time for some predictions* on how the teams will finish in the respective divisions.
*Or, given some of my history with prognosticating, blind guesses.
For today, we'll predict by division. Throughout the season, we'll do a power ranking 1-14. Let's dive right in with the East.
Ohio State. I know, I know. They have looked pedestrian (by their standards) in the first few weeks, and they have a quarterback controversy brewing. But…you pick against an Urban Meyer team at your own risk. They'll get it figure out, and when they do – watch out. Plus, they get Penn State at home.
Penn State. Arguably the best offense in the league, but they have the hardest set of cross over games (at Iowa, at Northwestern, Nebraska) in addition to that trip to Columbus. If they repeat as division champs, they will definitely have earned it.
Michigan. The Wolverines have Ohio State at home, but they drew the suddenly competent Purdue and perennial power Wisconsin, along with the boat rowers from Minnesota.
Maryland. The Terps made a splash with a convincing win at Texas, and it wouldn't shock me to see them climb up into the top 3. But until they beat one of the teams above them, they'll be middle of the pack.
Michigan State. After a nightmarish 2016, the Spartans are back and…well, nobody really knows yet. The only thing we really learned from their two non-conference games (35-10 over Bowling Green and 28-14 over Western Michigan) is they would be a title contender in the MAC.
Rutgers. I started out with a bit of a stunner, and let's continue that down at the bottom. Yes, the Scarlet Knights are a familiar 1-2, with the lone win coming against an FCS school. But they have been competitive in those losses – including nationally ranked Washington. More importantly, they have an ideal draw from the West to steal some conference wins: at struggling Nebraska, at Illinois, and Purdue. Win two of those – and probably the game against Indiana – and Rutgers could escape laughingstock status.
Indiana. The Hoosiers are a decent team, and in the West they might be middle of the pack. But in the East, Indiana has two options: pull some big upsets or wait for basketball. You're just under 50 days, Hoosier fans.
Wisconsin. Heading to Indianapolis at 11-1 or maybe 12-0 is a decent possibility for the Badgers. Michigan is by far their toughest crossover game, but they have to come to Madison, as do West contenders Iowa and Northwestern. Sconnie could have the division wrapped up by Veteran's Day.
Iowa. Predicting the Hawkeyes second is more about my uncertainty about the rest of the division than my confidence in Iowa's chances. Iowa has two convincing wins and an OT comeback against Iowa State. But their conference schedule is brutal: Penn State, at Michigan State, at Northwestern, Ohio State, at Wisconsin, and at Nebraska. Still, do you trust and of the other teams more?
Nebraska. This may be a homer pick, or maybe I'm scared off by a flaky Northwestern team and PJ Fleck's hyper enthusiasm, but I'll take Nebraska third. Questions – and drama – abound in Lincoln, but if Mike Riley can get things settled, NU has the talent to compete.
Northwestern. The perennial trendy pick to win the division has already been blown out by Duke. But maybe this is the year? If so, we'll know by November 1 as the Wildcats open at Wisconsin, followed by Penn State, at Maryland, Iowa, and Michigan State.
Minnesota. I'm going to have to pace myself on the P.J. Fleck "row the boat" references, so I'm not high and dry (sorry) by Week 8. Fifth is a realistic spot for a first year coach building his cult…I mean culture.
Purdue. The surprise team of the West, the Boilers gave Louisville a scare and beat Ohio and Mizzou convincingly. Will they finish out of the cellar? I'd guarantee it. Can they make some noise in the division? Probably, but not enough to be a legit title threat. By Thanksgiving, I may want to flip this pick with Northwestern.
Illinois. In Indiana, they have basketball to look forward to. At Illinois? Well, by falling on Jim Delany's "Friday Night Lights" sword multiple times, they have a couple of extra Saturdays free. So that's something.
Big Ten Championship: Give me Wisconsin 34, Ohio State 31 in a thriller.
Under the radar pick: Michigan surprises everyone by rolling to a 42 – 10 win over the Badgers.
Northern Illinois Reaction and Recap
Feit Can Write	· September 19, 2017 · College Football, Huskers	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports	· One Comment
Why should you CLICK THIS LINK and read this fine piece of Feit Can Write content on a site that is not feitcanwrite.com? Well, to put it bluntly, I get paid cash money for the views I get there. I like cash money (even if it is more like coin money). My beautiful wife and three adorable children appreciate it when I earn cash money and spend it on them.
How do you sum up one of the most shocking losses in school history?
How do you accurately account for all of the things that went wrong?
How does a loss like this impact the big picture – for Mike Riley, Shawn Eichorst, and the program as a whole?
Frankly, I don't know. I'm still processing it. So I'm going to pass on any sweeping proclamations, knee jerk reactions, scalding hot takes, or calls for anybody to be fired.
This is going to be a long year. Think back on the time between the end of the Spring Game and the start of the season. It was one of quietest and most drama free summers of recent memory. The vast majority of the news was positive – big name commitments, positive reviews about Bob Diaco's defense, and several glowing reviews of Tanner Lee's skill and potential. Some folks refer to the summer months as the "Kool Aid Season", and this year's batch was as sweet and delicious as it had been in years.
And then the season started.
We're just three weeks in, and have already endured two painful losses and a very close call, several key injuries, a defense that can allow yards (and points) by the bushel, an offense that is maddeningly inconsistent, and a coaching staff that seems to make a questionable decision every week.
Off the field that has a been a controversy about a coordinator not talking to the press after a game, a controversy about potentially losing the Black Friday game, angst over a contract extension signed a few months ago, and coaching seats that get hotter by the hour. The athletic director – who prefers to stay out of the spotlight – has spoken publicly twice this week. Fans are becoming divided on the future of the program. And it's technically still summer.
Let's say Nebraska wins eight of their last nine games. Even in what appears to be a best-case scenario, it still seems likely that the drama and division will continue to grow.
The offensive line is not good. Nebraska finished with a total of 85 yards on 36 carries – an average of just 2.4 yards. Tanner Lee was sacked three times, hurried on seven other plays, and finished with one of the weirdest stat lines you'll see: 7 carries for -18 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In addition, three of Nebraska's five penalties were against the offensive line. I'd love to know which lineman graded out the highest, because I honestly have no clue who played the best – or, the least worst, if you prefer.
The defense came to play. One of the biggest questions from the Oregon game was if the second half shutout was a fluke, Oregon taking their foot off the gas, or a turning point for Bob Diaco's defense.
While not conclusive, the Blackshirts made a strong statement against NIU, holding them to just 116 yards (and zero offensive points) through three quarters. Unfortunately, the defense couldn't get the big stop they needed after Nebraska took the lead. Northern Illinois flew 75 yards down the field in 2:28 to regain the lead. But the defense certainly held their own. The key – as with everything on this team – is consistency.
Where are the substitutions on the offensive line? I know Mike Cavanaugh prefers to keep the same five linemen on the field throughout the game, as he feels collective unit benefits from the continuity. In theory, I agree with this approach.
But in real life, the approach raises more questions than answers. How do you develop players and build depth? When a player is clearly struggling to handle what the defense is throwing at him, doesn't his presence weaken the entire unit? And then there are injuries…
During the game, center Cole Conrad left briefly with an injury. He returned shortly after, but could be seen limping in the fourth quarter. Right tackle Matt Farniok apparently broke a bone in his wrist at some point during the game. Yet, both played almost the entire game.
I've made my peace with Conrad, a former walk-on, starting over other highly touted recruits. If he's truly the best man for the job, he should play. But the equation changes when a guy is hurt. Is Cavanaugh telling us that a starter at, say, 80% health is still preferable over his backup? If so, that raises some serious questions about depth and player development – especially of former four-star recruits. If not, doesn't that put more of a burden on the rest of the offense to compensate for an injured teammate?
Is DeMornay Pierson-El the best option at punt return? Wow, that is sentence I never thought I would type. But there is a part of me that wonders if that role is based more on what he did in 2014, than on what he's done since. Here are the numbers:
2014: 34 returns; 17.5 yards per return, three touchdowns.
2015, 2016, first three games of 2017: 32 returns; 7.2 yards per return, zero touchdowns.
In fairness, the 2015 and 2016 version of Pierson-El had to battle multiple injuries, as well as punt return schemes designed by Bruce Read.
But his senior season as a returner has not gotten off to a great start. Against Oregon, he broke a cardinal rule by fair catching a ball inside his own 10. Later, he appeared upset with himself after calling for a fair catch late in the game with his team needing a spark. Against Northern Illinois, he fielded a ball at the 7, fumbled a return, and appeared to be pressing. His best return of the day was negated by a penalty.
I have nothing but respect for DPE, his abilities, his potential, and how he has come back from injuries that may have ended the careers of other players. But I have a nagging feeling that if it wasn't for a special season before those injuries, somebody else would be returning punts for NU.
How do we account for Tanner Lee's struggles? On the season, Lee is completing just 52.5% of his passes, with a upside-down TD:INT ratio of 5:7. None of this matches up with the expectations Husker fans had going into the season. So what is going on?
To my eye, there are many factors at play. From biggest to smallest, I would point towards:
A porous offensive line. Lee has been sacked six times in three games, and has faced constant pressure. Lee appears to get flustered by pressure, which leads to bad throws and interceptions.
Drops by his receivers. I haven't found a good source to count drops and "shoulda caught its" by backs and receivers, but it certainly feels like there have been several – and often at critical moments.
Over-aggressiveness. Lee has a strong arm and the potential for pin-point accuracy. In the Arkansas State game, he had a couple of passes that went through a narrow window. Against Oregon and Northern Illinois, those passes were knocked down or intercepted. Additionally, Lee appears reluctant to throw the ball away when under pressure.
Mechanics. I'm no QB coach, but it appears to my untrained eye that Lee occasionally throws off his back foot. I've also noticed a tendency to stare down a primary target.
There are probably others that I'm missing, but those seem to be the biggest culprits. The good news is, these are all things that can be corrected.
Caleb Lightbourn. It certainly felt like a day where the punter should be the MVP, and Lightbourn delivered. He averaged over 47 yards on six kicks, which played a big role in the shutout the defense pitched for three quarters.
Antonio Reed. Going solely off the stat sheet, one would think Reed played a pretty decent game (second on the team with 5 tackles, including one for loss). But the stat sheet doesn't tell you that Reed, who is battling injury, was essentially playing with one hand. His recognition of Northern Illinois' trick play prevented a big play.
J.D. Spielman. I really like this kid. He made big plays in the passing game. He had an impressive 50 yard kickoff return. And he had the presence of mind to get Tyjon Lindsey to take a touchback after bobbling the opening kickoff.
Khalil and Carlos Davis. The twin defensive lineman made a big impact on the Northern Illinois offense. Carlos had five tackles and part of a sack, and Khalil played his best game as a Husker with a half sack, another TFL, forced fumble, and a deflected pass. The defense needs pressure on the quarterback and the twins delivered.
De'Mornay Pierson-El. DPE had one of his best games as a receiver, racking up 101 yards on eight catches. It's great to see him making big plays.
Honorable Mention: Former Navy SEAL Damian Jackson carrying the American flag, Mikale Wilbon, yards after catch by the receivers, Tanner Lee scoring two rushing TDs, Stanley Morgan Jr., biased announcer Les Miles, all of the fans who held their balloons through halftime until NU scored.
5 Areas for Improvement
Offensive Line. Yes, this is the third time I've called out the line in this piece. But I believe it is warranted. Any discussion about benching Lee is worthless until we see what he does with good protection.
Tanner Lee. That said, Lee needs to make some better decisions. Throw it away or check it down to a back. Stop forcing passes unless your receiver is the only one who can catch it.
Receiver drops. And speaking of the receivers, there were some very savage drops and passes that probably should have been caught. It would be easy to point at some of the bigger moments – Spielman dropping a sure thing on 3rd and short; Connor Ketter short arming a wide open touchdown – and point to the inexperience of the players involved. But if that is the case, the QB (and/or offensive coordinator) should not be putting those guys in that position.
Lamar Jackson. The young cornerback is here for two unfortunate plays. The first was his attempt to shove a NIU receiver out of bounds after a catch. The problem was the receiver was 4-5 yards in bounds, so the shove didn't accomplish anything. The second is an unsportsmanlike penalty that resulted from his frustrations boiling over.
Memorial Stadium atmosphere. 11 am games suck. We all acknowledge this. The crowd is late to arrive, and slow to provide any sort of home field advantage. On Saturday, it was obvious by halftime that the team was in trouble and could use a jolt. Going into the fourth quarter, it was almost painfully silent. Nebraska needs to do something to spark the crowd. As my buddy Nate observed, "Wisconsin has 'Jump Around', and we have the Hy-Vee tailgate of the game". Nebraska can – and should – do better.
[COLOR=#FF0000][I]Dave Feit is a freelance writer living in Lincoln. Additional thoughts on the Huskers (and everything else) can be found on his blog ([URL="http://www.feitcanwrite.com"%5Dwww.feitcanwrite.com%5B/URL%5D). Follow him on [URL="http://www.twitter.com/feitcanwrite"%5D%5BU%5DTwitter%5B/U%5D%5B/URL%5D or on [URL="http://www.facebook.com/feitcanwrite"%5D%5BU%5DFacebook%5B/U%5D%5B/URL%5D.
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Ah, Duck
So….that didn't exactly go as planned, did it?
The good news, if you want to see it, is in the big picture this loss doesn't really hurt Nebraska.
Nebraska wasn't ranked, so the loss just puts them lower in the "Others receiving votes" wasteland. Only the most rabidly passionate fans believed Nebraska would make it to the College Football Playoff, so I think we all can accept that is not going to happen this year. The big prize for the year – a West Division title, and a shot at that elusive conference championship – is still in play.
I know it is jarring to consider Nebraska in these terms, but this is where the team is. No amount of complaining, denial, or anger is going to change that. And with that uplifting lede, let's dive in….
Nebraska's offense must do a better job of helping the defense. As you know, Oregon scored six first half touchdowns. While you may choose to blame Bob Diaco's defense for that, I'm here to tell you that Danny Langsdorf's offense didn't exactly help the situation. Take a look at what the offense did in their drives following Oregon scores:
1st half drives following Oregon Touchdowns
Plays Yards Result Time of Poss
1 0 INT 00:12
3 3 Punt 01:35
4 75 TD 01:34
3 -5 INT 00:53
I'm not suggesting that Nebraska must answer every single score with a score of their own. But I wonder if Langsdorf shares that opinion. It certainly appears as if his reaction to the other team scoring is to try to score, and quick. Heck, even the lone touchdown drive covered 75 yards in just four plays.
I can understand feeling like the offense needs to score every time out, but I also see value in a slower, grind it out drive that gives the defense a chance to catch their breath and make adjustments, slow momentum, and establish a field position edge. It may not be as exciting as a quick strike answer, but in the long run it may be more effective.
There was improvement in the defense. Aside from the obvious improvement from the first half (42 points) to the second half (0 points), there were some signs of growth from the Arkansas State opener. In one of Oregon's first quarter drives, they ran the bubble screen that Arkansas State used to gain a billion yards. That play was stuffed for no gain, and Oregon mostly stayed away from it. I saw some good examples of the defense "rallying" to the ball. On one play, I counted seven defenders surrounding a ball carrier on the sideline.
Obviously, there is still much improvement needed – finding a way to pressure the quarterback would be a great place to start – but there were some positives to take away.
Mike Riley's teams do not quit. Raise your hand if at halftime you thought Oregon was going to hang 70 on Nebraska, and beat them by 50. But the Huskers came out after half and did their best to save face.
And while I suspect my counterparts in Oregon are railing on the Ducks for taking their foot off the gas too soon / playing too conservatively in the second half, I think the second half result was more about the Huskers continuing to fight hard than Oregon coasting in.
I'm in no way suggesting that we as fans should be pleased with "only" losing by seven points. Nor am I trying to carve a moral victory trophy out of the giant turd the Huskers dropped in the first half. As poorly as NU played in the first half, they probably deserved an Ohio State style ass kicking. That they refused to let it happen tells me a lot.
How will Diaco's defense look against a non-spread team? We're still way to early in the season for sweeping generalizations, but the early results suggest that pass-happy spread teams are bad for the Blackshirts.
This is another spot where the second half shutout can be encouraging to Nebraska fans. Very few of the teams remaining on Nebraska's schedule will throw it as much as Arkansas State and Oregon did – especially in the West division.
Where was the screen game? In basketball, when a shooter is off, they often are able to get back on track with some easy shots like layups or free throws. When Tanner Lee was struggling with accuracy, and Oregon's pressure was getting more aggressive, it seemed like some short passes to the running backs might be a good way to get him going. Instead, only one ball was caught by a back – a four yard gain by Mikale Wilbon.
Will there be a hangover? This week's game against Northern Illinois has the potential to be really good – or really bad. Between any lingering effects from a frustrating loss, the sluggish nature of 11 am kickoffs, and a team looking ahead to the conference season, Northern Illinois could put a scare into the Huskers – especially if the defense continues to struggle.
Or, the Huskers, coming off a strong and focused week of practice, jump out early and put the game away early in the 3rd quarter; allowing the reserves to get some snaps. I know which one I pick.
Tre Bryant. A fourth quarter knee injury kept him from fully living up to the "All Day Tre" moniker, but 107 yards on 20 carries provided some much needed offensive balance in a game where NU threw 41 times.
Luke Gifford. Gifford is one of those players who just has a knack for the ball, and seems to always be around the action. There were not a lot of bright spots in the defense's performance, but Gifford was one of them.
Stanley Morgan, Jr. On Nebraska's first drive of the second half, Tanner Lee proved that Stanley is his favorite target, as four straight throws went towards #8. The last two accounted for a huge 4th down conversion and a statement touchdown. Morgan added another touchdown catch on the next NU drive, and finished with team highs in catches (7) and yards (103), becoming the first Husker to open a season with 100 yard receiving games.
De'Mornay Pierson-El. DPE was just behind Morgan for receptions (4) and yards (67), including a highlight reel grab over the top of an Oregon defender. His catch on the first drive lit the spark for a big second half.
Nebraska fans. Did you see all of the red? For a fan base well known for showing up on the road, that was an impressive performance. It was fitting that Saturday's game was the anniversary of the legendary Nebraska takeover of Notre Dame's stadium. Kudos to all who made the trip.
Honorable Mention: Eric Lee, Jerald Foster, Caleb Lightbourn, Aaron Williams, Matt Farniok, Matt Farniok's hair, JD Spielman, Luke McNitt, Oregon's duck stomping cancer logo
Pass rush. Want to know how Justin Herbert managed to be 21-25 for 313 yards and 3 TDs – in the first half! – on Saturday? The stat sheet has the answer: zero sacks, zero QB hurries, and clear passing lanes. That puts the defensive backs in a situation where they need near perfect coverage, which for a young and inexperienced group, does not end well. How little was Herbert pressured? If Autzen Stadium had a grass field, Herbert's uniform would have ended up as brightly white as it started.
De'Mornay Pierson-El. If I could describe Nebraska's day in one word, it would be inconsistent. And nobody personified that inconsistency more than Pierson-El. His first touch was a punt that he fair caught at the five. 95 yards later, he made that crazy, over-the-top catch. In the second quarter, he had a false start penalty that turned a drive-extending 4th and 1 into a punt. Speaking of punts, you could see DPE immediately regretting his decision to fair catch a 4th quarter punt, with NU in big need of a spark.
Stanley Morgan, Jr. On Nebraska's first offensive play, Lee found Morgan 20 yards down field and put the wall in a great position for the catch. Instead, the ball bounced off Morgan's hands, his face mask, and into the arms of a Duck defender. Above, we talked about Stan's big day – 7 catches for 103 and 2 TDs. But his first half was a very forgettable one catch for five yards.
Tanner Lee. Let's be fair: prior to Saturday, Lee's last road start was November 21, 2015, at SMU, in front of what had to be a raucous crowd of 14,954. So I think we can understand somewhat if nerves played a role in a day with four interceptions and a completion percentage under 50%. While interceptions 1 and 4 were not Lee's fault, no one will argue that Lee struggled throughout most of the game.
Destro helmets. By now, the shock factor from anything Oregon wears should be long gone. But whenever they wear a shiny chrome helmet, as they did on Saturday, I cannot help but think of Destro from the G.I. Joe cartoons of my childhood. And in finding that Destro image, I realized that almost every Oregon uniform is a homage to a one of the many great G.I. Joe characters.
An (Arkansas) State of Panic?
Feit Can Write	· September 8, 2017 · College Football, Huskers	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports	· No Comments
Husker Hot Takes – Offseason Edition
Feit Can Write	· August 29, 2017 · College Football, Huskers	· Adidas, B1G, Hot Takes, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football	· No Comments
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B1G Friday Night Lights?
Feit Can Write	· November 2, 2016 · College Football, Huskers	· B1G, Big Ten, Big Ten Conference, College Football, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports	· One Comment
Jim Delany has announced that Big Ten schools will play six games on Friday nights, starting in 2017. The Chicago Tribune broke the story, and their report has good information on what is known so far.
As for what is unknown, here are my thoughts and best guesses:
This is a perk / nasty side effect of the ginormous TV deals the league signed with ESPN and Fox. What, you thought the networks were going to shell out all of that money and not ask for more? That's precious. Consider these Friday night games a cost of doing business.
What games make the Friday night slot? All we know so far is three of the games will be league match-ups and the other three will be non-conference games. I doubt that the marquee match-ups move away from a prime Saturday time slot. ESPN doesn't gain anything by moving Ohio State – Nebraska from a Saturday night to Friday. The same could probably be said for most of the league's 2:30 games.
If I had to guess, the Friday slots will be primarily filled by the "Beth Mowins rejects" – the mid-level league games that would normally end up on ESPN at 11 am. Think Indiana – Northwestern or Rutgers – Maryland.
Should Nebraska participate? In the Tribune report, Teddy Greenstein notes that Michigan has refused to participate in Friday games – home or away. I would suspect other schools may have similar agreements – or at least veto power before dates and times are announced. The Tribune also reported that the conference will be "reluctant to ask schools with giant seating capacities to host" Friday games. NU certainly fits that bill.
From a NU perspective, it's hard to see hosting the average Friday night game being that enticing – especially now that NU has to publicly work to maintain the sellout streak. And as always, there are recruiting implications to consider. I imagine it would be tough to get a lot of recruits to campus on a Friday night. My guess is with the right circumstances – such as the Friday of Labor Day weekend, or their annual Black Friday game – Nebraska could be convinced to host a Friday night game.
Will Nebraska participate? Probably. Nebraska is new enough where they may choose to play nice, and not take a hard-line like Michigan. I can definitely see Nebraska being willing to play a Friday game on the road. For the sake of calling my shot, I'll predict that Nebraska's game at Illinois next fall will be NU's Friday debut.
As a Husker fan, how will this impact me? Honestly, it's too soon to tell. From what I'm seeing, you should expect at least one of Nebraska's games in the next three years to move to Friday. My guess that it will be a road game that most of us would not attend in person. For those with busy social calendars, fans of high school teams, or those not home from work, it will create some tough choices. But my guess is the random Friday game will be an unexpected treat, opening up a weekend to do other things.
This also means one extra Saturday in the fall where you don't have to worry about a wedding interfering with Game Day – and that is always a win.
Big Ten Power Rankings – week of 10/24
Feit Can Write	· October 27, 2016 · College Football	· B1G, Big Ten, Big Ten Conference, College Football, Football, Huskers, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin	· No Comments
We've crossed the half way point in the season, so it's time to start looking ahead to the division races, and who can make it to a bowl game. As always, I make no apologies if you feel your team is too high (or too low), but feel free to let me know in the comments.
Michigan. Ohio State's loss means the Wolverines move up to the penthouse. More importantly, it means Michigan can afford a slip up in one of their remaining non-Buckeye games. Path to Indy: Win out, beat Ohio State, or hope for a second OSU loss.
Ohio State. All is not lost for the Buckeyes, who still control their destiny to win the East and yes, make the Playoff. But they cannot afford to make any more mistakes. Path to Indy: Win out or beat Michigan and pray the Wolverines drop a game.
Wisconsin. The Badgers stayed alive in the West race by knocking off Iowa. Next up is another do-or-die game against the Huskers. Very little that the Badgers do is pretty, but for the most part it is effective. Path to Indy: Beat Nebraska and hope the Huskers trip one more time.
Nebraska. Don't hate on me for having unbeaten NU fourth. The Huskers get two straight opportunities to prove themselves worthy of a promotion, starting with a trip to Madison. The Huskers can all but wrap up the West with a win. Path to Indy: Beat the Badgers.
Penn State. Unfortunately, I never published last week's rankings so you'll have to trust me that I said "PSU is coming off a bye week, and gets to host Ohio State who played a physical overtime game against Wisconsin. I'm not going to call the upset, but it would be tough to script a better scenario". Regardless, a big win for PSU. Path to Indy: Win out, and hope for Michigan to lose twice.
Northwestern. The Wildcats are silently playing some good football, rattling off three straight conference wins. But their road gets much tougher, starting with a trip to Columbus to face an angry bunch of Bucks. Path to Indy: Just keep winning and pray Nebraska loses twice.
Iowa. This is the point in the rankings where we have teams with chances of winning the division should be categorized as "mathematically possible, realistically improbable". Iowa is a great example. With only two losses, they could technically still win the West, but considering the losses are to division foes ahead of them (Northwestern and Wisconsin) it means the Hawkeyes have to root for every upset. Meanwhile, the Hawks get the week off to get ready for a tough stretch run. Path to Indy: Win out, let chaos reign.
Minnesota. The Gophers also have two losses (Penn State and Iowa), and have yet to play most of the teams in front of them (Wisconsin and both NU's). But when you allow Rutgers to score 18 more points than they did in their previous four games combined, I wouldn't go making any hotel reservations. Path to Indy: Win out, hope everybody else loses.
Maryland. The Terps are also technically alive, with games to come against Michigan and Ohio State. But let's be realistic, their focus should be on getting bowl eligible. Path to bowl game: beat Indiana or Rutgers.
Indiana. Since their dramatic win over Sparty, the Hoosiers have dropped three straight and will need to kick-start the offense if they want to go bowling. Path to a bowl game: find three wins in their remaining five games.
Purdue. In their first game post-Hazell, the Boilermakers showed some fight, but could not hang with the Huskers at home. I think the Boilers are good enough to sneak out at least one more win. Path to a bowl game: Like Indiana, they need three wins in five games, but Purdue has a much tougher schedule.
Michigan State. I really, really, really want to have the Sputtering Spartans lower than 12, but Michigan State's last win (at Notre Dame, five weeks ago) is better than either of Illinois' two wins (Murray State and Rutgers). Path to a bowl game: Surprisingly still open, but as MSU needs to win four out of five (including at least one over Michigan or Ohio State) it is not likely.
Illinois. It's hard for me to justify a lot of words on a team whose best win is over FCS Murray State. Path to a bowl game: Hope four of their next five opponents don't show up.
Rutgers. The Knights broke 30 points for the first time since September 17 – a day when #12 Michigan State beat Notre Dame, Indiana and Maryland were undefeated, and Northwestern improved to 1-2. This week allows me to use one of my favorite Lee Barfknecht one-liners: "Rutgers is idle – and should remain that way." Path to a bowl game: Not out of the question, but they would need to win out against Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State, and Maryland.
Pur-fection
Feit Can Write	· October 27, 2016 · College Football, Huskers	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Cornhuskers, Football, Huskers, Nebraska, Nebraska Football, Sports	· No Comments
Do you remember back in the pre-BCS days – probably when it was called the "Bowl Alliance" or some nonsense like that – when margin of victory was important? If memory serves, at least one of the computer polls in used margin of victory to help determine which team was best. As a result, the Steve Spurriers, Bobby Bowdens, and other coaches of contending teams would make a point of trying for a late garbage time touchdown. The way the computer saw it, 31-14 was a more impressive win than 24-14. Heck, the same could be said for several writers and coaches filling out their Top 25 ballot every Sunday. After some hand-wringing that coaches were sacrificing sportsmanship in the name of running up the score, margin of victory went away.
But the perception lives on. We've been so conditioned to look at the margin of victory (and if the Vegas spread was covered), that anything failing to meet our expectations is reason for concern and complaining. A 13 point win over a 3-3 team that just fired their coach? Clearly Nebraska is no good, vastly overrated, and due for a blowout loss against a "real" team.
It's time to embrace the NFL "just win" mentality. Outside of Alabama, there are very few teams in college football with the talent and depth to steamroll opponents week in and week out. What matters are the wins and losses. There are no figure skating judges looking at degrees of difficulty or deducting points for sloppy education. No, in the big picture of championship football – and that is the standard we all want, right? – the only thing that matters is if you won.
Obviously, the coaches, players, and you the fan all want perfection – or at least improvement – week after week. But don't confuse failure to meet a standard of play for a lack of success. It's okay to be critical of how Nebraska plays – and you better believe I'll continue to be critical where needed – but at the end of the day the wins and losses are the most important thing.
And right now, Nebraska is a perfect 7-0.
Don't worry about rankings or perceived snubs. Each week, the amount of Husker fans up in arms over Nebraska's national ranking and/or perception seems to grow. They'll wonder why teams with losses are ranked ahead of NU. They bristle at the criticism that Nebraska is a sham that has not been tested. They get fired up over a comment or tweet from some national pundit or talking head who discounts Nebraska's first 7-0 start in 15 years. Every employee at ESPN – down to the cafeteria guy serving Chicken Curry – hates Nebraska. Heck, some of that disrespect is here at home. The lone AP voter in the state (the World-Herald's Sam McKewon) has the Huskers at #11 in his poll. Only three other voters have Nebraska lower.
But here's the thing: it doesn't matter.
Once more for emphasis: It. Does. Not. Matter.
Why, you ask? There are two key reasons: 1) Nebraska gets two prime time chances to prove itself against top competition. Even with the losses they've suffered, playing at Wisconsin and at Ohio State are big games against tough conference foes. Should Nebraska win one (or both) games, a lot of the perceived negativity will go away.
2) In the College Football Playoff world, rankings are irrelevant. Yes, it's great to say that Nebraska is a Top 10 team (regardless of if you believe it or not), but NU's ranking today, tomorrow, or next week has zero implication on their chances to win the Big Ten West, win the conference, or – dare to dream – make the Playoff. I firmly believe that an undefeated team from a Power Five conference will ALWAYS make the playoff.
If you want to revisit this if/when Nebraska clinches the West, we can. But for now, sit back and enjoy a 7-0 start without getting caught up on snubs, slights, and stupid banter from an overrated pregame show.
It is time to fully embrace Terrell Newby. For much of his Nebraska career, fans have been slow – if not reluctant – to embrace Terrell Newby as NU's feature back. There are many reasons for this, both in his control (his reputation as a "dancer" reluctant to run to contact) as well as things he couldn't change (he followed one of the all time greats, and fan infatuation with other backs on the roster). He's spent most of the last five years hearing about how fans and pundits (myself included) would rather give the ball to anybody else.
But I would hope that we can now recognize that Newby is deserving of our respect and praise. He has destroyed the old narrative that a player cannot improve between their junior and senior seasons. Newby is more decisive and shows greater acceleration through holes. Instead of running around would-be tacklers, the 2016 Newby is running through them. In the fourth quarter, when Nebraska has needed to burn clock and put away games, Newby has been a stop-him-if-you-can workhorse. You can discount the teams he's owned in the fourth quarter (Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue) but respect the performance. More importantly, respect the player who never gave up and worked hard to improve himself.
The Blackshirts are improving. All in all, this was one of the defense's better games. Purdue marched 75 yards in nine plays for a touchdown on their first full possession (ignoring the "what are you doing?" halfback pass that was intercepted on the first play). Early in the second quarter, Nebraska gave up an 88 yard touchdown. After that, the Blackshirts locked down allowing just 128 yards on 46 snaps (2.8 yards per play).
In the stretch of almost three full quarters, Purdue was 3-11 on third down and 1-4 on fourth down. The Blackshirts picked up two sacks, hurried the quarterback twice more, broke up six passes, intercepted a pass, stopped a fake punt, and allowed zero points. Heck, after their first touchdown, Purdue only ran eight plays in Nebraska territory.
The most impressive part was the contributions at all levels of the defense. The tackles clogged running lanes and allowed the linebackers to run free. The linebackers made tackles all over the field. The secondary turned in two interceptions, broke up a half-dozen passes, and should get credit for at least two of Nebraska's sacks.
Discount the opponent if you wish, but this is a really good time for the defense to hit their stride.
Where is the depth on the offensive line? Do you remember Greg Austin? He was a left guard on the 2006 team who battled injuries for most of the year. He would limp on the field, block somebody to the best of his abilities, and limp back off when the possession was done. I remember seeing him hobble down the field after big gains, unable to keep up with his teammates. It was sad to watch a guy struggle that badly, and frustrating that a guy who could barely walk was apparently Nebraska's best option.
Ten years later history is repeating itself. Nebraska's offensive line is really banged up. Right tackle David Knevel could not finish the game due to injuries. Left tackle Nick Gates arguably should not have finished the game. The current line is chock full of walk-ons, some of which have their own injuries.
Look: I get that throwing a freshman in at tackle is much different from having a frosh play running back or receiver. It takes time to develop an offensive lineman, and apparently youngsters Jalin Barnett, Michael Decker, and Christian Gaylord aren't there yet. But…are those guys worse than Nick Gates at 70%? Is the gap between sophomore walk-on Cole Conrad and redshirt sophomore Barnett (a highly touted four-star recruit) that big? With two season defining games coming up, wouldn't it be good to rest an injured player and give valuable reps to a youngster?
Can Nebraska win in Madison? Of Nebraska's four wins over Wisconsin, only one has occurred in Madison – 50 years ago in 1966. Since joining the Big Ten, the Huskers are 0-2 in Madison, with a combined score of 107-41. The 6 pm kickoff (and the full day of tailgating beforehand) will make it tough on the Huskers.
Personally, I so no reason why Nebraska cannot win. Yes, NU's injury situation is dicey, but I'm sure Badger fans would tell you the same thing. It really comes down to the (on-field) issues that have plagued this program for years: turnover margin, penalties, and third down. If Nebraska can win in those categories, they can win anywhere.
Is Wisconsin a "must win" game? On the surface, it's odd to think that an undefeated team playing a team with two losses is anywhere close to "must-win" territory. However, that may be the case for Nebraska – especially for their plans of winning the Big Ten West. Right now, Wisconsin has two conference losses, and Nebraska (obviously) has none. But a loss to Wisconsin puts the Huskers' title hopes on a tight rope with Wisconsin owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Considering that Wisconsin closes out their schedule with Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and Minnesota, the Badgers may not lose another conference game. The Huskers would have to win at Ohio State and at Iowa (while avoiding slip ups against Minnesota and Maryland) to win the West.
This game may not be a true "must win", but a NU victory gives the Huskers a healthy lead going down the stretch.
The best thing I saw on Saturday: The two F/A-18 Super Hornets flying over Memorial Stadium. I love pregame flyovers, they can make even games against Purdue feel special. I wish they occurred more often.
The worst thing I saw on Saturday: A young Husker fan losing his lunch in the North stadium concourse at halftime. Aside from being a somewhat apt metaphor for how many fans viewed the first half, I felt bad for the little guy – and his dad.
Brandon Reilly. With Jordan Westerkamp and Cethan Carter injured, Reilly has embraced the role of "go-to receiver". His four catches for 73 yards led the team, and he contributed some key plays.
Caleb Lightbourn. After the punt game woes at Indiana, you could hear some whispers of criticism about the true freshman who was thrust unexpectedly into a starting job. The addition of a rugby kick was a great way to boost his confidence. He responded with a 43 yard average on four kicks, with three landing inside the 20.
Kieron Williams. Frankly, I was tempted to put him on here for his celebration after rushing the passer on Purdue's fake punt (a sweet cross-over dribble, fade-away jumper combo). But his pass break up, tackle for loss, and two interceptions are certainly deserving. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if a big play is happening on defense (or special teams) the odds are good that Kieron is in the middle of it.
De'Mornay Pierson-El. DPE operates so well in space. It's what makes him an elite punt returner, and it's why Danny Langsdorf should keep the quick slant route in the playbook. Give Pierson-El the ball in the middle of the field, set up a couple of blocks, and let him do the rest. Additionally, Pierson-El is becoming a skilled perimeter blocker.
Josh Banderas and Dedrick Young. Nebraska's linebackers combined for one heck of game. Banderas led the team with 13 tackles, and Young was right behind him with 11. Bando is playing some of his best ball as a Husker and Young just keeps getting better and better.
Honorable Mention: Terrell Newby, Mick Stoltenberg, Nate Gerry, Sam Cotton, Stanley Morgan, Alonzo Moore, Tommy Armstrong, Tre Bryant, 70 degree days in late October
Red Zone Scoring. The good news is NU was 3-3 on red zone scoring chances. The bad news is two of those were field goals. The horribly ugly news is that it took a 51 yard field goal to salvage points from a first and goal on the 10 yard line. 13 points in three red zone trips may not be enough to get it done the next two weeks.
Offensive Line. I get the injuries. I saw that Purdue played most of the game with eight or nine guys in the box. I know that Nebraska was able to exert some of their fourth quarter dominance to seal the game. But nobody can – or should – be happy with the performance of the offensive line. The level of play needs to be much higher in the next two games.
Husker Fans. The stadium vibe was rather relaxed on Saturday. Even though Nebraska trailed for a good portion of the game, I never got the sense that sellout crowd 352 had a strong desire to get overly involved. I would describe the atmosphere as "an 11 am BTN game" where the prevailing attitude of fans toward the team was "Please don't make me have to work today." Additional demerits to fans attempting to start the wave during what was then a three-point game.
Purdue Fans. Did Purdue bring anybody to the game? The visiting team section was quiet and appeared to have as many people wearing red as black and gold. Before, during, and after the game, I saw as many fans wearing Iowa gear as I Purdue clothes (two of each). I get this is not a prideful time in the Boiler Nation, but couldn't you find a couple of hundred people to put on a black shirt and feign interest?
Ed Cunningham. I joked that if I had $1 for every incorrect, inane, or ignorant thing Ed said during the NU-Purdue telecast I could pay for my ticket. By randomly scrolling through Twitter during TV timeouts, I got up to about $20 – a number I'm sure I could double if I watched the game at home. There are announcers Husker fans dislike because of a perceived bias. And there are announcers who just aren't very good. Mr. Cunningham falls in the latter category.
Feit Can Write	· October 13, 2016 · College Football	· B1G, Big Ten, College Football, Football, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin	· No Comments
Here are this week's Big Ten Power Rankings:
Ohio State. Did what championship teams do – pull away from a team not on their level. The Buckeyes have won each of their games by at least 21 points. Can Wisconsin break that trend?
Michigan. Holy Harbaugh, that 78 point win over Rutgers is the absolute definition of "domination". So many eye-popping stats came out of that annihilation, that picking one doesn't do justice to the totality of that victory. The Wolverines will face a tougher test this week when they are idle.
Wisconsin. Coming off of their bye week, the Badgers get Ohio State at Camp Randall. In classic "something's gotta give" matchup, Ohio State is averaging 53 points per game. Wisconsin has not allowed more than 14 points to FBS competition.
Nebraska. Back in the Top Ten for the first time in five years, are the Cornhuskers for real? I dunno. The argument can be made that Wyoming is their best win. Coming off the bye week, Nebraska will be battling Indiana and injuries – and not necessarily in that order.
Penn State. The Nitany Lions handled previously unbeaten Maryland 38-14 for their best win of the year. Now, they get a week off to prepare for Ohio State. After that, the rest of their schedule (Purdue, Iowa, Indiana, Rutgers, Michigan State) looks doable.
Indiana. The final score of the Ohio State loss doesn't show that the Hoosiers played the #2 Buckeyes pretty close for a good chunk of the game. That fact should not be lost on the top ten team Indiana faces this weekend (Nebraska)
Iowa. Since blowing out Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are 2-2, with four unimpressive outings. Is this a long hangover from how their 2015 season ended? Or after a magical season where almost everything went their way, are they returning to the norm?
Maryland. Last week, we speculated that Maryland's (then) undefeated record might be a mirage, a theory proven emphatically by Penn State. A tangle with Minnesota should help confirm or debunk that notion.
Northwestern. The Wildcats are 2-3 overall, but don't count them out of the West race yet. They come off of their bye week with an intriguing matchup against Michigan State (as much as a game featuring two 2-3 Big Ten teams can be intriguing)
Michigan State. What is going on in East Lansing? The Spartans are 2-3 and have lost three straight. If they are going to salvage a bowl game out this season, beating Northwestern this weekend will be huge.
Minnesota. The Gophers are not technically out of the West division race, but to keep their hopes alive, they better not lose another game in the next month (at Maryland, Rutgers, at Illinois, Purdue).
Purdue. It wasn't pretty, but give credit to Purdue for earning a rare conference road win. With Iowa coming to town, the Boilermakers have an opportunity to keep moving up.
Illinois. Illini fans are probably the only people in the conference happy that Rutgers is a member of the Big Ten. My condolences to whomever has to broadcast the Illinois – Rutgers game this week. I recommend drinking heavily.
{open}
Rutgers. After losing back to back games by scores of 58-0 and 78-0, I cannot in good conscious put Rutgers at 14. Last place just doesn't do this team justice. I don't care that both teams are in the Top 5. I'll lay down a gauntlet for the Scarlet Knights: Beat Illinois, and you may get #13 next week. Lose to the Illini, and I'll consider promoting you to #14. Get blown out, and I'll run these rankings all the way to 50.
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Anna M. Ogle is rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, based on 1 reviews!
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Unfortunately, professional review of the Fast and Curious game is not yet ready. This game is on the list and will be reviewed in the nearest feature. Meanwhile, you can find more from the official description below.
In this game, you don't fight with guns rather each player will compete on each side of the screen and will have their own problems to navigate. You need to choose quickly so you can move while trying to activate powerups to freeze your opponent, who likewise will be doing the same. In game store and character customizations add depth and more fun.
Single player mode with achievements and leaderboard.
In game store with money earned inside the game.
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text:
The U.S. Covid death toll tops 300,000 as vaccine distribution begins
by Business Boy 15/12/2020, 3:18 AM 953 Views
A affected person who died lays in a physique bag inside a coronavirus illness (COVID-19) unit at United Memorial Medical Center as the United States nears 300,000 COVID-19 deaths, in Houston, Texas, U.S., December 12, 2020.
Callaghan O'Hare | Reuters
The coronavirus has killed greater than 300,000 folks throughout the nation as U.S. officers ship out the first of almost Three million doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to distribution facilities in all 50 states.
The U.S. has reported at the least 16 million whole coronavirus instances, essentially the most on the planet, in keeping with information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Officials reported greater than 2,300 deaths on Saturday and greater than 3,300 deaths on Friday as new infections proceed to blow up throughout the nation.
As the U.S. grapples with devastating death tolls and surges in hospitalizations, a historic inoculation effort is underway.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use authorization for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech based mostly on information exhibiting it was 95% efficient. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield signed off on the vaccine Saturday night time, permitting inoculations to formally transfer ahead for folks ages 16 or older.
The first doses will go to health-care staff and residents in long-term care services.
The FDA can be releasing an information evaluation this week for Moderna's vaccine and reviewing the corporate's request for emergency use authorization. If accepted, Moderna's vaccine could possibly be administered as early as Dec. 21 and assist the U.S. present 20 million vaccinations in December, 50 million by the top of January and 100 million by the top of February.
Health officers say that roughly 75%-80% of the U.S. inhabitants should get vaccinated to attain herd immunity, or a interval the place sufficient individuals are protected in order that the virus will be contained.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief medical advisor to Operation Warp Speed, stated Sunday that he hopes to attain herd immunity between May and June.
However, well being officers are involved about public doubt over the efficacy and security of the speedy vaccine rollout, with one ballot exhibiting that solely about half of Americans say they need a shot, whereas 1 / 4 aren't certain about it and one other quarter say they will not get one.
Even with the vaccine rollout, well being researchers forecast that the U.S. death toll might double and attain a cumulative 539,000 by April 1, and are urging folks to put on masks and restrict gatherings to handle the unfold of the virus.
Vaccine distribution will solely scale back the death toll by 9,000 by April 1, whereas a speedy vaccine rollout concentrating on high-risk people might save an additional 14,000 lives, in keeping with a report revealed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation on the University of Washington's School of Medicine.
UMass Memorial Health Care, which operates hospitals in central Massachusetts, has seen a significant inflow of Covid-19 sufferers in its hospitals after the Thanksgiving vacation, Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, advised CNBC on Friday.
It's turn out to be tougher for hospitals to take care of staffing as some staff contract Covid-19 and are compelled to quarantine.
The well being system is planning to as soon as once more herald extra refrigerated vehicles to serve as short-term mortuaries to retailer the useless, Dickson stated. Some of UMass Memorial's morgues have needed to switch our bodies of Covid-19 victims from one hospital to a different after working out of house.
Boxes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are ready to be shipped on the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in Portage, Michigan, U.S., December 13, 2020.
Morry Gash | Reuters
"The worst is unfortunately yet to come," Dickson stated. "There is nothing to suggest that the rate of hospitalizations is going to slow down. So at this point, we're absolutely confident that this will be worse than the first surge."
Dickson urged "the public to do everything they can to prevent the spread of this infection for the next two months" to stop extra pressure on the health-care system whereas coronavirus vaccines are delivered to health-care staff and essentially the most weak.
"If you can give us those two months, we'll bring the hospitalizations down, we'll have enough room, we'll have the workforce to deliver the vaccine and we'll be out of this thing in early summer," Dickson stated.
"But if we don't get the public's help during those two months, it's going to be a horrible, horrible long winter because there will be a lot of people dying that didn't have to die," he stated.
BioNTech SEBreaking News: Businessbusiness newsCatastropheCoronavirusHealth care industryModerna IncPfizer IncPolitics
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U.S. likely to fall short of goal to vaccinate 20 million people against Covid before end of year
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FDA approves Pfizer's Covid vaccine for emergency use as U.S. reaches pivotal moment in the pandemic
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


@doug that's right, you've been trying out the laser module. How is it? I wished i had opted to get it during the Kickstarter campaign. I will definitely get the module when they sell it.
The laser is great. I have only tested it on 150gsm white card to test it out. Soon I will get some suitable wood, leather and acrylic pieces to test. After a bit of trial and error it is great. You will have to forgive my bad photography. The first is a test sketch from Snapmaker lasered using B&W. The second is a photo image of a friend in NY using greyscale. The greyscale image was like a photo. I look froward to trying this on other surfaces. Only your imagination is the limit.
That's some nice results. Can the laser be used to cut paper? For example, to make custom paper doilies or cut out intricate designs for a spray paint mask.
It would be great to see what you can do on other materials too.
I have not specifically attempted to cut patterns with the laser; inadvertently achieved YES!!! hahaha.
One of my early suggestions to Snapmaker for the CNC (which I have not tested as yet) was to have a cutting knife attached to do vinyl/decal cutting.
The laser is only 200mw and does not really have enough oomph (a technical term hahaha) for cutting.
I will try at some stage to cut out some letters on 80gsm paper in the near future; unless some other user comes back that has tried it.
Any good stationery store will stock different weighted papers/card. You can get textured card or cardboard; many options are available to you. I found that around the 150gsm was the lightest weight fro good testing.
I've just uploaded my own (as yet untested!) fence - the openscad files are included should you wish to make it taller (the only things I've CNCed are coasters).
This is Scrap Fence for SnapMaker . Window might be modified a bit .
It's similar to the original except that it has slots to make the fence pieces fit together better. I was able to print all 5 pieces (three regular walls, one wall with a doorway, and the door) on my Snapmaker at the same time by combining them into a single STL file in Meshmixer.
Hi doug why do you chose this print orientation like on yours first picture, mby is better to print diagonally like it was on last picture?


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Centre of Excellence in Textiles to Open early in 2019
A Centre of Excellence in Textiles in Hawick will open early in the new year and will help to address business-critical skills issues in the sector and provide industry skills of all levels to a wide range of individuals.
The establishment of the centre of excellence is a partnership project involving Scottish Borders Council, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, the Department for Work and Pensions and local textile and knitwear manufacturing businesses. The project was awarded £610,000 from the Scottish Government via the South of Scotland Economic Partnership in July.
The centre will be created at a former mill building in Hawick and will be managed by Alistair Young, formerly Operations Manager at the town's Peter Scott factory.
Training will be provided to the town's current textiles and knitwear workforce, with upskilling opportunities as well as advancing leadership and management skills, and will support the next generation by training 16 to 19-year-olds in the practical elements of the textile and knitwear industry through Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships. Future development will increase the range of support facilities available to the textile sector.
Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing said: "I am delighted that we are able to fund this development through the South of Scotland Economic Partnership. The south of Scotland is renowned for the quality of its textiles industries and it is important that we invest in that excellence for the future.
The centre will bring real and long-term benefits to the area, developing the talent needed to support the industry's future success and enabling people to pursue long-term careers in this important sector."
Councillor Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council's Executive Member for Business and Economic Development added: "This initiative will address business critical issues in the local textiles and knitwear sector and provide a stream of skilled young workers across all roles, enabling the world-renowned Borders businesses in this sector to address succession planning issues and reduce or remove the need to send work overseas.
"This project will also build on the confidence in the sector, which will hopefully lead to continued investment by those companies already established here and inward investment from others who see the benefits of such collaboration.
"Importantly it also provides genuine work skills for local young people based on a clear pathway to local jobs, which delivers immediate and long-term economic benefits to the Scottish Borders."
Professor Russel Griggs, Chair of the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, said: "The Centre of Excellence in Textiles in Hawick is one of the eight projects funded to date and the news the centre is opening early next year is another exciting milestone for the partnership.
"It again highlights our ambition and commitment to make the south the thriving economy we know it can be.
"More announcements will be on their way which will also show the partnership's commitment to delivering long-term social and economic benefits for the south of Scotland."
The long-term vision of the project is to develop, in addition to the training centre, a textile innovation centre as well as a showcase and marketing tool for the local industry.
David Hamilton of Johnstons of Elgin said: "This is a fantastic project that supports the local textiles and knitwear sector and addresses a challenge that many of us have faced for a number of years.
"This is a sector that is growing in the Scottish Borders, thanks to the high-quality products that are made here and the reputations that have been built over many years by our brands, and the training and recruitment of young people is vital to ensuring that we can continue to thrive and grow.
"The Scottish Borders, and particularly Hawick, is known the world over for the quality of textiles and knitwear workmanship and this project has the potential to make the area a leader also in the training and development of the sector's workforce, which could attract more businesses to relocate here."


text:
We work very closely with Ralph Lauren Europe and have had a very good relationship with them for many years, working on all of their seasonal display briefs. We are given designed briefs from the creative co-ordinators at Ralph Lauren and asked to provide samples swatches of the materials and finishes we think would work best with their designs. Once these are approved we are asked to provide prototypes of all the different elements. If there are any design changes needed, we set about making alterations before going in to production. Because we ship all over Europe, we have to make sure that everything is durable yet lightweight, to keep the delivery costs to a minimum, but also to ensure that shop staff don't have to struggle when dressing the windows with our props.
More often than not there are large numbers of different props to make and we have only 4 to 5 weeks to make everything, but we always hit our deadline and have never missed one. As trusted suppliers of Ralph Lauren, we are given a certain amount of free reign when it comes to the design brief; we are given designs from their creatives and always aim to achieve exactly what they ask for, but on occasions there are changes that we suggest which we implement, and we are asked to design elements of the brief. We designed some two meter high gates that had the Ralph Lauren log within the intricate floral pattern, we designed the pattern that was printed on to self-adhesive vinyl and applied to Chinese vases, and we designed over one dozen different wooden toys from a bi-winged plane to a dolls house that had hinged front doors and a staircase leading to a second floor, to a train set with a front truck and four carriages. We are asked to make these whenever a new store opens somewhere in Europe.
We have made hot air balloons that were suspended from the ceiling, aged concrete effect urns and plinths, Chinese style fibreglass vases with intricate patterned detail, snowmen, sandcastles, surf boards, barrels, MDF plinths and podiums, seagulls, drums, signs, fibreglass logs that were made using a mould taken from real bark, hundreds of tartan covered gift boxes, bronze effect polo players on horses, light houses, giant crayons and pencils. The list goes on. It is fair to say that we love the work we do and love working with Ralph Lauren who always ask us to make something interesting.
Ralph Lauren Lolipops
Watch us making lots of giant lollipops. Firstly, we sculpted a lollipop with polystyrene, then we moulded and cast one in fibreglass to make a smooth finished master. From this master we made more moulds, cast the lollipops in fibreglass and hand painted the swirls. With a high gloss lacquer coating they looked good enough to eat.
Summer Beach Huts
For the 2018 summer season we had to make many beach huts, all of which had to be lightweight and pack flat. Because we ship everything we make for Ralph Lauren all over Europe, we are always conscious of weight and size when it comes to designing any props due to shipping costs. Ralph Lauren send us their design ideas and briefs and it is our job to come up with making their designs work practically, so a lot of forethought goes in to every project. Once we are happy that the designs will work, we manufacture everything in-house, paint and package, so it is in our interest, as well as the clients, to get it right prior to embarking on any work. These beach huts had to look weathered and so our scenic artists had their work cut out as there were a lot of them to make and 3 different designs, all painted by hand.
White Centre-Piece Tree
This tree, which was placed around an existing column in-store at Ralph Lauren's flagship Children's Wear store at Bicester Village, was very large and wide and had to fit a very specific height and fit nicely around the column. With branches that spread out a good few metres, the challenge was to make sure it looked good aesthetically, but also that it was safe once installed. It was sculpted from polystyrene clad around a metal and timber frame, we then cast the bark texture in fibreglass, taken from a mould we took from a real tree trunk and the leaves were hand die-cut from a fire proofed card, each one being hand tied to the branches. The topiary horse that can be seen in the image was a previous prop we made.
Vintage Citroen Vans
Spring 2018, and for all Women's Wear outlets, we made vintage Citroen vans, each one utilising carpentry, polystyrene sculpting, moulding and casting in fibreglass, vacuum-forming plastic, buying real Citroen parts, spray-painting and vinyl application. They all had to fit different sized windows, had to be lightweight, able to be flat-packed and made in such a way that visual display staff could build them easily on-site with nothing but a spanner, which we supplied to each destination. A tall order, and they had to be no deeper than approx. 400mm but look as 3-D as possible. Because Ralph Lauren work ahead of time, we started making these, along with a host of other props for Men's Wear and Children's Wear outlets, in November 2017 and in between Christmas and New Year, and a few very late nights as well, but as usual, we had everything made and wrapped and shipped for the deadline. Then it was on to the next season.
Wintry choco signs
As part of the 2010 Holiday season we were asked to make some signs that were to look rustic and wintry, and our in-house sign writer loves the chance to show off his skills.
Horse jumps and fences
We made horse jumps and fences along with boxes full of flowers, hay bales and horse shaped silhouette hedges for Spring 2014
For Spring 2016 we made over one hundred hot air balloons in different sizes, each with its own wicker basket and netting to give them a vintage look. We designed and printed self-adhesive vinyl stripes to adhere to the fibreglass balloons, which had to be extremely lightweight as they were suspended from only a self-adhesive eyelet fixed to the ceiling of the many stores. In addition to the balloons we sourced hundreds of wicker basket plinths that were used for point of sale display, and made lots of New York subway signs.
Train set, tractor, drums and ABC blocks
For a new store opening we made one of our many in-house designed wooden train sets, wooden tractor, drum set and MDF painted ABC blocks which were used to display products.
We made approximately 50 stylised seagulls which were suspended from the ceiling in the windows of multiple European stores. We used the roto-mould method to make them which allowed us to play with the roto-mould machine we had built for such projects. Roto-moulding is where a silicone mould is made and resin is poured in to the mould, and then, in our machine, we turn the mould slowly to allow the resin to form inside the mould, flowing in to all the parts of the mould until the cast is set. This method allows us to make multiples of objects up to approximately one meter in diameter and height.
New York subway signs
As part of the spring 2016 display brief we had to make New York subway signs. We had the letters CNC cut and the signs themselves were also CNC cut with locating pins to take the letters. These had a surround, also CNC cut and everything was bonded together and attached to a free standing plastic pipe 'signpost'
Wintry birdhouses
For Ralph Lauren Holiday 2014 window displays we made wooden birdhouses with frost and snow and icicles which were placed on top of silver birch stands. As part of the brief, we also had to source hundreds of silver birch logs which we found locally thanks to The National Trust's Scotney Castle, who we had previously made a replica wedding cake for their museum. The head warden allowed us to choose which silver birch trees we thought most suitable from the stock of trees picked for felling that year. They even kindly collected and delivered them to us so that we could chop them down to make log plinths, tables and chairs and stands with. It took one member of staff one week just to cut the trees down in to workable sizes, but the results were worth it as there's nothing more authentic than an actual tree when used for a display.
Drums and letters
Another drum set and some painted MDF RL letters; we had these CNC cut and then glued two 18mm thick MDF letters together, sprayed them with a polyurethane resin, then sanded and finished ready for a cellulose primer and cherry wood paint effect. We make RL letters and ABC letters on a regular basis for new store openings.
We made these beautiful fibreglass pencils with the Ralph Lauren logo embossed in to the sides in to which we poured a fast casting resin which made the embossing look like that of a real pencil. These were made as prototypes and, although the creative co-ordinator and her team loved them, it was decided to go down a different route to the disappointment of the Ralph Lauren team and, especially, us because we would have loved to have made more of these.
Take a look at some of the kind words our client said about our work:
Spur Creative are a delight to work with. Props produced are always met with such attention to detail and finesse and their expertise and knowledge is always trusted and injected into projects, in order to achieve the vision of the supplied brief. I have worked with Spur Creative for nearly 7 years and without a doubt would recommend their services and will continue to work alongside them for years to come. If it is elevated, creative and bespoke props that you are after then Spur Creative should be your first point of call
Natasha Furness
Ralph Lauren PFS-EU
Creative Co-ordinator, Brand Presentation


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Covidization Of Healthcare Leaves Other Diseases Untreated
A doctor in Madrid - David Zorrakino/Contacto/ZUMA
"Covidization" of healthcare systems worldwide has led to rising mortality rates in pathologies like cancer, and more births in the Third World.
Jorge Alcalde
MADRID — COVID-19 is killing people even without the virus.
Spain's Lung Cancer Group, a research body, believes lung cancer will have killed 1,300 people more in the country in 2020 than predictive models had anticipated before the pandemic struck. Between January and April this year, lockdowns and diverted healthcare resources meant 30% fewer initial oncology consultations than during those months in 2019.
This is just one of the many pathologies with significantly worse data for what many are calling a "covidization" of healthcare. It means that a near-exclusive focus on the coronavirus is impeding treatments, diagnoses and research in many other illnesses.
Covidization is a term coined by Madhukar Pai, a tuberculosis researcher at Montreal's McGill University to describe the pandemic's distorting effect on resource allocation, prioritization and media attention in fighting other pathologies. Data appear to have confirmed his opinion. Since April this year, the European Commission has devoted 137 million euros to research on the coronavirus, or twice all the monies spent in 2018 on tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS. Many researchers have felt the impact of changed priorities first-hand.
In a debate organized by the National Center for Oncological Research, Doctor Luis Paz-Ares, head of Medical Oncology at the 12 October University Hospital in Madrid, said that for months, hospital research has been devoted almost entirely to the coronavirus. "We have had to delay clinical trials, and at certain times the number of diagnoses dropped by as much as half," he said. "We must recover the lost ground."
The Spanish Anti-Cancer Society has gauged just how much ground was lost, revealing in a recent webinar that new cancer diagnoses have fallen by 20-25%, 36.5% of treatments had to be interrupted, 44% of surgeries were canceled or delayed, and 17% of radiotherapy treatments interrupted.
The medical review The Lancet has published a report in June on the impact of this diversion of resources to cancer survival rates in the United Kingdom. For the first time in recent history, cancer patients saw a drop in their chances of being cured, based on data for 32,583 patients with breast, colon, esophagus and lung tumors.
Five-year mortality from breast cancer is estimated to have increased by 7-9%, 15% for colon cancer, 5% for lung cancer and 6% for esophagus. The study concludes that this significant rise in expected cancer deaths for the pandemic can be rectified with ambitious mitigation policies.
AIDS is another illness affected by this change of paradigm. The Lancet's latest editorial made it clear: the pandemic has strained healthcare systems the world over, and in regions where AIDS is most prevalent, it is causing important interruptions in diagnosis and treatment. This could raise HIV mortality rates by 10% over five years.
A "day against breast cancer" event in Malaga, Spain — Photo: Lorenzo Carnero/ZUMA
The HIV Modelling Consortium estimates that sub-Saharan Africa will see 296,000 more deaths from AIDS in 2021 than previously expected. UNAIDS believes in turn that a six-month interruption for six months in HIV mother-to-child transmission prevention programs can mean a 40% rise in child infection rates in the poorest countries.
Yet UNAIDS mitigated its pessimistic prognoses in recent weeks, stating that novel transport and distribution systems for therapies and medical attention may cut HIV transmission and mortality rates early in 2021.
It's the biggest impact on life expectancy since the 1918 pandemic and World War II.
The pandemic has also had an impact on assisted fertility treatments in Spain. The state of emergency decree on March 14, 2020 paralyzed the activities of all fertility centers, where only treatments already begun could be completed. Embryo transfers and new patients were blocked until centers were reopened a month later.
Joaquín Rueda, professor of cell biology at the Miguel Hernández University in Elche says the country expects "between 4,000 and 8,000 fewer births from assisted reproduction than last year."
In July, Science magazine published a projection of the effects of the pandemic on life expectancy and birth rates. In parts of northern Italy worst hit by the virus, life expectancy is expected to fall between 1.1 and 2.5 years in women, and around 3.5 years in men. This is the biggest impact on life expectancy in those regions since the 1918 pandemic and World War II.
The evolution of birth rates differs however in line with the wealth of countries. As Professor Rueda explains, countries with higher living standards have seen accelerated changes in the work-domestic life balance during the pandemic, reduced family incomes and economic uncertainty, and the aforementioned paralysis in fertility treatments. These will lead to a net fall in birth rates next year. In poorer countries however, reduced access to contraception are already yielding more births. Thus, says Rueda: "the big demographic gap between the rich world and the poor world will grow due to the pandemic."
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text:
Thought you might appreciate this item(s) I saw at Epidemiology.
Development of Algorithmic Dementia Ascertainment for Racial/Ethnic Disparities Research in the US Health and Retirement Study
Gianattasio, Kan Z.a; Ciarleglio, Adamb; Power, Melinda C.a
From the aDepartment of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC
bDepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Editor's note : A related commentary on this article appears on p. 134.
Submitted March 8, 2019; accepted September 5, 2019.
The results reported herein correspond to specific aims of grant R03 AG055485 to M.C.P. from NIH. This work was also supported by grant K01 MH113850 to A.C. from NIH. The Health and Retirement Study data are sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (grant number U01AG009740) and was conducted by the University of Michigan.
Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Supplemental digital content is available through direct URL citations in the HTML and PDF versions of this article (www.epidem.com).
The data used in this study are available on the Health and Retirement Study website (http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/). SAS code for reproducing our datasets and assigning algorithmic diagnoses will be available by the time of publication on: https://github.com/powerepilab/AD_Algorithm_Development.
Correspondence: Kan Z. Gianattasio, Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW, 5th Floor, Washington DC 20052. E-mail: kzhang0316@gwu.edu
Epidemiology: January 2020 - Volume 31 - Issue 1 - p 126–133
doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001101
Disparities research in dementia is limited by lack of large, diverse, and representative samples with systematic dementia ascertainment. Algorithmic diagnosis of dementia offers a cost-effective alternate approach. Prior work in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study has demonstrated that existing algorithms are ill-suited for racial/ethnic disparities work given differences in sensitivity and specificity by race/ethnicity.
We implemented traditional and machine learning methods to identify an improved algorithm that: (1) had ≤5 percentage point difference in sensitivity and specificity across racial/ethnic groups; (2) achieved ≥80% overall accuracy across racial/ethnic groups; and (3) achieved ≥75% sensitivity and ≥90% specificity overall. Final recommendations were based on robustness, accuracy of estimated race/ethnicity-specific prevalence and prevalence ratios compared to those using in-person diagnoses, and ease of use.
We identified six algorithms that met our prespecified criteria. Our three recommended algorithms achieved ≤3 percentage point difference in sensitivity and ≤5 percentage point difference in specificity across racial/ethnic groups, as well as 77%–83% sensitivity, 92%–94% specificity, and 90%–92% accuracy overall in analyses designed to emulate out-of-sample performance. Pairwise prevalence ratios between non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics estimated by application of these algorithms are within 1%–10% of prevalence ratios estimated based on in-person diagnoses.
We believe these algorithms will be of immense value to dementia researchers interested in racial/ethnic disparities. Our process can be replicated to allow minimally biasing algorithmic classification of dementia for other purposes.
Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Epidemiology31(1):126-133, January 2020.
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Alzheimer's disease, Algorithms, Dementia, Disparities, Machine learning, Measurement
Articles in PubMed by Kan Z. Gianattasio
Articles in Google Scholar by Kan Z. Gianattasio
Other articles in this journal by Kan Z. Gianattasio


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Woman accused of driving into crowd of Farrell protesters pleads guilty to disorderly conduct
Police also charged some of the protesters involved in the incident, one of which also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct
by: Chelsea Simeon
WKBN
FARRELL, Pa. (WKBN) – A woman accused of driving into a crowd of protesters in Farrell pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct on Friday.
The other charges against Amanda Hogenmiller, including assault and recklessly endangering another person, were dismissed.
Investigators charged the Sharon woman in June after reports that a vehicle was driving with people on top of it during a protest in Farrell.
Woman charged with driving into crowd of protesters in Farrell, police say
Officers arrived to the 800 block of Sharon-New Castle Road to find a vehicle with protesters surrounding it. Police said they stopped Hogenmiller, the driver, and removed her from the scene.
After reviewing surveillance footage and videos posted on social media, investigators said Hogenmiller stopped in front of the demonstrators near the intersection of New Castle Road and Mercer Avenue before moving forward again, honking her horn.
Farrell protesters charged with obstructing highways, disorderly conduct
The criminal complaint said one of the protesters then jumped onto the hood of the vehicle. Despite the protester blocking her view, police said Hogenmiller sped up and continued driving until being stopped by officers.
The protester told police that he stood his ground in front of the vehicle before being hit. To avoid being pulled underneath the vehicle, the protester said he jumped onto the hood before rolling off.
The protester was later treated for a sprained ankle, the complaint said.
According to the criminal complaint, the protesters were demonstrating in the street illegally since they never obtained a permit.
They are also facing charges as a result of the incident and are awaiting hearings. One of those charged, Jason Howell, also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and the other charges were dropped, according to court records.