Husker defense cannot rest

I've seen a lot of posts and comments regarding the performance of Nebraska’s defense in the Huskers 49-20 season-opening win over Southern Mississippi.

Granted, the Huskers gave up just 260 yards of total offense but forced just one takeaway and allowed 7 of 14 third down conversions, not the stuff of championship defenses. However, it is also important to understand why certain things are done. Linebackers Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley showed signs of greatness

First, there is a lot to be cleaned up:

Defensive line lining up off the ball: I’m just giving people reasons for things. You don’t have to like them, I just think it’s important that people know so it can make you somewhat less mad when you see it. When running a 2-gap, it’s important that you are able to get to whatever side you want to of the offensive linemen. If you are too close to them, they can wall you off and you essentially lose one of your gaps you are responsible for and give the other linemen a clean path to the linebacker that is responsible for the running back. Nebraska’s front seven will never be confused with Alabama’s version. Baker Steinkuhler and Chase Rome aren’t going to be chasing down quarterbacks like Alabama’s front four, so the comparisons to them and how their guys lines up are apples to oranges. Also, they don’t run a 2-gap. Now, you can make the argument that Nebraska shouldn’t run 2-gap against heavy run teams or mobile quarterbacks, but the Huskers showed a little wrinkle when Anthony Alford was in the game of going to three down linemen and shifting defensive end Cameron Meredith to a linebacker. Think of the possibilities when Eric Martin isn’t hurt?

The big holes:  Much of this comes back to missed tackles and getting caught up in traffic by our guys responsible for the running back or the motion man across the quarterback’s face. Look no further than the first play from scrimmage of Compton getting reached by a guard that Rome was doing a heck of a job occupying. Compton and Whaley can’t get reached by those guys because the guy eating the two blocks is essentially taking himself out of the play trading 2 for 1. What is encouraging is they didn’t really push Nebraska off the ball, what is concerning is when we had someone in the hole they didn’t make the tackle and we relied heavily on our safeties to come up and make the play. That is going to have to change moving forward, as you just can’t miss tackles. Alford is not as good as Dennard Robinson and Braxton Miller without the experience, but has the same speed and less weapons. Bottom line, the holes are going to be there against 2 gap, it’s up to good/great linebacker play.

Rushing yards and third down conversions: I don’t understand why everyone is so down on how many rushing yards we gave up, but I definitely understand being a little worried about their 50% conversion percentage. In the 2-gap scheme, you aren’t going to stop both run and the pass. They tried running on Nebraska still when the Huskers were up four scores, Pelini will stay in 2-gap all day if they are going to continue to do that. Nebraska is not going to have defensive stats like they did in the 1990s because this defense doesn’t play behind the line of scrimmage. That being said, they need to blitz on first and second down sometimes rather than only waiting on third. They converted those screens a lot, like they one step ahead of on third down blitzes. If you can blitz a little on first and second down, put them in 2nd and 3rd and long, you will see that percentage fly downwards.

The defense gave up 13 points and held them under 100 yards passing, exactly what a 2-gap scheme is designed to do. I don’t care what they gave up rushing. If you hold someone to 13 points on defense I'll give up 400 yards rushing. But there are some definite glaring things that need fixed; I think the tackling was good when they got our hands on them.

I know it can be frustrating seeing the defense line up far from the line of scrimmage, or not blitzing and being behind the line of scrimmage as much as Alabama or LSU, but Nebraska have different athletes and are trying to play to those strengths. I think it’s important to understand why they do things, and why things happen. I will say this, they jumped out of 2-gap a couple times and went to a blitzing safety and/or linebacker and it looked real effective when they didn’t run that screen.

Football is upon us

Good old fashioned football has arrived, as in an actual matchup on the field. Nebraska enters what it hopes will be a much more consistent 2012 campaign than last year’s 9-4 season that culminated with a 30-13 Capital One Bowl loss. That game in a nutshell encompassed the Huskers season between 1/3 good moments, 1/3 bad moments and 1/3 that made you scratch your head.

In the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska has gone from bad to good but fans are getting relentless and wanting that moment to go from good to great. The Huskers open Saturday at home against what can be a pesky Southern Mississippi club. In fact, Associated Press writer Ralph Russo picks the Golden Eagles to come into Lincoln to upset No. 17 Nebraska. Both programs met three times from 1999-2004. In 1999, the Huskers (who finished 12-1 that season) needed two defensive touchdowns and six takeaways to overcome five turnovers on offense to beat Southern Miss 20-13 in Lincoln.

In 2003, the teams met in Hattieburg, Miss., for a Thursday night ESPN game. Nebraska took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter to win 38-14. In 2004, however, it proved to be a harbinger of things to come under Bill Callahan in just his second game as Husker head coach. Nebraska’s offense turned the ball over six times on the way to a 21-17 loss.

So how will things transpire in the 2012 game? The obvious common denominator is that if the Huskers don’t beat themselves, they should win but that would be too obvious. To that end, let’s take a closer look at the game itself.

Nebraska ranked No. 66 in total offense last season but fluctuated more often than the stock market. With offensive coordinator Tim Beck entering his second season, the Huskers should be much better offensively.

The team has two lynchpins in quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead. The Huskers have more depth at wide receiver than it has had in the past, but also has an offensive line that is patched together.

Southern Mississippi will use a 4-2-5 defensive alignment. The weakness of Southern Mississippi’s defense is their front six, where the Golden Eagles only return one starter (linebacker Jamie Collins). The strength of the Southern Mississippi defense is their secondary. The Golden Eagles return three starters from a pass defense that was good last season.

It will take time for Nebraska’s offensive line to gel, but Southern Mississippi could be the perfect opponent for the Cornhuskers offensive line to begin the season against.

Defensively, Nebraska lost their top three players from last year (DT Jared Crick, LB LaVonte David and CB Alfonzo Dennard) but since they were never on the field collectively at the same time, it is not unreasonable to think Nebraska’s defense will be better.

The Husker defense might not have proven impact players but the cupboard is certainly not bare led by defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler, linebacker Will Compton and safety Damion Stafford. Nebraska will rotate many players into the lineup to keep players fresh and utilize each player’s strength.

Southern Mississippi lost their star quarterback Austin Davis to graduation. There was a three-way battle for the starting quarterback position but junior Chris Campbell gets the call against Nebraska.

The player to watch on the Southern Mississippi offense is wide receiver Tracy Lampley. Last season, Lampley was the backup running back and still had 47 receptions and four touchdowns. This season, Lampley moves to his natural wide receiver position.

The Golden Eagles will use a variety of running backs to try and move the ball on the ground while their new quarterback gets his feet under him with senior Desmond Johnson.

Last season, Southern Mississippi had the No. 17-ranked offense in the country but lost far too many players to expect to be that good again this season.

While Nebraska’s defense is trending up, Southern Mississippi’s offense is going the other direction. Last season, Nebraska played a bend-but-don’t-break defense that did the latter as much as the former. This year, the Huskers will return to the swarming defense that Cornhuskers fans are used to under head coach Bo Pelini.

Nebraska also appears to have the edge on special teams even though the Golden Eagles return Lampley as a kick returner. The Huskers have a dynamic kicker in Brett Maher and potentially so at returner in Ameer Abdullah.

The strength of Nebraska’s team in 2012 is their defense. The Cornhuskers have one of the best kickers in the country in Brett Maher and a dynamic kick returner in Ameer Abdullah.

If this game was played in 2011, Nebraska would have a difficult time beating Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles lost too many players to graduation to be able to come into Memorial Stadium and defeat the Cornhuskers.Special Teams

Eric Francis/Getty Images

The strength of Nebraska’s team in 2012 is their defense. The Cornhuskers have one of the best kickers in the country in Brett Maher and a dynamic kick returner in Ameer Abdullah.

Last season, Southern Mississippi’s placekicker, Danny Hrapmann was a Lou Groza Award finalist (given to the best placekicker in the country). This season, the Golden Eagles will be looking for a new placekicker. Southern Mississippi does return their star kick returner, Tracy Lampley.

Edge

Nebraska will have the edge in special teams on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see what the Cornhuskers' plan is in the return game. Abdullah ranked No. 9 in the country in kickoff return average last season. Nebraska may use wide receivers Tim Marlowe, Jamal Turner or running back Imani Cross as returners to keep Abdullah fresh at running back.

Prediction

Eric Francis/Getty Images

If this game was played in 2011, Nebraska would have a difficult time beating Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles lost too many players to graduation to be able to come into Memorial Stadium and defeat the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska will impress the fans on Saturday as the Cornhuskers try to return to the dominant team they once were.

Nebraska will win the game, 34-14.

Line: Nebraska is favored by 19.5, according to Caesars/Harrah's (h/t Vegas

Follow me on Twitter @HuskerMagic

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Can the Blackshirts regain their mojo?

It did not take Nebraska long to develop a reputation for being a stout defense after Bo Pelini took over as head coach in 2008.
While the Huskers were decent defensively in 2011, they were not the authoritative bunch they were in 2009 and to a lesser extent 2010. Part of that dropoff was exacerbated by the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) in Week 5.
Despite the fact the Husker defense was at times a letdown last season, there were some bright spots such as the team’s dominant 24-3 win over Michigan State and the second half dominance that fueled a 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State in addition to the unit’s outstanding effort in a 20-7 win over Iowa.
Nebraska did finish pretty well (Top 40) statistically and has some decent pieces returning. By average, I mean the Huskers finished 37th in total defense and 42nd in scoring defense.
Nebraska wound up tied for 18th in passing defense and 34th in pass efficiency defense. Even though defensive backs coach Corey Raymond was the target of some fans’ criticism, once the secondary started picking up the scheme better, the team finished fairly well defending the pass.
However, the Huskers were tied for 72nd in interceptions (with 10), tied for 84th in sacks (21), and 64th in rushing defense. Nebraska also finished with a minus-1 turnover margin with 18 takeaways and had 19 giveaways. This tells me they need to get far more pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks to force mistakes that lead to turnovers, and to increase sack numbers. At the very least, make the opposing quarterback throw the ball a fraction of a second sooner than he wants. This would increase takeaways.

The Huskers also need to find a way to better shut down the running game. Nebraska could not do that this season when it needed to do so. As good as Michigan State’s running game was, it was somewhat mind-boggling that the Spartans tried to beat Nebraska with the arm of pocket passer Kirk Cousins. It’s no secret that Pelini’s defenses have had little trouble with such passers.

Most of those negative statistics came from a mediocre effort from the defensive line and in the early part of the season, the linebackers. Lavonte David was obviously a stud all year, and Will Compton really improved late in the season. However, for the most part, the line got pushed around in the Big 10 by the good teams, most notably Wisconsin and Michigan.

The defensive line problems are perhaps due to a combination of the collective talent level on the line and the scheme. I’m of the belief that head coach Bo Pelini and defensive line coach Rick Kaczsenski should take a long hard look and changing around the two-gap scheme this offseason in order to more effectively combat the power running styles of Wisconsin and Iowa and to get more pressure on Spread teams like Ohio State or Michigan.
Nebraska has four set starters on the line for next year in Eric Martin, Cameron Meredith, Baker Steinkuhler, and Chase Rome. I would hope the influx of talent from the redshirts and true freshman could help here. The line will likely rotate a lot, so we could be seeing some of Todd Peat as well as perhaps Greg McMullen and Jason Ankrah.

While losing David is a tough blow at linebacker, I think Nebraska will be OK at that position. Compton improved visibly near the end and looked to assume a leadership role. Alonzo Whaley started filling in when the coaches finally realized Sean Fisher wasn't effective. Beyond that, Zaire Anderson and Michael Rose have the best chance of playing next season among Nebraska’s newcomers.

Rose is going to be a real good one. II expect a much improved overall unit next year, even with the loss of David. Not a ton of experience here, but potential is through the roof. Will that potential transfer to production next year? Remains to be seen.

The secondary also loses its best player in Alfonzo Dennard but also loses some of the single most frustrating players for the fans on the team: Austin Cassidy and Lance Thorrell are gone. Now, this isn't really a knock on these guys. Since they're in the secondary, everyone is going to know when they screw up but they've long been perceived as guys who were less athletic than those that should be starting for Nebraska, and now the Huskers forced to adapt.

Pelini is going to have to put someone else back there deep, regardless of whether the grasp the scheme as fully as Cassidy or not. Depth wise in the secondary the Huskers are not too bad. Damion Stafford is back for his senior campaign and should have a spot locked down. The other safety spot is up for grab. I see that competition playing out between Courtney Osborne, P.J. Smith, or Harvey Jackson. I see Smith or Osborne winning. At cornerback, Andrew Green should be vastly improved along with Ciante Evans, Antonio Bell, and Stanley Jean-Baptiste back. Dijon Washington looks to be a non-contributer at this point, and Bell hasn't done much either. JC transfer Mohammed Seisay should also make an impact as, worst case scenario a nickel back.
I think in order to more effectively fix the defense for next season; the staff should rethink the 2 gap scheme for our D-line in favor of a more penetration-happy scheme, and consider becoming less of a bend-don't-break.

2012 Position Outlook: Defensive Line

One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at defensive line:




Looking back: The Nebraska defensive line was dealt a severe blow when defensive tackle Jared Crick, who appeared poised for a breakout season, was shelved after five games because of a torn pectoral muscle. While Crick was not having the breakout season most expected of him, losing him as a presence in the middle of the line was a fate the Huskers were not counting on suffering before the season began.

The Nebraska defense did not stop teams with the same authority as it had in 2009 and to a lesser extent 2010. The Huskers ranked No. 41 nationally in points allowed (22.8) and No. 37 to total yards against (350.7).

Nebraska also allowed opposing quarterbacks too much time to throw, which is significant because head coach Bo Pelini prefers to rely on the front four to generate pressure without blitzing.

While Crick’s season-ending injury hurt the Huskers during the last half of 2011, it helped develop experience for sophomore Chase Rome, who could be Nebraska’s most explosive young lineman. Seniors Bakers Steinkuhler and Cameron Meredith have been steady starters for two years, but their production seems to have reached its ceiling.

Looking ahead: Though the Huskers lose Crick and Terrence Moore, who started seven games at defensive tackle after Crick was put on the shelf, Nebraska should be in good shape at this position because there are plenty of experienced returning players.

Eric Martin and Cameron Meredith are entrenched as starters at defensive end. Senior Baker Steinkuhler should provide a steady presence at defensive tackle with sophomore Chase Rome pushing strongly for a starting job.

Jason Ankrah, Joe Carter and Kevin Williams are touted recruits who have yet to live up to their potential. Thad Randle and Jay Guy are coming off injuries, but seem to have the goods to stop the run. Todd Peat and Williams could also emerge as contributors. Greg McMullen is a talented recruit while Avery Moss may be counted on to rush the passer more.

The biggest change, however, is the addition defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski, who turned out strong units at Iowa for five years. Kaczenski was hired as a result of John Papuchis replacing Carl Pelini as defensive coordinator after getting hired as the Florida Atlantic head coach. Kaczenski assumes a unit that needs a jolt of energy. This unit should be the strength of Nebraska’s defense in 2012 and it needs to be.

Kaczenski has spent the past five years coaching Iowa’s defensive line. Among the players that flourished under his watch were All-Big Ten picks Adrian Clayborn and Mitch King. Clayborn received consensus All-America honors in 2010.

Seven of Kaczenski’s defensive linemen have been drafted or have signed an NFL free-agent contract over the past four seasons.

Playing Caputo the right call; did not get preferential treatment

In all of my years of being a Nebraska football fan (dating back to 1986), I must say cases that that of offensive lineman Mike Caputo are a first.


Though Husker football has had its isolated incidents of players running afoul with the law (i.e. Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter, Scott Baldwin), Nebraska has generally had players display exemplary behavior. Are they perfect? No, it’s called being young and human. We have all done things in our lives we shouldn’t have done, especially from the ages of 16-22.

Husker head coach Bo Pelini confirmed that Caputo will play in the Capital One Bowl Thursday after a legal resolution was reached in regard to a citation Caputo received a couple weeks ago.

Caputo pleaded guilty to reckless driving Thursday and judge ordered him to pay a $100 fine, the maximum fine for a first-time city infraction, after Lincoln police say they found him intoxicated and sleeping in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle on Dec. 11.

Caputo also must also attend a victim impact panel where he and others receiving tickets listen to testimony from those whose lives have been impacted by drunken driving. Pelini said Caputo is also being disciplined within the football program. Caputo was cited Dec. 11 when Lincoln police say they found him sleeping in a vehicle at the U-Stop at 110 West O St. at about 1:10 a.m. after someone called to report a man slumped over the wheel. Caputo's lawyer, Terry Dougherty, said Caputo wasn’t sleeping but had pulled off the road to send a text message.

That assessment would seem to make sense as Caputo’s blood alcohol level was .103 with the legal limit being .08. Let’s face it; a 280-pound man is not going to pass out with a BAC of .103. Lincoln Police Officer Katie Flood reaffirmed Thursday that the officer said he saw the driver of the vehicle slumped down, eyes closed and he appeared to be sleeping with a phone in his hand. Caputo was taken to Cornhusker Place detox center and cited on suspicion of driving under the influence. City prosecutors charged him Wednesday with reckless driving, not DUI. City code states that it is illegal for a person to drive, use, operate, park or stop a vehicle in a reckless manner.

If he had been charged with DUI, the least Caputo could have gotten was probation. Caputo has started every game the past two years and has played almost all the snaps at center this year. He was a recognizable enough piece of the Husker offense and was voted second-team All-Big Ten.

Some people might make a blanket statement to the effect of Caputo getting preferential treatment because he is a Nebraska football player. However, Lincoln Public Safety Director, Tom Casady, spoke about this issue on Jack & John in the morning on Lincoln radio station KLIN. Casady added that he has seen numerous cases similar to Caputo’s over the course of his 30 plus years in law enforcement. It is not uncommon for there to be reduced charges under these circumstances. Therefore the idea that Caputo got a sweetheart carries no weight if he received the same punishment that others got under these similar conditions.

While you can argue that Caputo should not have started the vehicle in the first place, the fact that there was no hard evidence that he actually drove it is where the case gets convoluted. I am no lawyer but the truth of the matter is that rightly or wrongly cases are not necessarily decided by is someone guilty? The question then becomes, is there sufficient and indisputable enough evidence to convict someone?

Ideally, they catch someone actually driving who tests over the limit (and no one gets hurt). In that case, it is a slamdunk DUI but cases where the car isn’t moving and is parked on private property are much tougher to get a conviction.

The confounding dynamic here is that in one corner you have reasonable people who see the situation for what it was, and were thankful Caputo was smart enough not to drive in that condition.

The other segments of people who have too much time on their hands want to go on a witch hunt over something pedestrian. At which point, I say, “Join a quilting club.”

The ones that want to pile on Caputo are clueless as to what happened. Again, there is no hard evidence to suggest that he even drove the car at all, yet some people go off with this nonsense trying to pretend like they have the higher ground.

And just because someone pleads to a lesser charge, it does not mean that there was insufficient evidence to get a conviction for the original charge. Speaking for myself if I were in that position, if there aren’t sufficient facts to get a conviction for a DUI, I’m not pleading guilty to a damn thing.

I have no problem with how the District Attorney handled the situation. If he says that’s how he normally charges those cases then so be it. Also, last year I remember two Huskers (Baker Steinkuhler and Rickey Thenarse) getting charged with DUI so I don’t want to hear that NU players got special treatment. I believe the DA punished the crime. I also want to say I have no problem with the DA giving a 21 year old kid a break, as long as the young man learned the lesson. Now me as a grown man with a wife, kids, and a career I should know better. I don’t believe a 21 year old college kid should be held as accountable for his actions as me, especially if he has had a clean history up to this point.

Blackshirts must continue to earn their keep

Apparantly it’s not a rumor. Blackshirts were awarded Monday according to the Lincoln Journal Star website in large part due to the Huskers 24-3 win over Michigan State on a day the Blackshirts stymied the Spartans.
The following is an unofficial list of defenders who received the black practice jerseys that are symbolic of excellence:
P.J. Smith, Baker Steinkuhler, Chase Rome, Cameron Meredith, Jason Ankrah, Eric Martin, Austin Cassidy, Josh Williams, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David, Andrew Green, Daimion Stafford, Lance Thorell, Thad Randle, Justin Blatchford, Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Terrence Moore and Ciante Evans.
The doling out of the Blackshirts is well deserved after a great defensive effort against Michigan State. The front four rushed the passer and controlled the line of scrimmage, the linebackers maintained their lanes, and the secondary completely shut down the receivers. With this kind of defense, the Huskers chances for a Big Ten title are very much alive but for that to happen the strong play must continue.
I still think the Blackshirts should be passed out at the beginning of the season based on practice sessions, and later taken away, or awarded based on game performance. This season the defense was so bad for so long that an exception was warranted.

While part of me says the list is watered down because so many players were awarded Blackshirts, let’s keep in mind every player on that list has either started or received significant playing time.
Changing conferences (going from Big 12 to Big 10) is no small task. The big 12 was fairly consistent in their offensive schemes that were each tailored toward the strength of their personnel. Week in and week out we would have to prepare for slight variations from the prior week in most cases. Occasionally we would have to prepare for a wholesale change in offensive or defensive philosophy but that was the exception.
Our world today is much different. Almost on a weekly basis we have to prepare for a team that we have not played in recent history. In addition, those teams differ substantially in style and scheme on both their offense and their defense.
The curve is steep and the path is narrow, a slip here or a slip there can place our team in a perilous position. It makes it all the more important that this year we have individuals with character that are able to persevere through the highs and lows.
The Huskers have a lot of battle hardened troops on this roster. When they play for each other we see what we saw.

Husker defense needs to stick to its roots

The Blackshirts have entered the building. Well, re-entered s more like it. Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini held up a black practice jersey in the locker room after the Huskers 24-3 win over Michigan, and according to a few players, told them they'd be receiving them this week.


The story of the 2011 season has been, where has the Nebraska Blackshirts defense gone?

Through the first seven games of the season, Nebraska’s defense had been a liability. The Blackshirts had allowed teams with mediocre offenses to move the ball down the field on them. Fans had to know that this type of play defensively would not last the entire season as long as Bo Pelini is the head coach.

Omaha World Herald columnist Sam McKewon perhaps made the most astute observation of why the Husker defense finally performed the way fans had grown accustomed to since the Pelini Bros. came aboard in 2008.

In his column, McKewon stated they stuck to a scheme Nebraska knows inside and out, even if it's not a perfect match for the league's personnel.

They kept their safeties — Austin Cassidy and Daimion Stafford — protective of the deep middle. They trusted Lance Thorell and Ciante Evans to play in the box even when the Spartans rolled out power sets. They allowed linebackers Lavonte David and Will Compton to flow confidently and aggressively to the ball. The Huskers gave up a little in the run defense, but they guessed right that the Spartans wouldn't stick with it. They haven't stuck with it all year.

Basically, the Huskers decided to stop worrying about adjusting from the Big 12 to the Big 10. Instead of you adjusting to the opponent, make the opponent adjust to you.
On Saturday against Michigan State, Nebraska put together a perfect defensive scheme to stop the Spartans' offense. Nebraska held Michigan State’s all-time leading receiver, B.J. Cunningham to no catches and sacked senior quarterback Kirk Cousins four times.

Nebraska’s defense has moved up to No. 29 nationally in total defense.
Instead of lining up in their defensive stance, the defensive lineman moved around the line of scrimmage so that the offense did not know where they were coming from. This defense allowed the Blackshirts to put pressure on Cousins all day long.
The second part of the defense that stood out was the play of the Nebraska linebackers.

Throughout the season, Nebraska had lined up with three linebackers and David was the only linebacker who consistently made plays. On Saturday, Nebraska used two linebackers and five defensive backs. Was it a return to the “Peso” defense Nebraska used last season? Not exactly, but it was effective. As a result, linebacker Will Compton had his best game of his career at Nebraska. Compton continuously made calls for the defense pointing out what play Michigan State was running. He ended the game with seven tackles, one tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries. If Compton continues to play at this level, Nebraska will have two of the best linebackers in the Big Ten Conference in David and Compton.
With Nebraska’s power running game taking time off the clock and wearing down opposing defenses, the Blackshirts will need to uphold their part of the game plan in order for the Cornhuskers to continue to win games. If the Blackshirts play as they did against Michigan State in their remaining games, Nebraska will be a tough team to beat in the Big Ten Conference.
Next week, Nebraska plays Northwestern in Lincoln. If the Blackshirts are able to shut down Northwestern’s star quarterback, Dan Persa, it will tell a lot about this team and their defense.
All year we've mostly seen the secondary and linebackers running poorly executed man coverage, with the corners and safeties routinely a step behind receivers. It was all the same crap that was killing us back in the Kevin Cosgrove days. The perks of zone coverage, the ballhawking and picks, not to mention gang tackling, was gone. Now suddenly the matchup zone comes back against MSU and works to perfection. Instead of having guys in single coverage a step back, we had several guys in on every pass play. Of course it helped that Cousins never tested the seams much and MSU didn't try to run it up the gut, but where has the matchup zone been all year? And can it work against mobile quarterbacks?

Sure it can. It all depends how the front seven tackles.
Can it work against Michigan? Depends on how the front seven tackle. If anything, zone defenses should work better against a running quarterback because you've got most of your back seven watching the QB. In man, most of the back seven has their back to the QB as they're chasing around their designated offensive player all over the field. If he starts to take off, then you'll get multiple defenders coming up to stop him, in man coverage you may just have one guy who sees the QB coming upfield since everyone else is following their man around.
As for Cousins there were coverage sacks but the line and linebackers got more pressure than any time this season. Especially Eric Martin and to a lesser extent Baker Steinkuhler. I think Cousins looked rushed at times, but a lot of the time he had time but the secondary and linebackers locked down well and forced him to try to scramble, which didn't end up well for him since he's not the fastest guy. Going forward I think the matchup zone is the way to go against Dennard Robinson.

Tackling and third down conversions key to defensive rebound

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini talked a big game at his first press conference after the Huskers 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State on Oct. 8.


The Huskers, who are ranked No. 13 in the AP poll, had a bye and will resume action on Saturday at Minnesota.

"We're 5-1, we'd like to be 6-0," Pelini said. "But I think that with continuity we're starting to settle in, and that lends itself to us being a better football team in the second half of the year.

"I feel good about where we're at, where we're going and where our potential is. I think we're very close in making a big jump as a football team. It's about the daily grind and about trying to get better."

If the Huskers are to make a run at a Big Ten title, the side of the ball that absoutely must get better is the defense. On that front, Nebraska was supposed to be strong but has been a big disappointment. Pelini's reputation as a defensive guru has taken a hit this season as the Huskers Currently, the Huskers are 80th in the country in rushing defense, giving up 167.8 yards a game and 94th in opponents' third down conversion percentage.

However, I refuse to believe that Pelini suddenly forgotten how to coach defense. This is the same guy that replaced Craig Bohl as defensive coordinator in 2003. The Huskers ranked 56th ranked in total defense during a 7-7 season in 2002 but shot up to Top Ten during a 10-3 campaign in 2003. Pelini led a 17-3 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl as interim head coach after Frank Solich was fired. Well, you know the rest of the story, Bill Callahan was hired as head coach and was fired after a 27-22 stint that culminated with a 5-7 campaign in 2007. The Husker defense ranked 114th under defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. Under Pelini's guidance they shot up to 55th in 2008 and No. 3 in 2009.

So what's the problem now? In terms of the secondary, part of the problem was the loss of cornerback Prince Amukamara to graduation coupled with Alonozo Dennard missing the first three games with a quad injury. Even with Dennard's return, attacking the Huskers via the air is simple. Don't throw the ball anywhere near Deannard. Sure, he takes away half the field but when you can abuse Ciante Evans and Andrew Green there's no rhyme or reason to throw within 15 yards of Dennard. There might be hope, however, in the form of converted receiver Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who intercepted a pass that led to the game-winnin score against Ohio State. However relying on a guy that is making a position change has its risks.

However, part of the reason the secondary has had its issues is because the Husker front four has not gotten the pass rush -- and that was even before defensive tackle Jared Crick was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. It also has not helped that tackle Baker Steinkuhler and end Cameron Meredith have underachieved. Thus, front four problems lead to secondary problems.

OK, so Crick is out for the season. Amukamara is not getting a year of eligibilty. Hopefully, the likes of Meredith and Steinkuhler can start to live up to their advanced billing. On defense, the only player that has lived up to the preseason hype is linebacker LaVonte David.

The Huskers are 5-1 right now but if they don;t shore up what has been terrible tackling and third down defense, this team will be in for more than a few disappointing outcomes. Poor tackling leads to oppnents getting good yardage on first down, which in turn leads to advantageous third downs they can convert.

The Huskers allowed offenses to convert third downs 30 percent of the time last year, and 32 percent in 2009. Even in 2008, when the Huskers were figuring things out under the new Pelini system, teams converted 34 percent.

Nebraska's tackling problems have nothing to do with the scheme. Players have been in position to make plays but time after time there are missed tackles that allow plays to be extended. In fact, I'm surprised legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi hasn't popped out of his grave and yelled, "What the hell's goin' on out here!" or "Grab, grab, grab! Nobody's tacklin'!"

To compare it to other sports, a football team missing tackles is a lot like a baseball team making errors or a basketball team missing free throws. When the habit forms, the problem snowballs.

If that is the case, then the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. Hopefully, the team can reset itself defensively and a defensive rebound is in order. But that turnaround must start Saturday.

Light bulb goes on late for Husker offense but defense suspect in win over Bulldogs

After the No. 10 ranked Nebraska football team's 40-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga, much of the angst over the Huskers performance centered around the offense. The Huskers gained 364 yards of total offense (239 rushing, 135 passing) but those stats were somewhat skewed because 99 came on two plays (a 47-yard run by quarterback Taylor Martinez and a 252-yard run by running back Rex Burkhead).


As for the Huskers 42-29 win over Fresno State, yes the offense was still choppy at times but that's to be expected considering the collective youth of the offense and the fact that Nebraska is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck). The Huskers amassed 438 yards of offense (232 rushing, 219 passing).

Much like the win over UTC, the Husker offense had a home run or strikeout element. Martinez had a 57-yard run and also had pass completions of 42 yards to Kenny Bell, 53 yards to Kyler Reed and 42 yads to Jamal Turner. That's 194 yards on four plays. However, when it matter most, Nebraska's offense pulled its weight, which can't be said very often the past two seasons. Fresno State cut the Nebraska lead to 35-29 on Kevin Goessling's 37-yard foeld goal with 5:24 left in the game. The Huskers took over and Burkhead carried six times for 34 yards then Martinez scored on a 46-yard run to seal the win. Game. Set. Match. Drive home safely.

The disturbing aspect of Nebraska's game against the Bulldogs, however, is the defensive performance. Fresno State, which like Nebraska has a young offensive line, blew open serious holes in the running game and gave quarterback Derek Carr more than ample time to throw. The Bulldogs rushed for 190 yards (169 from Robbie Rouse on 36 carries). Carr completed 20-of-41 passes for 254 yards. Granted, the Husker secondary is still without starting cornerback Alfonso Dennard, who most believe is one of the best (if not the very best) in the nation at his position. However, the Huskers did not sack Carr once and only pressured him when they blitzed. That's significant because Nebraska (while occasionally dials up blitzes) prefers to rely on the front four to get pressure and for good reason when you have elite defensive linemen like Jared Crick, Cameron Meredith and Baker Steinkuhler.

What was even more disturbing was the resistance against the run that Nebraska showed. Well, lack thereof would be a better description. The Bulldogs opened some huge holes for Rouse. Yes, he is a talented running back who did a good job of following his blocks but that performance evoked memories of Nebraska's 19-7 loss to Washington. Incidentally, that same team comes to Lincoln next week. That performance, however, was at least understandable because at that point in the season the defense felt the burden over the offense's ineptitude. While the 2011 edition of the Nebraska offense is still a work in progress, it is defenitely better than the one that ended the 2010 season. Well, better to the point where they don't lead the world in terrible offense.

The most disturbing aspect of the defense's effort Saturday is the fact that since Bo Pelini took over as the Huskers head coach, he has established a culture of developing players. Yes, some years the talent is better than others but the culture has been such that, you lose one player, the next guy is ready.

While anyone can have a bad game, the Husker defensive performance in the Holiday Bowl and Saturday (that's two of the last three games they've taken the field if you're scoring at home) is that considering the Huskers are in the Big 10 conference that becomes significant. While spread offenses in the Big 10 have become much more mainstream than influential media types believe, it is still a conference much more likely to line up in the I-formation ad run right into the teeth of defenses (as Fresno State often did Saturday) than the Huskers former conference (the Big 12) that is a sinking ship. However, that's another story for another time.

Huskers likely to keep the 3-4 defense as part of the equation

In a recent Omaha World Herald story http://www.omaha.com/article/20110730/BIGRED/707309858, Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick talked about how he would welcome more opportunities to play defensive end, as he did at various times in Nebraska’s 31-17 win over Missouri last season. Even though the Huskers were a team that predominantly played with four down linemen they occasionally played a 3-4 defense in 2011 and will likely keep that alignment as part of the equation in 2011.



That alignment would be good for Crick (6-6, 285) and fellow 4-3 defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler (6-6, 290) because their body frame is closer to being a 3-4 end than 4-3 tackle. Keep in mind, the fourth linebacker in the 3-4 is often a bigger guy, sometimes an undersized defensive end and Nebraska have some players at that position with speed who could play in that role such as Eric Martin and Cameron Meredith (both slated for duty as 4-3 ends). Martin would be an obvious option, especially if his main role was rushing.


Still leaves a question of who plays nose tackle, which is a is a key position if you’re running a 3-4 because you want a very large, very strong guy who pretty much cannot be moved with one player. Usually that guy can carry an enormous amount of weight and still move effectively. I have no idea who that player is on Nebraska’s roster. Maybe senior Terrance Moore (6-3, 290)? However, it would be better to have someone in the 310 and above range. Freshman Todd Peat Jr. (6-3, 305) could be that guy but not now.


Linebacker wouldn’t be a problem in a 3-4. Martin and Sean Fisher on the outside and LaVonte David and Will Compton inside. David (6-1, 225) shined at 4-3 outside linebacker last year and is a Butkus Award candidate this year.


However, I think the 3-4 alignment is more likely to happen in third-and-long situations that are obvious passing downs the Huskers still have good run support in a 3-4 but can also put six into coverage without a big mismatch, thus blitzing one or two linebackers either side or both.


Against teams that have the ability to run a lot of power sets like Wisconsin, a 4-3 is the way to go because without the mammoth nose tackle, it’s really hard to run a 3-4 that can stop an inside running game.


Against a team that runs more spread, like Northwestern, or a Michigan State that runs a lot of multiple receiver sets, why not have the 3-4 package? Yes, there is more power running in the Big Ten, but it’s not like that's all they do.


I like the zone blitz option, too. At the snap, Meredith or Martin can pull back to a linebacker and then you can even rush someone like David, and you still have four rushing and three lineackers but it can really mess up the offense if they don’t know where the rush is coming from. However, if they happen to have a rush going right at the spot a DE is vacating, that could be bad.


Either way, whether it’s a 3-4 or 4-3, it still adds up to seven.

2011 Blackshirts have many proven players

Much of the offseason discussion regarding the 2011 Nebraska football team has centered on the move to the Big 10 and whether or not the retooled can offense take enough pressure off a stout defense as it did in the first half of the season.



Since Bo Pelini arrived as the Cornhuskers head coach in December 2007, he has fostered a culture on the defensive side of the ball. Talented players will come and go. Some years the talent will be better than others. However, as long as the Pelini brothers (Bo and Carl) are in Lincoln, we won’t see disasters like the Kevin Cosgrove, and to a lesser degree, Craig Bohl eras.


In 2007, the Huskers rated 112th in the nation in total defense and that was quite possibly the worst defense ever to set foot in Memorial Stadium (including Nebraska opponents). In 2008, Nebraska improved to 55th in total defense in Pelini’s first season. In 2009 led by Heisman Trophy candidate defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Huskers finished second in scoring defense behind National Champ Alabama and ninth in total yards. Despite the loss of Suh in 2010, Nebraska was No. 7 in scoring defense and No. 10 in total yards per game. The defense put up such numbers despite at times showing wear and tear from an inconsistent offense.


The 2011 defense figures to be pretty stout as well with Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuher forming a strong tandem at defensive tackle. Cameron Meredith returns to start at one defensive end position with Eric Martin moving from linebacker to end.


As for the linebacker unit, Butkus Award candidate LaVonte David was the surprise star of the defense in 2010, without an offseason as the starter to prepare. With an offseason’s work, David should have an even better season in 2011 at middle linebacker. Sean Fisher is the likely starter at SAM linebacker with Will Compton getting the call at WILL linebacker.


As for the secondary, Austin Cassidy is the probable starter at strong safety. Cassidy established himself as a heady playmaker in the second half of the 2010 season. The starting free safety could be either Courtney Osbourne or PJ Smith but in the second half of last season the coaching staff clearly had more confidence in Osborne.


At cornerback, the Huskers lose Prince Amukamara to graduation but some people believe his running mate Alfonzo Dennard might be even better. Ciante Evans would appear to be Dennard’s partner in crime. Evans performed admirably after injuries pressed him into extensive duty as a true freshman.


While the X factor in how well Nebraska’s defense performs is predicated on how much pressure the offense relieves them, the Blackshirt defense should e just fine in 2011.


There isn’t a single person along the projected starters that is not a proven commodity. This defensive team is probably better than some schools all-time teams and even though none of the pass rushers will make me forget the likes of Grant Wistrom, the 2011 Huskers are strong enough at cornerback that they will give a little more time to the pass rush to get to opposing quarterbacks and allow for less coverage and more carnage.