Two gap or not two gap

It’s amazing how a phrase can convince anyone of anything.

Nebraska defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski said in an Omaha World Herald story that the coach staff is going away from the traditional read-and-react two-gap scheme but not because they don’t have that stud that can handle such a task. The purpose is more because they want to find him.

“We try not even to say two-gap anymore,” Kaczenski said. “A lot of two-gap philosophy is read and react. We’re going to attack. We want to go through the blocker and play from there. We don’t want him to react, sit on our heels.”

Kaczenski was hired away from Big Ten Conference foe Iowa after John Papuchis was promoted from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator after Carl Pelini took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic.

“You’re going to play against the best offensive lines around in this league,” Kaczenski said. “You can’t just have your guys line up with their hand on the ground in the same spot every time. You have to change things up, move people around, attack from different angles.”

Everyone may have their theories on why Nebraska might be going this route with its defensive lineman. I think it’s finally realizing that without a dominant force like Ndamukong Suh up front like 2009, or a blanket secondary like 2010, that this scheme without at least a dominant one or the other is just not going to get it to work. It finally took last year to realize that. Nebraska’s 2011 defense was far from Kevin Cosgrove’s 2007 sieve but the Husker defense certainly did not have the same sharp teeth as 2009 and 2010.

Kaszenski comes to the Husker staff highly recommended. Kaczenski built an impressive resume on Kirk Ferentz’s staff at Iowa. The performance of Kaczenski’s defensive lines played a key role in Iowa’s success the past five seasons. With Kaczenski as a member of the full-time coaching staff from 2007 to 2011, Iowa reached a bowl game in each of his final four seasons, including an appearance in the Orange Bowl following the 2009 season. His defensive lineman earned nine first- or second-team All-Big Ten awards from 2007 to 2011.

An attacking defensive line, mixed with an attacking secondary should make for a pretty salty defense. Having guys like Suh, Eric Haag, Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, etc. really probably hid some issues in the two-gap scheme. I really hope to see this new approach translate into more sacks, hurries and stuffs (tackles for loss). It seems last year that Nebraska played too many games behind the 8-ball on third downs. I really hope that this new scheme unleashes the hounds.  

It also shows that head coach Bo Pelini, although stubborn, isn’t stupid. He has brought in a position coach from the Big Ten who has a proven track record of success and a defensive backs coach (Terry Joseph) who wants DBs to play like those who have won two National Champions the last three years (Alabama). Though I don’t think the SEC has invented football, Alabama is not a bad secondary to emulate.

However, I do not think the two-gap approach is going away entirely. It’s just been modified so we move forward to make the first contact rather than play to let the offensive line come to us and then try shed the block or force your angle to get to your assignment. It will seem more traditional in a sense because of that. The place I think we’ll see the difference is on the ends as it sounds like they’ve got a little more freedom from being able to be aggressive.

Can the defense sharpen its teeth?

While Nebraska was decent defensively in 2011, it was not the authoritative bunch that was on display in 2009 and to a lesser extent 2010. Part of that dropoff can be attributed to the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) in Week 5.

However, the Husker defense was having issues even before Crick was put on the shelf for the season. There were bright spots, most notably in a 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 but for much of the 2011 campaign, the Huskers were a pretty average club. Nebraska finished 37th in total defense and 42nd in scoring defense. The Huskers finished tied for 18th in passing defense and 34th in pass efficiency defense.

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.

In Bo Pelini’s four seasons as head coach, there have been some dominant defensive players such as Ndamukong Suh, LaVonte David, Alfonzo Dennard, Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Phillip Dillard and Larry Asante. Only David was not on the roster for the Huskers 2009 defense that allowed only 10 points per game, best in the nation.

The defense was probably the best in the Big 12 in 2010, but a keen eye could see chinks in the armor. They had difficulty stopping a mobile quarterback. They relied too much on their potent, if inconsistent, offense to create plays.

In 2011, with Carl Pelini as defensive coordinator, Nebraska’s defense failed the team when they needed them most. Wisconsin and Michigan made the Husker defense look awful. In the Capital One Bowl loss to South Carolina, the Husker defense failed at crucial times. Despite losing key pieces like Crick, David and Dennard, 2012 has the potential to be a very good year for the defense.

Of course, some would see the coaching staff changes as a negative because change normally takes time to adapt.

After defensive coordinator Carl Pelini took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, Bo Pelini promoted John Papuchis from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. He also hired Rick Kaczenski from Iowa to replace Papuchis on the defensive line. Kaczenski brought with him an impressive resume that included All-Americans during his time as defensive line coach for the Hawkeyes.

After Husker defensive backs coach Corey Raymond accepted the same position at alma mater LSU, Pelini scooped Terry Joseph from Tennessee to replace him. Joseph, cousin of former Husker Mickey Joseph, coached a stellar Volunteer defensive backfield for three years.

True, it takes time to get used coaches and their approach but these changes might be the shot in the arm the Huskers need. Kaczenski and Joseph inherit some pretty solid depth at their respective positions.

There is no Crick, David or Dennard but instead of leaning heavily on All-Americans, the Huskers will need to rely on each other and the scheme. However, it never hurts to have a game-changer.

Nebraska Will Repay the Favor to Wisconsin

Taylor Martinez is looking to perform better vs Wisconsin in 2012.

Almost exactly a year after Nebraska was humiliated in front of a national audience in their Big Ten opener, Taylor Martinez and the Cornhuskers will be better prepared to face a Wisconsin team without standout quarterback Russell Wilson and a defense not as talented or salty as they were in 2011. They will still have to stop running back Montee Ball, but, without a deep threat and somebody to throw it and take the pressure off the running backs, Nebraska will sell out and blitz over and over again.

The beating might not be as bad as the wood the Badgers laid to the Huskers in Madison in 2011, but it will be bad. Nebraska's defense will show up in a big way, Rex Burkhead will have over 150 yards rushing, and the Huskers will win by more than three touchdowns to start off their second season in the Big Ten with a bang.

Taylor Martinez Will Complete More Than 65% of His Passes

Taylor Martinez will fix this throwing motion
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Let's face it. Taylor Martinez's throwing motion reminds you more of Tim Tebow than it does any other quarterback in college of the NFL. If anything, this prediction is the hardest of all to imagine. The guy just doesn't throw very well or with any sort of accuracy.

There is good news, though. Martinez is dedicated to keeping his starting job. We know this because he spent his spring break not schmoozing with girlfriend and Nebraska volleyball player Lauren Cook but in California with a throwing expert (by the way, what's up with Nebraska football and volleyball players dating? I just heard Roy Helu and Dani Mancuso are getting married).

The best news on the planet for Taylor Martinez: the Nebraska running game will take pressure off him in the pocket. With Rex Burkhead, Ameer Abdullah, and Aaron Green forming a formidable backfield, Martinez will have more time to sit back and go through his reads on play action and straight passing plays. As he does this, he will make more throws on target and will complete 65% of his passes in 2012.

Rex Burkhead Will Win the Heisman Trophy

Rex Burkhead will run all the way to New York in 2012.
Eric Francis/Getty Images

Sexy Rexy.

He's Rexy and He Knows It. Heard the songs? If not, look them up on YouTube.

They are about Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead. My favorite line comes from "Sexy Rexy": "Calves defined like dictionaries, breaks through tackles on his carries."

In early odds, Burkhead is at 20-1 to win the Heisman Trophy. If you ask Nebraska fans, or anybody in the Big Ten footprint, that is far too low. Burkhead is the unquestioned leader of the team. He is the most popular player in Nebraska football since Brook Berringer. He is as much of an unstoppable machine on the field as he is a charismatic, humble man off it. Burkhead is what legends are made of at Nebraska, and the Heisman Trophy will be his crowning achievement.

What can Burkhead do on the field? Well he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and just over 104 yards per game in 2011. That's not bad. He will have to do better than that to have national recognition, though. His 21 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns are nice. However, more than anything, he will need sophomores Ameer Abdullah and Aaron Green to step up and spell him when the time arises.

He will need big, and I mean BIG, performances in national games. He will need to run roughshod over Wisconsin and Michigan. He will need to will the team to victory.

More than anything, though, he needs the team to win. Nebraska needs to win the Big Ten Legends Division. He then needs to pull an Ndamukong Suh from the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game and just tear apart whoever Nebraska plays in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game.

Nebraska can do that. They have the talent. Rex can as well.

Nebraska Will Win the Big Ten

This Trophy Will be in Lincoln in December.

Nebraska sort of stumbled their way through the 2011 football season. They were beaten badly by Wisconsin and Michigan and upset at home by Northwestern. They managed to overwhelm Michigan State and Iowa and also hung on at Penn State. Throughout the season, though, it felt as though they couldn't get their feet under them. In 2012, that won't be the case.

Nebraska's offense won't be forced in so many down-and-distance situations as they were in 2011 as a deep, talented offensive line will keep a Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead-led attack moving. Martinez has a new throwing motion that will help him improve on his 57% accuracy, a bevy of speedy, talented receivers to throw to, and the always steady Burkhead behind him. In short, this will be the best and most balanced offense Nebraska has seen since 1999.

The defense is going to come together and obliterate opposing offenses. Blitzes will come from every angle, the defensive line will push offensive lines back into their quarterbacks, and running backs will find no lanes to run. In short, this will be a defense to be feared.

The schedule doesn't do them any favors, but there is no team outside of Michigan as talented as they were in 2011. The Huskers get the Wolverines at home the last weekend in October. They welcome Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota to Lincoln as well. They will have to battle past Ohio State and Northwestern on the road in consecutive games.

The Huskers won't have to win every game on their schedule to win the Legends Division, but they must avoid trip-ups in Evanston, East Lansing, and Iowa City to advance to the Championship Game. The good news is Nebraska will win the games they need to and will not lose to anybody they shouldn't. On December 1, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will beat the winner of the Leaders Division and will claim their first Conference Championship since 1999.

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Keep ReadingNebraska returns a majority of their starters on defense, but they will have a new defensive coordinator in John Papuchis who replaced Carl Pelini after he departed for FAU. Papuchis has instantly become the youngest defensive coordinator in the Big Ten and it'll be interesting to see how the players respond to the energetic coach.

He’s been on the Nebraska staff since 2008 and worked with the defensive ends and special teams before replacing Pelini. The defensive schemes should remain the same for the most part, but with a new guy calling the shots, it will be something that bears watching.

Give me a lunch-pale coach over a CEO anyday

In Tuesday night’s edition of the Lincoln Journal Star, columnist Steve Sipple chronicled how Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini insists he is not looking elsewhere despite rumors the last two seasons to head coaching jobs at Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.


Sipple also addressed the notion of can Pelini continue to grow as a CEO despite always being so heavily involved on the defensive side of the ball.

“I think that's crazy,” he shot back, refuting Sipple’s stance. He noted South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier’s heavy involvement with the Gamecocks’ offense. There obviously is a long list of head coaches who also serve as coordinators.

Even with John Papuchis being hired as defensive coordinator to replace Carl Pelini, who has since become the Florida Atlantic head coach, rest assured that Bo Pelini will continue to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Husker defense. Keep in mind, there is a large segment of Nebraska fans clamoring for Pelini to make a splash hire with dismissed Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. The fact that Pelini hired Papuchis instead of Stoops created a perception that Pelini would prefer to hire a “yes man” rather than someone who is his equal.

Pelini seems to have the respect of his players and coaches, not to mention athletic director Tom Osborne. So, he must be doing something right. Pelini relied too much on now former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson early-on and learned a hard lesson, hire your own people. Now, he has a lucrative contract, has his own staff, and has at least nine wins each of four years. Hopefully, the Huskers can get No. 10 on Monday in the Capital One Bowl against South Carolina.



Pelini hasn’t done himself many favors in dealing with the media, often choosing the approach of secracy and suspicion and that also goes for fan interaction. His horizons are still too narrow in the PR arena.



Overall, he has been a partial success (39-15 in four years as Nebraska’s head coach), even without any championships but, that needs to change for the long haul. A long term contract would still be appropriate in my opinion to cement his effort here. I think that Pelini has his principles and priorities firmly in place. Sometimes, they just don’t coincide with the fans’ need for information. I doubt Pelini will change much there.



If Watson had done his job in the first place, Pelini would have been fine. The offensive failures have pushed Pelini to expand his horizons, which has been good for him and the team.



The idea that Pelini looks to hire “yes” people, however, is somewhat laughable. Where is the proof in that? Are you saying Papuchis never is allowed to have any personal input, and just says “anything you want, coach.” And current offensive coordinator Tim Beck apparently doesn’t really call the plays?



Newsflash. Any head coach will staff his program with assistants who share the head coach’s visions and wishes. When they don’t, you end up with a Watson situation, where the coach has a vision for an offense that differs from the offensive coordinator’s vision.



I’ve seen nothing in Papuchis’ resume to hint that he’s not ready to step up to be the defensive coordinator. Likewise, isn’t Rick Kaczenski an experienced defensive line coach with a proven record of success in the Big 10?



Always something to complain about, I guess.



Pelini was also confronted with making some disciplinary decisions and he “gathered all the facts available” and made some decisions regarding player involvement in bowl activities. This year as well as last year.



The final point I would make is, Osborne doesn’t seem to have any problems or questions with the manner in which Pelini is managing his program. Given that, I have to acquiesce to Osborne’s coaching experience (offensive minded) and decision making.



Besides, the term CEO sort of conjures up this image of a man in a three piece suit too afraid to get it soiled and wrinkled by placing a shoulder into a blocking sled. Rolls eyes and thinks. Heaven forbid that Pelini give up his baseball cap and sweats. I like that lunch pail attitude and work ethic that Pelini brings and is instilling into the team.

Papuchis, Kazcenski named DC and DLine coaches

It was probably one of the more anti-climatic moves you will ever see made but John Papuchis was promoted to defensive coordinator at Nebraska on Thursday and Rick Kaczenski of Big Ten division rival Iowa was hired as the new defensive line coach, replacing Papuchis.


Huskers head coach Bo Pelini announced the moves Thursday, more than two weeks after former coordinator Carl Pelini (Bo’s older brother) was hired as head coach at Florida Atlantic.

Both moves had been speculated heavily by the Nebraska fan base and media who covers the team on a daily basis.

Though Papuchis is young at 33, he has been at Nebraska four seasons and is an original member of Bo Pelini’s staff. In addition to coaching the defensive line, he has been special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Kaczenski coached Iowa’s defensive line for five seasons. The 36-year old will coach for No. 21 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl against No. 10 South Carolina on Jan. 2.

The Nebraska defensive line was hammered with injuries this season but Papuchis coached a front four that ranked among the nation’s best in 2009-10. Ndamukong Suh was Associated Press national player of the year in 2009, and Jared Crick was a two-time all-conference selection before getting hurt this year.

Papuchis also oversaw special teams that included Alex Henery, the most accurate kicker in NCAA history, and Brett Maher, the first player since 2001 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors as both a place-kicker and punter in the same season.

Kaczenski coached a defensive line that helped Iowa rank sixth nationally in rushing defense and seventh in scoring defense in 2010. The Hawkeyes were in the top 10 in four defensive categories the year before.

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



Thoughts on these hires you ask?

Husker fans were clamoring for Mike Stoops, who was fired by Arizona as the head coach. Papuchis is young, enthusiastic and will spend the entire off season watching film and making the Huskers defense the best it can be next season. There’s no substitute for enthusiasm and he has it in spades. Stoops would have brought experience but let’s face it he would be working after being demoted and while he has experience in the coaching profession I’m not sure he would bring near the fire that Papuchis will bring. Though Papuchis is considered a rising star in the coaching profession, one must wonder if Stoops still has the desire to be a head coach, in which case he might view Nebraska’s defensive coordinator job as a weigh station.

Though the days of coaching staffs staying together for 20 plus years are a thing of the past, the Huskers need staff stability. Though there are no guarantees, the Papuchis/Kaczenski combination is more likely to stay at Nebraska than Stoops.

The big question now becomes, who takes over Papuchis’ role as recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator?

I am of the opinion that Pelini will be very involved in the defense and will, in essence, be doing his own thing. I think at some point he completely turns Papuchis loose, but I don’t think it’s this coming year.

These moves might not appease a Husker fan base that is starving for the glory days but keep in mind, Bob Devaney and tom Osborne picked assistants who were loyal. They weren’t big names nationally. In fact, most of Devaney's assistants were high school coaches. Nothing wrong with young blood.