Idaho State no threat but Huskers need big win to get backups time

On the surface, Nebraska’s home game on Saturday against Idaho State is the quintessential body bag game. Or, to put it another way, it’s the final tuneup before the team opens Big Ten competition on Sept. 29 at home against Wisconsin.

The Huskers need a convincing win not necessarily because beating Idaho State by 30, 40 or 50 points proves anything but more so to give backups quality playing time. Getting practice reps are one thing but one way to show coaches you are worthy of being considered for more playing time is to produce in a game.

Nebraska also has some other meaningful goals for this game. Running back Rex Burkhead, who was considered a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy before the season, returns after a two-game absence. Well, essential three since Burkhead compiled 68 yards and a touchdown on three carries before leaving the season-opener against Southern Mississippi with a sprained ligament in his left knee. If nothing else, this game will be good for Burkhead to re-establish a rhythm before the Wisconsin game. Ameer Abdullah has filled in very capably in carrying 61 times for 367 yards and four touchdowns.

With Burkhead back in the fold and Abdullah proving to be more than capable of filling a void, where does Braylon Heard fit into the equation? The sophomore was heralded as the future of the Huskers’ rushing attack but after being lost in a star-studded depth chart, he was briefly switched to defensive back before returning to running back in time to reap increased touches due to Burkhead’s injury. Heard has averaged 6.8 yards per carry in three games. However, even though Heard has become a viable weapon, his place in the offense becomes unclear. If nothing else, Nebraska might have the most depth at running back than any team in the Big Ten.

On the defensive side, no sooner does Nebraska have a bounceback performance from its 36-30 loss to UCLA to a 42-13 win over Arkansas State do other concerns surface. UCLA’s spread attack exposed the lack of speed and tackling troubles in the open field for the Huskers defense.

To infuse more speed on defense, coordinator John Papuchis increased playing time for junior college transfer linebacker Zaire Anderson. However, Anderson has since been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Nebraska’s linebacking corps is now looking even thinner and will likely rely more on newcomer David Santos and senior Sean Fisher, who was a disappointment in 2011.

Granted, some years the talent on the field will be better than others but personnel has nothing to do with making fundamental tackles, where the Huskers were far better last week and that trend needs to continue. 

How Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini carries himself also bears watching one week after leaving the stadium in an ambulance at halftime. Pelini complained of not feeling well in the first half and was seen by ESPN camera crews having his pulse checked by a member of the Nebraska athletic medicine staff. Pelini continued to coach through the end of the second quarter but there was no word of his symptoms. Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis led the team onto the field for the third quarter and shared head coaching duties with offensive coordinator Tim Beck.

 

Pelini was later released from the hospital and said in a statement released through the athletic department that he underwent precautionary tests that “checked out just fine.”

Perhaps Pelini did indeed undergo tests for precautionary reasons but do mild flu-like symptoms do not require a trainer taking your pulse and being taken by ambulance to the hospital? While Pelini has his shortfalls as a head coach, you certainly can’t question his devotion to the team. It will be interesting to see if he is a little more reserved and calm on the sidelines this Saturday.

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.