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.

Solid win for openers but bigger goals lie ahead

The opening game is always a very special time filled with much uncertainty and nervous anticipation. This year the biggest questions were surrounding third year starting quarterback Taylor Martinez.

Without a Spring Game to gauge progress, we were left with rumors that Martinez had worked on and shown some improvement in his footwork and throwing motion. After game one, there appears to be some basis to those rumors. Granted, this Southern Miss defense returned only four starters from last year and will never be confused with Alabama, let alone Michigan State but a 49-20 season opening win that saw Martinez complete 26 of 34 passes for 354 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions is a tremendous way to open the season.

Even more than his improved footwork, Martinez had more zip and accuracy on his passes as he distributed the ball to ten different receivers. I know Husker fans love seeing their team pound teams into submission with the run but the pass can set up the run just as well if not better than the run setting up the pass. Martinez also seemed to have a much better presence in the pocket going through his progressions and reading his receivers better than ever before. It also helped that his receivers cooperated by catching about anything thrown close to them.

The biggest downside is the knee injury to running back Rex Burkhead, who left the game with a sprained MCL, which at its worst can sideline a player for eight weeks, at its lightest, only a few days. Husker head coach Bo Pelini said the sprain is the lowest grade, meaning, that Burkhead could be available for Saturday’s game at UCLA.

Burkhead’s injury came on his third carry of the game, a 9-yard run, when the Nebraska I-back was tackled by Southern Mississippi defensive end Jamie Collins. The good news was that sophomore Ameer Abdullah carried 15 times for 81 yards and caught four more passes for 39 yards including a touchdown.

Losing Burkhead is really a tough blow, but his being out may have been fortuitous in that it allowed other backs the opportunity to get needed game experience. Abdullah seemed to run stronger the longer he played. Braylon Heard also improved as he played and as the Southern Miss defense began to really tire. Imani Cross is a man-child. This kid will only get better. Mike Marrow is a load and it’s nice to see the fullback get some touches. Seven touchdowns distributed to seven players and very nice play by both the wide receivers and tight ends. Kenny Bell continues to improve, Quincy Enunwa is a stud, and Jamal Turner is exciting every time he touches the ball. Catch of the game, though, goes to Steven Osborne for his touchdown grab falling out of the end zone. Finally, the big boys up front who gave Martinez time to throw and opened holes to generate 632 yards of total offense deserve huge props. Most importantly, there were no false starts and only one offensive penalty to go along with no turnovers.

The defense showed why the Blackshirts have yet to be distributed. The good news is that the defense only gave up 13 points to a reasonably talented offensive unit. With Southern Miss having a new coach and new personnel, Pelini and defensive coordinator John Papuchis had to prepare for a little of everything. The defense, however, continues to be extremely vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks and giving up big chunks on third down. I don’t remember a three and out all day. Defensive end Cameron Meredith seemed slow trying to track down their QB. Cornerback Ciante Evans looks much improved over last year, and in general the secondary looked solid. When Southern Miss had to pass, the defense shut them down. I’ll take 7 for 19 for 75 yards from the opponents all year long. Linebacker Alonzo Whaley looked good and bad at times. Fellow linebacker Will Compton was generally solid, but the linebackers and defense in general were whiffing and trying to arm tackle way too much. We have a lot to clean up before we play a very capable UCLA offense with a very mobile quarterback next week in Pasadena.

We all know that the worst part of the game for the Huskers were the special teams which were anything but special. The 100 yard kickoff return was inexcusable and as everybody seemed out of position, it makes one wonder if they practiced at all during fall camp. Preseason All-American Brett Maher doesn’t need to worry about his press clippings in the near future. He left six points on the field with misses of two very makeable field goals and the shanked punt and kickoff out of bounds made me wonder what happened to disrupt his pregame preparation. He is much better than he showed and I am looking forward to him getting out of his two field goal misses in a row slump and performing like the star he can be. One highlight on special teams was reasonably decent punt and kickoff returns setting up good field position.

There are many things to be excited about with this year’s version of the Huskers. There are talented players on both sides of the ball and special team potential. We won handily on a day when many other Big Ten teams struggled (including Wisconsin). Every week we will learn a little more about how special this team can be. I’m also looking forward to the offense building on their sterling performance in the opener and the defense and special teams cleaning up the miscues.

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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Opening games set the tone for process as much as result

I have never been big on a team looking great on opening day (unless they are playing a Top 10-15 team). Let’s face it, getting a group of 18-22 year olds to pick up the offense or defense in fall camp after a summer off etc. Also, the fact they scrimmage each other and not another team makes it hard to get up to “game speed.”

You have to look at the process as much as the result. Remember 2004? Nebraska kicked off the Bill Callahan era with a 56-17 win over Western Illinois but the process was anything but good as the Huskers turned the ball over six times, which was a problem through a 5-6 season. In 2006 and 2007, Nebraska looked smooth in a 49-7 win over Louisiana Tech and 52-9 win over Nevada but had 9-5 and 5-7 records respectively.

We have heard a lot about how players are making each other more accountable on and off the field. Besides head coach Bo Pelini’s persuasive personality and running back Rex Burkhead leading by example, leadership has been lacking. I am interested who steps up on offense and who steps up on defense. Leading by example is great but at some point you need a couple of players that will grab the team by the scruff of the neck.

Untimely penalties and turnovers have prevented the Huskers from making the jump from good to great in the Bo Pelini era. The first place to start is getting the plays in on time, players in the right position and turning the right direction to catch a pass. On defense, that means no misreads by defensive backs leaving a wide receiver running free. That also means wrapup when you tackles as opposed to giving a shoulder block tackle. Oh yes, and no injuries.

On offense, seeing an improved Taylor Martinez as a passer would be nice as well as seeing other weapons besides running back Rex Burkhead emerge. However, it is equally true that receivers need to hang on to the ball and show skills of running after the catch. Of course, the offense’s success also comes down to the offensive line developing cohesiveness.

The Huskers enter their second year of employing a more “up-tempo” offense, which means to run it at its intended purpose, the ball should be snapped off before the play clock even gets under 15 seconds.

On defense, forcing turnovers would definitely be nice, preferably a few forced and recovered fumbles. Those type of takeaways show more desire than interceptions but I won’t turn those down either. It all starts with the pass rush, which the Huskers seldom generated last season.

Linebacker Will Compton has demonstrated more leadership, how does that translate as a player? How much will cornerback Andrew Green improve as a junior? Green was brutal to watch at times early last year but improved markedly in the second half.

 

D-Line, secondary huge keys for Blackshirts

So I'm thinking about the Huskers for next year and I can think of two areas need to get shored up before the 2012 season begins.

The defensive line needs to get a pass rush. You don’t necessarily have to record a ton of quarterback sacks but if you can make opposing quarterbacks throw a fraction of a second too soon. The Husker secondary also struggled last season and needs to get shored up but that was partially because of the subpar pass rush.

Granted, losing LaVonte David at linebacker is a crushing blow but Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley provide a good starting point to develop the younger players at the position.

As for the defensive line, part of the problem was injuries, most notably Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle), part of it was adjusting to the Big Ten and part of it was because the secondary lost a number of quality players from the previous season. Regardless of the reason, the Husker defensive line did not collapse the pocket last season which put added pressure on the secondary.

With the loss of Alfonso Dennard, the Huskers need JC transfer Mohammed Seisay and freshman Charles Jackson to contribute right away.

In closing, if the secondary can shore up things and the defensive line can generate pressure, Nebraska could win 10 or more games.

Linebacker and fullback are two intriguing position battles

Anytime a team goes into spring practice or fall camp, you can expect to hear a lot of talk about “position battles.”

As Nebraska continues with its spring football practice sessions, linebacker and fullback are two of the more intriguing position battles for the 2012.

Any discussion regarding Nebraska linebackers in 2012 begins and ends with the loss of LaVonte David to graduation. David is projected by most NFL draft boards to be a second round pick, possibly even first if you listen to Mel “I Have Plenty of Hair” Kiper. Without David, Nebraska very well could have finished 7-6 instead of 9-4. David’s numbers speak for themselves as he recorded team highs in total tackles (133), tackles for loss (13) and quarterback sacks (5.5).

However, things are not all doom and gloom with the loss of David because Will Compton came alive in the second half of the season and recorded 82 total tackles, seven for lost yardage. Sean Fisher came back after having missed the 2010 season with a leg injury to start four games and record 24 total tackles. However, Alonzo Whaley saw his most significant playing time the last two games of the season and actually moved ahead of Fisher on the depth chart.

David’s incredible skills will be hard to replace. Nebraska has had its share of legendary linebackers such as Tom Novak, Broderick Thomas, Barrett Ruud, Jerry Murtugh, Ed Stewart and Marc Munford. Where David fits in the annals of Husker lore is open for discussion but he certainly belongs in that conversation.

The fact that Compton made it through an entire season mostly injury free, which hadn’t been the case throughout his career before the season, is a good sign. The Huskers will need Compton to take on an even bigger role in 2012. Sophomore Trevor Roach saw action early in the season and can be a capable backup at MIKE linebacker to Compton.

It also bears watching if Whaley stays ahead of Fisher on the depth chart at the BUCK position. Either way, both will be needed when the Huskers go to their goal-line defense.

The player from the 2012 class that will need to contribute immediate is junior college transfer Zaire Anderson. . The Huskers have a strong group of recruits but will they be ready to contribute right away?

Though the fullback position in today’s game of college football has taken on a lesser role with such a big emphasis on spread-oriented offenses, the Huskers still must find a way to replace Tyler Legate. Losing Legate might not be high on many people’s list but since Nebraska incorporated some of the traditional I-formation option, replacing Legate is not so insignificant. Plus, even though shotgun formations and spread offenses are all the rage, at some point teams will face short yardage situations where it behooves them to have a fullback as a lead blocker.

Legate had eight carries and four catches (two for touchdowns). The fullback carrying the ball, however, seemed to be more of an attempt to pander to the fans that long for the retro Tom Osborne playbook.

Given that the option has returned as part of the Husker offense, losing Legate might be more of a concern that at first glance. For openers, there’s the role of lead blocking for the running back but also quarterback Taylor Martinez seems better suited on “load option” running plays that involve either a fullback or pulling guard.

The likely candidate for this position is Mike Marrow, who transferred from Alabama and Eastern Michigan. Marrow brings a menacing presence at 6-foot-2, 250-pounds. He has the body to become a dominant lead blocker for Rex Burkhead but he could emerge as a counter-puncher to Burkhead by carrying the ball himself and abusing defenses.

Other players who will compete for the position are freshmen Carson Collins and Andy Janovich along with junior CJ Zimmerer.

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: Linebacker

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





Looking back: Any discussion regarding Nebraska linebackers in 2011, and for that matter the past two seasons, begins and ends with LaVonte David. While Husker fans (well, a significant portion anyhow) have always had aversions to junior college transfers, one cannot deny that without David (a former JUCO transfer) Nebraska very well could have finished 7-6 instead of 9-4.

His forced fumble and subsequent recovery of Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller sparked a 34-27 come-from-behind win over the Buckeyes when the Huskers appeared headed for their second embarrassing loss in as many weeks. David’s numbers speak for themselves as he recorded team highs in total tackles (133), tackles for loss (13) and quarterback sacks (5.5).

Will Compton came alive in the second half of the season and recorded 82 total tackles, seven for lost yardage. Sean Fisher came back after having missed the 2010 season with a leg injury to start four games and record 24 total tackles. However, Alonzo Whaley saw his most significant playing time the last two games of the season and actually moved ahead of Fisher on the depth chart.

Looking ahead: No point sugarcoating matters, David’s incredible skills will be hard to replace. Nebraska has had its share of legendary linebackers such as Tom Novak, Broderick Thomas, Barrett Ruud, Jerry Murtugh, Ed Stewart and Marc Munford. Where David fits in the anals of Husker lore is open for discussion but he certainly belongs in that conversation.

David Santos, who will be a redshirt freshman, might get the first shot at replacing David. While Santos is talented he also young. Plus, going from scout team player to replacing David would be a tall order.

The fact that Compton made it through an entire season mostly injury free, which hadn’t been the case throughout his career before the season, is a good sign. The Huskers will need Compton to take on an even bigger role in 2012. Sophomore Trevor Roach saw action early in the season and can be a capable backup at MIKE linebacker to Compton.

It also bears watching if Whaley stays ahead of Fisher on the depth chart at the BUCK position. Either way, both will be needed when the Huskers go to their goal-line defense.

The player from the 2012 class that will need to contribute immediate is junior college transfer Zaire Anderson. The Huskers have a strong group of recruits but will they be ready to contribute right away?

So much for Huskers having motivation issues

This was more like it. Just a few days ago, yours truly stated that while even if, in a best case scenario, Nebraska goes 10-3, the season would not be considered an overwhelming success because of the preseason goal of winning Big Ten championship.


However, I felt it was important to finish strong because how a team concludes its season is how the campaign is often remembered most. The Huskers took care of Step One on Friday with a 20-7 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Nebraska dominated play even more than the final score suggested because much of Iowa’s 270 yards of total offense and all seven points came in the fourth quarter after the Huskers built a 20-0 lead.

Speaking of how the offense built that lead, what more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? The junior had 159 yards and a touchdown on a school record 38 carries. The team slogan should be “Go Big Rex” instead of “Go Big Red!” Burkhead’s running allowed for effective play-action passes but in terms of throwing the ball, it was a mixed bag for quarterback Taylor Martinez (12 of 22, 163 yards, one TD, no INTs). He made some terrible throws early in the game but got better as the game progressed. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell (five catches, 93 yards) had a huge day and while the running game is the offense’s identity, Bell gives the Husker passing game an added dimension. However, with the way the offensive line opened up holes for Burkhead, there was little need to pass.

On the defensive side, the fact that Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg is a pocket passer played into Nebraska’s hands but this was one of the Huskers better tackling efforts of the season. Keep in mind, mobile quarterbacks have tied the Husker defense in knots this season.

Though Iowa running back Marcus Coker (18 carries, 87 yards, one TD) put up decent numbers, you did not see Husker defenders rely on arm tackles. As amazing as linebacker LaVonte David is, the continued improved play of Will Compton is also refreshing as well as Jay Guy and Justin Jackson giving serviceable saps on a banged up defensive line.

Cornerback Alfonso Dennard also deserves a game ball for limiting Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt to four catches for 29 yards.

The telling numbers for this game was time of possession as Nebraska held the ball for 37:47 and dominated third down on both offense (10 of 21) and defense (2 of 12).

Nebraska has had a stock market season much more than its 9-3 record suggests. One week after being outplayed by Michigan, the Huskers thoroughly outplayed the Hawkeyes. The question now becomes can the Huskers parlay their Black Friday performance into a bowl game win?

The importance of the Huskers win over Iowa cannot be overstated. I’m not going to lie, thoughts of last year’s Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Washington trifecta of awful was weighing on my mind after the 45-17 loss to Michigan last Saturday.

The loss was not only bad on the field but prompted many of the shrill voices to suggest that head coach Bo Pelini “has lost this team.” What the hell does that mean, anyway? Yes, the Huskers maddening inconsistency is puzzling but how does that translate into “losing the team.” Gee, there’s a blanket statement if I ever heard one but I digress.

Overall, I am pleased with the way the team responded today. The crowd was into the game, it was Senior Day and the guys responded.

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.