Learn to play defense the Bo Pelini way
Let's say you're one of the 50 best high school linebackers in the country. You're 6-2, 210-pounds, and covered in fast-twitch muscles. Because of that, football's always been easy. Find the ball and go get it. Violently. At age 18 you're already better at being a linebacker than most people will ever be at anything. In February, you decided to play your college football at Nebraska. They sent out your off-season workout packet and you've dutifully done them, day in and day ...
Hot Reads: Last Stand
LAST STAND >>> I imagine the 2012 Blackshirts are ready to get back on the field again. For a senior-laden group, giving up 70 points isn't a memory you really want to have hanging around for four weeks. Nor is 10.86 yards per carry Nebraska allowed in the Big Ten championship game. While not nearly as severe, Georgia's in a similar situation. Alabama realized in the second half of the SEC title game that the Bulldogs couldn't stop the Tide on ...
The 6 Most Shocking Nebraska Stats of 2012
With 13 games in the books, here's a six-pack of shocking stats from the 2012 Nebraska season thus far. Good or bad, these are the six most attention-grabbing numbers in my estimation. 0 - That's the number of snaps Taylor Martinez missed this season due to injury. Not series. Not games. Snaps. There's no single statistic that's more important, or perhaps unlikely, than that one. Martinez's time carrying the ball is about evenly split between a) running away from people and b) running ...
None shall pass
Quickly, what's Nebraska's identity under Bo Pelini? Two words or less. Depending on how any season of the past four and a half years was going, I suspect that the most common response to that query might be "inconsistent." There's certainly a case to be made for that, but this year's squad is doing a better job of cementing a different identity. When you think Nebraska and Bo Pelini, the first thing that should probably come to mind is pass defense. This ...
Huskers prepare for an improving QB
Michigan State quarterback Andrew Maxwell took his lumps early in the year as the Spartans struggled to a 4-3 record, but defensive coordinator John Papuchis said the first-year starter is improving rapidly. "He's a talented a player," Papuchis said. "It's not easy in your first year when you're getting all the reps and all the starts. There's a learning curve. You can see his progress through the year, he continues to get better, and I think he's going to be a ...
How Nebraska knuckled down on defense
Nebraska's defense will be wearing Blackshirts this week because, after the embarrassing loss to Ohio State in early October, they've played like Blackshirts the past two weeks. Over the past two games Nebraska has given up a total of 489 yards while allowing just 10-of-35 third down conversions. The Huskers now rank 26th nationally in total defense, ninth in pass efficiency defense, and 26th in third down conversion percentage. It wasn't surprising then that coach Bo Pelini gave a mini-treatise on ...
The Money Down
It's been a long time since a single statistic has received as much attention as Nebraska's defensive third down efficiency did this past offseason. There had to be some reason Nebraska's defense faltered in 2011 after experiencing almost unchecked growth under Bo Pelini for the first three years. The easy culprit was third down. Nebraska wasn't getting off the field enough last year when it had the chance. The Huskers ranked 37th nationally in total defense in 2011, far from a ...
Come Together
At its best, a Gus Malzahn offense is like a piranha attack. It’s designed to kill you with many tiny bites at a pace that is barely comprehensible. Arkansas State wasn’t at its best on Saturday. Nebraska’s defense had something to do with that. Seven days after giving up the most yards in the country in week two, Nebraska slowed down the nation’s 7th ranked offense with a solid bit of team defense. Coming in it looked like the Red Wolves ...
McBride talks defense
When Charlie McBride talks defense, you listen. On Wednesday the former Nebraska defensive coordinator visited with hosts Chris Schmidt and Nick Handley on Hail Varsity Radio to talk about Nebraska's defense against UCLA, practice reps, the importance of speed, and nurturing young players. Check it out below: *** HV: Nebraska's defense gave up the second most yards ever, how do you react to this from a coaching standpoint? McBride: The second game isn't time to start being negative for sure.You have some inexperienced ...
Pelini still confident in scheme
"Life goes on. Everything happens for a reason." That's how Taylor Martinez opened Nebraska's press conference two days after the Huskers lost 36-30 to UCLA. Some players said they were "angry," others said they were anxious to get back on the field. But the strongest comments came from head coach Bo Pelini. "I’ve been sick to my stomach since that game," Pelini said Monday. "We should have won that football game. We didn’t and it hurts. It’s hard to live with, but you ...
