Sizing Up Louisiana Tech
One pre-game ritual of mine is to compare the depth charts of Nebraska’s football team with their opponents to look for physical mismatches. There are plenty of other things that go into a player beyond what appears on a depth chart (e.g. strength, speed, smarts). But all else equal, a taller player will usually have an advantage over a smaller one and a heavier player is tougher to move than a lighter one. In this case, returning starters have also been highlighted.
La. Tech offensive line vs. NU defensive line
The Bulldogs have good size along their offensive line but return only two starters and will rely on two underclassmen. The Huskers will start four seniors, all with game experience. This will be a good test for Nebraska as the Bulldogs at least have the size to handle the NU front four. It will be up to the Huskers to show they’ve got the skills to dominate.
La. Tech wide receivers vs. NU defensive backs
Only one La. Tech wide receiver (Josh Wheeler) is over 6 feet tall and only one Husker defensive back (Grixby) is under 5’11”. The Bulldogs will have to get separation from the Husker d-backs because it does not appear that for the most part that they can simply post up (Wheeler being the obvious exception). The Bulldogs also sport a big tight end in Anthony James that at 257 would be tough to bring down. James, a returning starter, caught only 15 passes in 2005, however.
La. Tech backfield vs. NU defense
At 6’1”, Zac Champion may have trouble seeing over his own lineman. The Husker defensive ends range from 6’3” to 6’7” and could tip or bat down some passes if Champion can’t find the proper passing lane and passing trajectory. Even at a solid 210, Champion may have a hard time shrugging off hits from Moore (280 lbs.) and Carriker (295). The La. Tech running backs are both under 200 lbs. Grixby is the only starter that they outweigh. This suggests that they are going to have to try to make Huskers miss, because they don’t have the kind of bulk to simply run over people.
NU offensive line vs. La. Tech defensive line
This is perhaps the greatest mismatch between the two teams on paper. The Bulldogs play a 3-4 defense (i.e. 3 down lineman and 4 linebackers) and will start only one defender that weighs more than 260 pounds. If the Huskers want to return to a power running game in 2006, this is the team to use it against.
NU wide receivers vs. La. Tech defensive backs
Just as the Tech wide receivers don’t tower over the Nebraska d-backs, the Husker receivers at the top of the depth chart don’t tower over the Bulldog d-backs either. The exceptions are Todd Peterson, Maurice Purify, and Menelik Holt. All of whom are slated as reserves. Peterson may see a fair amount of time but Purify and Holt are likely to see only a handful of plays, if any. At 245 lbs, Matt Herian outweighs ¾ of the Tech linebacking corps, and all of their d-backs. His 6’5” frame is also taller than the entire Bulldog defense.
NU backfield vs. La. Tech defense
While Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn are listed as co-#1 running backs, Glenn’s 230 lb. body is heavier than seven of the starters on defense for Louisiana Tech. Considering the size advantage enjoyed by the NU offensive line over the Bulldog front 3 or 4, you’d expect Glenn to be able to charge ahead for 4-5 yards seemingly at will. At 235 lbs., Dane Todd can also help clear the way for Lucky and Glenn. Zac Taylor is only 6’2” himself so he faces the same challenges of playing behind taller offensive lineman. In this case, the defensive front for the Bulldogs is not so big (6’4” at the tallest) that it gives them a huge advantage in batting down passes.
Both teams have some advantages they can exploit, but clearly it would seem on paper that the Huskers should be able to run right at the Bulldogs and can sprinkle in some passes to Herian to keep them honest. The offensive line for the Bulldogs might keep them in the game for a while but eventually you'd expect their defense to wear down.
There is a lot more about Louisiana Tech on our Game Day page.
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