Eye-Openers From Spring Media Guide

1 comment so far April 23, 2007 by Steve Hanway

While you may not learn as much as you hope from the Spring football game itself, you can learn a fair amount from the media guide. It’s one spot where we see on paper a number of things that either escaped us, or were not available before.

Here are a few that caught my eye:

NU Ranked Higher in Scoring Defense than Offense in Big 12 and Defense Mattered

Despite all we heard about the NU offense last year as the strength of the team the Huskers finished second to OU in scoring defense and dropped to fourth in scoring offense once the postseason was taken into account. As if we didn’t know defense mattered, the top five teams in scoring defense all finished with eight wins or more and the top six teams in total defense finished with eight wins or more (none of the teams rated seventh or lower in total defense won eight games). Interestingly, rushing defense was less important that total defense. Both Kansas and Colorado were in the top four in rushing defense and top five in rushing offense yet combined to go 8-16.

Only One Defender Missed a Start

The Huskers were either extraordinarily lucky or especially tough (probably some of both) to have ten of eleven defenders start all fourteen games. Only Corey McKeon missed a start and that was only one game. When we question performances by the defense, perhaps we should realize that some or all of these guys had to have been playing hurt, including the maligned secondary.

Not Everyone Thought NU’s Secondary Was Bad

Three NU defensive backs earned honorable mention from either the Big 12 coaches or the Associated Press. Andrew Shanle was named by the coaches, Tierre Green by the AP, and Cortney Grixby by both! The Huskers were second in pass efficiency defense to only OU.

Matt Slauson May Have Been Key Loss Down the Stretch

The Huskers were averaging 34 points and 431 yards through eleven games but averaged only 19 points and 355 yards in their final three games (without Slauson). Sure OU and Auburn were great defenses, but the home date against Colorado was also among NU’s final games. Hopefully having seven linemen returning with starting experience (Murtha, Christensen, Byford, Huff, Hickman, Slauson, Nicks) plus some new faces on the O-line will mean a key loss won’t be so noticeable.

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