Defense
Wait, this defense was even better than we thought
11 comments so far
December 23, 2009 by
Last week, I updated a post I originally did in the middle of the season looking at the top defensive performances at Nebraska since 1990 in relation to this year's Blackshirts. As many of you noted, defensive totals--in this case...
Yup, that defense was good
14 comments so far
December 17, 2009 by
Way back in October, at the mid-way point of the season, I projected out Nebraska's totals in total defense and scoring defense and compared them to the best 10 statistical seasons since 1990. With the final numbers in, I thought...
Ndamukong Suh Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
13 comments so far
December 1, 2009 by
Ndamukong Suh can now officially be known for something more than his bulging biceps and difficult-to-pronounce name. Today, the Big 12 named Suh the Defensive Player of the year for the 2009 season. Several other Huskers were also honored...
Can Nebraska become the new D-Line U?
5 comments so far
November 12, 2009 by
Of all the good things to come out of the win over Oklahoma last Saturday, none of them may have been better than this quote from recruit Jay Guy: "I don't know if you watched the game, but the Nebraska...
CRIIIIIIIICK
5 comments so far
November 1, 2009 by
The most positive news coming out of Nebraska's win over Baylor (other than the actual win itself) has to be Jared Crick's performance. Here's his official line - 13 tackles (10 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and a...
This year's Blackshirts would've been right at home in the 90s
12 comments so far
October 20, 2009 by
There's going to be plenty of time this week to discuss the offensive woes, a potential quarterback change, Helu's "chronic" shoulder problem, and the fact that Shawn Watson, looking for any source of help, probably sent Bo through the roof...
Will the Sacks Keep Coming?
3 comments so far
August 11, 2009 by
A notable statistic from Nebraska's four-game winning streak to close the 2008 season was that they tallied nineteen sacks. At that pace, the Huskers would tally more than sixty over a thirteen or fourteen game season. That would put the...
Setting Benchmarks for the '09 Blackshirts
11 comments so far
June 19, 2009 by
Last July Darren wrote a great piece detailing what he thought it would take defensively for Nebraska to meet expectations under Bo Pelini in year one. The general consensus for the Huskers heading into 2008 seemed to be about eight...
Great Defense Starts in the Middle
5 comments so far
April 8, 2009 by
When former Husker defensive tackle Steve Warren was making the rounds promoting events for his charitable foundation, he dropped an excellent football truism in to his conversation wth the Lincoln Journal Star. Great defense starts on the inside. When considering...
A Top 25 Defense? In the Big 12 that's a tall task.
8 comments so far
April 7, 2009 by
One of the underrated things about the spring football season is that it gives you a chance to gauge the early assessment, both local and national, of your football team. We're still a few months away from the "official" predictions...
Turner's Return Key For Husker D
8 comments so far
March 11, 2009 by
There are several stories worth following as we navigate through spring and summer - day by day, inch by inch - until the 2009 Husker football season. The one I'll likely follow the most closely is the return of defensive...
Assumptions About Nebraska to Color Every Off-Season Conversation: Better Blackshirts
5 comments so far
February 24, 2009 by
I thought this was supposed to be the off-season, a time of the year to be endured, a test of will, a newsless nuclear winter that we spent all fall fattening up for with real games, stats, stories and the...
The Difference Between 5-7 & 9-4 Part 2 - The Defense
17 comments so far
January 13, 2009 by
You could say of the 2008 Blackshirts that our last glimpse of them this season was our best glimpse. Despite the almost lights-out performance the defense had provided through 58 minutes of the Gator Bowl, Clemson still had the ball...
Plug 'N Play Linebackers
2 comments so far
November 20, 2008 by
It was a gift that made perfect sense. We’ve all probably played Pacman and Dig Dug at the cool Showbiz birthday party as kids (those animated stage characters still give me nightmares). But in a Nobel Peace Prize-deserving invention, by...
Maybe This is Why They're Blackshirts Again
7 comments so far
November 14, 2008 by
We all knew coming in to the season that Nebraska's defense would be better in 2008 than it was in 2007. Part of this was the addition of Bo Pelini but the larger factor was that Nebraska simply didn't have...
Back in Black...Now What?
3 comments so far
November 12, 2008 by
Who would've thought three months ago, back when the season was close yet so far away, that the biggest day for the 2008 Nebraska defense--Bo Pelini's defense--would be a drab Tuesday afternoon in the week leading up to the Kansas...
Defensive Numbers at the Quarter Pole
7 comments so far
September 17, 2008 by
With one-fourth of the season in the books and facing an off-week it seemed like a good time to take the temperature of Bo Pelini's yet-to-be-Blackshirts defense. The general consensus thus far, both inside and outside the program, seems to...
Vocabulary Lessons From Husker Preseason Camp
If you are anything like me, you got tired of reading the same three bullet points coming out of the first day of Husker football camp - Kevin Dixon is off the team; Anthony Blue is still injured; some recruits...
Dixon Dismissed
5 comments so far
August 4, 2008 by
Bo Pelini just wrapped up his first press conference of the Fall 2008 Campaign -- and it wasn't without big news. Senior Defensive Tackle Kevin Dixon has been kicked off of this year's squad....
The Future of Football is Defense
13 comments so far
July 30, 2008 by
I'm sure by now, most college football maniacs have seen the video located on Rivals about the A-11 offense. If not, check them out now. It's something absolutely out of this world to see. You will be amazed by the...
Bo's Mandate: Give Up 14-17 Fewer Points per Game
8 comments so far
July 2, 2008 by
As the season creeps closer, you hear more conversations about season expectations. If you take a poll of Nebraska fans about expectations for the 2008 Husker squad, you'll likely hear the answer -- eight wins. You may even hear some...
The "Cover 2" at NU
9 comments so far
April 17, 2008 by
In recent years, the "Cover 2" defense, and its sibling the "Tampa 2", have been en vogue in the NFL and migrated in to the college game. Bo Pelini is a big proponent of the Cover 2, and has...
"Tagging Off" Helps Create Turnovers
7 comments so far
March 31, 2008 by
One of the main items reported during the first week of NU's spring practices was the level of energy on defense, particularly the players' pursuit of and to the football. It wasn't just the enthusiasm that comes with Spring and...
Getting Faster?
15 comments so far
March 14, 2008 by
For those who believe the return of Bo Pelini will mean a return to glory for Nebraska, another tidbit was reported that will likely add enthusiasm for those looking for a rewind to the 1990’s....
Considering the Call for Coaching Change
25 comments so far
September 18, 2007 by
Considering NU's very poor defensive showing against USC, it is easy to see that things need to improve dramatically for NU on that side of the ball. Yes, the strength of the opponent is one thing. USC is both talented...
Barron Miles Made Big Plays With Small Body
3 comments so far
June 21, 2007 by
Most Husker fans first took notice of cornerback Barron Miles on a Thursday night in Stillwater in October of 1993, when he blocked a punt and hauled it in for a touchdown to break a 13-13 tie after three quarters...
2007 Secondary Should Be Improved
8 comments so far
June 20, 2007 by
Barring injuries (or off-the field problems) a player will nearly always get better with experience. That bodes well for Nebraska’s secondary in 2007 as three of four starters return in safety Tierre Green and cornerbacks Cortney Grixby and Andre Jones,....
Secondary Not Secondary in Importance
6 comments so far
June 18, 2007 by
Continuing my analogies between football and baseball, I said defensive linemen are like pitchers and linebackers are like infielders. So naturally that makes defensive backs…third base coaches (just kidding). No, the secondary are like your outfielders. Just as a great...
Steve Octavien: Show Us What You’ve Got
3 comments so far
June 8, 2007 by
It’s not hard to name a player who came into Lincoln with high expectations that never lived up to them, Curt Dukes and Harrison Beck come to mind. But Octavien has shown flashes in practice and on the field....
Linebacker Keno 34-43-52
We can’t let linebacker week go by without touching on the 3-4 we’ve heard rumors about since the end of last season. The simple math is that Nebraska has four quality linebackers with starting experience and replaces four starters on...
Barrett Ruud Classic Example of Linebacking Limits
1 comment so far
June 5, 2007 by
At a school with the history Nebraska has, becoming the all-time leader in tackles is quite an achievement. Barrett Ruud managed the feat between 2001 and 2004, Nebraska’s weakest stretch in terms of wins and losses in more than...
Solid Linebackers, So What?
Last week, I compared defensive linemen to baseball pitchers. What would that make linebackers? - Infielders, of course. Add a gold glove shortstop to your infield and your team will give up fewer runs. But it won’t cure all...
Defensive Line – 2008 and Beyond
2 comments so far
May 25, 2007 by
The good news is that in 2008 Nebraska will have several experienced and seemingly very talented lineman available for the 2008 season. The bad news is that many of them will be eligible for the NFL draft after the...
The 2007 Defensive Line
7 comments so far
May 24, 2007 by
Nebraska’s sure to have a new look at quarterback in 2007. For better or worse, Sam Keller will not look like Zac Taylor. Likewise, the 2007 defensive line will look substantially different than the 2006 unit, for a number...
The 2006 Defensive Line
Before we jump into the present, we’ll take one more look backward at the 2006 defensive line. On the one hand, that unit will be a tough act to follow. Last season, the Huskers featured a pair of defensive ends...
Defensive Line - Xs and Os
5 comments so far
May 22, 2007 by
It is “Defensive Line Week� here at Big Red Network. And, it is time to examine some of the “Xs and Os� or defensive line strategies employed by NU. In doing so, it is important to first define some of...
The Importance of Defensive Line Play
2 comments so far
May 21, 2007 by
If defense wins championships (and the numbers say it does), then the defensive line is quite simply the most important part of a football team. Hall of Fame NFL coach Bill Walsh believed that the ability to generate a...
Juco Transfers Must Learn Fast at Defensive Tackle
The Huskers come into spring, as every team does, with some starting positions to fill. Outside of quarterback, no hole is as likely to be dependent on newcomers as the defensive tackle spots....
Bowman to Return in 2007
3 comments so far
December 7, 2006 by
Nebraska cornerback Zack Bowman announced his plans to return to the Huskers for his senior season. The NFL committee that informs juniors of their likely draft position has not yet told Bowman where he would have likely been selected in...
Men in Black
5 comments so far
August 29, 2006 by
The Nebraska Cornhusker football team handed out the "Blackshirts" yesterday. Blackshirt status designates the first-string defense, because they wear black practice jerseys. The Blackshirts are one of the GREAT traditions in all of college football. If you don't know...
Loss of Bowman Major Blow
1 comment so far
August 7, 2006 by
Coach Callahan said the right things following the loss of Zack Bowman to an ACL tear in his knee that will keep him from playing this season. He mentioned the other guys available and stayed positive about the team and...
Defensive Tackles Still Have Much to Prove
2 comments so far
July 6, 2006 by
With top senior defensive ends Adam Carriker and Jay Moore returning and up-and-comers Zach Potter and Barry Turner in the mix, it’s understandable that people are excited about the prospects for the defensive line in 2006. But with the departure...
A Major Disappointment
4 comments so far
June 1, 2006 by
As details have begun trickling out about the charges facing Nebraska defensive back recruit Major Culbert, it seems likely he won’t get to keep the scholarship he was offered in February. There seems little reason to believe the victims’ are...
Linebacker Position No Fountain of Youth
There are many aspects of the 2006 Husker football team to get fans excited. One area in particular is the group of returning linebackers....
Open Thread Friday - Is NU's defense any good?
1 comment so far
May 26, 2006 by
Editors Note: When they aren't busy writing stories for the BRN, our writers spend their time on lots of other hobbies, like debating Husker football amongst themselves in email. (You can't say they aren't dedicated.) When they weren't looking,...
Blankenship Ships Out
The defensive end position, which had looked like perhaps the deepest position on the team, lost some depth with the departure of Adam Blankenship. Blankenship joined the Huskers in 2004 as part or the transitional recruiting class from Solich...
Nothing Safe About Safety Position
The movie Marathon Man had one of the most frightening scenes in cinema history (as of 30 years ago anyway). Dustin Hoffman finds himself being tortured by a Nazi dentist played by Laurence Olivier asking him "Is it safe?"...
Adding Depth to Defensive Tackle Spot
It has been confirmed in a couple of places that Craig Roark is moving from offensive line (center/gaurd) to defensive tackle or nose tackle this spring. Ty Steinkuhlerwill also move from defensive end to tackle. I'm very glad to see...
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