The Bad News Blackshirts

[TheSker]

I want the fear back. I want opposing teams to see our team on the schedule, and physically say "sh*t", knowing that they are in for four quarters of pain, agony, and suffering. That after the game, they will hurt getting into bed. They'll consider playing a different sport.

That is what I miss. The hunt as Knapp eluded to. The wolf pack insuring that no one gets out alive and there's no hope for the oppositions offense, only impending doom and heart break...

Way, WAY too many times we see individuals making tackles.

The spread offense was designed to create one on one matchups......and mismatches.

 

[knapplc]

I want the fear back. I want opposing teams to see our team on the schedule, and physically say "sh*t", knowing that they are in for four quarters of pain, agony, and suffering. That after the game, they will hurt getting into bed. They'll consider playing a different sport.

That is what I miss. The hunt as Knapp eluded to. The wolf pack insuring that no one gets out alive and there's no hope for the oppositions offense, only impending doom and heart break...

Way, WAY too many times we see individuals making tackles.

The spread offense was designed to create one on one matchups......and mismatches.

I grasp this. I also watch other teams play against spread offenses, and I see way more gang-tackling. Sparty's defense is a great example, if you happen to have BTN and want to watch some rerun games.

The spread offense phenomenon hasn't eliminated a defense's ability to bring multiple tacklers to the ball. However, what I'm talking about are instances where we have guys within five yards of the ball and they're observing the tackle, not participating. This isn't a game strategy change or an NCAA rules change, it's an effort change on our part.

 

[Mavric]

As long as we run the up-tempto, high risk, high reward offense - it's highly unlikely we will see a defense of the 2009 calibre. Not saying the talent or ability won't be there, but this offense puts the D in bad situations. They're gonna get scored on, they're gonna get wore down when we can't control the clock. They're often better than their ranking suggests I think.

Then it's a good thing we don't.

High risk, high reward is about as concise of a description of the offense when Martinez was QB as I can imagine.

Whether that will continue with Armstrong is an open question.

I guess we can argue the semantics of it but I would say we run plays at an average pace and run the ball 60% of the time which is decidedly not high-risk, high-reward nor up-tempo. But you'll get no argument from me that the guy operating the offense most of the last four years was definitely high-risk, high-reward.

 

[knapplc]

This offense conversation just brings me back to the defense. Yes, it is major suckage if the offense continually puts the defense in poor field position. But their job cannot be so predicated on the offense. They have to be able stuff an opponent who gets the ball at our own 25, and they have to do that time and time again.

That is not unrealistic, that is what Blackshirt football is all about. Pell-mell hustle to the ball, solid tackles, presence felt every single play.

You got the ball on our 20 yard line, and you're feeling all giddy and ready for a score? Here's your quarterback plowed into the ground at the 35. How do you feel about that? Here's your draw play sussed out, stopped for a loss. Here's your screen pass nearly intercepted, your intended target blown up. Bring out your field goal unit, and pray to God we don't block that.

Definitely it's better to defend 80 yards than 20, but that. is. their. job.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Obviously our defense over the last 4-5 years has had room to improve. It has also shown flashes of what it is capable of. At the end of last year, they were playing pretty dang well.

I think defenses are similar to offenses when you compare them to years past. They are going to look different.

It used to be, we either had to go against a QB who can run and was questionable at best in passing or a really good passer who was a statue in the pocket. These two are much much easier to defend and commit to stopping either the run or the pass. Now, we have QBs like Russell Wilson who can run and throw very well. Our defense is not going to look as swarming and dominant as it used to be. That swarming and dominating mentality is what we saw that we loved.

Now, we are going to see more open field tackles one on one. With spread offenses with good running and passing QBs, I think we can expect to see the occasional break down for a long play even if we have one of the top defenses in the country.

Again, I'm not saying we haven't needed an improvement the last 4-5 years. Believe me, I've witnessed the games we have had problems in. But, I also think can have a very very good defense this year and it still won't look like the 95 defense.

 

[knapplc]

But, I also think can have a very very good defense this year and it still won't look like the 95 defense.

Definitely agree. We don't even need to have the second coming of the 2009 defense this year. We just need to have solid play, across the board, and no more meltdowns. No more 38-point barrages. No more mentally checking out of games.

 

[papersun87]

As long as we run the up-tempto, high risk, high reward offense - it's highly unlikely we will see a defense of the 2009 calibre. Not saying the talent or ability won't be there, but this offense puts the D in bad situations. They're gonna get scored on, they're gonna get wore down when we can't control the clock. They're often better than their ranking suggests I think.

Then it's a good thing we don't.

High risk, high reward is about as concise of a description of the offense when Martinez was QB as I can imagine.

Whether that will continue with Armstrong is an open question.

I guess we can argue the semantics of it but I would say we run plays at an average pace and run the ball 60% of the time which is decidedly not high-risk, high-reward nor up-tempo. But you'll get no argument from me that the guy operating the offense most of the last four years was definitely high-risk, high-reward.

here are some cold hard numbers:

(source)

 

[carlfense]

As long as we run the up-tempto, high risk, high reward offense - it's highly unlikely we will see a defense of the 2009 calibre. Not saying the talent or ability won't be there, but this offense puts the D in bad situations. They're gonna get scored on, they're gonna get wore down when we can't control the clock. They're often better than their ranking suggests I think.

Then it's a good thing we don't.

High risk, high reward is about as concise of a description of the offense when Martinez was QB as I can imagine.

Whether that will continue with Armstrong is an open question.

I guess we can argue the semantics of it but I would say we run plays at an average pace and run the ball 60% of the time which is decidedly not high-risk, high-reward nor up-tempo. But you'll get no argument from me that the guy operating the offense most of the last four years was definitely high-risk, high-reward.

+1

 

[grandpasknee]

My heroes have always been Blackshirts.

There's something about the chaos they bring, the fierceness of a run-stuffing linebacker or the predatory aggression of a blitzing rush end, that thrills me like the offense never could. Your Mike Roziers, your Tommie Fraziers, your Rex Burkheads... they're great, and I love them all. But most of the time when they were on the field, I just wanted them to score quickly so I could get back to watching the best side of football: The hunters.

Broderick Thomas. Carlos Polk. Terry Connealy. Grant Wistrom. Ralph Brown. Kyle Vanden Bosch. Barron Miles. Danny Noonan. Mike Croel. Trev Alberts. Demorrio Williams. Kenny Walker. Jared Tomich. Keyuo Craver. Jason Peter. Fabian Washington. Terrell Farley. Mike Brown. Josh Bullocks. Barrett Ruud. Demoine Adams. Jim Skow. LeRoy Etienne. Ed Stewart. Mike Minter.

These are the guys I'm paying to see. Ready at the snap. Make your move. Open field to the ball carrier. Crush the quarterback. Stuff the run. Separate the man from the ball.

The Blackshirts were industrial-scale mayhem. There was a magic to these guys, a mystique.

Havoc and disruption, tumult and noise, fire and aggression, reveling in pandemonium and panic. They were what football was all about. They were why football was fun.


At least... they used to be. Not even that long ago, in 2009 when Suh & Crick, E-Mart & Compton, Asante & Hagg, Gomes and Amukamara all wore black in practice.

But somewhere along the way the fire went out. The joy disappeared. Even the 2009 defense fell victim to a blowout. And from there it's been... not so fun. Before 2009 it had been years since Nebraska fielded a formidable defense. Since then, it's been downright disheartening to be a Blackshirt fan.

For too long the defense have been Blackshirts in name only, bodies in a place where once stood giants.

It's been too easy, for too long, to pick on the Nebraska defense. Sure, every year we have a formidable talent in some position or other, but for every throwback Blackshirt there was always one of these guys.

Our Lupus.

The hunting pack returns this year, and they will be dressed in black. I'm a koolaid drinker for sure, but I do believe this is the year.

And..have to mention Rich Glover in that list of mean, nasty feared blackshirts of old. Damn I get goose bumps just thinking of the way that dude played "D"...

 

[knapplc]

And..have to mention Rich Glover in that list of mean, nasty feared blackshirts of old. Damn I get goose bumps just thinking of the way that dude played "D"...

I would have put him on that list, but it was only a list of players I've watched. I was in diapers when Glover played.

 

[Redux]

I remember our series with Va Tech and hearing how alot of their offense was a little frightened to line up against the Legendary Blackshirts.

I want that back, this year. I want yellow stained white Cane road uni pants as they watch our Linebackers come storming outta the tunnel. Destruction is a must. Pain is mandatory. Fear is earned.

Damn right lets make this fun again.

 

[Husker_x]

This year (and maybe next) will be our best chance to see a wolf pack. You've got a top-5 pick at end, a couple of monsters in the middle, and speed everywhere else. If the offense does its job, shows it can score and score again with a bruising ground attack, I think this defense will show you something we haven't seen for a few years.

I like defense better than offense myself, but in this game they're interconnected. Your offense can only go sh#t a 3-and-out so many times before the defense gets tired or the opponent gets lucky. We started winning games with defense at the end of last season. Most of those pieces are returning and we're in for an upgrade at a spot or two.

When you start to win--and you start to know you're a winner--you'll see that fire again.

 

[Joe_5700]

We just need more Kelly Leaks on the team...problem solved.

 

[HuskerShark]

As long as our LBs take form like I think they will and our new pieces at CB and Nickel play their role, I see a defense this year that will lay the wood on some opponents. We knew last year going into the season that there would be growing pains. Personally, I didn't envision the growing pains being as painful as they were, but by mid-season, we were winning games BECAUSE of our defense instead of in spite of them.

I'd rather be optimistic every year and be let down rather than infesting my friends, family, and a message board with negativity all the time.

GBR!!!

 

[carlfense]

When you start to win--and you start to know you're a winner--you'll see that fire again.

That's huge. MSU's defense has that attitude. Hopefully we get it back.