Keeping front 4 fearsome? Nebraska feels it's up to task

N

Nexus

All-American
LINCOLN — Look closely at two numbers when considering what a restructured Nebraska defensive line has to live up to next season. • Of the Huskers' 44 overall sacks last fall, 33½ came from the front four.
• Of that total, more than half (17½) went out the door when Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner played their final games in the Holiday Bowl.

Collapsing the pocket, harassing the quarterback and logging sacks will again be a priority for the NU defensive line. The Huskers' ability to create a pass rush with just the front four last season played a big part in their overall defensive success.

But Suh was the best defensive player in all of college football and Turner a seasoned veteran who played in 54 career games.

“Yeah, we do have some sacks to replace,” NU assistant coach John Papuchis said, “but I think we're going to have, by depth of numbers, enough guys to be able to step in and kind of fill the void.

“One of the things that helped it is how well we covered on the back end. If we do as good of a job as we did a year ago in coverage, we're going to find our way to the quarterback. Every sack, for the most part, has to do with all 11 guys out there.”

It's obviously early to be talking 2010 production after just seven spring practices, but it's also the time when the Husker staff is starting to see who it might be depending on come September.

It no doubt starts with junior Jared Crick at tackle and senior Pierre Allen at end. Crick produced 9½ sacks and 15 tackles for losses in his first season as a starter, and Allen fought through injuries to contribute five sacks for the second straight year.

Cameron Meredith is bidding to replace Turner and Baker Steinkuhler is after Suh's old job.

Crick will attract preseason All-Big 12 and possibly All-America consideration, but said he is concerned “about the D-line and the D-line only.”

“Suh was a great player for us,” Crick said. “We think of it as playing together. You take one person out, it doesn't matter. As long as the other three are doing their job, the whole D-line will keep its structure and keep its integrity. It's about the team.”

In addition to Steinkuhler, Terrence Moore and Thaddeus Randle are among others who can help inside. Papuchis said Randle, who redshirted last season, has good pass-rushing skills.

On the outside, Josh Williams and Jason Ankrah will be pushing for playing time with Allen and Meredith.

Overall, Meredith and Steinkuhler played a bunch in 2009, and NU defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said Williams was prepared to play more. Pelini said Ankrah and Randle might have redshirted but weren't treated like redshirts.

“They didn't spend a lot of time on scout team last year,'' Pelini said. “We kept them with us, purposely, because we knew they were going to figure in this year. So even late in the season, when we knew they were redshirting, they were still practicing with the ones and twos, just to get those reps.

“So really it's been a pretty easy spring with them teaching-wise. They're very much in command of the defense.”

Papuchis said he sees no reason why the Husker defensive line can't rack up a significant number of sacks again next season. And Meredith understands you can't overstate the importance of that pass rush and what it would mean for the NU defense.

“It's a definite emphasis on the defensive line,'' Meredith said. “We were proud to have that many sacks last year. That was one of the top in the NCAA, I believe. But that was just a bunch of teamwork. We were collapsing the pocket, and if the quarterback escapes someone was there to get him.”

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Our front four looks to be solid. A strength of the team. But for sacks, good coverage has as much to do with sacks as the front four. And our CBs are as good as any we’ve had in several years. We’re gonna rack up a lot of sacks this season. Oh yeah! Pour me a glass of red Kool-Aid.

 
nuance said:
Our front four looks to be solid. A strength of the team. But for sacks, good coverage has as much to do with sacks as the front four. And our CBs are as good as any we’ve had in several years. We’re gonna rack up a lot of sacks this season. Oh yeah! Pour me a glass of red Kool-Aid.
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:koolaid2: :cheers :koolaid2:

 
I think Crick & Allen are going to lead the charge for the new guys. Hopefully Steinkuhler, Meredith, and the rest of the fella's will take the reigns and run with it.

 
I think that the effect that Bo and Company had on Suh his final two years says a lot. These guys don't even know what they are capable of until they learn from the Pelini's. I look for many more great lineman to come through the program in the years to come.

 
nuance said:
Our front four looks to be solid. A strength of the team. But for sacks, good coverage has as much to do with sacks as the front four. And our CBs are as good as any we’ve had in several years. We’re gonna rack up a lot of sacks this season. Oh yeah! Pour me a glass of red Kool-Aid.
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Here is another nugget to chew on. Of the 44 sacks last year 41 were the direct result of collapsing the pocket, direct quote from Carl. The line will be good again this year, will the sack numbers remain the same we will see. All the big XII teams have seen this defense for 2 years now it'll be interesting to see how they counter act that in practices and on game day.

 
One could say, why we wouldn't we have a another great defense. Obviously, we won't know until next fall, but there have been numerous college teams with great defenses, including the huskers '94 and '95 teams, that didn't have a DT as good as Suh. So, yes, I feel good about next season's D. We just have to rely more on all 11 players.

 
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