TemporarySaint
Three-Star Recruit
Next year our defense will be five times better than this year.
NU defensive units: better or worse this year?
- Thread starter NUance
- Start date
GM_Tood
All-American
Thanks Bo.
I tend to agree with most that think the spot where we might have a drop off is replacing Prince and Gomes. Depending on how we decide to play D next year I think the returning starters, along with the guys we need to step up, will do just fine.
sdhusker82
Special Teams Player
The thing about Ciante Evans I wanna see is when he gets a pick can he do what dennard, gomes, and prince did when they returned it. Anytime those guys gotta pick it was almost a sure 6 and something the defense preaches here. On the Dline i dont see a great speed rusher, not sure we really had one this year. Perhaps Eric martin can fill that role. Overall this defense is scary all-around. if only our offense was....
carlfense
Heisman Trophy Winner
DT - Roughly the same. Crick should be a bit better but I'm not terribly impressed by anyone lining up next to him. Hopefully Rome, Steinkuhler, or Moore step up their game somewhat.
DE - Roughly the same. Camstache should continue to progress but the other end is a question mark. Those people who were unimpressed by Allen should remember that he managed to beat out those players that you think were better. No one has been overly impressive at DE other than Meredith . . . and he is just solid.
LB - Slight upgrade. Same players . . . Lavonte David fully comprehending the scheme should be a terrifying prospect for Big Ten offenses.
CB - Slightly worse, but still very, very good. Dennard should be stellar, but Evans (or whoever) will probably have a few first time starter growing pains. Luckily they probably won't face any Blackmon caliber WRs in the Big Ten next year.
S - Worse, but still good. I'm including the loss of Hagg and Gomes in the safety category even though they could probably fit partially into safety, linebacker, and corner back categories. There is talent to replace those two . . . but their experience and talent can't be overstated. There will be growing pains.
Overall, I expect a slightly worse defense that might be offset by the fact that we believe Big Ten offenses to have less firepower than Big 12 offenses.
DE - Roughly the same. Camstache should continue to progress but the other end is a question mark. Those people who were unimpressed by Allen should remember that he managed to beat out those players that you think were better. No one has been overly impressive at DE other than Meredith . . . and he is just solid.
LB - Slight upgrade. Same players . . . Lavonte David fully comprehending the scheme should be a terrifying prospect for Big Ten offenses.
CB - Slightly worse, but still very, very good. Dennard should be stellar, but Evans (or whoever) will probably have a few first time starter growing pains. Luckily they probably won't face any Blackmon caliber WRs in the Big Ten next year.
S - Worse, but still good. I'm including the loss of Hagg and Gomes in the safety category even though they could probably fit partially into safety, linebacker, and corner back categories. There is talent to replace those two . . . but their experience and talent can't be overstated. There will be growing pains.
Overall, I expect a slightly worse defense that might be offset by the fact that we believe Big Ten offenses to have less firepower than Big 12 offenses.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
I was unimpressed with Allen this year, but I don't think anyone behind him could have done better. He just didn't show much this year.
carlfense
Heisman Trophy Winner
I agree . . . Allen looked average at best. That's why I have concerns about the talent available at defensive end.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Yeah, I'm a little surprised at DE. I expected "more," but I'm not sure what I expected. My understanding is that Bo wasn't asking his DEs to play Rush End, he was asking them to play containment so his DTs could get in there and wreak havoc. That maybe explains why Allen went from a rush-end force as a Freshman to a ballroom dancer as a Senior... but only just barely. Camstache ran off the edge a few times, but not terribly often. And Ankrah was supposed to be this monster who would terrify opponents, but as lackluster as I felt Allen was, Ankrah didn't exactly take over the position. He barely saw the field compared to what I thought he was going to do when the season started.
Maybe EMart is the answer. Maybe his motor and ferocity will work on the edge, and we'll have a truly terrifying pass rusher again. Maybe Camstache is going to step it up. Maybe Ankrah is waiting to be unleashed. Maybe our DEs are just going to be pocket-collapsers and the days of Wistrom or Tomich or Alberts crushing skulls are just going to be distant memories.
But I liked those days. I want them back.
Maybe EMart is the answer. Maybe his motor and ferocity will work on the edge, and we'll have a truly terrifying pass rusher again. Maybe Camstache is going to step it up. Maybe Ankrah is waiting to be unleashed. Maybe our DEs are just going to be pocket-collapsers and the days of Wistrom or Tomich or Alberts crushing skulls are just going to be distant memories.
But I liked those days. I want them back.
huskerscott
Starter
It would be absolutely outstanding if the coaching staff used Emart on 2nd/3rd long situations for the defense. Just tell him to go get the QB ala Demarrio Williams in 2003.
I was pretty disappointed on lack of Ankrahs playing time. I thought he would be a shoe in for the 3rd DE guy this past year.
I think with the skill of our secondary the days of T-ing off on the QB are probably behind us. If the secondary can make the QB second and third guess where he is gonna go with the ball, the QB becomes very vulnerable. Not only he is now worried about where to go with the football, now he is worried where/when he is gonna get drilled.
We used this tactic quite a bit the last few years, mizzou '08, KU '09 after Reesing scrambled alot in the first quarter. Virginia Tech 2009 was when it worked the best,IMO. The idea was to keep Taylor in the pocket to prevent him from getting outside, eventually the Oline collasped, Taylor panicked and the LBs came in to finish him off.
going into the BigTen facing some mobile Qbs with Pryor, Persa, and Robinson I see this type of "containment defense" could very well possibly be norm.
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carlfense
Heisman Trophy Winner
Hence the "we believe." I think that the Big Ten is probably better than most Nebraska fans gave it credit for . . . myself included.
That said . . . Wisconsin's 2010 offense appears to be a bit of an outlier and it didn't perform particularly well against TCU.
walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
I think that we're in very good shape heading into this upcoming season. There aren't any area's of great concern.
The secondary and the LB's may need some adjustments, but outside of that, I feel immensely more confident about this side of the ball, than the other...
The secondary and the LB's may need some adjustments, but outside of that, I feel immensely more confident about this side of the ball, than the other...
DT improve --- everyone returns, all of whom improve --- Crick and Stein a level up from last year and then add a more experienced Thad Randle, a more seasoned Moore and then add Rome. DT will doubtless improve.
DE will improve also, or... at the very least stay the same. Cam Meredith was very good and will be better. Josh Williams and J. Ankrah transition from year one to year two where the greatest improvement tends to happen. We will miss Pierre Allen but an improved combo of Williams/Ankrah and an improved Meredith will either more than compensate or merely compensate. And we have 3 redshirts coming in too. Also, who knows what E. Martin will bring --- but he could be great... or not?
Safety will improve. We get back a more experienced C. Osborne, PJ Smith and Austin Cassidy. Add in redshirt Corey Cooper and D. Stafford (unless Stafford goes to be a hydrid LB of a sort) and no doubt that this crew gets better.
CB --- not possible to improve upon the best duo in the nation. So... sure CB goes down from the very best to being merely really, really good. Dennerd will be great. C. Evans will be really, really good and much improved. Depth though is an issue. Who do we go to next if one of them get hurt? Andrew Green, L. Middleton, and Antonio Bell are all unknowns. So.... the top two will be really, really, really good... but after that? Who knows?
LB? I'm not even sure the scheme and personel packages that we will play.... but Compton and our best player, L. David return. Fisher --- who has never been impressive, returns as well. Each should, ostensibly, improve. But depth? Maybe Stafford plays a role? Maybe A. Whaley contributes? Maybe the freshman Santos plays? Here.... well it is impossible to say until we clarify what scheme, how many backers we'll use, and who among the DB/LB hybrid types (Stafford, Cassidy) may contribute. In any event, we did not lose anyone and get everyone back plus some talent.
Overall? The Blackshirts will be very good. As long as they don't have to defend short field after short field (because of offensive turnovers) and the special teams perform well and the field position game from that perspective is reasonable... well then it will be rare indeed that people put up 20 or more points on the Blackshirts. Now... the only thing that may mitigate against that is an injury at CB to either Evens or Dennard (really thin depth at CB) or the loss of a player like David, Crick, Stein, or Meredith. Stay healthy, the O limits turnovers, and the special teams play well and perhaps no one score more than 20 on us.
The only question is will the O put up enough points to win?