wonder why we cant tackle?

[DaveH]

But a D-coordinator at the D1 level should be able to notice an issue as fundamental as tackling and fix the problem.

Well yea and I am sure he does. He'd have to be blind not to. But you only have so much time with the guys. So while I am sure they practice fundamentals, it might not be the focus of the preparation.Saying a coach at this level is so out of touch with his team that he doesn't notice bad tackling, as many hours as these guys put it is just ludicrous.

 

So why is tackling poor? Especially at saftey, really.Well, Shanle does play there. People have missed tackles througout the year and they will every game. It's part of the game. But your saftey HAS to be a solid tackler and I believe Shanle wouldn't fall into that category.

[Glass]

They need to hit and wrap, they forget the wrap part too much.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

It looks like a lot of these guys think that just hitting the guy with the ball is going to knock him down..........anyone who's played football ever knows that this is not even close to being true even at the high school level so I can only imagine what it's like at the D-1 level..............hit, drive, and wrap!!!!

[AR Husker Fan]

Some of it is the "SportsCenter" mentality. Kids want a hightlight hit, so they fly in and try to put a shoulder on the ball carrier and get that spectacular hit.

 

Happens all over, not just Nebraska. And it's tough to break kids of that habit - they tend to develop it in high school. Trouble is, they could get away with it then, simply by being physically superior.

[Hawkeyehusker]

It often appears they are hitting the ball carrier hard just trying to slow the guy down enough for the rest of the defense to get there and gang tackle him.

[huskernumerouno]

Some of it is the "SportsCenter" mentality. Kids want a hightlight hit, so they fly in and try to put a shoulder on the ball carrier and get that spectacular hit.

 

Happens all over, not just Nebraska. And it's tough to break kids of that habit - they tend to develop it in high school. Trouble is, they could get away with it then, simply by being physically superior.

Good point

[DaveH]

Cory said in today's press conference that tackling has been practiced quite a bit in the beginning of practice. "A lot of different drills."

 

He expects it to be emphasized this week. Mentioned a lot of factors going into bad tackling, guys are beat up, it's late in the season, etc.

[txdrdubya]

Coaching in Class 4A in Texas taught me two things:

 

1. Always make sure your horses are healthy for the race

2. Always make sure your horses are healthy for the race

 

Guys are already banged up this late in the year, with the stakes being so high for this weekend's game, you just can't jeopardize losing anyone for it by doing Oklahoma drills. This is a Spring Ball issue.

[huskerdude171]

It kind of seems like they are scared to tackle and they won't wrap the guy up. I think that the DB's just suck.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

Coaching in Class 4A in Texas taught me two things:

 

1. Always make sure your horses are healthy for the race

2. Always make sure your horses are healthy for the race

 

Guys are already banged up this late in the year, with the stakes being so high for this weekend's game, you just can't jeopardize losing anyone for it by doing Oklahoma drills. This is a Spring Ball issue.

 

Except I haven't coached, I'm just agreeing with your points......

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I will say that Oklahoma Drills or as we called them in High School "The Program hits" (you know the movie) would just bang guys up badly!!!! They were fun as hell and there was a lot of great hits, but I think it was more to keep us motivated sometimes rather than to take us back to fundamentals........

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

The players and coaches know it's a problem:

 

LJS

 

NU focuses on tackling OU's backs

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Nov 29, 2006 - 01:10:59 am CST

 

Nebraska defenders heaped praise upon Oklahoma’s running backs Tuesday. And with good reason. Adrian Peterson or no, there appear to be some quality runners in the group.

 

Tough, downhill, come ’atcha runners.

 

“They might run harder than anyone we’ve seen all year,” Nebraska linebacker Lance Brandenburgh said. “When they hit the gap, they’re going to be at full speed.”

 

Impressed? Well, for Nebraska fans, that probably wasn’t even the scariest of descriptions uttered by a Blackshirt.

 

Said linebacker Corey McKeon of the Sooner running backs: “They’re hard to tackle.”

 

Uh-oh.

 

Nebraska plays the tough-running Sooners in Saturday’s Big 12 Conference championship game in Kansas City, Mo., a week after having some tackling miscues in the Huskers’ season-finale against Colorado.

 

Exactly how serious those issues are seems to be debatable among players. Defensive end Jay Moore said tackling and communication problems were “blatant” against the Buffs.

 

McKeon, though, said the reason tackling is a hot topic this week is because of two big running plays by Colorado. The Huskers didn’t wrap up Hugh Charles, who broke loose for a 44-yard run. Mell Holliday also broke tackles on a 45-yard touchdown run that tied the game in the third quarter.

 

“Every other play, the tackling was sound,” McKeon said. “It looks like a big concern, but it’s not a big concern. There were 60 other plays where there was sound tackling.”

 

That may be true, but it still doesn’t erase the two or three big running plays that have haunted the NU defense in recent games. Big plays that resulted, in part, from bad tackling.

 

It happened against Oklahoma State, when Bobby Reid broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage en route to a 56-yard run. At Texas A&M, Stephen McGee (57 yards) made defenders miss, and Michael Goodson (53 yards) broke three tackles near the line of scrimmage.

 

Then Colorado made the Huskers look bad on two plays.

 

“That is a concern,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “We’ve got to be able to wrap, tackle, take people to the ground. By and large, if we can lesson the amount of explosive plays in the running game, we’d be a better defense statistically. No question about that.”

 

As it is, the Huskers rank an ordinary 48th nationally and sixth in the Big 12 in rush defense, allowing 126.9 yards per game. Of the 13 opponents’ running plays for 20 yards or more, eight have been for at least 38 yards.

 

Oklahoma, meanwhile, averages 188.6 rushing yards to rank 14th nationally and third in the Big 12. The Sooners have done it with and without Peterson, the former Heisman Trophy candidate who will miss his seventh straight game because of a broken collar bone. OU coach Bob Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Peterson will not play.

 

The Sooners have plugged along with Allen Patrick (665 yards, 4.7 yards per attempt), Chris Brown (339, 5.4) and Jacob Gutierrez (220, 4.9).

 

Saturday against Oklahoma State, Patrick opened the third quarter with a 65-yard touchdown run. After missing the two previous games with an ankle injury, Patrick finished with 163 rushing yards.

 

“He doesn’t want to make a lot of cuts,” McKeon said. “He just wants to run north and south, which is impressive. Running backs like that are hard to stop.”

 

McKeon didn’t totally discount the issue of tackling. He said coaches have addressed the problem and will make it a point of emphasis this week.

 

While safeties have endured a brunt of the criticism for missed tackles, linebackers haven’t been immune, either. The many spread offenses Nebraska has faced have created more running room, meaning more difficult one-on-one, open-field tackles for defenders.

 

The good news for Nebraska? Oklahoma does not spread the field. The I-formation, the power runs, the counters … it all means more activity for the linebackers, particularly Bo Ruud and Stewart Bradley, who’ve been spread out in recent games. Now, they’ll be back in the box.

 

“It’s easier to gang tackle, get guys down,” McKeon said. “The more guys we get around the football, the better off we’ll be tackling.”

 

In any case, it might not be a good week to be a tackling dummy at a Nebraska practice.

 

“It’s something we’re really going to have to stress on in practice this week,” Moore said, “wrapping up people, being in a good football position.”

[Syzygyone]

It looks like a lot of these guys think that just hitting the guy with the ball is going to knock him down..........anyone who's played football ever knows that this is not even close to being true even at the high school level so I can only imagine what it's like at the D-1 level..............hit, drive, and wrap!!!!

 

Actually it's hit and wrap simulataneously, and the DRIVE THE PUKE INTO THE GROUND.

 

At least that's the fundamental I was taught and taught myself.

[Licensed to Ill]

Hit, wrap, do whatever. Just don't be a safety and dive at a guys feet when he's 3 yards in front of you...