Linebackers

[gamecocks]

I liked how we were rotating the linebackers yesterday. Cooper and Bo Ruud got a lot of playing time. Cooper actually started the game and got a tackle the first play of the game. I not for sure how the rotation was but I believe that Cooper came in every other play at one of the three linebacker positions and then Bo Rudd came in maybe two out of five plays or something like that.

[DaveH]

Yea, I think it is a good thing too. At that same time, it is a double edged sword. Bo was out of position more than once and got burned during Baylor's 21-point 3rd quarter.

 

It seems like a Barrett is doing a lot of the work and no one has stepped up in a big way in place of some of the guys we lost last year. Thus we are getting beat over the middle where the linebackers should be covering.

[gamecocks]

I agree that our linebackers are getting beat but should be letting the opposing offenses beat a senior first year starter or a freshman that will be getting some good reps. I really do not know what the strengths and weakness are of each of our linebackers but I think we need to start playing them when we can use their strengths, which we might be doing already, I don't know.

[Benard]

Hell with the rotating, keep cooper in there the whole time.

[gamecocks]

I hate to break this to you, but Cooper is not that great at coverage. He probally broke down in pass coverage more against Baylor than any other linebackers that were playing in the third quarter. Time after time, he would fall for the play action in the middle and then get burned when the quarterback would hit the tight end or running back on an out or flare pattern to Coopers side of the field. He wasn't the only one that got burned on those types of plays, but he had more than his fair share.

[Benard]

I hate to break this to you, but Cooper is not that great at coverage. He probally broke down in pass coverage more against Baylor than any other linebackers that were playing in the third quarter. Time after time, he would fall for the play action in the middle and then get burned when the quarterback would hit the tight end or running back on an out or flare pattern to Coopers side of the field. He wasn't the only one that got burned on those types of plays, but he had more than his fair share.

He's our 2nd best linebacker imo easily.

[gamecocks]

I would rate him and Bradley as a tie right now for second best in my opinion. I think maybe would should go to a 3-4 to get more speed out there on defense and get a some pressure on the quarterback with the blitzes from the linebackers.

[Benard]

I would rate him and Bradley as a tie right now for second best in my opinion. I think maybe would should go to a 3-4 to get more speed out there on defense and get a some pressure on the quarterback with the blitzes from the linebackers.

Like I've been saying, I think it's a shame that wali isn't an outside linebacker so that we can have all our best players on the field instead of having to have some of them stand on the sidelines.

[gamecocks]

I agree, even if it is for just a few plays a game, we should try to get our best players on the field to take advantage of our speed and quickness on defense. Hell we are sucking it up now, maybe a change would be good.

[Red November]

I would rate him and Bradley as a tie right now for second best in my opinion. I think maybe would should go to a 3-4 to get more speed out there on defense and get a some pressure on the quarterback with the blitzes from the linebackers.

I don't think any of our Linebackers are worth a crap. Maybe Ruud, but put him OU or Okla. St and he's on special teams.

 

NU loves him so much because he's from Lincoln and its all we have.

[DaveH]

I would rate him and Bradley as a tie right now for second best in my opinion. I think maybe would should go to a 3-4 to get more speed out there on defense and get a some pressure on the quarterback with the blitzes from the linebackers.

I don't think any of our Linebackers are worth a crap. Maybe Ruud, but put him OU or Okla. St and he's on special teams.

 

NU loves him so much because he's from Lincoln and its all we have.

Ruud is playing pretty good in this defense and that's what's important in winning games. Sure, there are better players on other teams.

 

The bigger problem is that there is such a drop off after Ruud in tackles. We either need someone to step up there. The linebackers were getting beat pretty bad over the middle. They can't seem to cover the crossing routes well.

[gamecocks]

I don't think that they recoginize that the crossing pattern is happening until the recievers are crossing their face and by then it is too late. I don't know if it is lack of communication or just lack of focus but they need to figure it out because teams are going to run it until we stop it.

[Benard]

I would rate him and Bradley as a tie right now for second best in my opinion. I think maybe would should go to a 3-4 to get more speed out there on defense and get a some pressure on the quarterback with the blitzes from the linebackers.

I don't think any of our Linebackers are worth a crap. Maybe Ruud, but put him OU or Okla. St and he's on special teams.

 

NU loves him so much because he's from Lincoln and its all we have.

Get real man. Special teams??? He is the all-time leading tackler, let I remind you all time leading tackler for nebraska. More than polk, foreman, wistrom, anyone who has ever played for nu. The guy is a great player and is going to be a rich guy next year.

[Manute]

i agree with benard...Rudd would start on any team in the country. saying he would be on special teams only in ridiculous.

[gamecocks]

Rudd would start on any team in the country. i don't think that he would be the middle linebacker but I think that the way he plays, he could make an easy transition to weak or strong side and still play with the same energy.