Huskers hungry for turnovers

Husker_Power · March 22, 2008

BY RICH KAIPUST

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN- One thing Bo Pelini can't do in his return to Nebraska football is bring back players like Demorrio Williams, Fabian Washington, Barrett Ruud and the Bullocks twins.

They all crossed paths with Pelini for one season in 2003 and together forced turnovers at a school-record pace. They and a few others are in the NFL now, having long ago run out of college eligibility.

But what Pelini can resurrect is an attitude about making the other team give up the football against its will.

"It's just something we're going to emphasize," said Pelini, hired as NU head coach in December. "You kind of get what you ask for most times. But you have to live it, breathe it, practice it.

"Some years are going to be better than other years. You're going to have opportunities, and you have to capitalize on the opportunities. But it's got to be part of the foundation you build."

The Husker foundation took a hit when Pelini left after his only season as defensive coordinator. He was hired by Frank Solich to rescue the Husker defense and then tossed aside by Bill Callahan about 12 months later.

With Pelini in 2003, the Nebraska defense came up with 47 turnovers. Its 32 interceptions were the most in Husker history, and the 47 matched the turnovers forced by the 1971 national champions.

With Kevin Cosgrove from 2004 through 2007, the NU defense never managed more than 25 turnovers in a season. And it bottomed out last season with just 11 (eight interceptions, three fumbles) — by far the lowest total in the Big 12 and the fewest by a Husker defense in the post-World War II era.

As Nebraska prepares to start spring practice Wednesday, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini believes the staff can change the Huskers' turnover rate without much of a change in personnel.

"We're going to cause turnovers and make plays," Carl Pelini said plainly. "You never negotiate on that regardless."

Carl Pelini was a Husker graduate assistant in 2003 when Bo, his brother, was defensive coordinator. Carl Pelini said there was no secret about why the Huskers were successful with takeaways, including 10 interceptions by Josh Bullocks and a combined seven fumble recoveries by Williams and Ruud.

"I think the biggest thing is when your whole philosophy begins with effort and flying around to the football and being physical," Carl Pelini said, "the more people you get around the football, the less missed opportunities you have."

Pelini said playing mostly zone defense in 2003 helped keep more Huskers around the football. Even when NU blitzed it was usually from zone blitz packages.

Cosgrove favored man-to-man, which generally resulted in more one-on-one plays. Opponents fumbled 15 times last season, yet recovered 12 of them to maintain possession.

Junior safety Larry Asante said Nebraska is itching to take the Pelini style and run with it.

"In football, you've just got to read, react and make plays," he said. "We have the physical part on this team, so we'll be fine."

The push will come daily, both in practice and the film room. It can't ever stop, according to Carl Pelini.

"Every coach says, 'We want to be great at the turnover ratio,'" he said. "It's easy to say that. Now you've got to evaluate everything you do — how you instruct, how you practice, things you demand of your players. You can't just pay it lip service.

"We'll talk a lot as coaches about turnover opportunities, and we'll point them out in practice: 'Hey, here's an opportunity you had to swipe at the football. Here's an opportunity you had to go for the interception, but instead you waited and tackled the receiver. Here's an opportunity where you were coming up from behind on a pile, and you could have punched the ball out.'

"It's a pretty simple philosophy, but it works."

Charting the defense

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Returning starters: Six (Zach Potter, DE; Barry Turner, DE; Ndamukong Suh, NT; Ty Steinkuhler, DT; Armando Murillo, CB; Larry Asante, SS)

• All-Big 12: None

• Total defense (Big 12 rank/NCAA): 476.8 yards per game (12th/112th)

• Rushing defense: 232.2 (12th/116th)

• Passing defense: 244.7 (4th/84th)

• Scoring defense: 37.9 (12th/114th)

• Notable: Nebraska gave up more points (455), yards (5,722) and first downs (299) than any other team in school history last season.

• Quotable: "Within our schemes and the way we're going to approach offenses, that's going to be a big part of what we do." NU defensive coordinator Carl Pelini on creating turnovers

Link