Cam Meredith talks coach Kaz

[n.e.husker]

Meredith has used his visual skills in the film room this winter as he adjusts to a new defensive line coach, Rick Kaczenski, who joined Nebraska's staff in December after spending the past five seasons working with Iowa's defensive linemen. Kaczenski takes over a group that loses tackle Jared Crick but returns mostly intact and is led by Meredith and tackle Baker Steinkuhler, both multiyear starters.

 

To help Nebraska's linemen understand his vision, Kaczenski played them video clips of former Iowa standouts like Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard and Karl Klug.

 

"On the field, he can explain it, he can go through it," Meredith said, "but until we see it in full action, we don't really understand. He brought in some really good clips of those Iowa players doing some pretty good stuff."

 

The transition should be smooth, because Nebraska's defenders studied Iowa more than any other team in 2011, even before Kaczenski arrived. Iowa's two-gap scheme resembled Nebraska's defensive system, and while Meredith said it's not a carbon copy, it helped players to see a similar defense go against Big Ten offenses.

 

"I was watching more of the [players'] technique, but you can see similarities," Meredith said. "For example, Coach Kaz wants us to make contact with our head, head-butt them more and get separation. Once we see one of the Iowa players do it who's similar to us, it puts in our minds, 'Hey, it's the same stuff. We've just got to learn the technique.'"

 

http://espn.go.com/b...-bigger-picture

 

Hope Coach Kaz can light a fire along the DLine.

['SkersRule]

I was watching more of the [players'] technique, but you can see similarities," Meredith said. "For example, Coach Kaz wants us to make contact with our head, head-butt them more and get separation.

 

That's really dumb. Making contact with the head, hello concussion and more head injuries. Also, allowing a OL to get into your body makes it easier for them to hold you and get away with it. Our DL should be firing off the ball and using their hands to keep blockers off of them. It's no wonder our DL essentially sucked last season.

[The Dude]

I was watching more of the [players'] technique, but you can see similarities," Meredith said. "For example, Coach Kaz wants us to make contact with our head, head-butt them more and get separation.

 

That's really dumb. Making contact with the head, hello concussion and more head injuries. Also, allowing a OL to get into your body makes it easier for them to hold you and get away with it. Our DL should be firing off the ball and using their hands to keep blockers off of them. It's no wonder our DL essentially sucked last season.

I don't think our DL did that last year. Also, if that technique worked for the likes of Clayborn and Klug, I'm game to give it a shot. I'm not sure how many concussions and head injuries those guys got from doing it.

[True2tRA]

The players want to be aggressive. I want them to be aggressive, the scheme asks them to play patty cake and stay home. I hope it all works out.

[True2tRA]

Exactly right Skersrule. Hands and forearm strength are so important. Jared Tomich I believe even tried to work with defensive lineman with mixed martial arts techniques using the hands to control your opponents direction. Allowing them into your body makes you worthless. It's all about hand fighting and upper body strength. We've sure had some darn good players on the defensive line here over the years. I could make a huge list of names. I'm sure you all remember some of them fondly. As much as NU has been a offensive lineman factory you could say we were one of the best defensive line producers ever. The 70's, 80's, and 90's were very good to us, though I don't think it was all due to just the talent of the players alone. We were one of the most balls out aggressive defenses ever to play the game. It was fierce. Hell, we went man to man against Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators receivers that were supposed to burn us up! Instead, we put so much heat on the QB's, they didn't have time to set in the pocket and place a perfect ball. It made our secondary look better. It made our defensive line look better.....why.....because we let them get after it!

[flatwaterfan]

I was watching more of the [players'] technique, but you can see similarities," Meredith said. "For example, Coach Kaz wants us to make contact with our head, head-butt them more and get separation.

 

That's really dumb. Making contact with the head, hello concussion and more head injuries. Also, allowing a OL to get into your body makes it easier for them to hold you and get away with it. Our DL should be firing off the ball and using their hands to keep blockers off of them. It's no wonder our DL essentially sucked last season.

 

Head-butt is contact with the forehead area, which is pretty hard bone, so I don't think your as likely to get concussed using that part of the head? I do agree that I would rather see them using their hands moreso than their head.

[308_Husker]

I was watching more of the [players'] technique, but you can see similarities," Meredith said. "For example, Coach Kaz wants us to make contact with our head, head-butt them more and get separation.

 

That's really dumb. Making contact with the head, hello concussion and more head injuries. Also, allowing a OL to get into your body makes it easier for them to hold you and get away with it. Our DL should be firing off the ball and using their hands to keep blockers off of them. It's no wonder our DL essentially sucked last season.

 

Head-butt is contact with the forehead area, which is pretty hard bone, so I don't think your as likely to get concussed using that part of the head? I do agree that I would rather see them using their hands moreso than their head.

Not to mention that most of the time it takes quite a force to create a concussion. Not saying that it's impossible to get a concussion if you line up one yard apart and headbutt, but the chances are slimmer than if you have a safety beheading a wide receiver coming across the middle.

['SkersRule]

I played DT in high school and one thing I was taught was at the snap to use the base of the palm to smack the OL in the head and then transition to the hands to keep the blocker off of me. Basically an OL can't block me if they can't get their hands on me. I mean I'm willing to give Kaz the benefit of the doubt but I'm not liking what I'm hearing.

[The Dude]

Just to get a sense of what they're talking about here, check out #46 at the 1:03 mark:

 

[The Dude]

Just judging from that video, I think I'm going to like what Kaz will bring to the table.

['SkersRule]

Well I'm going to give Kaz the benefit of the doubt. I want to see our defensive tackles getting separation and pressuring the QB. I've had enough with the stand in place and patty cake approach.

[The Dude]

Well I'm going to give Kaz the benefit of the doubt. I want to see our defensive tackles getting separation and pressuring the QB. I've had enough with the stand in place and patty cake approach.

You an me both, brother.

 

I still remember the first play of the Capitol One Bowl, where Meredith stood straight up out of his stance, put his hands on the tackle, and just stood there. Didn't chop his feet, didn't seem to try and make a play, or anything. I had a serious case of

[True2tRA]

OMG! Did you see that video? They ran stunts, the ends rushed hard upfield. Iowa brought extreme pressure upfield and let the DT's get aggressive. Hell if we see any of that compared to the straight four man patty cake patty cake baker man sh#t we watched last year! Holy hell I'll be thrilled. Forget read and react........they are supposed to be reading and reacting to us.

[True2tRA]

Good vid by the way. Is it just me or does the thought of Ankrah on one end and Martin on the other end just open the mind to all sorts of possibilities. Rotate in Carter and some of the second year guys we have on the defensive line........if we play aggressive like these Iowa kids do...If Bo allows it.......it could be scary.

[jsneb83]

I'm thinking the head-butting is to get the players to fire off the ball, and by using your force that you hit them with you are able to create that separation. You should be able to get the same amount of separation as just standing up with your arms extended, but by firing off the ball, we can re-establish the line of scrimmage either at or behind the original LOS instead of just standing up and getting blown off the ball, which happen to our D-line way too often last year.