Keep the improved defensive recruiting in mind

[HuskerNationNick]

^My hope is for a 3-4. It is much easier to land a quality LB then it is to get a quality DL. Plus I think VV could be a monster at nose tackle.

then we'd have to blitz to get a pass rush. pelini doesn't blitz.

 

Why blitz when our Dline is getting pushed back 5-10 yards every play? lol. Only two players I saw this not happening to on Saturday was Ankrah and Carter. I don't think we blitz, or it doesn't look like we do as much, is because we don't have the strength to get that initial push, or that speed to burn around the defender because no one is asking for a double team. If we have Valentine, Curry and Peat all healthy, this will give us what we have been wanting and waiting for, that bullying defensive line.

[junior4949]

Firing JP doesn't even mask the problem. Do you honestly believe all that's happening on defense is a direct result of JP? I doubt JP does much more on Saturdays other than signaling in the plays.

[NUinID]

^My hope is for a 3-4. It is much easier to land a quality LB then it is to get a quality DL. Plus I think VV could be a monster at nose tackle.

then we'd have to blitz to get a pass rush. pelini doesn't blitz.

 

Why blitz when our Dline is getting pushed back 5-10 yards every play? lol. Only two players I saw this not happening to on Saturday was Ankrah and Carter. I don't think we blitz, or it doesn't look like we do as much, is because we don't have the strength to get that initial push, or that speed to burn around the defender because no one is asking for a double team. If we have Valentine, Curry and Peat all healthy, this will give us what we have been wanting and waiting for, that bullying defensive line.

 

You are oh so correct. Nebraska needs a heathly dominate d-line and this team looks a whole lot different. My problem with the D-line situation was that BP was not willing to do something drastic when he knew he was short on d-linemen. I'm sorry there has to have been a couple of 300 lb O-linemen down on the depth chart that could have been taught enough to play 8-10 snaps a game.

[zoogs]

3-4 isn't a matter of numbers, it's a matter of the kind of talent period. Being short on DL doesn't mean you can just flip to a 34, where you need more or less three defensive tackles, and stand-up pass rushing linemen who would be 4-3 DEs, and a pair of quite athletic LBs in the middle to make plays behind that 1-gap line.

[HuskerNationNick]

DE Jason Ankrah Jr 6'4" 265lbs

DE Walker Ashburn So 6'2" 255lbs

DE Joseph Carter Sr 6'5" 265lbs

DE Ross Dzuris Fr 6'3" 235lbs

DE Eric Martin Sr 6'2" 250lbs

DE Greg McMullen Fr 6'3" 280lbs

DE Cameron Meredith Sr 6'4" 240lbs

DE Avery Moss Fr 6'2" 260lbs

DE Donovan Vestal So 6'5" 260lbs

DT Kenny Anderson Sr 6'2" 260lbs

DT Aaron Curry Fr 6'1" 280lbs

DT Jay Guy So 6'1" 290lbs

DT Tobi Okuyemi So 6'2" 275lbs

DT Todd Peat Jr. RFr 6'3" 305lbs

DT Thad Randle Jr 6'1" 295lbs

DT Chase Rome So 6'3" 285lbs

DT Baker Steinkuhler Sr 6'6" 295lbs

DT Jeff Uher So 6'1" 280lbs

DT Vincent Valentine Fr 6'3" 320lbs

DT Kevin Williams RFr 6'2" 265lbs

 

This is our Dline as of right now. The red are the players who are red shirted this year, or injured from the last I knew. IIRC Uher isn't healthy either, but I was unsure, so I didn't highlight him. Most, actually almost all, of our big guys are not eligible to play this year because of some reason or another. Bo's last two years, he has went after the right sized players, but its football, injuries happen. Unfortunately we have the Iowa Disease, but instead of it being RB's, its our Dline. With our 4 starters, we are 1,040 lbs of weight compared to Wisky's what, 1,300-1,400 lbs? I know its an odd way to calculate it that way, but its just another way to show we are undersized.

 

Wisconin's O-line is not small by any means. On average, they are bigger than the Packer's O-line. Its taken them a while to get in sync and pull their potential because of the coaching changes, but I think they have made that stride to being dominant. As you can see, our starters are small. Our big guys are not healthy, didn't make the trip because you obviously can't take your whole roster.

 

If we can keep these guys healthy, have our S&C hit them hard on our off season, we have the potential to be very dominant. Especially with the LB crew we will have. Only question on defense that still remains for me, is who is going to fill in the safety position? I heard Jonathan Rose will most likely be it, but who else? Corey Cooper or Harvey Jackson? We have not had them on the field this year to even see what they are capable of.

 

The only issue I have with switching OL to DL, is the fact most aren't tacklers. Rather have a guy in there that can wrap someone up, than one who can get the push but not bring down the other guy. Most of our OL crew behind our starters are very young and we will need them to stay there, get better and continue our rushing success.

[kchusker_chris]

^ do you think we have a S&C problem when it comes to the big guys? injuries happen, but it's been such an issue for us in the Pelini era that you have to start wondering....

 

...they aren't trained the same way as a skill position player. Maybe Dobson is just better with the quick & speedy guys, and less so with the mountains?

[FriendlyLurker2007]

again i want to see an attacking d line, instead of reacting....

[NUinID]

Nick I'm talking about a stop gap measure not something permanent. We needed bodies in the game.

[Blackshirt96]

^FYI, Im one of those people who thinks Callahan would still be here if he would/could have retained Pelini as DC or would have cut lose Cosgrove & got a big splash hire at DC.

I'm with you there. I'm 99% sure Coz would have been gone had Bill been given another year.

 

It's also why I'm kind of alarmed about where this will go if no staff changes are made this year. If you look at the 2006 season and our losses, we gave up 28 to USC on the road - a #4 ranked team. Not exactly a terrible showing. We lose by 2 to Texas, a #5 team and only gave up 22. Our major defensive breakdown in 2006 was our loss to Oklahoma state, giving up 41. Compared to the current program - that's not too bad. Then we gave up 21 to Oklahoma in the Championship game, but that was a #8 ranked team. And 17 to Auburn, a #10 ranked team. How do you fire your DC when 4 of their 5 losses were to top 10 programs, and he never gave up more than 28 in those contests? On a team that focuses on offense? On average they gave up 18 points a game that year, and made it to the championship game. (and were competitive) 18 points would be a top 15 scoring defense this year. How can you fire a guy like that?

 

USC ended up 11-2 beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl w/ a #4 ranking

Oklahoma lost to Boise in the Fiesta ending up 11-3 and #11

Texas was coming of a MNC and ended up 10-3 ranked #13

Aurburn finished 11-2 #9

 

(those are some solid teams - and one hell of a tough schedule)

 

In comparison...(you'll pull out your apples and oranges again I'm sure)...in 2012 we didn't play a single top 10 team (save maybe OSU depending on where you look) - and we are giving up 26 points a game with a 63 and a 70 in there. If you advocate for the firing of Cosgrove (which I'd say every single person in here does) then how can you not advocate for the firing of JP, or at least some sort of staff change? The state of this program currently - is much worse IMO than the state of the program after the 2006 season. And look where that got us. No one saw that one coming...most of all Bill or Cosgrove.

Because this is year one for JP. There has been a lot of staff shake up since Pelini has been here. 2 OC's, 2 DC's, 3 DB coaches, 2 WR coaches, 2 LB coaches & we added a OL coach. I'm sure there are a couple I have missed. Bo has been shaking things up & had some turnover. I know some don't want to admit it but Bo got rid of Watson & Gilmore. He brought in Fisher & made Beck the OC. Both have done very well with their groups in a short time.

 

Callahan probably could have kept his job with one more win & firing Cosgrove in '07. The other part to why Callahan was fired was the culture he created. He did not want ex-players running around. He burned some bridges & it came back to bite him. Pelini is burning some bridges as well & a non bowl season will probably end his time here as well. As far as where we are now compared to '06 is probably close to equal & may be even a little better in '06 as you said, but next year will be the year, where Pelini will make or break himself as a coach. I have said that for over a year. '13 has to be a solid year. Offensively we are stacked. Defensively we have a lot of young talent, but they need to show they are a solid unit. We sould be solid in the backfield & at the LB spot the question will remain on the line. This is also why I am in hopes for a shake up & a move to a 3-4. It takes the most questionable level of the defense & tkes some stress off of it.

[Blackshirt96]

^ do you think we have a S&C problem when it comes to the big guys? injuries happen, but it's been such an issue for us in the Pelini era that you have to start wondering....

 

...they aren't trained the same way as a skill position player. Maybe Dobson is just better with the quick & speedy guys, and less so with the mountains?

I actually think the coaches & Dobson made a mistake when we joined the Big Ten with the S&C. The d-line has always been smaller when we were in the Big 12, but it was ok due to the offenses we faced. They tried to put a band-aid on the problem when we joined the Big Ten by having our undersized guys bulk up. It back fired on them. Not only were they still small for a DL, but the weight slowed them down. Cam is a prime example. His Soph year he was quick & around 250lbs. Now he is much slower & is around 270lbs.

 

Meredith as a Soph

 

Meredith as a Sr