"I haven't forgotten how to coach defense and how stop the run."

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

Can we let this quote die already

[ZRod]

This defense is much more similar to 2003 Bofense than 2009. In 2009 we just turned Suh loose on our 4-man rush. This year we are blitzing every down, and I love it!

We blitz a fair amount in 09 it just seemed like we didn't because with that secondary and our front 4 you could get a coverage sack on almost any down.

 

Basically what I was saying. The past 2 games we have sent a blitz literally 90% of the time, and I love it. In 09, we got pressure with a 4-man rush because Suh was a man-child.

 

I think you'd be surprised how often we blitzed MU, I don't think it was anymore than we averaged all year it was just more effective.

[RedSavage]

Leroy Alexander really caught my eye coming off the edge on a couple blitzes. Gardner had very little time to do anything on those plays. I would definitely like to see more of that.

[HuskerShark]

This defense is much more similar to 2003 Bofense than 2009. In 2009 we just turned Suh loose on our 4-man rush. This year we are blitzing every down, and I love it!

We blitz a fair amount in 09 it just seemed like we didn't because with that secondary and our front 4 you could get a coverage sack on almost any down.

 

Basically what I was saying. The past 2 games we have sent a blitz literally 90% of the time, and I love it. In 09, we got pressure with a 4-man rush because Suh was a man-child.

 

I think you'd be surprised how often we blitzed MU, I don't think it was anymore than we averaged all year it was just more effective.

 

I'd be interested to see an actual play breakdown on that to be honest. To me it seems like Bo has more than doubled his blitzes in the past 2 games, especially after Minnesota when it appeared that we just sat in the 2-high safety look with a 4-man rush.

 

If the only difference is that our back 7 is just reading and reacting THAT much better then I am truly impressed at how quickly that happened.

[ZRod]

I'd be interested to see an actual play breakdown on that to be honest.

Ask and you shall recieve!

 

Here's the blitz stats from a quick rewatch, I only counted meaningful offensive plays (i.e. no punts, no kneels downs) although I did count the defensive holding penalty (on Cooper?) in the first half since we blitzed and it did result in a 1st down. I also didn’t count linbackers filling when the RB didn’t run a route out of the backfield, which only happened 1 or 2 times a half.

 

Blitzs/Play

1st: 7/13-53.8%

2nd: 5/16-31.3%

Half: 12//29-41.4%

 

3rd: 9/13-69.2%

4th: 7/14-50%

Half: 16/27-59.3%

 

Game: 28/56-50%

[True2tRA]

This defense is much more similar to 2003 Bofense than 2009. In 2009 we just turned Suh loose on our 4-man rush. This year we are blitzing every down, and I love it!

We blitz a fair amount in 09 it just seemed like we didn't because with that secondary and our front 4 you could get a coverage sack on almost any down.

 

Basically what I was saying. The past 2 games we have sent a blitz literally 90% of the time, and I love it. In 09, we got pressure with a 4-man rush because Suh was a man-child.

 

I think you'd be surprised how often we blitzed MU, I don't think it was anymore than we averaged all year it was just more effective.

 

I'd be interested to see an actual play breakdown on that to be honest. To me it seems like Bo has more than doubled his blitzes in the past 2 games, especially after Minnesota when it appeared that we just sat in the 2-high safety look with a 4-man rush.

 

If the only difference is that our back 7 is just reading and reacting THAT much better then I am truly impressed at how quickly that happened.

 

It's clear to me the entire approach of this defense has changed. No more patty cake. No more umbrella coverage. Safeties dropping into the box. DL rushing upfield. Linebackers attacking their gaps instead of allowing blockers to attack them. Bo will never admit to any tweaks to his "glorious scheme" and apparently some,of you here won't admit it either. Fact is, there has been some massive changes in agression and mentality.

 

I won't complain because rhismismwhat ive been hoping to see for a long long time it seems. Finally a defense that applies pressure instead of placing all the pressure on themselves. My question is why now? What happened that changed everything? Was it the players telling Paps like we heard rumors of? Mid so, why couldn't these coaches recognize it sooner? I mean, I'm glad as hell we figured it out, I just think if we had figured this out a little sooner, we would be undefeated in the BIG right now.

 

I feel good about this defense against Mighigan State as well. We can't revert back to the old ways. This is how Blackshirts play defense.

[ZRod]

To me this is just the right combination of guys being there, and the young guns finally "getting it", as cliche as that is. This is still Bo's same old scheme guys are just playing more confident and when you're confident you can play full speed. I've never payed close attention to Bo's blitzes until this game but he has some pretty creative stuff, it may be basic to him but the variety of ways we brought pressure against UM was impressive in my opinion. We had standard corner, safety, and linebacker blitzes all of which varied by showing pre-snap or delaying. As well as a Mike/Will Cross Fire Zone type blitz. Then there was a blitz where the mike and safety would hit the A and B gap respectively strong side. And there was a 3-4 variation with Gregory in the stand up where he, the Mike, and a DB would come.

 

The only major adjustment I notice was bringing a safety into the box when they were showing run, which we may have done in the past but it was effective this times.

[Hunter94]

MU's QB was about as mobile as a grandma in a wheel chair....so what we did worked.

[True2tRA]

Guys these are some basic sellout blitzes. This is not Bos same old scheme. Bo's same old scheme was two gapping defensive linemen and playing CBs 15 years off the ball. Bo's same old scheme was two deep safeties over the top. Bend don't break but let them dink and dunk all the way down the field. Bos same old scheme was a lot of zone/ man combinations.

 

Just because Bo says this is the same old stuff, the guys are just "getting it" doesn't make it true. Does it look the same to you? It doesn't to me. It doesn't at all. I don't even see how people can say it.

[True2tRA]

But please Bo, just keep doing it. It will cost us at some point. It will. Someone will throw a screen at just the right time and catch us up the field too much. Or some will beat that press coverage once or twice. It will happen. And when it does, you don't just abandon it. It has won us two games we very likely shouldn't have won.

[Guy Chamberlin]

We were having this same conversation a year ago when it appeared the Husker D had turned a corner.

 

Then we gave up a billion rushing yards. And finally stopped the bleeding a few days ago against a mystifyingly inept offense.

 

I'm all about the signs of life and hope for the future, but I'm going to give it a few more games before pretending Bo knew what he was doing all along.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

MU's QB was about as mobile as a grandma in a wheel chair....so what we did worked.

You're just a ray of sunshine aren't you!?

 

Anyone know if MSU's QB is a statue or mobile? I haven't seen much of them this year for whatever reason.

[Count 'Bility]

With regards to Bo's two gap/heavy line play, that has not changed. That's the scheme I'm talking about. It's the up-front plan that drives everything. And that has not changed. Youre just seeing some really young and talented guys starting to gel and get it. Theyre playing faster and are being more aggresive because they do understand better. We're not shootin gaps. We're still controlling gaps but are doing it more aggressively cuz theyre getting better.

 

As far as the extra pressure, yes, I love it. The added aggresiveness in playcalling has paid huge dividends. Obviously more faith in the secondary. But also, the disruption of both run and pass has been huge. That I'll agree is a change in philosophy of the D, but I dont see the overall scheme up front has changed.

[QMany]

We were having this same conversation a year ago when it appeared the Husker D had turned a corner.

We are not in the same (poor) position on the interior defensive line two-deep. That is an apples to oranges comparison. Much different team last year after Baker went down.

[JoeHuskers!]

Blitzkrieg defense