In retrospect... please explain our defense?

[Zaimejs]

Yes, SouthLincoln, that's what I'm talking about. No adjustment. No flowing to the ball. Just jam in the middle... and we did it over and over and over again. I am just wondering, from a defensive standpoint, what was the purpose? Was it to just make sure nothing got through the middle? I have no idea.

[Danny Bateman]

On several occasions. Gerry definitely played better than Coop. Some atrocious tackling by Cooper yesterday.

[SouthLincoln Husker]

Yes, SouthLincoln, that's what I'm talking about. No adjustment. No flowing to the ball. Just jam in the middle... and we did it over and over and over again. I am just wondering, from a defensive standpoint, what was the purpose? Was it to just make sure nothing got through the middle? I have no idea.

It is this same concept every game and it drives me crazy.

[Danny Bateman]

Bo had a scheme to stop their running game. The players got log jammed trying to get to their spots and make plays. Bo wasn't going to drastically alter his scheme. It's that simple.

 

That's disappointing because that scheme clearly sucked against a competent OL.

[Zaimejs]

But what was the scheme? Was it to isolate one safety to be expected to stop the run on the outside? That's not a scheme, that's suicide. Not many pro-level safeties could make a one-on-one tackle against Gordon running full speed. I have no idea what a scheme that forces all your linebackers and linemen to crash the center is scheming for. I need a coach or defensive person to explain it. X and O it for me. Show me how this scheme is supposed to work.

[Zaimejs]

I can't stop watching this. I know it is unhealthy. http://btn.com/2014/11/16/melvin-gordon-tevin-coleman-top-week-12-big-ten-performances/

 

Watch at 16 seconds when Melvin gets his first big run. Then at 52 or so when he pops off another. We stopped him just fine for awhile, but on that one at 52 seconds, he just runs outside, no hesitation, like he knows that there will be no one there. I think it's #25 that just comes running into a defender that is already engaged in sealing off the edge. I have absolutely no idea what he is hoping to accomplish by doing this. Then when Gordon gets to the edge there is literally no one there.

 

When you watch games, and the running back breaks the edge, you usually see the defense sliding over and everyone is moving toward the edge, but the back slips by because of good blocking or he's just a little bit quicker. But on this run we have no one there. Not a single player is on the edge. It's just the strangest looking defensive formation. You can tell that their OC watched the first quarter and realized something we were doing was really vulnerable, and then they just ran that play to the outside all night. Of course, no adjustments on our part. Just same sh** different down.

[Treand3]

Bo's defense has to have a good LBs to make it work, we have none. Our best player is a walk-on, who is very smart and can tackle but is not a great athlete. Like yesterday, after the first quarter our LBs disappeared.

The person coaching that unit needs to be shown the door at least.

[SouthLincoln Husker]

 

Bo's defense has to have a good LBs to make it work, we have none. Our best player is a walk-on, who is very smart and can tackle but is not a great athlete. Like yesterday, after the first quarter our LBs disappeared.

The person coaching that unit needs to be shown the door at least.

 

Its more than that. You can only coach what you have. Why do we not make players accountable. If they are missing assignments time & time again, sit them on the bench.

[AFhusker]

Bo's defense has to have a good LBs to make it work, we have none. Our best player is a walk-on, who is very smart and can tackle but is not a great athlete. Like yesterday, after the first quarter our LBs disappeared.

 

That is why Walk on's are a nice temp replacement or backup, but if you are forced to use them as starters you are going to be reminded as to why they were walk ons in the first place. That comes down to recruiting and way too much emphasis on the walk on program. Walk on's don't win you sh#t. They are nice stories on bad teams, but talent wins championships.

[strigori]

Pelini's defense is works just fine when he has a decided talent advantage. The 2009 defense is the perfect case study. It was so lethal simply because it was absolutely loaded with NFL talent. Over half the starters were on NFL rosters at one point, and something like 5 are still current starters on NFL teams. The issue arises when teams are even or better talent, then the scheme that relies very heavily on the players to do things 1 on 1, and they simply can't. Which is not a knock on the players, as what they get asked to do is so incredibly hard, most NFL teams do not load that level of responsibility on to a single player. What results from trying, is the embarrassments we have become so accustomed to seeing throughout his tenure.

[Treand3]

 

 

 

Bo's defense has to have a good LBs to make it work, we have none. Our best player is a walk-on, who is very smart and can tackle but is not a great athlete. Like yesterday, after the first quarter our LBs disappeared.

The person coaching that unit needs to be shown the door at least.

Its more than that. You can only coach what you have. Why do we not make players accountable. If they are missing assignments time & time again, sit them on the bench.

Yes you do coach what you have, but weve seen other do more with less. This really bigger than els imo. However I only said what I did because I don't expect wholesale changes to be made.

[Kernal]

The goal of the defense last night appeared to be exhausting Melvin Gordon. In the fourth quarter where was that dude? That's right, he was exhausted on the bench. BOOM! Bo knows defense.

[WhatDoIKnow]

Gerry saved a couple of TDs but had a rough game. Ran into his own guy a few times allowing one blocker to take out 2 defenders. Everyone and their dog knew we couldn't let Gordon pop outside, but we let it happen over and over and over again.

[Hayseed]

Normally we get penetration but didn't seem to get much last night. Our receivers were being held most of the night and the announcers even made a point of saying that's just how they were gonna call it. Makes me wonder if our D linemen were being held and SGT. Schultz was officiating. Maybe our guys are lizards and can't play in cold weather. Who knows? If they had passed a bunch to the decoy receivers who were drawing our CB to the inside then you could say they schemed to pull us out of position, but 46 passing yards. Regardless, I don't think this happens with someone like LaVonte David at LB.

[Zaimejs]

Yeah, we saw holding on a few plays, but still no excuse for the same thing happening again and again and again. You can't blame a lack of talent when far lesser teams had far better defensive results against Wiscy this season. You can't blame the cold because we have played in cold weather before. It is coaching, plain and simple. We were unprepared and could not adjust. You could put eleven high school kids out there from Gretna or Elkhorn, well coached and disciplined, and they would have had better results.

 

Wiscy was just putting helmet to helmet and we ran into them... it is amazing on how many of those plays one of their blockers ties up two of our defenders. Just idiotic. Completely idiotic.