Carl Pelini on occasion reads and listens to media reports and commentary. He hears the words "porous" and "scorched" attached to Nebraska's defense and doesn't know whether to laugh or slam his grease board.
"How can you get 'scorched' for three points?" the Husker defensive coordinator says in reference to analysis he's heard since
NU's 17-3 triumph Saturday over South Dakota State.
This discussion is sort of silly on some levels, in that sixth-ranked Nebraska (4-0) isn't exactly allowing yards by the bushel. In fact, the Huskers have allowed 20 fewer yards per game this season (265.0) than they surrendered through the first four games in 2009. We all know how well last year's defense turned out.
Even so, folks are concerned right now about opponents' ability to run the ball against Nebraska, especially in a straight-ahead, or "downhill," manner. The Huskers rank 56th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 138.8 yards per game. Through four games last season, against comparable competition, Big Red ranked 39th (115.8).
Concern stems in part from Daniel Thomas, the rugged, 6-foot-2, 230-pound Kansas State tailback. Nebraska's next game is Oct. 7 at K-State.
The Huskers are allowing 3.6 yards per rush, compared with 3.1 at this time last season. So, yes, they have work to do, but the coaching staff isn't exactly in panic mode, nor should it be.
"Some of it's youthful mistakes with a few new starters," Pelini says. "If I felt like we were just getting knocked off the ball, I'd be nervous. But I know that they're fixable mistakes."
Pelini is extremely confident in this year's defense, in part because he's extremely confident in Nebraska's defensive philosophy. And that philosophy is crucial to understand for anyone gnashing teeth over opponents' yards-per-carry average.
Listening to Pelini describe Nebraska's defensive philosophy helps make sense of South Dakota State running back Kyle Minett's comments Saturday night. Minett, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound senior, dented the Huskers for 112 yards on 28 carries. He noted NU's linebackers, other than 6-2, 240-pound Eric Martin, weren't very big.
Minett also correctly noted Big Red typically doesn't overload the box with defenders.
Says Pelini: "You can load the box with nine guys, but you're going to give up big play after big play, right? You know that."
Nebraska prides itself on the low number of big plays (gains that cover 20 yards or more) it allows. The Huskers are surrendering 2.25 such plays per game this season after allowing 2.71 last season.
"There's some tradeoff," Pelini says. "You have to concede that teams are going to run for three or four yards sometimes, knowing that you forced them to do that all the way down the field. You're going to be able to offset that with your pressure, with movement. Or we have the ability to load the box up if we want to.
"But the bottom line is, we're not going to allow people to have quick strikes against us. We're going to force them to execute all the way down the field. It's a defensive philosophy. Plus, as we become more experienced, we get better defending the run the way we defend it, without panicking and saying, 'We have to load everyone in the box to stop the run.'"
Which is why Pelini scratches his head when media, including myself, ask questions about opponents picking up three or four yards on running plays.
"It's ridiculous," he says.
The youthful mistakes Pelini refers to are partly the result of replacing two veteran safeties and enduring preseason injuries to starting linebackers Sean Fisher and Will Compton. Let's face it, it would be unfair to ask Martin and Lavonte David to understand Nebraska's defense and how to make adjustments on the fly with the relative ease that Fisher and Compton did.
"Although both linebackers (David and Martin) have been very productive and effective at times, they're green," Pelini says. "Every game they're presented with situations -- plays, formations versus certain defenses -- that they haven't encountered before.
"That's why the mistakes don't concern me. Yes, there are mistakes. There have been some issues there (at linebacker) and at the safety position. But you know what, it's OK because it's a matter of seasoning these guys, and they're going to be just fine."
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