Chris Spielman: Nebraska needs to tackle

[huKSer]

Hey, don't dump on Spielman.

Because it's so obvious that defenses need to tackle well, it's weird when they don't.

And pretty interesting that it's a recent phenomenon. Worth pointing out, I'd say.

I'm sure it must drive veterans crazy.

What does Chris know about tackling anyway?

 

[junior4949]

I think he probably should have just said fundamentals. Yeah, we tackled pretty bad through most of the Pelini tenure. However, we also fumbled a lot and turned the ball over a lot as well. Fundamentally, we were an extremely weak team. You can throw penalties in there as well. There were times it seemed we won games in spite of ourselves.

 

[NUinID]

Spielman is one of the few color commentators I can actually stand. I know what he said was pretty obvious but it's another thing to go on record during the off-season and talk about just how bad things were.

I also thought what he had to say during the last Wisconsin debacle was cathartic to hear. Someone outside the fan base whose opinion actually holds some weight with me talk so bluntly about our defense.

I like Spielman's color a lot, except I lost some respect for him and Sean Mcdonough during the PSU game when they fumbled at the goal line and it went against PSU. They couldn't leave it alone and kept whining about it being a terrible call. Spielman whined a lot about it. At best the call was a toss up and there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

 

[Scratchtown]

Spielman is one of the few color commentators I can actually stand. I know what he said was pretty obvious but it's another thing to go on record during the off-season and talk about just how bad things were.

I also thought what he had to say during the last Wisconsin debacle was cathartic to hear. Someone outside the fan base whose opinion actually holds some weight with me talk so bluntly about our defense.

I like Spielman's color a lot, except I lost some respect for him and Sean Mcdonough during the PSU game when they fumbled at the goal line and it went against PSU. They couldn't leave it alone and kept whining about it being a terrible call. Spielman whined a lot about it. At best the call was a toss up and there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

I still think PSU got screwed there.

Really.

I do.

Nebraska was lucky.

They should have hired Dennis Erickson.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

Spielman is one of the few color commentators I can actually stand. I know what he said was pretty obvious but it's another thing to go on record during the off-season and talk about just how bad things were.

I also thought what he had to say during the last Wisconsin debacle was cathartic to hear. Someone outside the fan base whose opinion actually holds some weight with me talk so bluntly about our defense.

I like Spielman's color a lot, except I lost some respect for him and Sean Mcdonough during the PSU game when they fumbled at the goal line and it went against PSU. They couldn't leave it alone and kept whining about it being a terrible call. Spielman whined a lot about it. At best the call was a toss up and there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

Well, is it whining if you are right?

 

[2ndNnine]

 

[papersun87]

Spielman is one of the few color commentators I can actually stand. I know what he said was pretty obvious but it's another thing to go on record during the off-season and talk about just how bad things were.

I also thought what he had to say during the last Wisconsin debacle was cathartic to hear. Someone outside the fan base whose opinion actually holds some weight with me talk so bluntly about our defense.

I like Spielman's color a lot, except I lost some respect for him and Sean Mcdonough during the PSU game when they fumbled at the goal line and it went against PSU. They couldn't leave it alone and kept whining about it being a terrible call. Spielman whined a lot about it. At best the call was a toss up and there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

It WAS a terrible call, we got a gift.

 

[Savage Husker]

There aren't too many good commentators out there, spielman and McDonough do a pretty good job. I don't know if it was his connection to Bo or just wanting to see a traditional power get over the hump, or maybe neither, but I took his commentary as somewhat pulling for Nebraska.

 

[True2tRA]

Yep, hard to argue with.

I hated the scheme. I didn't like Pelini or Papuchis. I hated how they blamed "execution" year in and year out.

But tackling is the standout aspect that was truly a weak spot for the defense. I could hear the argument that the coaches didn't teach it or work on it enough in practice, but honestly, I can only really blame the players for being poor tacklers. At this level, tackling shouldn't be an issue. It was for Nebraska, repeatedly.

Now strength and conditioning may be a whole other issue. Maybe the players were not working hard enough or working on the right things, but multiple guys on this team were over-powered or ran through constantly.

How much can you attribute missed tackles to being "out of position"? That's the other question. The players were not always put in the easiest situation to make a play.

The extreme lack of gang tacking is obviously another concern that arose from Pelini's time here. It was very rare that we had multiple players converging on the ball carrier at once. It seemed guys were too busy "doing their job" instead of pursuing the ball carrier. So that's another aspect of it.

We faced plenty of talented ball carriers and lets face it, tackling some of those guys one-on-one is a difficult task for even some of the best tacklers.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I hated the scheme.

The extreme lack of gang tacking is obviously another concern that arose from Pelini's time here. It was very rare that we had multiple players converging on the ball carrier at once. It seemed guys were too busy "doing their job" instead of pursuing the ball carrier. So that's another aspect of it.

To me, these two parts went hand in hand. When you are more concerned about a QB burning you with a deep pass that you constantly over load players in the defensive back field, it's pretty easy for a good running team to pick apart your D front and create one on one battles on the edge.

But...hey....we kept QBs to under 50% completion....YIPPEEEE!!!

 

[NUinID]

Spielman is one of the few color commentators I can actually stand. I know what he said was pretty obvious but it's another thing to go on record during the off-season and talk about just how bad things were.

I also thought what he had to say during the last Wisconsin debacle was cathartic to hear. Someone outside the fan base whose opinion actually holds some weight with me talk so bluntly about our defense.

I like Spielman's color a lot, except I lost some respect for him and Sean Mcdonough during the PSU game when they fumbled at the goal line and it went against PSU. They couldn't leave it alone and kept whining about it being a terrible call. Spielman whined a lot about it. At best the call was a toss up and there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

I still think PSU got screwed there.

Really.

I do.

Nebraska was lucky.

They should have hired Dennis Erickson.

It was a bang bang call that if it would have been called for PSU it most likely would not have been overturned. IMO there wasn't enough evidence to over turn either way it was called. I remember saying it at the time.

My point was that they went on and on about it and basically said it was why PSU lost the game. I like my TV announcers to be pretty neutral about things. It wasn't that the disagreed with the call, I have no problem with that, but you gotta let it go after a minute or 2.

 

[lo country]

And in other news, we need to complete more passes, throw less INT's and get more TD's.........

On a serious note, we have been technically and fundamentally pathetic for several years under Bo. Other than 2009 and 2010 (Defensively), our team was a dumpster fire as it relates to penalties, TO's, miscues, missed assignments, tackles etc..... Throw that in with zero player development and you got what we got. 9 wins and a$$ beatings by teams with a pulse.......

I like Banks comments about a "planned collision". Diving at a guy with no intent to "collide" other than hoping you can knock him down with shoulder roll is a friggin joke. That's not a planned collision. Its trying to minimize contact on the defenders part IMO. Solid, basic technique works. IIRC, Pete Carroll had his Seattle D work with some guys from Aussie rules football on tackling. You know, face and chest up, butt down, squared up, wrap up etc.... It surely improved their D. Less penalties, better tackling etc....

I also like the idea of gang tackling. The way we played so "technique oriented", if one guy missed a tackle/assignment it was off to the races. Their was no plan for pursuit, over lap, help, assistance or whatever word you want to use. Almost as if each guy was on an island.

Banks is saying all the right stuff. I hope that it translates to better results. I do not see how it can honestly be worse......

 

[Paul in WI]

And in other news, we need to complete more passes, throw less INT's and get more TD's.........

On a serious note, we have been technically and fundamentally pathetic for several years under Bo. Other than 2009 and 2010 (Defensively), our team was a dumpster fire as it relates to penalties, TO's, miscues, missed assignments, tackles etc..... Throw that in with zero player development and you got what we got. 9 wins and a$$ beatings by teams with a pulse.......

I like Banks comments about a "planned collision". Diving at a guy with no intent to "collide" other than hoping you can knock him down with shoulder roll is a friggin joke. That's not a planned collision. Its trying to minimize contact on the defenders part IMO. Solid, basic technique works. IIRC, Pete Carroll had his Seattle D work with some guys from Aussie rules football on tackling. You know, face and chest up, butt down, squared up, wrap up etc.... It surely improved their D. Less penalties, better tackling etc....

I also like the idea of gang tackling. The way we played so "technique oriented", if one guy missed a tackle/assignment it was off to the races. Their was no plan for pursuit, over lap, help, assistance or whatever word you want to use. Almost as if each guy was on an island.

Banks is saying all the right stuff. I hope that it translates to better results. I do not see how it can honestly be worse......

I'd +2 your post if I could.

 

[TheSker]

And oddly enough 2 of the top 4 leading tacklers in Husker football history played at least one season under Pelini.

 

[Savage Husker]

And in other news, we need to complete more passes, throw less INT's and get more TD's.........

On a serious note, we have been technically and fundamentally pathetic for several years under Bo. Other than 2009 and 2010 (Defensively), our team was a dumpster fire as it relates to penalties, TO's, miscues, missed assignments, tackles etc..... Throw that in with zero player development and you got what we got. 9 wins and a$$ beatings by teams with a pulse.......

I like Banks comments about a "planned collision". Diving at a guy with no intent to "collide" other than hoping you can knock him down with shoulder roll is a friggin joke. That's not a planned collision. Its trying to minimize contact on the defenders part IMO. Solid, basic technique works. IIRC, Pete Carroll had his Seattle D work with some guys from Aussie rules football on tackling. You know, face and chest up, butt down, squared up, wrap up etc.... It surely improved their D. Less penalties, better tackling etc....

I also like the idea of gang tackling. The way we played so "technique oriented", if one guy missed a tackle/assignment it was off to the races. Their was no plan for pursuit, over lap, help, assistance or whatever word you want to use. Almost as if each guy was on an island.

Banks is saying all the right stuff. I hope that it translates to better results. I do not see how it can honestly be worse......

I'd +2 your post if I could.

They were/are still one of the most penalized teams in the league. Unless you're talking about unsportsmanlike penalties. Also, Michael Bennett accounts for half the penalties because he jumps offside a 2-3 times per game.
That tackling work is solid, the other key was shuffling through as many transactions as they did to find the right players to fit their system and mentality.

Not as easy to do at the college level, but I like Urbans attitude of playing true freshman and not holding kids back. 1) if they can compete let them make the impact 2) if they can't cut it they'll be out of the program sooner and able to recruit a better player.