Eric Martin Flourishing at Defensive End

[knapplc]

Eric Martin flourishing at defensive end
Looks like Eric Martin finally has found a permanent, stable home on the Nebraska defense.

And very likely, a starting position.

No longer will Martin's ferocious hits and knack for the football be relegated to special-teams duty.

Just ask Cody Green.

The quarterback twice crossed paths with Martin in the White team's second offensive series in Saturday's spring game. Neither encounter ended well for Green.

First, Martin blew through the line and blew up an option play in the backfield, tackling Green for a 5-yard loss.

Five plays later, Martin again hit Green behind the line of scrimmage, this time forcing a fumble at the Red team's 3-yard line that defensive tackle Thaddeus Randle recovered.

Less than seven minutes into the game, Martin already had produced his day's work: four tackles, including two for loss, with a forced fumble.

I have very high hopes for EMart at DE this year. A starting front four of Stache, Steinkuhler, Crick and EMart would be pretty fearsome, and would free up our LBs to dominate the run game and/or terrorize the QB. That's the kind of front four that should be able to bring pressure without the need for blitzers, meaning coverage should be pretty solid as well.

 

[NUance]

The quarterback twice crossed paths with Martin in the White team's second offensive series in Saturday's spring game. Neither encounter ended well for Green.

Great quote by Rosenthal!

But how could he write an article about Eric Martin and not mention "Caveman." It's a name that will inspire fear in QBs.

 

[BIG ERN]

Great decision to move him from LB to DE. High motor guy who doesn't need to think a whole lot at this position.

 

[HuskerFowler]

And out of the whole line we only lose crick after this season, and a whole list of talented guys waiting to take his spot. WOW!!!... is all i have to say about that. Our dline is set for the next 2 years with starters coming back. We need atleast 2 DE this recruiting class thou. Emart just saved that postion for the next few years. If he can come in and out play ankrah and williams then they must just be average at best.....not taking anything away from emart, because hes the man, but we just dont have the talent at DE that we do at DT....YET.

Im really excited to finally have a pass rush DE. He is going to bring an entriely different dimension to our defense. The offense is going to have to account for him every play, opening up david and compton to stuff the run. Our Defense is going to be insanely good and unpredictable.

:bonesflag:

 

[ADS]

Emart could eb in the mold of Barry Turner during his freshman year. Speed rusher, with some good power and bull rushing moves. Emart getting a chance to showcase his stuff on the field is a good thing for this defensive unit.

 

[knapplc]

I certainly thought Ankrah would have a bigger impact last year than he did. He was almost a non-factor - but he was just a Redshirt Freshman, so maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but I thought he would vie for a starting spot last year... instead he saw action in ten games and had two total tackles. Not what I expected at all.

Maybe Ankrah is on the same career path as Josh Williams. Williams was about as much of a non-factor in his R-Freshman year as Ankrah was in his, but last year Williams' playing time increased and his production increased. He saw action throughout the year and there seemed to be no drop-off when he went in. Maybe he doesn't win that starting spot, but I'm reasonably confident in Jr. Josh Williams as a solid #2.

I think EMart is just that much more talented than these guys. He has always been a hi-rev guy, and he's strong, strong, strong. He's got the quicks for DE, and if he gets his assignments down, I don't doubt for a second that we'll see the same kind of production out of him that we saw in limited time in the Spring Game.

 

[lionsfan93]

I certainly thought Ankrah would have a bigger impact last year than he did. He was almost a non-factor - but he was just a Redshirt Freshman, so maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but I thought he would vie for a starting spot last year... instead he saw action in ten games and had two total tackles. Not what I expected at all.

Maybe Ankrah is on the same career path as Josh Williams. Williams was about as much of a non-factor in his R-Freshman year as Ankrah was in his, but last year Williams' playing time increased and his production increased. He saw action throughout the year and there seemed to be no drop-off when he went in. Maybe he doesn't win that starting spot, but I'm reasonably confident in Jr. Josh Williams as a solid #2.

I think EMart is just that much more talented than these guys. He has always been a hi-rev guy, and he's strong, strong, strong. He's got the quicks for DE, and if he gets his assignments down, I don't doubt for a second that we'll see the same kind of production out of him that we saw in limited time in the Spring Game.

I know that we have had great defenses in the past, but this is the first year in a long time that I go down the depth chart and I don't see at least one stud at every position (with the exception of maybe saftey, I like Courtney but I wouldn't call him a stud just yet).

 

[knapplc]

I know that we have had great defenses in the past, but this is the first year in a long time that I go down the depth chart and I don't see at least one stud at every position (with the exception of maybe saftey, I like Courtney but I wouldn't call him a stud just yet).

That's probably fair to say. Osborne is talented but unproven, so we really can't give him the "stud" label yet. But you're right about the depth.

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

We could have a fearsome pass rush with Martin and Crick having QBs running for their lives. Add the ballhawk David and the D goes into high gear.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

I thought, just from things I have read in the past, that the Pelinis are not big believers in the classic rush end. I thought that I read a few different things and from a coaches clinic that they like the rush up the middle to annoy the QB but they like ends to mush rush for the most part. To play the outside running lanes, contain and in essence play the flats a bit too.

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

sounds like he is going to be moved around alot, bringing him from different directions, it is going to be hellacious. I cant wait for the first time Martin comes off the edge untouched, it will happen, and it might be goodnight for whoever is in his path.

 

[knapplc]

I thought, just from things I have read in the past, that the Pelinis are not big believers in the classic rush end. I thought that I read a few different things and from a coaches clinic that they like the rush up the middle to annoy the QB but they like ends to mush rush for the most part. To play the outside running lanes, contain and in essence play the flats a bit too.

That is what they have done the first three years. I haven't heard that quote, but it jives with what we're seeing on the field. Frankly, I don't like it. I think you have to mix your pressures to keep the offense off balance. When you've got a Crick/Steinkuhler that can push straight back to the QB that's great, but if you keep doing that over and over they'll figure out a way to stop it. Mix in some speed-rushing from the DE, especially when you've got a weapon like EMart, and you'll have the QB scared to take the snap after a few plays.

EDIT - and now that I think about it, the way our opponents frequently tried to negate that frontal pocket collapse was to use short crossing routes over the middle, or dumps into the flat, either to the RB, the TE or the slot. That's where Hagg came in, and why we saw him making so many 1-4 yard tackles going sideways across the line.

It's effective, but it's not sexy. I want some sexy for once!!!!!

 

[HuskerFowler]

I think well get sexy, from all that we have heard from the spring, they have been working with different pressures out of our base D, to not be so predictable. I think we will see alot of different looks on D, and the offense wont know what to expect. Carl admitted guys figured out our D last year from our 09 season and they learned how to exploit it a little. So now we have the luxury of teaching different pressures and bases because of our talent and most important.... depth. We dont have to be scared to try new things because our players already have such a great understanding of the scheme, carl can now teach variations to mix things up. Its a great place to be right now for our D.

 

[knapplc]

I want to see some blitzing. I want the Bros. Pelini to stop relying so much on the pressure their front four generates and bring some heat. Those late 90s defenses with the in-your-face blitzing style were beautiful.

For God's sake, the logo of the Blackshirts is a skull and crossbones, not a mud slough. Screw the Mush Rush. Let's go pop some QBs in the numbers.

 

[jsneb83]

sounds like he is going to be moved around alot, bringing him from different directions, it is going to be hellacious. I cant wait for the first time Martin comes off the edge untouched, it will happen, and it might be goodnight for whoever is in his path.

Let's just hope Ed Cunningham isn't calling the game.