knapplc
International Man of Mystery
HOW FREAKING PUMPED ARE YOU ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE?
While the offense had me scratching my head quite frequently today, I was more than encouraged about the Blackshirts. Yes, it was Purdue. Yes, it was against a true Freshman quarterback. Those caveats can't be overlooked.
But our front four flat-out whipped that offensive line. They brought big hits, they had great coverage, and their Achilles Heel - the backside cut - hasn't been an issue for ten quarters.
I loved the aggressive pursuit of the quarterback. Defense is a predatory enterprise, and Randy Gregory, Aaron Curry and Greg McMullen were definitely predators today.
We held Purdue to seven drives of three plays or less, and no Purdue drive lasted longer than seven plays. Barring that last busted coverage, they would have pitched their first shutout since the Holiday Bowl against Arizona in 2009. No Purdue drive covered more than 35 yards.
Purdue matched their season-low scoring total, and that only on one last, desperate play. Without that play, they would have ended the game with 155 total yards.
Perhaps the best thing about the defense today was the fact that they didn't quit. In one stretch between the third and fourth quarter, Nebraska had seven possessions in which we punted three times and threw two interceptions. Instead of regressing when the offense stumbled, as the defense has done too often in the past few years, the defense responded by giving up 82 total yards in Purdue's answering seven possessions, including one two-play Purdue drive that resulted in a Randy Gregory Safety.
That's the response you expect from the Blackshirts. Here's to hoping we see more and more of these performances as this young defense matures. For the first time in a while, the future looks pretty bright on defense.
While the offense had me scratching my head quite frequently today, I was more than encouraged about the Blackshirts. Yes, it was Purdue. Yes, it was against a true Freshman quarterback. Those caveats can't be overlooked.
But our front four flat-out whipped that offensive line. They brought big hits, they had great coverage, and their Achilles Heel - the backside cut - hasn't been an issue for ten quarters.
I loved the aggressive pursuit of the quarterback. Defense is a predatory enterprise, and Randy Gregory, Aaron Curry and Greg McMullen were definitely predators today.
We held Purdue to seven drives of three plays or less, and no Purdue drive lasted longer than seven plays. Barring that last busted coverage, they would have pitched their first shutout since the Holiday Bowl against Arizona in 2009. No Purdue drive covered more than 35 yards.
Purdue matched their season-low scoring total, and that only on one last, desperate play. Without that play, they would have ended the game with 155 total yards.
Perhaps the best thing about the defense today was the fact that they didn't quit. In one stretch between the third and fourth quarter, Nebraska had seven possessions in which we punted three times and threw two interceptions. Instead of regressing when the offense stumbled, as the defense has done too often in the past few years, the defense responded by giving up 82 total yards in Purdue's answering seven possessions, including one two-play Purdue drive that resulted in a Randy Gregory Safety.
That's the response you expect from the Blackshirts. Here's to hoping we see more and more of these performances as this young defense matures. For the first time in a while, the future looks pretty bright on defense.
