Our base 4-3 defense

[Enhance]

ADS is right - the problem isn't scheme as much as it is basic, fundamental football. Guys just aren't making tackles when they need to, and then schematically, they're missing opportunities. The latter has a lot to do with inexperience, among other things IMO.

Someone (sportswriter, former player, etc.) said in the last week that we play a two high defense, which puts a ton of pressure on our linebackers to make plays. We got worse talent-wise in those areas as the seasons went along and now we're just young. Not a good recipe to play well consistently.

 

[Hooked on Huskers]

I prefer 2-0-9 formation. 2, Gregory and Moss and 9, all players required 4.6s 40 yard dash or faster.

 

[Red is Power]

I don't give a sh#t what formation they're in.

If you're playing man, get pressure on the f'ing quarterback. It's not a hard concept. We've seen this team do it this season, and it has worked, right up until the coaches went pu&&y and backed off. This is high school ball level stuff that every fan knows and it blows my mind that it has escaped the grasp of our coaches. More than anything else, that has to change, and it hasn't changed for several years, which is extremely worrying.

The refusal to blitz against UCLA when we were in man really boggles doesn't it? I couldn't understand what they were doing...it's a simple concept.

Bo got out coached or got caught in a bad call? Anyone know how many times we were in man and did not blitz against UCLA? I can recall maybe one time we did blitz.

 

[Count 'Bility]

If our base 4-3 defense does very well albeit against SDSU, do we consider a switch to a 3-4 defense or 3-3-5 or hell, even 3-5-3? We have athletic linebackers to run it, do we not? It just seems like when we are in our base 4-3 defense, Bo gets creative with blitzes and our defense performs great. Why not consider a switch? Get the best talent/advantage on the field. Thoughts?

As usual, we will use whatever fit the offense the opponent runs. So far, that has called for more than that standard four DBs. Sounds like SD St. might run more 21 personnel which would call for a 4-3 look.

I just don't get it. I guess I am old school. In 1995 did we not run a 4-3 defense against Florida's spread fun and gun offense? Did we not attack that offense with blitzes? If it worked then, why couldn't it work today? At least Osborne knew he needed speed on D back in the 90's. Do we not have speedy defensive players as of today? If so, why could we not use that vs UCLA? I really question Bo on this one.

It was a 4-3, yes, but it was dime personell. All them 90's teams were dime personel to get speed on the field. Olb's at DE. Safeties at OLB. Corners at Safety.

 

[JTrain]

I would love to see 3-3-5 but doubt Bo will try it. We need less straightforward alignments with lots of different blitz looks. We don't have the talent/experience to line up with linebackers four yards off the ball in base looks and beat good teams . We need to disguise/confuse. I just think Bo is too stubborn. He is willing to keep running his base defenses until the talent/experience catches up, even if it means giving up 500+ until that happens.

3-3-5:

DE - Ankrah

DT - Valentine

DE - Gregory

OLB - Anderson

MLB - Banderas

OLB - Rose/Santos/Afalava

CB - Mitchell

S - Cooper

S - H. Jackson

Rov - Gerry

CB - Evans

 

[EbylHusker]

It's not just blitzing. Our D-line is very often holding their line and containing, which is a coaching call. There was a big switch to this in the second half, as I recall (though I haven't watched the game again). And I have no problem running contain on the D-line at times, but when you bring 4 and that's all they ever do, it's no wonder the QB has all day to throw.

If you're going to constantly leash your D-line to contain while not blitzing. the QB will have all day to throw and will pick apart your man defense. On top of that, half the time when they are playing their contain, they can't even shed a block to make a tackle when it's a run play. So what's the f'ing point?

 

[wiuhusker]

It's not just blitzing. Our D-line is very often holding their line and containing, which is a coaching call. There was a big switch to this in the second half, as I recall (though I haven't watched the game again). And I have no problem running contain on the D-line at times, but when you bring 4 and that's all they ever do, it's no wonder the QB has all day to throw.

If you're going to constantly leash your D-line to contain while not blitzing. the QB will have all day to throw and will pick apart your man defense. On top of that, half the time when they are playing their contain, they can't even shed a block to make a tackle when it's a run play. So what's the f'ing point?

Save the time re-watching it. You're 100% correct. There was absolutely no push created in the 2nd half and I don't think it was a players being lazy problem.

 

[JTrain]

The coaches have said they didn't change much if anything scheme-wise. The D-line was trying to disrupt in the second half just like the first, they just weren't getting it done. One reason is because the offense was going three and out constantly and the defense was getting exhausted. But that also ties into the other reason: most of the front seven is just not in great shape.

 

[wiuhusker]

It's not just blitzing. Our D-line is very often holding their line and containing, which is a coaching call. There was a big switch to this in the second half, as I recall (though I haven't watched the game again). And I have no problem running contain on the D-line at times, but when you bring 4 and that's all they ever do, it's no wonder the QB has all day to throw.

If you're going to constantly leash your D-line to contain while not blitzing. the QB will have all day to throw and will pick apart your man defense. On top of that, half the time when they are playing their contain, they can't even shed a block to make a tackle when it's a run play. So what's the f'ing point?

Save the time re-watching it. You're 100% correct. There was absolutely no push created in the 2nd half and I don't think it was a players being lazy problem.

If you hear the UCLA players...they talked about us being gassed. So perhaps this is a conditioning thing?

It's always possible as our offense did nothing to help our defense after the early part of the 2nd quarter. Hopefully this was a 1 game deal and not a bigger issue where conditioning turns out to be a problem the whole year.

 

[scarletNcream]

It's not just blitzing. Our D-line is very often holding their line and containing, which is a coaching call. There was a big switch to this in the second half, as I recall (though I haven't watched the game again). And I have no problem running contain on the D-line at times, but when you bring 4 and that's all they ever do, it's no wonder the QB has all day to throw.

If you're going to constantly leash your D-line to contain while not blitzing. the QB will have all day to throw and will pick apart your man defense. On top of that, half the time when they are playing their contain, they can't even shed a block to make a tackle when it's a run play. So what's the f'ing point?

Could not agree more. I think I went horse yelling at the line to quit containing and push. I get that with a mobile quarterback that is a defensive strategy but come on,if it is not working, and it didn't in the 3 quarter, its time to change it up.

 

[grandpasknee]

I think we should play hard and tackle the guy with the ball, preferably the sooner the better. Or is that too simple? heh heh

 

[TAKODA]

What we need to do is be open to change looks and schemes on both sides of the ball rather than be pigeon holed so our opponents say they knew exactly what we were running. Same issue as last year’s CCG.

Adjustments anyone?

 

[BigRedBuster]

What we need to do is be open to change looks and schemes on both sides of the ball rather than be pigeon holed so our opponents say they knew exactly what we were running. Same issue as last year’s CCG.

Adjustments anyone?

That's funny.

The biggest complaints I have heard from the game on Saturday are:

Defense: Why the heck did we stop blitzing and only rush four all second half. When were were doing more blitzing in the first half we were getting to the QB and rushing his throws.

Offense: Why the heck did we go away from the run in the second half?

Those are adjustments. Wrong ones in my mind.....but...they are adjustments.

 

[Mavric]

It doesn't matter what your base defense is when you struggle with open field tackling. Something we haven't done well for the past two seasons.

True but I think we'll see dramatic results with more LB's on the field. We can be a bit more creative in blitz packages and zone coverage.

Tackling from the LB's in the past has not been the problem, they just couldn't catch anyone (outside of Lavonte). The safeties and corners are another story, although I do like what I've seen so far from Cooper.

I actually think Cooper has been below average. He's made a few plays but he has also missed badly several times. The plays I've noticed don't show up as missed tackles because he didn't get close enough to actually touch the guy. Similar to what we saw last year.

 

[Redux]

I don't think our Defense just isn't properly "Conditioned". I agree 110% that our offense did them no favors. 3 incompletions and a punt are a perfect example of that. The troublesome thing with this is it was eerily similar to that night in Madison two years ago. Sure Taylor was a bit banged up and couldnt' run it himself. But with a talented stable of RB's I think we couldv'e pounded it on the ground more.

And YES UCLA was stopping us for minimal gain or loss, but we can wear that line out and take one to the house this game goes much differently. We typically grind teams out with our run game when were ahead. But as soon as we are down, Beck panics, calls too many passes that result in nothing or a turnover and we end up losing by 20 points to a team we are on par with with but look helpless against. After two minutes our pooped defense is back on the field and has no time to adjust to what they are alread successful at running against them. It's a vicouse cycle we run, amazing when it works, depressing when it doesn't.