Run defense??

N

north_hollywood_husker

Walk-on
I know a bunch of people are concerning about our offense, as they should be (as am I). But did anyone else notice how bad our run defense was this year. In the beginning of the year it was "oh we'll fix this as the year goes on", but we never did. Now we go to a RUN HEAVY big ten. Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan State (great run offenses).....anyone else a little worried about this. Yes out secondary is AMAZING, but what's the point in having a great secondary against "Run First" offenses. Just my opinion. Would love to hear opinions. TRUE HUSKER FAN TILL I DIE. GO BIG RED!!!!!

 
Well we were setup to defend the spread, which is what most teams in the big 12 run. Honestly, it isn't a big deal to me. Bo will gameplan for the defenses that have a heavy run...and that is for Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, and maybe Ohio State. Ohio State is much more multiple to me....they use power formations along with spread formations and are what a real multiple team looks like. Penn St. is pretty balanced so maybe throw them in although I haven't watched them play much lately.

But even though we gave up some yards on the ground, most of the time we stopped them when it counted. Plus, when we played Kansas St. we played the run and shut it down, so I wouldn't worry too much there.

 
In my eyes, as it stands RIGHT NOW (not saying it will be this way next yr.), but this defense will get knocked around by Wisconsin...badly... Anyone that watched Wisconsin all year and yesterday will know that their POWER running game with Ball-Clay-White and the OL will cause our "undersized" LB's problems... Yes, they lost to TCU, but if anyone thinks that our defense is better than TCU (today), needs to take off the glasses and slow down on the koolaid.....pass defense yes, total defense....NO

Iowa....not such a concern....good OL (and only lose 1 starter) with a good freshman RB...but remember....wasn't it MU that we (HELU) lit up for a school rushing record.

Ohio State is multi, which someone pointed out.

Penn States best RB is gone, OL is okay though

Michigan...stop Robinson = stop Michigan (Kind of like looking in a mirror, huh)

MSU.... kind of like Iowa.... tough, but not overwhelming

** Outside of Wisconsin, I think that those teams will give NU fits, but wont just run wild over our defense. Yes, they may BEAT NU.... just not without a fight.

- But, Bo will have to adjust his schemes and type of LB if he consistantly wants to beat the big boys in the Big 10.... Speed on defense can beat spread, true option, WCO, teams...but speed has trouble when you line up an average of 6'3 310 lbs OL and runa 245 lb RB between the tackles.

 
HuskerGBR said:
Well we were setup to defend the spread, which is what most teams in the big 12 run. Honestly, it isn't a big deal to me. Bo will gameplan for the defenses that have a heavy run...and that is for Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, and maybe Ohio State. Ohio State is much more multiple to me....they use power formations along with spread formations and are what a real multiple team looks like. Penn St. is pretty balanced so maybe throw them in although I haven't watched them play much lately.

But even though we gave up some yards on the ground, most of the time we stopped them when it counted. Plus, when we played Kansas St. we played the run and shut it down, so I wouldn't worry too much there.
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Agreed.

Our defense will be different than everything else these offenses will see on a weekly basis. Our opponents will have to game plan for us in a little different manner than they would for everyone else, which should work in our advantage. Overall, I think we'll be fine next year defensively. Offensively is where I'm more worried. I see us losing 4-5 games next year in low scoring affairs, similar to Iowa's season this year.

 
HANC said:
In my eyes, as it stands RIGHT NOW (not saying it will be this way next yr.), but this defense will get knocked around by Wisconsin...badly... Anyone that watched Wisconsin all year and yesterday will know that their POWER running game with Ball-Clay-White and the OL will cause our "undersized" LB's problems... Yes, they lost to TCU, but if anyone thinks that our defense is better than TCU (today), needs to take off the glasses and slow down on the koolaid.....pass defense yes, total defense....NO

Iowa....not such a concern....good OL (and only lose 1 starter) with a good freshman RB...but remember....wasn't it MU that we (HELU) lit up for a school rushing record.

Ohio State is multi, which someone pointed out.

Penn States best RB is gone, OL is okay though

Michigan...stop Robinson = stop Michigan (Kind of like looking in a mirror, huh)

MSU.... kind of like Iowa.... tough, but not overwhelming

** Outside of Wisconsin, I think that those teams will give NU fits, but wont just run wild over our defense. Yes, they may BEAT NU.... just not without a fight.

- But, Bo will have to adjust his schemes and type of LB if he consistantly wants to beat the big boys in the Big 10.... Speed on defense can beat spread, true option, WCO, teams...but speed has trouble when you line up an average of 6'3 310 lbs OL and runa 245 lb RB between the tackles.
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You do realize WIsconsin loses like 4 of 5 OLine starters, their TE(big loss) and their QB. I know their coaching will be the same but that OLine unit had a ton of starts together and meshed very well. That is a huge asset for any program with a great OLine coach.

Also TCU's speed did get to Wisky alot. Proof that a smallish, fast defense can deter a power running game. I also believe that was Wisky's lowest scoring output of the season as well.

And as far as smallish LBs at Nebraska, Will Compton is not small. Alonzo Whaley is not small. You wlll see both of theese guys a bunch along side of David who will still thrive no matter what defensive look NU lines up in.

Some people are freaking out over the defense having to do a massive makeover to play in the Big X+II but that is not true. NU will be fine. Offense on the other hand.......

EDIT Didn't see ya say may not be like this next year

 
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Wisconsin won't be the same team next year, but I do agree we need linebackers desperately.

 
PaulCrewe said:
HANC said:
In my eyes, as it stands RIGHT NOW (not saying it will be this way next yr.), but this defense will get knocked around by Wisconsin...badly... Anyone that watched Wisconsin all year and yesterday will know that their POWER running game with Ball-Clay-White and the OL will cause our "undersized" LB's problems... Yes, they lost to TCU, but if anyone thinks that our defense is better than TCU (today), needs to take off the glasses and slow down on the koolaid.....pass defense yes, total defense....NO

Iowa....not such a concern....good OL (and only lose 1 starter) with a good freshman RB...but remember....wasn't it MU that we (HELU) lit up for a school rushing record.

Ohio State is multi, which someone pointed out.

Penn States best RB is gone, OL is okay though

Michigan...stop Robinson = stop Michigan (Kind of like looking in a mirror, huh)

MSU.... kind of like Iowa.... tough, but not overwhelming

** Outside of Wisconsin, I think that those teams will give NU fits, but wont just run wild over our defense. Yes, they may BEAT NU.... just not without a fight.

- But, Bo will have to adjust his schemes and type of LB if he consistantly wants to beat the big boys in the Big 10.... Speed on defense can beat spread, true option, WCO, teams...but speed has trouble when you line up an average of 6'3 310 lbs OL and runa 245 lb RB between the tackles.
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You do realize WIsconsin loses like 4 of 5 OLine starters, their TE(big loss) and their QB. I know their coaching will be the same but that OLine unit had a ton of starts together and meshed very well. That is a huge asset for any program with a great OLine coach.

Also TCU's speed did get to Wisky alot. Proof that a smallish, fast defense can deter a power running game. I also believe that was Wisky's lowest scoring output of the season as well.

And as far as smallish LBs at Nebraska, Will Compton is not small. Alonzo Whaley is not small. You wlll see both of theese guys a bunch along side of David who will still thrive no matter what defensive look NU lines up in.

Some people are freaking out over the defense having to do a massive makeover to play in the Big X+II but that is not true. NU will be fine. Offense on the other hand.......

EDIT Didn't see ya say may not be like this next year
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Ha...you are right. I didn't mention offense may not be this way next yr..

Good points on Wisconsin, but I just feel as if they have the tools and system to cause NU fits. We had a tendency to give up rushnig yards between the tackles WAY TOO MUCH.

I really think that you are right, meaning that I was kind of right... If both Whaley and Compton line up beside David, that would mean Bo is going to lean back to the traditional 4-3 instead of using his "peso-nickle-dime" as pretty much his base defense. This is the type of scheme changes I was referring to. Yes, he could use 1 of them, along with David, keep his "peso" LB/DB and stay with the nickle look, but your "peso" better be able to friggin tackle a big rb !!

 
I did not watch the whole Wisconsin game. It appeared they went away from the power game and then came back late in the game. If they had run it the whole time would the turn out been different?

I would think that Wisconsin will line up a Oline very similar to what we saw yesterday. I am sure they have back ups that have played and are ready to step up.

We have had problems all year long with teams running betweent he tackles. We will see a healthy dose of that next year. Changes will be required. I am sure Bo can figure that out.

My concern for next year is the season, of getting physically beat on game in and game out. Do we have the depth of big bodies to stand the toll.

I do not feel a running QB is going to make it in the BigTen. Two of the best this year did not fare well, both injured half of the season. We will have to be able to pass and pass block to survive the onslaught is my guess, and we all know we will get the absolute best effort from every team we play next year.

The staff had better have all their ducks in line quickly.

 
skersfan said:
I did not watch the whole Wisconsin game. It appeared they went away from the power game and then came back late in the game. If they had run it the whole time would the turn out been different?
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I watched the whole game, and Wisconsin would have won by 2 TDs if they would have stuck with the power game!

 
Essentially, Bo took a horrid defense with hodgepodge players and built it to stop one of the nation's most offensively-minded conferences in a year (not a great D, but servicable for the most part), and had a dominating defense by year 2.

Now he has HIS players and a has had a full year to recruit what he needs before next year. I say it'll be fine. The first year may be a little rough - not nearly as rough as his first year at NU - but I fully expect by year 2 the defense will be dominant.

 
Hopefully our run defense will improve next year, or being 8 - 4 next season will be quite difficult.

 
The Dude said:
Wisconsin won't be the same team next year, but I do agree we need linebackers desperately.
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:yeah Since we have not had any DE that have been tearing it up like years past, then agreed they do need "true" LB's to stuff the middle. David and Compton have played more like rovers this year, more for coverages and getting outside, not much for stuffing the middle. Also the D line did not create too much havoc, of course Suh not being there to collapse the entire middle kind a hurt. ;)

 
Its tough on a defense when your offense goes 3 and out every drive, and they have to go back out there and stop a team with momentum and has been pounding on you all night.

 
After watching the TCU Vs Wisconsin game it is hard to say that we wouldnt be able to stop the power run. The TCU defense relies heavily on speed much like NU's. If our Linebackers play fast and smart and fill the gaps we should be Good.

 
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