Secondary play...

[DomiNUs]

That also gave up the most pass plays of 20+ yards in the Big 10 last year. I feel our pass defense would've been a lot worse last year if teams couldn't run at will against us

There's a lot of truth to this.

We now have the worst secondary in the country. Indiana was 128th last week, but since they held Wake Forest to 245 yards, we passed them.

We are giving up 380 passing yards per game.Worst in the nation. We're worst in the nation at plays over 20 yards passing (hint, not the LB's).

But please, tell me how it's not the scheme, and it's the players.

Th LB can't stop the run, so the safeties have to come up and help. The LB can't stop the crossing routes so the secondary has to help setting up islands on the outside. Ip am agreeing with you on scheme, but we do have a talent deficiency as well.

Exactly right.

Look, Banker's D isn't shy about its willingness to give up the pass to stop the run. The problem is that the weakness to the pass is being exaggerated because (1) we have no pass rushers (except maybe Freedom), (2) we don't have the corners to run man-to-man single coverage, and (3) our LBs can't cover the underneath routes.

I think Banker's scheme is a much worse fit of our existing personnel than what Riley is trying to run on O.

We have NFL talent pass rushers in Maliek Collins and VV, plus Freedom. It is not a personnel problem. All off season we heard about stopping the run and being vulnerable to the deep routes. Which everyone was all for because it was such a "low percentage" play that it was worth the risk. Well, after getting burned three games through the air, losing two of them, I would say it is definitely the scheme.

 

[Highway6]

Davie (Sr) Started all 13 games last year

Cockrell (Sr) Played in all 13 games, started 6

Gerry (Jr) Started all 13 games

Kalu (So) Played in all 13 games, started 2

This group was #4 IN THE NATION in passing defense last season. I am tired of hearing how much talent we don't have back there. This 'scheme' and coaching is not working for this group.

• #1 overall in opponent's QB completion %
• Only allowed 168 yards passing/game

I get that we couldn't stop the run game last season, but this isn't the point I am making. We act like we have all 4 new starters as DBs when this clearly isn't the case. 4 games now and nothing has changed yet.

Could we say it comes down to coaching?

 

[wearblackhat42]

And the short and long ball killed us today. Southern Miss had those 2 drives in 4 th quarter today. Just threw same pass on same routes and ate us alive. Only reason they did not score on the last drive was no clock left. One more minute and they would have scored. And yes they only had 19 rushing but they gave up on the run when they saw they could pass on us at will. We are not ready for Big Ten play.

 

[knapplc]

We have NFL talent pass rushers in Maliek Collins and VV, plus Freedom. It is not a personnel problem. All off season we heard about stopping the run and being vulnerable to the deep routes. Which everyone was all for because it was such a "low percentage" play that it was worth the risk. Well, after getting burned three games through the air, losing two of them, I would say it is definitely the scheme.

I keep hearing this about Collins and Valentine, but I'm not seeing it. What has Collins done all year to warrant this hype? What did he do last year? He's barely affecting the passing game.

Valentine is hurt right now, but in prior years I don't recall ever being overly impressed with him.

Freedom Akinmoladon is four games into his playing career on defense. I think we could let him put together a full season before we start pimping him for the NFL.

 

[Saunders]

Southern Miss averaged 7.0 yards per play overall thanks to hitting on 10 explosive plays for 310 yards.

http://hailvarsity.com/news/beyond-the-box-score-nebraska-36-southern-miss-28/2015/09/

Yeah, that's kinda really bad.

 

[knapplc]

And the short and long ball killed us today. Southern Miss had those 2 drives in 4 th quarter today. Just threw same pass on same routes and ate us alive. Only reason they did not score on the last drive was no clock left. One more minute and they would have scored. And yes they only had 19 rushing but they gave up on the run when they saw they could pass on us at will. We are not ready for Big Ten play.

We haven't been ready for Big Ten play in years. This year it's the pass. Previous years it was the run.

I'm getting pretty tired of watching our defense get gashed. Don't care if it's through the air or on the ground.

 

[admo]

@wearblackhat42 - No they gave up on the run because they were ineffective running on us. A little credit to the Huskers perhaps. They were forced to throw and did a real good job. Credit to them, and WOH - our back 7 is struggling more times than not.

 

[Saunders]

And the short and long ball killed us today. Southern Miss had those 2 drives in 4 th quarter today. Just threw same pass on same routes and ate us alive. Only reason they did not score on the last drive was no clock left. One more minute and they would have scored. And yes they only had 19 rushing but they gave up on the run when they saw they could pass on us at will. We are not ready for Big Ten play.

We haven't been ready for Big Ten play in years. This year it's the pass. Previous years it was the run.

I'm getting pretty tired of watching our defense get gashed. Don't care if it's through the air or on the ground.

Yup, that's what I was getting at by saying we need a balance. We've literally flip flopped rushing and passing stats.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

And the short and long ball killed us today. Southern Miss had those 2 drives in 4 th quarter today. Just threw same pass on same routes and ate us alive. Only reason they did not score on the last drive was no clock left. One more minute and they would have scored. And yes they only had 19 rushing but they gave up on the run when they saw they could pass on us at will. We are not ready for Big Ten play.

We haven't been ready for Big Ten play in years. This year it's the pass. Previous years it was the run.

I'm getting pretty tired of watching our defense get gashed. Don't care if it's through the air or on the ground.

Yup, that's what I was getting at by saying we need a balance. We've literally flip flopped rushing and passing stats.

I reall hope don't show that same dumbass stubborn streak we have seen in the past defensively. I hope they adjust something, or Lunt is going to kill us next week.

 

[Saunders]

And the short and long ball killed us today. Southern Miss had those 2 drives in 4 th quarter today. Just threw same pass on same routes and ate us alive. Only reason they did not score on the last drive was no clock left. One more minute and they would have scored. And yes they only had 19 rushing but they gave up on the run when they saw they could pass on us at will. We are not ready for Big Ten play.

We haven't been ready for Big Ten play in years. This year it's the pass. Previous years it was the run.

I'm getting pretty tired of watching our defense get gashed. Don't care if it's through the air or on the ground.

Yup, that's what I was getting at by saying we need a balance. We've literally flip flopped rushing and passing stats.

I reall hope don't show that same dumbass stubborn streak we have seen in the past defensively. I hope they adjust something, or Lunt is going to kill us next week.

Lunt will go for 500, Stave for 300, Leidner for 250+, NW 200+, Purdue 300, Cook for 350, Rutgers 225, and Beathard about 275.

 

[alwayshusking]

The way they are playing coverage is a sure loser. Don't know who is more to blame Banker or Stewart? Banker by rank I suppose.

Can't just give up inside routes. GMAFB

 

[Sargon]

Cover Zero...is the only thing we use. I said it last week. I say it this week. We actually cover ZERO receivers. Instead we appear to want one (occasionally 2) guy to be within 2-4 yards of the always open receivers.

MSU defense? They do not play at all like NU does and it is not limited to different personnel.

 

[DomiNUs]

We have NFL talent pass rushers in Maliek Collins and VV, plus Freedom. It is not a personnel problem. All off season we heard about stopping the run and being vulnerable to the deep routes. Which everyone was all for because it was such a "low percentage" play that it was worth the risk. Well, after getting burned three games through the air, losing two of them, I would say it is definitely the scheme.

I keep hearing this about Collins and Valentine, but I'm not seeing it. What has Collins done all year to warrant this hype? What did he do last year? He's barely affecting the passing game.

Valentine is hurt right now, but in prior years I don't recall ever being overly impressed with him.

Freedom Akinmoladon is four games into his playing career on defense. I think we could let him put together a full season before we start pimping him for the NFL.

After the start we have had to this season, I agree with you.

 

[macroboy]

DB's aren't good at all...right now (yes, I always hold out hope).

The pass rush isn't getting there, even when we blitz. That certainly doesn't help.

LB injuries and youth are also hurting. Some of those big plays are middle drag routes that go for big yards. I think Young will be a very good LB in the future but he is an absolute liability in coverage.

 

[Enhance]

What are you going to do, defend the pass or defend the run? I wish we could do both.

Gave up 11 yards on the ground today and got a few sacks. Dialed up some corner blitzes.

But 450 yards in the air is 100 too, too much. Even against a team like USM that has a pretty good passing game.

Michigan did

Michigan shut out a team that got the Huskers for 33 (albeit with a Hail Mary) and a bunch of yards. New coaches, new schemes, different results. Who's in better shape at this point, Michigan or Nebraska?

This is a valid point but we need to temper it a bit. It's really dicey to compare opponents against different competition and try to draw wide-ranging conclusions from it. Each team is composed of different matchups, game plans and circumstances. I'm not disregarding your point - like I said, it's a valid argument. But, not all things remain constant between different teams. If they were then Nebraska would never lose to a team they shouldn't.