***The Nebraska Defense - Blackshirts 2023***

For perspective which is kind of important here are the opposing teams offensive rank when looking just at Nebraska's victories:

Team     Offensive Rank

Northern Illinois  85th 

Louisiana Tech  70th 

Illinois  80th

Northwestern  109th

Purdue  95th

Offensive rank of Nebraska's remaining opponents:

Michigan St ( 111th)

Maryland  (48th)

Wisconsin  (73)

Iowa ( 130th /Last in all of FBS)

 
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I imagine our 4th down conversion % on defense has to be one of the best in the country right? We've had a decent handful of stops by this point.

 
I imagine our 4th down conversion % on defense has to be one of the best in the country right? We've had a decent handful of stops by this point.


Good catch on this.

We are apparently #26 in the country in conversion percentage allowed.  Opponents are 6/16 (37.5%).  I would have thought we might be a little higher than that.

Michigan is #4 (22.22%)

Wisconsin is #8 (26.67%)

Ohio State is #14 (33.33%)

We are fourth in the B1G.

 
Good catch on this.

We are apparently #26 in the country in conversion percentage allowed.  Opponents are 6/16 (37.5%).  I would have thought we might be a little higher than that.

Michigan is #4 (22.22%)

Wisconsin is #8 (26.67%)

Ohio State is #14 (33.33%)

We are fourth in the B1G.
It's one of those stats where one or two stops/non-stops can swing the stat quite a ways.

 
Doing a little more poking around at the stats, one stat that doesn't look good at first glance is our red zone stop rate. We're #89 there, allowing opponents to score about 87% of the time. But on the bright side, our red zone TD allowed rate is #23 in the country - it's our FG % rate that's awful, at #130. So opponents can usually score on us if they get into the red zone, but they're having to settle for field goals a relatively large portion of the time - touchdowns are hard to come by.

 
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Doing a little more poking around at the stats, one stat that doesn't look good at first glance is our red zone stop rate. We're #89 there, allowing opponents to score about 87% of the time. But on the bright side, our red zone TD allowed rate is #23 in the country - it's our FG % rate that's awful, at #130. So opponents can usually score on us if they get into the red zone, but they're having to settle for field goals a relatively large portion of the time - touchdowns are hard to come by.


I would speculate it's our lack of getting turnovers that tanks that stat.

But you're right that forcing field goals has been good.

 
I would speculate it's our lack of getting turnovers that tanks that stat.


That and due to our own turnovers, some of those are cases where our defense is tasked with moving them out of field goal range. The first field goal in both the NIU and Northwestern games came on drives in which the opposition had negative yards.

The only two I can think of that are concerning is the end of the Minnesota game, obviously, and Colorado before half time. Both situations where they were able to drive down and score with time running out.

Situations where it's either a really short field or they go on like a 10+ play drive and have to settle for a FG are winning football, most of the time. Field goals conceded is just a really situational stat.

 
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I was curious if our defense was *really* that good or if we had been helped by playing some bad offenses.

Looks like it's still pretty good, even adjusting for opponents.


 
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