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Carriker, Blackshirts try new ways to pressure QBs[/SIZE]
BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
You wonder, as Adam Carriker describes his duties as Nebraska's base defensive end, if this newly-defined position requires a large, red cape.
Carriker rattles on about facing double teams and lining up on top of offensive tackles and playing on the tight end side of the formation and being responsible for the huge gap between himself and the nose tackle and ...
Geez, could Superman handle all of this … and help increase his team's sack total, too?
"Let's just say," Carriker said, "that the (other) end has a lot more advantage to get those (sacks)."
Sounds like the junior from Kennewick, Wash., may be doing a lot of dirty work this season, and perhaps without the gaudy statistics.
"That's fine with me," said Carriker, who has four career sacks. "I came here to get a Blackshirt, a degree and a ring. I've already got one, I'm going to get another, and I want to get the third, and that's the ring. I'll do whatever it takes."
To the football layman, Carriker's role as the base end may sound a bit mind-boggling. In essence, he's in charge of one entire side of the line, usually the side where the tight end is aligned. His closest linemate is nose tackle Le Kevin Smith, who lines up over center.
For Carriker, that's a big chore, even if you are 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds.
"You're right on top of the tackle, so it includes a lot more technique," Carriker said. "It's a lot more physical, because you're double-teamed and you're hitting a lot sooner.
"It's very important, because there's a huge gap between you and that nose guard, and you have to control that gap. And that's where a lot of teams are going to try to run, is to that huge gap. It's basically the base end's job to control. In the run, it's really important for that base end."
As for the other defensive end — aka the open end? That player lines up a yard or two outside the other tackle.
"He's basically just running off the ball and reacting," Carriker said. "In the pass, they're really depending on that open end, because it's really difficult for the base end to get to the quarterback. They're really dependent on (the open end) to get pressure."
It's all part of a new scheme Nebraska coaches introduced during spring practice. No longer are the defensive ends defined as right and left. The idea is to produce more of a push from the front four linemen, without having to always rely on five-man and six-man pressure to harass quarterbacks.
Last year, Nebraska collected 25 sacks. That, Carriker said, is not satisfactory.
"I mean, didn't we, one year, have 54 or something?" he said.
Close. The Huskers sacked the quarterback a school-record 53 times in 1999. Last season's total tied for the second-fewest since 1981, when sacks became a part of the record book.
Look at it this way. In 2004, Nebraska averaged a sack once every 18 times the opponent attempted a pass. As for the other 17 attempts? Well, they usually resulted in bad things for the Huskers.
The 254 completions, the 56.7 percent completion percentage and average of 267.8 passing yards per game were all Nebraska opponent season records.
"Coverage is only as good as pressure, and pressure is only as good as coverage. They both work hand-in-hand," Nebraska defensive line coach John Blake said during spring practice. "What I've got to do is make sure our guys are capable of doing the job they're doing. I want these guys to maximize their abilities."
Carriker, because of his size and strength — he was the team's 2004 lifter of the year — is a prototypical base end. His job is to play the run first and react to the pass — unless, of course, there's a rush call, in which case everyone rushes the quarterback.
The open end player is more of a pass rusher — someone who possesses the speed and athleticism to come off the edge. Jay Moore and Wali Muhammad are battling for that starting spot, although Muhammad was listed as a backup to Carriker on the pre-spring depth chart — the most recent depth chart coaches have publicly released.
At base end, Kevin Luhrs (6-1, 255) was among the backups to Carriker but has been hampered by a broken hand. Carriker said redshirted freshman Ty Steinkuhler (6-3, 260) and true freshman Ndamukong Suh (6-4, 300) are also working at base end. Suh is listed on the roster as a defensive tackle.
"It's probably easier for the open end, because he's got all that space to work with," Carriker said. "He's just got to beat the tackle one-on-one — not that that's easy — but he has to beat the tackle one-on-one."
Carriker, who's fully recovered from ankle problems that have slowed him, said players are adjusting well to the new concept.
"Basically," Carriker said, "our goals are to come off the ball, to play hard, play technique, do our assignments."
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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