Where's the pressure?

[bshirt]

ButchCassidy85 (excellent poster) over on Rivals makes some good points on why Bo may switch to a 3 - 4 defense. I'm wondering if Bo thinks it's easier to get great LBs than great DL guys? If so, that could be another reason for a switch to a 3-4.

I'm sure most posters here would agree that mobile qbs are a wayyyyy bigger threat than traditional Big10 smashmouth and that's the one thing I just don't get about Bo. He's obviously a great, great DC but his lack of pressure is a worrisome and hardly better than even the unconquerable COZ. Compared to some of our 1990's teams it's humiliating.

2011 - 1.3 sacks per game

2010 - 2.8 sacks per game

2009 - 3.1 sacks per game

2008 - 2.5 sacks per game

2003 - 2.1 sacks per game

2007 - 1.1 sacks per game

2006 - 2.4 sacks per game

2005 - 3.5 sacks per game

2004 - 1.8 sacks per game

1999 - 4.2 sacks per game

1998 - 2.5 sacks per game

1997 - 3.4 sacks per game

1996 - 3.9 sacks per game

1995 - 3.3 sacks per game

Of course, several of Bo's defenses are stingy as hell giving up points. It would be terrific if he could somehow merge his excellent points allowed with some pressure. Do you think he could hack that and if so, how?

 

[zoogs]

I just don't see us having the personnel for a 3-4 defense.

We need even more linebackers than we currently have, and LB is not a position I feel really good about. In addition a lot of our ends seem to be the smaller variety and not the bigger run-stoppers demanded by a 3-4. Furthermore the 3-4 nose has to be a space-eating behemoth. None of this seems to suit with the styles of Bo, our personnel, or our defensive line coach. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[bshirt]

Yep, the nose of a 3 -4 must be a big, vicious, mean SOB. No doubt about that. We'd need a Steve Warren every single year which wouldn't be easy to get. But just "maybe" if we really emphasized that as a huge priority we might be able to come close hacking that.

Your thoughts are as good as mine zoogies. Hell, I don't know. I just want some pressure without giving up Bo's typically awesome points allowed. Maybe it can't be done.

 

[zoogs]

I wonder, if there are any teams that run a 3-4 in college? It seems to be all the rage in the NFL and a lot of teams employ it. However, it's a rarity in college and 3-4 teams in the NFL are often drafting defensive ends to move to outside linebacker, or defensive tackles to kick out to end. Maybe it's a numbers situation that makes it less practical to run at the college level or something. Would be curious to see a few other measures (sack % on pass plays for example, but a sack isn't the only measure for pressure anyways), although points allowed is the big one in the end.

I don't think you can deny that we had a bad year up front last season. By and large I feel it was a personnel issue, more than a scheme one.

One more comment about the NT, he has to be more than just big and mean. While 4-3 defensive tackles tend to be guys you look for to add to the pass rush and make plays, the job of a 3-4 nose is often just to eat up space. Sort of a different type of player.

 

[bshirt]

I wonder, if there are any teams that run a 3-4 in college? It seems to be all the rage in the NFL and a lot of teams employ it. However, it's a rarity in college and 3-4 teams in the NFL are often drafting defensive ends to move to outside linebacker, or defensive tackles to kick out to end. Maybe it's a numbers situation that makes it less practical to run at the college level or something. Would be curious to see a few other measures (sack % on pass plays for example, but a sack isn't the only measure for pressure anyways), although points allowed is the big one in the end.

I don't think you can deny that we had a bad year up front last season. By and large I feel it was a personnel issue, more than a scheme one.

One more comment about the NT, he has to be more than just big and mean. While 4-3 defensive tackles tend to be guys you look for to add to the pass rush and make plays, the job of a 3-4 nose is often just to eat up space. Sort of a different type of player.

Oh sure, there's a difference. As I see it the nose on a 3 - 4 is going to get double teamed almost every running play is my guess (if he's any good anyway) so that position's #1 priority to hold the down the middle while the other Dlinemen may or may not attack. In other words, I agree.

Well, I know TAM & Alabama use the 3 - 4. Again, I agree sacks isn't the only measure of pressure but it's a fairly obvious one of many. "Hurries", "tackles for loss", etc could be too but it gets confusing how they rate them and statistics for them are hard to find. Just glance over the data quickly and I'm sure you'll agree that high sacks per game is almost always a damn fine defense.

Except that it's not unusual for Bo to have a damn good defense without that.

Haha...again, I don't know. But I honestly am quite excited to see what he does this year. No doubt at all he knows he's got to address the opponent duel-threat qb problem. Give him a traditional pocket passer and he totally destroys them. But qbs who can run.......

 

[HuskerFowler]

Actually guys, it looks like we are recruiting to play more of a 3-4, or atleast be "mulitple" enough to play both depending on who we play (with a stand up DE like we did against Mizzou) We probably have one of the best if not the best Lb recruiting classes over the last 2 years(this years class) Sure we dont have the depth this year but all of the sudden the 2014 season we have the depth and talent, and i can see Bo unleashing some 3-4 during confrence play that year. Anderson, Banders, Newby, Rose, Santos, Afalava, Lacouture, Pirman, Natter, Love, Roach, Brown, and im sure a couple of stand up DE im missing is plenty of depth for the future to run this, we could even have Fischer next year too.

Christian Lacouture has been quoted as saying Bo told him they are going to use him as a stand up DE, and thats one of the main reasons he chose us over LSU and Michigan. He wants to graduate early and be here for spring ball to "help the team win a NC" I think Bo has something up his sleeve for the Big 10 in 2014. He can see the schedule ease up just like we can, and the staff is planning to make a run in 2014. Also Vincent Valentine in last years class fits the nose tackle 3-4 scheme perfectly. We dont have the personel quite yet, but its on the way.

 

['SkersRule]

Well according to an Omaha World Herald story the "aircraft carrier" has made the turn around and is steaming full speed ahead into Big 10 battle.

 

[huKSer]

Yep, the nose of a 3 -4 must be a big, vicious, mean SOB. No doubt about that. We'd need a Steve Warren every single year which wouldn't be easy to get. But just "maybe" if we really emphasized that as a huge priority we might be able to come close hacking that.

Your thoughts are as good as mine zoogies. Hell, I don't know. I just want some pressure without giving up Bo's typically awesome points allowed. Maybe it can't be done.

It might have been a different era, but the best NT at NU was 6'1" and 240#. But he was quick and fast - he ran around the back side of the OU center and still tackled the QB for a loss from behind on an option.

 

[Husker from Kansas]

Actually guys, it looks like we are recruiting to play more of a 3-4, or atleast be "mulitple" enough to play both depending on who we play (with a stand up DE like we did against Mizzou) We probably have one of the best if not the best Lb recruiting classes over the last 2 years(this years class) Sure we dont have the depth this year but all of the sudden the 2014 season we have the depth and talent, and i can see Bo unleashing some 3-4 during confrence play that year. Anderson, Banders, Newby, Rose, Santos, Afalava, Lacouture, Pirman, Natter, Love, Roach, Brown, and im sure a couple of stand up DE im missing is plenty of depth for the future to run this, we could even have Fischer next year too.

Christian Lacouture has been quoted as saying Bo told him they are going to use him as a stand up DE, and thats one of the main reasons he chose us over LSU and Michigan. He wants to graduate early and be here for spring ball to "help the team win a NC" I think Bo has something up his sleeve for the Big 10 in 2014. He can see the schedule ease up just like we can, and the staff is planning to make a run in 2014. Also Vincent Valentine in last years class fits the nose tackle 3-4 scheme perfectly. We dont have the personel quite yet, but its on the way.

i hope your right but the thing about that year is we are going to be breaking in a new starting qb that year, I dont want to turn this into another bash on tmart thread were everybody says we need to start someone else at qb, (i think tmart is the right man for the job) however i do hope that bo realizes that in games we are smashing the other team or we are getting smashed that he needs to put in one the young guys who need all the experience they can get before 2014. if he doesnt im scared we will have more qb play like we did 2 years ago from tmart, great one game, bad the next.

but like i have said before, there is a reason why bo is the head coach and not one of us on this board, he must have a pretty good idea of what he wants to do and he sure as hell knows alot more than any of us

 

[RedDenver]

I think saying Bo's defense doesn't get enough pressure is a bit reactionary. Getting pressure isn't always the answer. Cosgrove's defenses blitzed a ton - and that isn't a defensive scheme any of us wants repeated. And look at Texas A&M's 3-4 defense the last couple years. Praised in 2010 and ridiculed in 2011 while giving up tons of points in the 2nd half of games. Even the vaunted Charlie McBride took a lot of criticisms over the years.

Bo has been playing with the Spinner package the last couple years that allows his defense to move back and forth between a 4-3 and 3-4 look without changing much else in the scheme. Pete Carroll used some similar ideas to great effect at USC (he also had great personnel to run it).

There's no perfect answer.

 

[HuskerFowler]

Actually guys, it looks like we are recruiting to play more of a 3-4, or atleast be "mulitple" enough to play both depending on who we play (with a stand up DE like we did against Mizzou) We probably have one of the best if not the best Lb recruiting classes over the last 2 years(this years class) Sure we dont have the depth this year but all of the sudden the 2014 season we have the depth and talent, and i can see Bo unleashing some 3-4 during confrence play that year. Anderson, Banders, Newby, Rose, Santos, Afalava, Lacouture, Pirman, Natter, Love, Roach, Brown, and im sure a couple of stand up DE im missing is plenty of depth for the future to run this, we could even have Fischer next year too.

Christian Lacouture has been quoted as saying Bo told him they are going to use him as a stand up DE, and thats one of the main reasons he chose us over LSU and Michigan. He wants to graduate early and be here for spring ball to "help the team win a NC" I think Bo has something up his sleeve for the Big 10 in 2014. He can see the schedule ease up just like we can, and the staff is planning to make a run in 2014. Also Vincent Valentine in last years class fits the nose tackle 3-4 scheme perfectly. We dont have the personel quite yet, but its on the way.

i hope your right but the thing about that year is we are going to be breaking in a new starting qb that year, I dont want to turn this into another bash on tmart thread were everybody says we need to start someone else at qb, (i think tmart is the right man for the job) however i do hope that bo realizes that in games we are smashing the other team or we are getting smashed that he needs to put in one the young guys who need all the experience they can get before 2014. if he doesnt im scared we will have more qb play like we did 2 years ago from tmart, great one game, bad the next.

but like i have said before, there is a reason why bo is the head coach and not one of us on this board, he must have a pretty good idea of what he wants to do and he sure as hell knows alot more than any of us

my bad i actually meant 2013 when Taylor is a senior, your right 2014 will be breaking in a new QB, but the schedule looks managable again that year.

 

[The Dude]

Yep, the nose of a 3 -4 must be a big, vicious, mean SOB. No doubt about that. We'd need a Steve Warren every single year which wouldn't be easy to get. But just "maybe" if we really emphasized that as a huge priority we might be able to come close hacking that.

Your thoughts are as good as mine zoogies. Hell, I don't know. I just want some pressure without giving up Bo's typically awesome points allowed. Maybe it can't be done.

It might have been a different era, but the best NT at NU was 6'1" and 240#. But he was quick and fast - he ran around the back side of the OU center and still tackled the QB for a loss from behind on an option.

I think there's a pretty big difference between a 5-2 nose guard and a 3-4 nose guard. Not to mention different eras and all.

 

['SkersRule]

It might have been a different era, but the best NT at NU was 6'1" and 240#. But he was quick and fast - he ran around the back side of the OU center and still tackled the QB for a loss from behind on an option.

That's because he was playing against similarly sized OL. Holy crap, you put a 240 pound guy at NT in a 3-4 in today's game and your defense would get rolled.

 

[huKSer]

It might have been a different era, but the best NT at NU was 6'1" and 240#. But he was quick and fast - he ran around the back side of the OU center and still tackled the QB for a loss from behind on an option.

That's because he was playing against similarly sized OL. Holy crap, you put a 240 pound guy at NT in a 3-4 in today's game and your defense would get rolled.

True - my memory was Glover was dwarfed by Brahaney, but looked up and he was 6'2" and 231#. I probably thinking of him next to Jacobsen, 6'6" and 250#. He was still quick, though

 

[Mierin]

Why don't we just have a 600 pound nose tackle and run a 1-6?