The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Nebraska – INSIDE SLANT
Huskers searching for answers on defense
Only two games into the season, Nebraska coaches are contemplating personnel changes on defense.
That’s what happens when your opponent was a couple of kneel-downs away from accumulating the most yards ever against a Nebraska defense. As it was, UCLA amassed 653 yards, prompting an early-season evaluation by the NU staff.
“Everybody is in the equation right now,” first-year defensive coordinator John Papuchis said. “If we have to work 24 hours a day for the next seven days, and really for the next three months, we’re going to figure it out.”
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he’s been sick to his stomach since the 36-30 loss in the Rose Bowl, a loss he described as embarrassing.
“I felt we should have won that football game. We didn’t,” Pelini said. “You know, it hurts. It’s hard to live with. But you have to move on. You have to. That’s part of the deal. It’s part of this profession. It’s sickening to you, but you can’t turn back the clock.”
Pelini said he’s dissecting “every little piece of what we’ve got to do,” particularly on defense, where a bevy of freshmen could figure into the mix.
While Nebraska is a considerable favorite Saturday, its defense will face a challenge from an Arkansas State team coached by Gus Malzahn, who had major success as the offensive coordinator at Auburn.
Arkansas State runs a spread attack and currently ranks seventh nationally in total offense, averaging 574.5 yards a game.
“We will be tested,” Pelini said. “We need to get better against that offense. It comes kind of at the right time for us. We need to make a jump and evaluate how far we are coming.”
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NCAAF Team Report – Nebraska – NOTES, QUOTES
Huskers look to improve defensive speed
–Defensive coordinator John Papuchis said he recognizes the need to get more speed on field. Hence, personnel changes are possible. Already in the first practice following the UCLA loss, junior college transfer Zaire Anderson and redshirt freshman David Santos were working at No. 1 Will linebacker. Also, Bo Pelini said freshmen Kevin Williams, Aaron Curry and Avery Moss will have expanded roles along the defensive line as the season progresses.
–Taylor Martinez needs 39 rushing yards to become just the second Nebraska player and 25th player in NCAA history to record 4,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in a career. The junior quarterback would become just the 13th player to reach that milestone before his senior season.
–Nebraska will be facing a Sun Belt foe for the fifth time in the past four seasons when it faces Arkansas State, the league’s defending champion. Nebraska is 10-0 all-time against members of the Sun Belt Conference, and has scored at least 30 points in each of those games, including at least 48 points six times.
SERIES HISTORY: Nebraska leads Arkansas State 1-0 (last meeting, 2009, 38-9 Nebraska)
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Ameer Abdullah performed mostly well in his first career start, in place of injured Rex Burkhead. The sophomore running back had 16 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns against UCLA. But he fumbled on the first play of the third quarter, which led to a UCLA field goal. “I got the exchange pretty quick. The guy got on me pretty quick,” Abdullah said. “Just something I’ve got to be ready for, a guy coming in screaming off the edge to hit me immediately when I get the ball. I’ve got to get two hands on the ball when I’m in traffic.” The fumble was symbolic of Nebraska’s second-half offensive problems in losses last season. The Huskers, who scored a combined 10 points in the second halves of losses to Wisconsin, Michigan and South Carolina, had only two field goals against UCLA after halftime.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Players and coaches either didn’t know or weren’t willing to share the number of tackles Nebraska missed in the loss to UCLA. “Two is too many, and I know we had more than two,” said senior safety P.J. Smith. “It doesn’t matter. We had two too many, bottom line.” Smith expressed frustration in knowing that many times, players were in position to make tackles, but didn’t wrap up properly and finish the play. Nebraska did tackle in fall camp scrimmages but doesn’t do it every practice to avoid injury. Bo Pelini said tackling simply comes down to fundamentals. “I always believe that tackling a lot of times comes from getting your body in the right tackling position over and over and over,” Pelini said. “Not having your feet crossed over, not overrunning the football, always fundamentally evaluating those things. Maybe we didn’t do a good enough job with that.”
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I have been there before. We have had bad games before. I know what I am doing defensively and the last thing I would do is shake my confidence.” — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, on his confidence level following his team’s defensive problems in a 36-30 loss to UCLA.
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NCAAF Team Report – Nebraska – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK’S GAME: Arkansas State at Nebraska, Sept. 15 — Nebraska has two weeks to address its issues before the start of Big Ten Conference play, starting with Saturday’s game against Arkansas State. It’s the first of three straight home games, culminating with the Big Ten home opener Sept. 29 against Wisconsin. The Huskers will be heavily favored but will also face some challenges in defending the Red Wolves’ spread offense.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Nebraska failed in defending UCLA’s spread attack. Now, the Huskers have a quick chance to address their mistakes and apply what they’ve learned against Arkansas State, led by first-year head coach Gus Malzahn, a spread guru. Improved tackling would be a good start.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
LB Will Compton — Compton said he needs to do a better job in coverage when he gets isolated on opposing teams’ running backs, as was the case against UCLA. “I put myself in a bad position,” Compton said. He’ll likely be presented that challenge again against Arkansas State’s spread attack.
DT Kevin Williams — He didn’t play in Nebraska’s first game, but logged 47 snaps in his first career action against UCLA. That’s a sign the redshirt freshman could be part of a youth movement up front. Saturday’s game could shed some light.
RB Braylon Heard — The sophomore hasn’t carried the ball much in two games, but has looked very strong the times he’s touched it. It’s still possible Heard could see more time in a backup role as starter Rex Burkhead recovers from a knee injury.
ROSTER REPORT
–RB Rex Burkhead faced a 10- to 20-day recovery after his Sept. 1 MCL sprain, Bo Pelini said, meaning the senior could return for Saturday’s game against Arkansas State, or the following week against Idaho State. Burkhead traveled to UCLA but did not suit.
–DT Vincent Valentine, a true freshman, will sit out this season as a redshirt. “That is what we are hoping,” Pelini said.
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