D-Line's play calms concerns
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska coaches tried calming some preseason skepticism regarding the Huskers’ defensive line.
Throughout the spring, summer and into fall, first-year defensive coordinator and line coach Carl Pelini expressed confidence in his group.
Still, there were questions.
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Is there enough depth? Can they get a push? What about stopping the run?
After Saturday night’s 47-24 season-opening victory against Western Michigan, those concerns don’t appear to be quite as significant.
While pressure on the quarterback was hot and cold, the much-maligned defensive front plugged gaps in the running game — remember those gaping holes last year? — and got some quality minutes (and plays) from second-team players.
Most notable: Only eight rushing yards by Western Michigan. The four sacks were key, too.
“Hopefully,” senior defensive end Zach Potter said, “some people start respecting our D-line a little bit.”
Pelini said all along he’s had a talented group.
“I think they play awfully hard,” Pelini said. “They listen and they take coaching, but it’s not all going to happen the first game.
“What I did see out there is signs they could be really good. I think they’re trying to play discipline with their technique. I think they’re playing really hard, and I think they’re moving in a good direction. If we can keep moving in that direction, I think by midseason we can be a pretty formidable group.”
While the starting group of Potter, Barry Turner, Ndamukong Suh and Ty Steinkuhler was strong, perhaps most encouraging was the play of the backups, particularly those on the interior.
Terrence Moore, who had minor surgery in fall camp and missed a good chunk of practices, had two sacks. Shukree Barfield had a sack. Jared Crick contributed with a key play, too.
A redshirt freshman, Crick swatted a third-and-3 pass from quarterback Tim Hiller at the Western Michigan 43-yard line. It was a significant stop — the Broncos had driven 80 yards for a touchdown on their previous possession and had just forced a three-and-out to regain possession.
“We said going in, and I told these guys in the spring, there’s not a lot of difference between the 1s and 2s in terms of snaps,” Pelini said. “We need to be nine or 10 deep up there if we’re going to compete in this conference.
“Sometimes the 1s are, ‘OK, coach, I feel good.’ I know, but I need to get snaps to those 2s and get them game experience and get them ready to go.”
The starting linemen set the tone.
On Western Michigan’s second possession, Turner had a 14-yard sack of Hiller on a third-and-18 play, with pressure also coming from Potter. That came a play after Steinkuhler stopped Glenis Thompson for no gain.
Steinkuhler was instrumental inside as the Huskers stuffed the Broncos’ running game.
“It was just being physical up front,” Potter said. “We had a good scheme coming in, and we knew what they were going to do run-wise. We had some keys on them.”
The pressure from the line was hit-or-miss. Pelini said Western Michigan doesn’t give up many sacks because of its outlet receivers and backs checking down.
“Our coverage guys did a nice job and took those outlets away,” he said, “and when we did, we were able to get some pressure on them.”
Potter said mental mistakes prohibited the defense from applying more pressure.
“I think we could’ve gotten a little more,” Potter said, “but we started to have some breakdowns here and there, so we had to be a little more conservative toward the end of the game, where, I think, in other games we’ll pressure a lot more.”
Pelini — wearing a black shirt only because he wanted to be easily seen on the sideline of white-shirted coaches as he signaled in defenses — said the staff will discuss today the possibility of awarding Blackshirts.
“I would give them an ‘A’ for effort,” he said of the defense, “but we made a lot of mental mistakes and we hurt ourselves. We need to get those corrected between week one to week two.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
