D-line shows dominance
Print
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
The line from "The Godfather" doesn’t apply here. It was personal. It wasn’t just business.
At least that’s what Husker junior nose tackle Ndamukong Suh said after putting his gigantic 300-pound stamp all over Saturday’s 45-35 win against Kansas.
“We definitely took it personally with Coach (Bo Pelini) challenging us and telling us that we can definitely change this game,” Suh said. “We’re just working off of and feeding off of each other. One guy makes a play, giving him love and working together as a unit as we’re supposed to.”
At this point, offensive lineman Lydon Murtha and linebacker Phillip Dillard are probably the only Huskers questionable for this week's game at Kansas State, Husker coach Bo Pelini said Sunday.
Pelini said Dillard is "improving dramatically" from an ankle injury suffered against Baylor. "But it was pretty significant when it happened. Probably questionable for this week, probable for Colorado."
Running back Marlon Lucky was slowed by a toe injury against KU, Pelini said. "It's like a turf toe. He's listed as probable (for today’s practice). We'll see how he responds."
Wide receiver Menelik Holt isn’t yet 100 percent because of a knee injury, but should be able to practice this week after seeing limited action against Kansas.
NU quarterback Joe Ganz is doing fine after hobbling around during Saturday's game. "No swelling. He had a normal exam," Pelini said. "He really just had a bruise to his knee. He kind of hit his knee real hard on the turf. It was more the knee at the end than the ankle."
Also, offensive lineman Keith Williams has an ankle injury that apparently is not serious. Williams went down with about five minutes left in the game Saturday. "We'll probably hold out Keith a day, but his ankle's not as bad as we thought," Pelini said.
It was a dominating showing by the Huskers’ defensive front four. Blitzing wasn’t even really necessary. Suh, Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler and Pierre Allen made the cold feel even colder for KU quarterback Todd Reesing, constantly introducing themselves to him.
Suh had 12 tackles, four of them for loss, and 2½ sacks. Potter had six tackles, two of them for loss, 1½ sacks and an interception. Allen had seven tackles and a 15-yard sack.
By game’s end, Reesing limped off the field, having been sacked five times and hit many more time than that. That was the first time NU recorded five sacks since the Cotton Bowl following the 2006 season.
If the D-line dominance was surprising to Husker fans who last year witnessed week after week of dismal defense, it wasn’t to Pelini.
Nebraska’s new coaches said before the season the defensive line could be a strength of the team and it has arguably been that through 10 games. The linebackers and defensive backs have had their share of hiccups. But the front four have remained steady.
“Honestly, they’ve graded well all year. They’ve really played at a high level,” Pelini said Sunday. “We were able to make (Kansas) one-dimensional in how we played the run. And they were able to get their ears back and go get that guy (Reesing). Probably made him uncomfortable.”
You could say that. Reesing didn’t emerge for postgame interviews because he was getting treatment for knee and rib injuries.
The Husker defensive line also largely bottled up KU’s running game. Kansas finished with 118 yards rushing, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry.
Pelini said everyone who played on the line Saturday contributed — including Clayton Sievers, Jared Crick and Shukree Barfield off the bench.
But Suh really stole the show, putting up defensive statistics that haven’t been seen around here in a while:
* His 12 tackles were the most by a defensive lineman since Titus Adams had that many against Kansas State in 2005.
* His 2½ sacks were a career-high and most by a Husker in 70 games since Demorrio Williams had three against Utah State in 2003.
* His four tackles for loss were the most by a Husker in 38 games since Bo Ruud had five against Kansas State in 2005.
* His team-leading 60 tackles this season are the most by an NU defensive lineman since Ryon Bingham had 67 in 2002. A Husker D-lineman had not led the team in tackles since John Bell had 96 in 1973.
* His average of six tackles a game leads all Big 12 linemen.
* And, oh, yeah, he’s now playing some fullback, catching a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter Saturday.
“He’s improved dramatically every week,” Pelini said. “He’s really grown in every aspect. He’s a total team guy. He’s just the kind of guy you want in the program.”
Linebacker Cody Glenn said the dominance of Suh and his cohorts make the job a lot easier for everyone else on the defense.
Reesing still made some big plays, passing for 304 yards, but he also missed on 15 of 30 passes, and the D-line pressure was a big reason for that.
Nebraska’s sixth win of the season was a significant step for a team that last year allowed Kansas to score touchdowns on 10 straight possessions.
“It’s incredible,” Glenn said. “I can’t even describe the feeling right now just because what happened down there last year, and where our team is heading this year, just to make a statement and beat them. I’m not going to say it was easy, but it was pretty dominating fashion on our part.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
Most Commented Football