McKewon Monday Rewind: Husker defense has a ways to go

ColoradoHusk said:
Yes, Bo had complete failures against Wisconsin twice, UCLA, and a few other games. However, with Banker's D they are a complete sieve. Against Michigan State, the Spartans went FG, TD, INT, TD, TD, TD, TD in a span of 7 possessions. That's not good.
Click to expand...
...and here we go again.

Bo showed us in the 2012 conference title game that he was a mental midget defensively in big games. Once Suh and the Peso Defense graduated and we moved to the Big 10, Bo was relatively embarrassing in the games that mattered. He should have won a conference title in 2012. He couldn't (and wouldn't) adjust. Rinse, wash, repeat.

He couldn't stop the run in a conference built largely for the run, when it mattered. That's actually for me the number one reason that I'm glad at this point that he's gone. In my completely subjective opinion, Bo was never going to beat Urban in a conference title. Conference titles are what we need. Our new guy knows how to stop the run. Let's give him some time to work with his secondary.

 
Danimal said:
When did we make a good hire? When Solich threw friendship aside and called Monte Kiffen for a name on who would be a good DC. You know what's depressing?
Click to expand...
Yes, I do know what's depressing - watching highlights of the 2012 conference title game and last year's Wisconsin game. You remember those, don't you?

We have to beat Wisconsin and Iowa to get to Indy. Two teams that run the ball.

We have to beat Ohio State to win the conference title. A team that has a punishing offensive line and running backs, year in and year out.

What part of this doesn't make sense to you? We have a guy who can stop the run. Let's give him some time to sort out the secondary play...

 
EVERY FREAKING GAME MATTERS!

When you start pretending like only certain games matter...you start losing to Illinois and Purdue.

Let me guess...last year the Iowa game "didn't matter" but this year it will? Now all of a sudden "we have to beat Iowa to get to Indy" when last year, it didn't matter.

You don't get to the conference champion game by just winning the games that "matter" because the moment you lose a game...that turns into a game that "mattered"

How nice would it be right now to have won that games that "didn't matter", you know, Illinois and purdue...along with a game that "did matter" Wisconsin (I am guessing that one mattered, right?). Did Northwestern matter, I don't know.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am not trying to "defend Bo", but whenever someone has something to "defend Banker" the only defense is how Bo's D fared against Wisconsin and other teams that have punishing run games.

I understand what a defense needs to be strong in the Big Ten. However, just because Banker's scheme focuses on the run game, doesn't make it an inherently good defense. The scheme allows for guys to pass it too easily. The scheme allowed Joel Stave to look like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning rolled into one package. I don't like a defense that is predicated on a QB "messing up". QB's are good enough at the collegiate level to make the necessary throws.

 
The defense that is built to beat Wisconsin or Iowa isn't going to mean anything if it allows Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, and other teams to roll up and down the field.

Smart offenses may say "let's try to establish the run" in the first quarter, but then decide "let's throw the ball every down" after they realize how easy it is to pass against the Banker D.

 
Danimal said:
Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it:

Solich lets McBride and TO talk him into promoting Bohl to DC

BC hooks-up his old buddy Cosgrove when times had already passed him by at Wiscy.

When we can Carl the fornicator and miss on Mike Stoops rather than just go for another big DC hire we promote Papuchis to a job he wasn't ready for.

Riley brings along a DC that he was being pushed to can at freaking Oregon State.

When did we make a good hire? When Solich threw friendship aside and called Monte Kiffen for a name on who would be a good DC. You know what's depressing? To see UNC this year. They have Warren on db's(after we let ourselves get outbid), Papuchis on lb's, and most importantly brought in Gene Chizik to run the D. They are killing it. That is how you staff to win. You go out and hire the best you can get, you don't have half your team ran by a buddy you hooked-up.
Click to expand...
That I can agree on.

Our overall D is worst than the last several years (I think we're sitting at 85 currently) but our D ranking has been in the 40s, 50s, and 60s in the not so distant past. Every year Pelini won 10 games, it was top 10, every other year it was much lower and the opponents average scoring jumped from <20 points per game to 25-28 ppg. Those years they just got on the other side of the W column with a little better offense at the right times and the hail marys going their way. Like Saturday, finding a way to win using the offense to overcome our defense.

Last year they finished 61st with 26.4 ppg and this year they are at 85 with 29 ppg. Those 2.6 ppg better defense from last year wins an extra 3 games. Or one extra drive a game to the 25-30 yard line by the offense to kick a FG in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.

 
teachercd...I was giving context to the teams we play against in this conference.

Every game matters, yes. The point was mainly how much of a failure Bo was at critical times in defending the run when we got into the Big 10.

(And we lost to Illinois and Purdue because of an anemic offensive game plan, in my opinion.)

 
Undone said:
teachercd...I was giving context to the teams we play against in this conference.

Every game matters, yes. The point was mainly how much of a failure Bo was at critical times in defending the run when we got into the Big 10.

(And we lost to Illinois and Purdue because of an anemic offensive game plan, in my opinion.)
Click to expand...
55 points given up to Purdue is the result of an anemic offensive game plan? Purdue has scored a total of 55 points in 4 games against the other Big Ten opponents this season.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
Undone said:
teachercd...I was giving context to the teams we play against in this conference.

Every game matters, yes. The point was mainly how much of a failure Bo was at critical times in defending the run when we got into the Big 10.

(And we lost to Illinois and Purdue because of an anemic offensive game plan, in my opinion.)
Click to expand...
55 points given up to Purdue is the result of an anemic offensive game plan? Purdue has scored a total of 55 points in 4 games against the other Big Ten opponents this season.
Click to expand...
Purdue was playing the long con against us, and it paid off?
default_dunno.gif


 
Ha, obviously I agree we were terrible on defense against Purdue.

But in no way should they have led in time of possession, when their rush defense was something like 100th in the country. We should have Imani Cross'd their a**, instead of letting Ryker play catch with the other team.

 
Undone said:
Ha, obviously I agree we were terrible on defense against Purdue.

But in no way should they have led in time of possession, when their rush defense was something like 100th in the country. We should have Imani Cross'd their a**, instead of letting Ryker play catch with the other team.
Click to expand...
I agree with you in that sentiment. The Purdue game plan is probably the worst game plan this year. Completely baffling.

 
Undone said:
Danimal said:
When did we make a good hire? When Solich threw friendship aside and called Monte Kiffen for a name on who would be a good DC. You know what's depressing?
Click to expand...
We have a guy who can stop the run.
Click to expand...
Do we? I can't say that with any clarity, because this defense has yet to be tested. I posted numbers last week, but we've played bottom tier running teams all year. Mr Ground N Pound Wisconsin is 76th in the nation in rushing yards per carry, MSU 82nd. These are not numbers you associate with these teams. Wisconsin led the nation last year (second the year prior), MSU was 19th. It's been a very bad year for Big Ten rushing.

There's no real context to put this rush defense in, so I can't say. That's kind of how rushing goes. It's big rushes and players that can create those plays that separates rushing attacks. The Big Ten, aside from Ohio State, is sorely lacking here.

 
Back
Top