Key to 2012: STOP MOBILE QB's!!

[Ogahusker]

Historically, NU has struggled with mobile QB's. 2011 was proof of this and then some. Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin and 3 quarters of Braxton Miller and OSU were games that our defense had no answer for good mobile QB's on pretty good teams. Against MSU, we did a great job and won but against a QB not known for being too mobile. Same with Iowa.

My biggest concern is stopping Shoelace, Miller and Coulter. I don't see the players on D to pull it off, especially with Lavonte gone. Can the Huskers put together a game plan to slow these guys down? I doubt it, but maybe some of you can convince me otherwise.

[Huskers57]

Wholeheartedly agree. We need to stop MOBILE qbs...

[NavyWarrant]

Constant pressure! Bring a blitzer on every play to keep them off balance. You may give up a big play every now and then, but getting in the mobile QB's head is key. If he is running for his life, he isn't going through his reads.

[utsker]

Bo should consult Beck on this since Beck did a good job of limiting our mobile QB

[Ogahusker]

I'm not impressed with these guys passing ability. Shoelace throws a lot of Int's and Miller is not knows for being much of a passer. I agree with blitzing, but delayed blitzes. Straight blitzes means a lot of open field if they get past the blitz.

[Train]

When they say he is a mobile quarterback, it usually means that said player usually has success to some degree or another with most defenses. Nebraska on the other hand didn't have as much trouble with mobile quarterbacks until the last decade. The defensive schemes from McBride was to attack the quarterback rather than just contain. I can remember many DEs for Nebraska that got there (to the quarterback) very quickly. Very quickly. One sports article called Nebraska Defensive end U. Harper, Derry, Alberts all the way to Wistrom. That isn't today's MO. In days gone by it was a race to the quarterback. He would dodge one, sometimes two rushers but often times he ducked right into the path of a runaway freight train. I remember many a quarterback back then who looked like he had went through a meat grinder. Several never finished the contests and the ones that did were ducking shadows. Their heads were not totally focussed at the task at hand. This goes back to some threads of discussion a month or two back. Does this two gap containment defense really contain such quarterbacks?

The containment is about occupation of offensive blocking assets and extra pass defenders down field for the most part. Disruption of the quarterbacks grey matter, rather than putting knots on the outside of his cranium. It hurt the defense against the run and it meant nobody had the quarterback. Or at least that is how it has turned out. Nebraska used to dominate rushing offenses years back. They beat up quarterbacks with consistency with a race to the quarterback. Sometimes they outnumbered the blocking and sometimes they just ran past them with pure speed and aggression. It comes down to philosophies. McBride's was old school aggression and Bo's is all about outsmarting and confusion. At least that is how I see it.

[DuckTownHusker]

I've never understood why we struggle with mobile QBs, especially since we have Martinez and Carnes on the roster. Heck, even guys like Jamal Turner and Rex Burkhead could function as a mobile QB in practice.

This is like Michael Jordan not knowing how to stop someone from shooting a basket. If you're good at it, you should understand how to pick it apart and stop others.

[ShortSideOption]

Watch for teams that don't have mobile QBs to start "rolling the pocket"....this does not mean running rollout passes. Frankly, Michigan State had one of the worst game plans i've ever seen for a Division 1 football program against us. They will be many times better. But nail on the head with the hammer, we stop mobile QBs we solve a lot of our problems....

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

You stop a mobile QB with 2 factors. A strong pass rush, and someone who is spying to take the scramble out of the equation. With our 2 gap style, unfortunately the weakness of it, is it opens rush lanes for the QB. Our pass rush has been fairly dismal the last 2 years on top of that, so if that improves, I think well see an improvement on stopping these mobile QB's. Guys like Robinson though, they are going to get their yards. Some times guys like that are just special players, theyre going to escape and get their yards.

As SSO said, rolling the pocket. Northwestern did that a few times vs. us, and had really good success with it. Basically the playside lineman move with the QB, and the back side step back and hinge to stop backside penetration. If we can improve our pass rush, we greatly improve our odds on stopping the mobile QB's.

[shucker]

I wonder if Pelini had more depth on the defensive line the last couple years, would he have been as conservative when gameplanning for these QBs. Probably so, as his plan of attack against mobile QBs is fairly consistant. But there are many factors and behind the scene knowledge that we as fans dont see and that we cant gauge. When has Pelini had good depth on his line at NU? 2003? On that note, I agree 100% that we need to do better stopping mobile QBs.

[Bluto]

I wonder if Pelini had more depth on the defensive line the last couple years, would he have been as conservative when gameplanning for these QBs.

Quite right. This was the first thought that came to mind. If the hosses up front could be more domineering, the backers would be free to more creatively used.

[husker6]

I assume that you mean Daunte Culpepper, Corby Jones, Charlie Ward and Michael Bishop as well?

Not that we don't need to do better with "mobile" QB's but on the average I don't think it's an issue specific to Nebraska.

[husker6]

You stop a mobile QB with 2 factors. A strong pass rush, and someone who is spying to take the scramble out of the equation. With our 2 gap style, unfortunately the weakness of it, is it opens rush lanes for the QB. Our pass rush has been fairly dismal the last 2 years on top of that, so if that improves, I think well see an improvement on stopping these mobile QB's. Guys like Robinson though, they are going to get their yards. Some times guys like that are just special players, theyre going to escape and get their yards.

As SSO said, rolling the pocket. Northwestern did that a few times vs. us, and had really good success with it. Basically the playside lineman move with the QB, and the back side step back and hinge to stop backside penetration. If we can improve our pass rush, we greatly improve our odds on stopping the mobile QB's.

I wonder if Pelini had more depth on the defensive line the last couple years, would he have been as conservative when gameplanning for these QBs. Probably so, as his plan of attack against mobile QBs is fairly consistant. But there are many factors and behind the scene knowledge that we as fans dont see and that we cant gauge. When has Pelini had good depth on his line at NU? 2003? On that note, I agree 100% that we need to do better stopping mobile QBs.

+1 to these.

[Vinny]

In my amateur opinion it is our end play that could do better in containing mobile qb's. I remember Meredith seeming hesitant once he beat his blocker and standing up in front of the qb when he got to them, then getting beat to the sideline when if he just went for the qb initially he would have had the sack. Our defensive tackles were guilty of this too I'm sure, but I really recall watching Meredith chase the qb quite a bit. Maybe they were coached to play it that way, maybe not, but either way, I'd like to see that change.

[bilsker]

When they say he is a mobile quarterback, it usually means that said player usually has success to some degree or another with most defenses. Nebraska on the other hand didn't have as much trouble with mobile quarterbacks until the last decade.

I recall corby jones and james brown and Michael Bishop being a bit of a problem. Those are just off the top of my head but I am sure there were others.

Fact is GOOD mobile QBs cause everyone problems. I don't think it's exclusive to NU or Pelini. It's why mobile QBs (ones that can both pass AND run/evade a rush) are in such demand.

[bilsker]

NU handled Tyrod Taylor pretty well in 2009...lucky sob simply made one play and it was a gift.

[bilsker]

I assume that you mean Daunte Culpepper, Corby Jones, Charlie Ward and Michael Bishop as well?

Not that we don't need to do better with "mobile" QB's but on the average I don't think it's an issue specific to Nebraska.

Guess I should have kept reading.

[Greatest Fan of All]

I wonder if Pelini had more depth on the defensive line the last couple years, would he have been as conservative when gameplanning for these QBs. Probably so, as his plan of attack against mobile QBs is fairly consistant. But there are many factors and behind the scene knowledge that we as fans dont see and that we cant gauge. When has Pelini had good depth on his line at NU? 2003? On that note, I agree 100% that we need to do better stopping mobile QBs.

2003:

Kansas State 38, Nebraska 9
Elle Roberson 22 carries for 90 yards

Texas 31, Nebraska 7
Vince Young 14 carries for 163 yards

Missouri 41, Nebraska 24
Brad Smith, 18 carries for 123 yards

[DuckTownHusker]

Ndamukong Suh handled everyone pretty well in 2009...lucky sob simply made one play and it was a gift.

Fixed it for ya.

[Ogahusker]

I assume that you mean Daunte Culpepper, Corby Jones, Charlie Ward and Michael Bishop as well?

Not that we don't need to do better with "mobile" QB's but on the average I don't think it's an issue specific to Nebraska.

If memory serves, those guys played us during a time when our offense could put the opponent behind the eight ball in a hurry. If NU got up 14, 17, 21 pts, teams had to start passing thus changing the dynamic of a mobile QB oriented offense. I'll go back and check some stats on those games. Interesting stuff. Good list of players H6.