Sack leader

[BigMacHusker]

I can think of 50 (or is it 100) things to put on my list of worries ahead of athleticism on the DL. I'd put OLB at or near the top.

I'd also put Compton very high on the most under rated/appreciated LBs to play at Nebraska, he could get home on a delayed blitz.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

That was a loaded front seven. Noonan, Skow, Spachman, Broderick Thomas, Neil Smith, Munford. Still managed to lose three games.

Oklahoma was just loaded that year, and if it weren't for Jerome Brown (purposefully?) breaking Troy Aikman's leg, they wouldn't have lost a game. Florida State was a fluke, and Michigan was roughly equivalent. Nebraska didn't yet have Steve Taylor ready to play QB, and everybody else was pedestrian.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

I can think of 50 (or is it 100) things to put on my list of worries ahead of athleticism on the DL. I'd put OLB at or near the top.

You're talking about two sides of the same coin: a fantastic D-line will make average OLBs look like superstars, and superstar OLBs force O-lines to block D-linemen one-on-one, which make them better. I want both. We got Hutmacher and Gunnerson, and that's a great start.

 

[BigMacHusker]

You're talking about two sides of the same coin: a fantastic D-line will make average OLBs look like superstars, and superstar OLBs force O-lines to block D-linemen one-on-one, which make them better. I want both. We got Hutmacher and Gunnerson, and that's a great start.

I'm talking about what we have now and starting with winning the B1G West. If we can't win the B1G West with the athleticism of the current DL then I think we may be doing it wrong.

 

[CrabHusker]

I'm talking about what we have now and starting with winning the B1G West. If we can't win the B1G West with the athleticism of the current DL then I think we may be doing it wrong.

I hear what you're saying, but this isn't the best D Line group in the West. If it was, there would still be other considerations when it comes to winning the division.

 

[CrabHusker]

You're talking about two sides of the same coin: a fantastic D-line will make average OLBs look like superstars, and superstar OLBs force O-lines to block D-linemen one-on-one, which make them better. I want both. We got Hutmacher and Gunnerson, and that's a great start.

True story.

 

[BigMacHusker]

I hear what you're saying, but this isn't the best D Line group in the West. If it was, there would still be other considerations when it comes to winning the division.

We don't have to be the best at every position group. I would put the athleticism of our current DL up against any in the West, the opinion of the group as a whole would be different had the current staff been here the past 5 years.

 

[CrabHusker]

We don't have to be the best at every position group. I would put the athleticism of our current DL up against any in the West, the opinion of the group as a whole would be different had the current staff been here the past 5 years.

No question the kids would be further along if they'd have had this coaching and S&C staff here for five years. I think you'd also have better recruiting those years as well. This would be a totally different team.

 

[ShortSideOption]

I'm not sure having both those guys setting the edge against B1G teams on 1st and 2nd downs is the best idea, but I could definitely see them on the field at the same time in sub packages on throwing downs.

Your line of thinking is exactly why Alex Davis is a starter, and what the coaches are thinking. So you are in good company and quite honestly not wrong right now. Domann and Ferguson could work against spread teams, but against Wisconsin and Iowa who we have to beat to win the West, probably not a good bet. They are designing packages to get Domann on the field more.

With that said, let's look at snaps on the field last year, tackles, and sacks:

Luke Gifford 806 snaps, 62 tackles, 5.5 sacks
Trying Ferguson 290 36 tackles, 1.0 sacks
Alex Davis 253 5 tackles, 0.0 sacks
JoJo Domann 183 snaps, 19 tackles, 1.0 sacks

Alex Davis has to turn a major corner, and when Ferguson and Domann are on the field, they make plays and make things happen. While Alex Davis isn't tackling anyone at all. People can improve, so hoping for the best, but this is certainly an area of concern.

 

[BigMacHusker]

No question the kids would be further along if they'd have had this coaching and S&C staff here for five years. I think you'd also have better recruiting those years as well. This would be a totally different team.

I've been hearing the "recruit better players" thing since the day Solich was fired. I started "lurking" here somewhere around '02 and it was only for recruiting info, now I still follow recruiting but from quite a distance. It's been the same thing over and over again, we are told that this and that recruit are the answer and I'm not sure there hasn't been a year where we get a 4* OL who will rebuild the pipeline. Fast forward a few years and all of the saviors aren't good enough and we need to recruit better. It's groundhog day in here.

One thing that has been consistent since we joined the B1G is we have out recruited the West, but somehow we can't win and it's because we need better players. I really don't know how that makes since to anyone after all of these years. Now we have Hutmacher and Corcoran coming so we can finally win the B1G West. If that's what it takes to win the B1G West what will it take to win the B1G, and who do we need to win it all......the Patriots? We need coaches who are good enough to take the 3* and 4* players we have been recruiting all of these years and win the West. WI and IA have been beating us with recruiting classes our board would scoff at, oh but system and this and that and blah blah blah BS.

My favorite is when the NFL draft somehow proves something, actually it does, development has been non existent at Nebraska. We actually had players get worse under the previous staff, if only we would've recruited better. Maybe one day we'll recruit all ready made NFL 5* talent and coaching/development won't matter.

 

[36Blast]

Your line of thinking is exactly why Alex Davis is a starter, and what the coaches are thinking. So you are in good company and quite honestly not wrong right now. Domann and Ferguson could work against spread teams, but against Wisconsin and Iowa who we have to beat to win the West, probably not a good bet. They are designing packages to get Domann on the field more.

With that said, let's look at snaps on the field last year, tackles, and sacks:

Luke Gifford 806 snaps, 62 tackles, 5.5 sacks
Trying Ferguson 290 36 tackles, 1.0 sacks
Alex Davis 253 5 tackles, 0.0 sacks
JoJo Domann 183 snaps, 19 tackles, 1.0 sacks

Alex Davis has to turn a major corner, and when Ferguson and Domann are on the field, they make plays and make things happen. While Alex Davis isn't tackling anyone at all. People can improve, so hoping for the best, but this is certainly an area of concern.

100% agree. Davis was one of the most unproductive players in the history of the game (only partially tongue in cheek), so we are in a bit of a bind right now if he doesnt improve dramatically. We are just too small at OLB for the 3-4. It's (along with questions at the nose) why I'm not sold on the idea that 2019 is the year this defense turns the corner. I see it coming together in 2020 and beyond when we have more guys with the body types needed to play these critical positions.

 

[Huskerthom]

100% agree. Davis was one of the most unproductive players in the history of the game (only partially tongue in cheek), so we are in a bit of a bind right now if he doesnt improve dramatically. We are just too small at OLB for the 3-4. It's (along with questions at the nose) why I'm not sold on the idea that 2019 is the year this defense turns the corner. I see it coming together in 2020 and beyond when we have more guys with the body types needed to play these critical positions.

I think this depends on your definition of turning the corner. If you mean markedly better than last year than I think that is possible this year. If you mean mid/late 90s or even Bo's first or second year. Yeah I think we are probably at least a year away.

 

[Huskerwisdom]

Your line of thinking is exactly why Alex Davis is a starter, and what the coaches are thinking. So you are in good company and quite honestly not wrong right now. Domann and Ferguson could work against spread teams, but against Wisconsin and Iowa who we have to beat to win the West, probably not a good bet. They are designing packages to get Domann on the field more.

With that said, let's look at snaps on the field last year, tackles, and sacks:

Luke Gifford 806 snaps, 62 tackles, 5.5 sacks
Trying Ferguson 290 36 tackles, 1.0 sacks
Alex Davis 253 5 tackles, 0.0 sacks
JoJo Domann 183 snaps, 19 tackles, 1.0 sacks

Alex Davis has to turn a major corner, and when Ferguson and Domann are on the field, they make plays and make things happen. While Alex Davis isn't tackling anyone at all. People can improve, so hoping for the best, but this is certainly an area of concern.

Great breakdown of stats -- in the end, the 3-4 LB's had better be productive as they are the guys who are shielded by the front 3 (OK, so maybe not always last year) and free to run around and make plays

Davis was shockingly unproductive. It's possible the light bulb goes off, but it's just hard for a guy to go from being that unproductive to the kind of player we need... Chin may have to be creative this year or maybe some surprises will show up. Wouldn't be surprised to see some names jump up quickly on the depth chart when we get into the fall.

 

[ShortSideOption]

100% agree. Davis was one of the most unproductive players in the history of the game (only partially tongue in cheek), so we are in a bit of a bind right now if he doesnt improve dramatically. We are just too small at OLB for the 3-4. It's (along with questions at the nose) why I'm not sold on the idea that 2019 is the year this defense turns the corner. I see it coming together in 2020 and beyond when we have more guys with the body types needed to play these critical positions.

Great breakdown of stats -- in the end, the 3-4 LB's had better be productive as they are the guys who are shielded by the front 3 (OK, so maybe not always last year) and free to run around and make plays

Davis was shockingly unproductive. It's possible the light bulb goes off, but it's just hard for a guy to go from being that unproductive to the kind of player we need... Chin may have to be creative this year or maybe some surprises will show up. Wouldn't be surprised to see some names jump up quickly on the depth chart when we get into the fall.

I think those stats illustrate pretty clearly that we didn't really have a ton of dropoff when Ferguson was gone. But, when Gifford left the field, it was a mess. We need Caleb Tannor to figure things out, but the issue is, he plays Ferguson and Domanns spot, so what are we really gaining there?

To me, Alex Davis is that basketball player (literally) that tests out well and isn't D1, so he goes out for football and lights up the camp circuit. You put his testing numbers against Luke Giffords and it's not even close. You watch them run, cut, etc., next to each other, Alex Davis is getting picked 9/10 times. But instincts and 'being a football player' go a long ways in this sport. If we had 8 Luke Giffords on this team, no one would be worried about OLB this year. And that kid was a low 3 star who grew up 10 miles from Memorial Stadium, so I don't think OLB recruiting is as impossible as some make it out to be. Now, NG is another story, but we got our guy in 2020 so there is hope.

 

[ChicagoB1GRed]

I've been hearing the "recruit better players" thing since the day Solich was fired....
One thing that has been consistent since we joined the B1G is we have out recruited the West, but somehow we can't win and it's because we need better players...
We need coaches who are good enough to take the 3* and 4* players we have been recruiting all of these years and win the West. WI and IA have been beating us with recruiting classes our board would scoff at...

Agree we need better coaching to win the West who we outrecruit...probably need better coaches AND players to win the B1G