Dave Weaver - AP
#PersaStrong was no match for Baker Steinkuhler. Unfortunately, the same couldn't have been said about Kain Coulter, his backup. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)
Looking at the interior defensive line, Nebraska only really loses Terrence Moore. We kind of forgot about Jared Crick, as he got hurt early in the season and really wasn't much of a factor this season. I guess that's the downside of returning for your senior season; we can only speculate as to whether the injury will hurt Crick's NFL prospects.
Returning: Baker Steinkuhler, Sr. (starter); Chase Rome, So. (starter); Thaddeus Randle, Jr.; Jay Guy, So.; Todd Peat, RFr. ; Kevin Williams RFr; Justin Jackson, Sr.
Incoming: None.
Mike: It's hard to say how much Jared Crick was hurt earlier in the season, but I don't think Nebraska lost much when he finally was ruled out. Chase Rome did a pretty good job replacing him as a freshman. Baker Steinkuhler had his moments all season wreaking havoc inside. He's no Ndamukong Suh, but that's a ridiculous standard to hold a guy to. This is another group that I'd just like to see overall improvement from, and that's where the Rick Kaczenski hire comes into play
Jon: Is this karma? Did we get spoiled by watching Ndamukong Suh toss players around only to have our star defensive tackle pay the price by missing most of his senior season? It sure seems like it. Or were the injury problems due to playing in a new conference? It's easy to say, but Crick was gone for the year before conference play started.
What a disappointing season for the Black Shirts. The good news is that a lot of guys got experience which means they should be better next season. Rome and Randle should be ready to go in 2012, but it still looks like there's potential for depth issues.
Bill: You hate to see guys get hurt, especially star defensive tackles who make the cover of Sports Illustrated. Although Jared Crick never quite dominated double teams the way Suh did, at least he was still drawing them. When he went down, the entire defense changed because there wasn‘t anyone else as dangerous on the defensive line for other teams to worry about.
Crick's injury gave Chase Rome an opportunity to start a year earlier than planned, and I thought he played really well for a redshirt freshman. He is poised for a bright future. Add Todd Peat Jr. and this group has great depth and should be one that fans don't need to worry about. Of course, that's what we thought last August.
One last thing- can we all try our very hardest to stop expecting the DT's to measure up to Ndamukong Suh? I know it‘s hard, and we're all guilty...
Andy: As for the Suh comparisons, it may never happen. Georgia RB's have been trying to measure up to Herschel for close to 30 years now. One of the things that seemed apparent this season is that our DT's weren't necessarily built for run plugging at around 6'6" each. They were like huge power forwards who were made to rush the passer and swat stuff down at the line. Crick got hurt, Steinkuhler adjusted and Rome started flashing the promise that will make him an All-American.
As for the future, check the guys we've been recruiting - Rome, Guy, Peat, Williams and current year target, Vincent Valentine, all have pretty quick feet, but physically they are built to plug holes. With proper development, of course, they all sport frames that will not easily be moved off the line. Is this suggesting a gradual return to a more traditional 4-3 with attacks off the ends?
Last year, Bo appeared to leave the defense more in Carl's hands while designing the new offense with Beck (and if I'm spotting the influence of certain schemes, a certain AD with a background in power football, blocking schemes and option). This year, I look for Beck to be more on his own as Bo plays the same role with Papuchis in his 1st year. The defensive tackle position will be one of the strengths of the D this season despite the loss of Crick. Look for Peat to challenge Randle for the 3rd spot in the rotation.
0 recs | 10 comments
I’d watch for Williams to come in on spot downs. IIRC he had a decent spring game, and he was an absolute monster in high school (something like 100+ tackles from the DT spot). I do like our stock of underclassmen, but it’s really starting to look to me like 2013 is the year we make a NC run.
Schedule flips so we aren’t playing Wisconsin and Ohio State, Robinson gone from Michigan, and the only significant loss we will have is Burkhead (and that really is a giant one). But we do have the 3 RBs this year to step in. If, and this is a big if, Martinez can still improve we’re looking at a team who can at least make a run at the B1G Championship.
whateveritis12 - January 25, 2012
I agree with this
I think the Huskers need to make a BCS game this year for me to believe that it’s possible, though. Even if we don’t make the national championship that year, I think anything less than 12 wins would be a disappointment.
Just for fun, here’s a quick look at 2013-
QB- Martinez, Sr. (4th year starter)
RB- Green/Heard/Abdullah, Jr (3rd year of playing time)
WR- Kenny Bell, Jr /Jamal Turner, Jr / Quincy Enunwa, Sr /Jordan Westerkamp, So
TE- ? …Jake Long, Sr and Sam Cotton, RFr
OG- Spencer Long, Sr (3rd year starter), Andrew Rodriguez, Sr (3rd year starter)
OT- Tyler Moore, Jr (3rd year starter), Jeremiah Sirles, Sr (3rd year starter)
C- Cole Pensick/Ryne Reeves/whoever wins the job this year (2nd year starter)
Plus, at offensive line we’ll have guys like Zach Sterrup, Paul Thurston, and hopefully Andrus Peat that will all be in the mix and pushing the guys ahead of them. Actually, you could probably put Andrus Peat as a starter if he comes.
There’s a lot of questions on defense, some of which will be answered this year. With the talent and experience on the offensive side of the ball, I think as long as Bo can put together a marginally decent defense, this is easily a top 10 team, no matter how difficult the schedule is. Luckily, the schedule looks to be pretty easy that year. Their ceiling will be based on how good they are on defense, because it looks like the offense will be really good.
Billgrip - January 25, 2012
The potential is there
Just like it was this past year and the year before that. Pelini’s more or less got the pieces in place. To have that final breakthrough, this team needs to develop some consistency (can we PLEASE have one year where the Huskers don’t drop a home game to an inferior opponent??) and/or make the decisive play(s) in the decisive game(s).
I don’t doubt we’ve got the talent/potential, but until I see what I just mentioned above, I’m sticking with another 9/10 win season.
jdhusker - January 25, 2012
Agree
Lets have a year when we consistently hold on to the football whether it be by run or pass. That alone should get another win probably two. That turns 9 and 10 win seasons into 10 and 11 win seasons. That's the difference between a BCS bid and the Capital One Bowl. If things don't improve in that area alone we can plan on another 9 or 10 win year in my opinion.Huzkerfan - January 25, 2012
More so last year than this year
I think the 2010 team was pretty deep and experienced…but was held back by QB play at the end of the season. A deep and experienced team with a senior quarterback (especially a 4th year starter), and a somewhat easy schedule…I think there’s plenty of reasons for optimism in 2013. Next season I’m guessing we’ll end up with 9 or 10 wins again though.
Billgrip - January 25, 2012
On a semi- related note...
..since that’s where the discussion is leaning a little, right now I sort of see Pelini’s Huskers beginning to resembles Osborne’s Huskers in a few ways.
- Pelini has knocked out 9 wins in each of his 1st four seasons. Only 8 schools including Nebraska have done this in the last 4 years.
- Some would argue that Pelini is at an advantage with 13-14 games to knock out 9 wins. I’d rgue that this isn’t the case as he playing conference schedules much more difficult than TO ever faced in the old Big 8. For many of those seasons, OU & one noncon opponent were the only loseable games on the schedule.
- Despite, some inconsistency on offense (an Osborne staple as well against stiff defenses until the 90’s), the defense has been generally solid, even spectacular at times (ditto Osborne’s teams) and 9 wins a year for four straight years after the Callahan mess would seem to represent a return to consistency and excellence.
- We seem to be harder on Bo than the rest of the country (bitching about the occasional meltdowns aside). Much could be said about TO as well. We’re much less patient now, however. I believe it was about 6 years before we tried to run Ozzie off for topping out at 9-10 wins per season.
Andy Ketterson - January 26, 2012
We may be harder on Bo than TO
but did TO ever have a “You saw the game, what did you think?” Moment?
Conspiracy* - January 26, 2012
In those early years...
…they didn’t jam a camera in Osborne’s face. Postgame interviews were done in the locker room with guys carrying a notepad. Maybe a microphone and a tape recorder. Maybe.
That being said, Osborne wasn’t going to say those types of things no matter what…
Husker Mike - January 26, 2012
I seem to recall
maybe it was in Mike Babcock’s book “Stadium Stories” how he related that Osborne was very unhappy with one of the first articles he did – Osborne felt that Babcock might have given too much information about the team away in the paper, information that would allow the other team to gain an edge.
While he might not have yelled at Babcock, he got his point across, and that brings up another point.
You look at a postgame interview, and dependent upon the game, who knows how many media people are in the room. There’s no way that Pelini knows each one of them personally. You probably couldn’t say the say for Osborne.
And when we’re comparing these guys – why isn’t Pelini ever compared to Bob Devaney? If he was, Pelini would damned sure come out ahead, because if you talk to anyone who dealt with Devaney when he was mad, Pelini would look like some kind of puss boy by comparison.
Jon Johnston - January 27, 2012
I thought that was what the original, honeymoon-phase comparison always was.
I could’ve sworn either one of the LJS or OWH writers wrote back in 2007 that we could expect Pelini to be more like the fiery Devaney rather than the more stoic Osborne .
Maybe Pelini is being hurt somewhat by having this demigod in the same house, so easy to compare to, that people have forgotten that we knew what were getting when Pelini was hired in the first place?
I mean, the first thing any one ever mentioned when they brought up Pelini was the 2003 K-State blowout.
Salt Creek and Stadium - January 27, 2012
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