Nebraska Football: 3 questions that need answers against North Dakota
The Nebraska football team’s defense was, in a word … terrible last Saturday against Northwestern. The Blackshirts really didn’t do anything all that well and even when they did get a stop, it felt more like Northwestern had made some weird offensive play call rather than the Cornhuskers bowed up and really shut the Wildcats down.
One area that stood out more than any other was that the pass rush was just totally and completely non-existent. Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski was able to stand in the pocket and do whatever he wanted to do all game.
Even when the Huskers blitzed, it felt like the defensive lineman didn’t occupy enough men to let the blitzer get through. The line also didn’t get much of a push when it came to run defense, but the sheer total lack of pressure against Northwestern should have Nebraska football’s defense’s coaches trying to find ways to fix that immediately.
That’s not to say that managing to get pressure on North Dakota is proof that things are fixed. However, if the Huskers struggle to find a way to pressure the Fighting Hawks then it would seem as though the defense is in real trouble.
Next. Buckle up because it’s a long season. dark
The added point is that North Dakota has some size on its offensive line. It shouldn’t be a group that can just be bowled over. While it’s an FCS school, it’s a unit that’s talented enough that if the Nebraska football team can get three or four or five sacks, that might be one area where a fix is in being put in place.