As Nebraska continues preparing for the Las Vegas Bowl showdown against Utah, there are plenty of storylines to track. Chief among those, especially considering how good the Utes are, is how interim defensive coordinator Phil Snow will make adjustments to improve his unit.
Earlier this week, Snow addressed the media and talked about all the changes that have occurred, especially in who is coaching the defensive line leading up to the Huskers' final game of the 2025 season.
When asked if he was changing the play calling or assignments from what former DC John Butler had, Snow said he was not. However, the significant change he was making was trying to get the players to know their assignments better than they did in the regular season.
Nebraska’s defensive focus shifts from scheme to execution
"Well, any time that you see plays that aren't very well executed, that's really the problem, right, is that people aren't in the proper gaps. Their eyes aren't doing what they're supposed to," Snow began.
"Some of the guys, guys, at times don't even know what the call is. Believe it or not. I mean, it's... So all this stuff, we've got to play at a level that we're capable of. And so I'm trying to get 100% out of all of them that way."
"And really, they're non-physical things. So think about how hard you play. That doesn't take talent. Knowing what you're doing, that doesn't take talent. All right. Now, the physicality of the game, a little bit of that does, but a lot of it's heart, too, and you've got to bring it."
It's more than a little disconcerting that the coaching staff knows that players simply didn't know their assignments after 12 games. However, that's a good reason why Butler was fired.
Nebraska has its work cut out for it against No. 15 Utah, so these tweaks might not show up right away. However, the defense, especially with no opt-outs as of yet, could find a way to pull off a big upset.