The Nebraska football team doesn't have long to try and figure out exactly what went wrong against Penn State, considering they have a game on Friday against the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, head coach Matt Rhule knows why a usually stout NU pass defense was used and abused by the Nittany Lions.
As it turns out, the Huskers' run defense, which has struggled all season, is starting to negatively affect the secondary. Specifically, guys who would normally be dedicated to locking down receivers and tight ends are having to move up and keep an eye on the backfield to help a defensive line that simply isn't getting the job done.
The Nebraska head coach said as much when he addressed the media after his team's 37-10 loss in Happy Valley. It was the worst loss of the season and the biggest blowout since last year's 56-7 defeat at the hands of Indiana.
Nebraska's run defense struggles are bleeding over into the secondary
"We were having to commit guys to the run and bring pressures. And they caught us in some zones, they caught us in scramble," Rhule said.
"It wasn't like they were lining up and dropping back and dialing us apart. It wasn't like they were beating us in man. And I don't mean any discredit to them. But John (Butler) was bringing pressure and they were just picking up some of the pressures."
The numbers back Rhule up to some degree. The Huskers managed just four quarterback hurries, and three of those four were from the secondary. Even when Butler tried to dial up pressure with the defensive backs, they weren't always successful, and that led to more receivers running open.
Penn State's Ethan Grunkemeyer only had to attempt 12 passes all game, but he completed all but one of them for 181 yards and a touchdown. That 15.1 yards per attempt was one of the best in the Big Ten over the last 30 years, especially when he also completed 90% of his passes.
The worst part of Rhule's admission about why Nebraska's pass defense struggled is that Iowa is likely to force the same kind of approach on Black Friday. There's certainly been no indication that the Husker front can match up well against the Hawkeyes' offensive line.