Chinander Explains Focus for Defensive Improvement

Football
9/6/2022 11:51:00 AM

NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska’s defensive coordinator Erik Chinander met with members of the media following Tuesday’s practice. Chinander addressed the halftime adjustments that needed to be made during the North Dakota game.
 
“At halftime a few mistakes we had to get cleaned up,” Chinander said. “A few misfits a few things in coverage but for the most part this game never changes. This game is about getting off blocks. It is about tackling. It is about covering. We just need to do our fundamentals. Our eyes had to be right. Everybody has to do their job on every single play. One play at a time for 85 plays in a row. There is not much else to it.”
 
Chinander was asked how he felt about the defensive performance over the first couple games.
 
“Not good enough,” he said. “Once again not up to our standard but I feel like this is a young group that is hungry that wants to be good that wants to win and wants to do things the right way. I think that they will continue to get better and better every week and that is the exciting thing with this group.”
 
He also spoke on missed tackles.
 
“We still missed a few out there,” Chinander said.  “Unfortunately most of the misses we have had the last couple weeks have led to extending drives. We have to do a better job leveraging the football right now. All levels of the defense defensive line linebackers defensive backs everyone has to do a better job leveraging the football. When you leverage the football those missed tackles if you do get a missed tackle they turn into one extra yard instead of five or six or plus so we just need to do a better job at leveraging the football.”
 
The Huskers will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. against Georgia Southern at Memorial Stadium. The game is set to be broadcasted on FS1, with radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.