Has defense lived up to hype?

Veteran starters were back all over the field from a defense that dragged the Huskers to five wins the year prior. Defensive coordinator Tony White was back too, eager to keep complacency from setting in.

“Every year it’s a new team and a new attitude, so you go into it like it’s the first year,” White said prior to fall camp. “The very first message yesterday when we met together as a defensive staff was, ‘This group hasn’t done anything.’”

That message carried through into the season when, even after a strong start, the Huskers weren’t satisfied.

“Right now we’re the worst defense in the country,” White said after Nebraska’s win over Colorado, referencing the need to forget the previous week’s result and focus on an upcoming opponent instead.

That habit was tested when the Husker defense suffered a gut punch in an overtime loss to Illinois which accounted for 31 of the 68 points NU has allowed this season.

Illinois ran the ball. It outmuscled Nebraska in the trenches. And when the pressure was on in overtime, the Illini executed when the Huskers didn’t.

“That’s not Nebraska defense,” head coach Matt Rhule said afterward, a narrative reinforced by team leaders such as Isaac Gifford and Ty Robinson.

The unit’s response has meant that outside of that Illinois game, it’s been smooth sailing for a Husker defense that ranks well nationally in just about every category.

Nebraska has 20 team sacks and is the nation’s ninth-best run defense, which is yet to allow a rushing touchdown and the country’s seventh-best scoring defense. Only a No. 36-ranked passing defense could be considered a poor mark for a Nebraska defense that has impressed at every level.

Snap counts: Robinson 270, Nash Hutmacher 210, Jimari Butler 135, Cameron Lenhardt 123, James Williams 107, Kai Wallin 57, Elijah Jeudy 55, Keona Davis 54, Vincent Jackson 40.

The veterans leading the way — Robinson, Hutmacher and Butler — are no surprise after all three did the same a year ago. Robinson has been especially effective as a pass rusher, having tied for the team lead with four sacks alongside Williams.

Williams and Wallin have been Nebraska’s pass-rushing specialists, while Jeudy, Davis and Jackson have helped shore up the interior of the line. Lenhardt is a do-it-all lineman who earned a Blackshirt prior to the season.

Nebraska is smart in the way it rotates its linemen, rarely leaving individual players on the field for more than four to five plays in a row. Alongside the depth in the room, that formula has gotten the best out of a deep group of defensive linemen.

Snap counts: John Bullock 298, Mikai Gbayor 194, MJ Sherman 174, Princewill Umanmielen 142, Stefon Thompson 120, Vincent Shavers 105, Willis McGahee IV 55, Javin Wright 40.

It’s also a testament to the level of play Bullock has provided that he’s been on the field for 104 more snaps than Nebraska’s next most-used linebacker. Gbayor did miss the first half against Northern Iowa and continues to be a dependable partner for Bullock otherwise.

Thompson and Shavers have been key backups, while Sherman and Umanmielen continue to provide a pass rushing impact as NU’s “Jack” linebackers. Wright’s return to the field after missing the first four games has boosted the room even further.

Snap counts: Gifford 336, DeShon Singleton 336, Marques Buford 330, Malcolm Hartzog 328, Ceyair Wright 206, Tommi Hill 164, Jeremiah Charles 52, Mario Buford 44.

The area of the defense with the least rotation, the Husker secondary has leaned upon its veterans in a big way. Gifford and Singleton are among the team’s leading tacklers, while Marques Buford and Wright have excelled at breaking up passes. Hill, a starter when healthy, has missed Nebraska’s last two games with a foot injury.

Nebraska has enjoyed consistent play at safety throughout its first half of the season, with Wright, Charles and Mario Buford stepping up at cornerback in Hill’s absence.

It’s been an up-and-down first half of the season for a special teams unit which also had its struggles a year prior. Whereas Nebraska finished the 2023 season ranked No. 95 in special teams efficiency, the Huskers come in at No. 121 nationally so far.

The biggest reason for that ranking? A kicking game that has been neither consistent nor accurate. Snaps have been an issue as kickers Tristan Alvano and John Hohl have combined to go 4-for-9 on their field goal tries. Nebraska has also had three punts blocked, including two last week.

There’s been good, too, with Brian Buschini’s average of 47.6 yards per punt ranking third in the Big Ten. It’s a notable improvement from Buschini’s 40.7 yards per attempt the year prior. Nebraska has also returned more punts and kickoffs with Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda and Jacory Barney Jr. providing an impact in that area of the game.

White said last month that Bullock is playing at an “all-conference level” — and the statistics tend to support his claim. Bullock leads the team with 33 tackles and has been impactful in every way a defender can, having broken up three passes, recorded two sacks, forced a fumble and taken an interception return for a touchdown.

There are other players who could be considered, with the Nebraska defense’s success taking all 11 players on the field and many more on the sidelines to accomplish. But with Bullock in the heart of the defense, the Huskers know they have a dependable, play-making linebacker who performs at a high level every week.