Huskers have found a game-management formula to compete in the Big Ten; will they continue using it? | Football

Between the one-score losses, defensive line coach Tony Tuioti told reporters that the Oklahoma game was the most NFL-like contest he’s been a part of at Nebraska.

“That was probably, since I’ve been here, the best we’ve played complementary football,” he said. “Controlling the clock, establishing the run and, on our side, too, getting off the field.”

In terms of game flow and control, the MSU contest unfolded in a somewhat similar manner.

The Spartans ran just 53 plays against the Huskers, a season-low for NU’s opponents. The Huskers, though, have defended just 65.8 plays per game over their first five, the lowest number by a considerable margin in Frost’s tenure and well below the average of 71.5 over his first three seasons.

“I think probably slowing it down a little bit on offense has helped (the defense), too, so we’re not leaving them out there as much,” Frost said. “But we’ve got to execute better offensively if that’s the way we’re going to operate a little more. It’s a team thing on defense and it’s a team thing overall.”

Chinander said the Huskers have the depth and conditioning level to defend more snaps, but seeing fewer certainly has its benefits.

“The way we practice and the way we rotate, I don’t think it’s so much about being fresh,” Chinander said. “I think it’s more about, when you’re on the field forever, shoot, there’s a billion offensive plays and you get to see all of them. When you can contain those plays a little bit and you only see the best stuff because they’re trying to convert first downs, that makes life a little bit easier as far as not seeing a trillion different looks.”