Tyler Needham will be seeing James Williams in his nightmares.
Rutgers’ starting right tackle had zero answers for Nebraska’s edge rusher who continues to make the case that he’s the Huskers’ best sack artist on the team. And when the squad needed Williams the most, the Parkville, Mo., native showed out and sealed the 14-7 win for Big Red with a dominant final series.
Williams ended his afternoon with five tackles — four of which were solos — and two more sacks. He had two sacks last week at Purdue. In 10 career games as a Husker, Williams has six sacks to his name.
There’s a reason his teammates and coaches call this kid Sack Man.
Williams’ first sack of the game came in the third quarter. On a third-and-15, Williams pinned his ears back. Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis continued to gain depth after the snap, and it was an easy stop for Williams, who beats Needham (#56) with speed:
But Williams really showed up and did his best work in the fourth quarter. The video below is Williams’ second sack. Defensive coordinator Tony White dials up a T-E stunt, where the defensive tackle, in this case Jimari Butler (#10), is supposed to slam into the offensive tackle and occupy the guard while the end, Williams, loops inside.
Rutgers’ protection doesn’t pick the stunt up, and with Malcolm Hartzog cutting off a throwing lane that makes Kaliakmanis hesitate, Williams gets home for the sack and makes sure to show Butler some love for the assist:
Williams was an absolute menace on Rutgers’ final drive of the game. His speed rush and spin move was too much for the 6-4, 306-pound Needham to handle, and it led to Williams being in Kaliakmanis’ face on almost every play.
After the game, Williams mentioned that his film study on Needham from Rutgers’ game against Washington last Friday helped him.
“I had been setting 56 up. I had seen last week against Washington he was susceptible to the spin because he leaned forward so much. Getting that extra film study in was nice,” Williams said. “I had beat him a couple times beforehand, but the quarterback had gotten the ball really quickly. It was just about trying to make sure I set my moves for the fourth quarter and throw my fastball.”
The play that seals the win is shown below. Williams beats Needham with a spin move and then has some fun with Butler, motioning to Rutgers’ sideline that the game was over and they’ve been put to sleep:
Those watching at home then saw Williams share a moment with defensive line coach Terrance Knighton. After the game, Williams said Knighton is a key reason why he’s persevered through tough times off the field.
“I just have been through so much since I’ve been here,” Williams said. “I’ve only been here since last July, very late June, and I’ve been through hell and back. I lost family, I lost so much. To be here today, in this moment, is not where I thought I would be. If you would have told me that a year ago, I would have never believed you. T-Knight is all I have. The D-line is all I have…to be out there and celebrate such a great moment that we brought upon ourselves, it was so emotional. I hope we get to do it more.”
It’s clear the relationship between Williams and Knighton has grown since the two met each other two summers ago when Williams came to Lincoln for a post-graduate camp, hoping to get an opportunity to play power conference football.
“He means everything to me,” Williams said of Knighton. “He’s taught me so much about life. When my family fell apart, he was there. He picked me up, he put me back together. I was a shattered human being at the end of last year. That was one of the reasons I decided to redshirt and not play against Wisconsin and Iowa last year.”
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has spoken on this before, but it took time for Williams to adjust to the new and demanding culture of Nebraska football, which is quite different than the one he came from at Iowa Central Community College.
But Knighton believed in Williams and found a way to get through to him.
“There were so many times last year that everybody else around here could have gotten rid of me,” Williams said. “I was a mess-up. I was late to stuff. And he vouched for me, he put me out there. He was the reason I played last year. He vouched for me and taught me so much about life. I say father figure, but he’s really my father. I learned so much about life from him. He really helped me through everything. That man means everything to me.”
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