Nebraska defense eager to follow-up strong season

“Thank God fall camp’s over,” Sherman said.

For a Nebraska defense coming off a stellar 2023 season, the summer and week-to-week grind ahead of Saturday’s game involved demands of raising the existing standard. Lifting heavier. Working harder. Putting in extra hours at the facility.

“In all honesty, it’s fun and exciting that finally we’re here, but we’re not arrived — the hay’s never in the barn and the work’s not done yet,” he said. “We’re here and we can finally play somebody with a jersey that’s a different color and just see all the work that we’ve done.”

Expectations are high for the Husker defense in 2024 considering the unit is coming off of a season in which it was a top-10 run defense and top-15 scoring defense nationally.

Nebraska is anchored up front by a pair of potential all-conference linemen in Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson, while Jimari Butler will provide a major pass-rushing impact again.

It’s been a long offseason for Hutmacher after joining the wrestling team in the winter and transforming his body accordingly. The senior lineman said he’s “ready to push the snap count” to stay on the field even longer and is also eager to see NU’s defensive progress.

“When we turn the film on Sunday (I want) to know that we played to our standard, that we’re playing big-time football,” Hutmacher said.

The person tasked with driving that progress, defensive coordinator Tony White, likes what he’s seen from his group as the season draws nearer. He’s well aware of the threat UTEP poses with an up-tempo offense that could immediately test NU’s depth and physical conditioning.

Aggressive play-calling, trick plays and fourth-down conversion attempts are just a sample of what White is preparing the NU defense to expect from UTEP.

Another challenge to expect on Saturday is an internal one — can the Huskers shake off the rust and tackle consistently in their season opener?

White said that, generally, tackling in the first one or two weeks of the season can be sloppy as players adjust to the speed of the game and facing different personnel. However, he’s hopeful that practice efforts can help the Huskers hit the ground running after the team’s tackling has “progressed” throughout fall camp.

“You’re seeing guys get to understand how we want to do things tackling, especially in the open field out there on all the perimeter screens; you want to make sure you over-emphasize that because that’s what you’re going to see this week,” White said. “It’s gotten better and better.”

A linebacker room led by senior John Bullock and a veteran-heavy secondary full of returning talent will be tasked with putting those tackling improvements into action on the perimeter. While Nebraska anticipates a challenge from UTEP, the Huskers will have the advantage of beginning the year with a loud home crowd behind them.

“I think it’s going to be electric, and the guys feel it, you feel it in the air, just the vibes, you kind of get the goosebumps right now,” White said of Nebraska’s season opener.

For as good as the Huskers were on defense last fall, head coach Matt Rhule and White have put that behind them, instead approaching this year’s Nebraska defense as a brand-new unit with a blank slate.

When the Nebraska defense hits the field on Saturday, its offseason improvements and progress from fall camp will be in the past too. Instead, it’s the unit’s preparation that will launch them into the fray with confidence once again.

“All week you spend preparing and then that Friday, that Saturday morning you’re getting your mind right and ready to go to war; to do whatever it takes,” Hutmacher said.