By Tommy Rezac
It’s no secret; No. 9 Wisconsin will provide a tougher test for the Nebraska Football team than any opponent faced thus far, particularly on defense.
The Badgers rank in the top 25 nationally in rushing defense (4th), pass defense (23rd), total defense (4th), and scoring defense (8th).
“They’ll be the best easily,” offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf said after Monday’s practice. “They are solid across the board personnel wise. Really, really good statistically. They’re in the top two or three in about everything in our (Big Ten) conference, and a lot of the stuff top ten nationally. They’re really, really stout against the run.”
Wisconsin allows only 74.3 rushing yards per contest.
Wisconsin’s 3-4
Wisconsin is the second team Nebraska will face this year that runs a 3-4 defensive scheme. The other opponent to run a 3-4 was Oregon. Despite a 42-35 loss, the Husker offense was able to find some success against the Ducks’ 3-4, racking up 366 yards.
Langsdorf says running against Bob Diaco’s 3-4 throughout the spring and fall could be an added benefit while preparing for this week’s game.
“I think just the fact that you’re seeing a 3-4 through fall camp,” Langsdorf said. “I’ve kind of felt that it’s been easier to transition from playing a 3-4 team to a 4-3 game in a week than it is to go the other way. So, I think it’s been a real advantage, a real help for us. Out of the 3-4, you can really get a bunch of different combinations of pressures.”
Nebraska defensive coordinator Bob Diaco has thrown a variety of combinations at Langsdorf’s offense throughout fall practice in order to better prepare them for facing a 3-4 defense in a live game.
“(Diaco) might need to see some different looks, we might need to see something, so we work together that way,” Langsdorf said. “In some periods, we just roll the ball out there and play and adjust to whatever we see. So, I think it’s been good work on both sides really since the beginning of spring ball.”
Michael Decker and Brendan Jaimes
Junior Cole Conrad (knee, ankle) is still questionable at center this week, while senior David Knevel is still questionable (ankle) at right tackle.
If true freshman Brendan Jaimes and redshirt freshman Michael Decker have to start and go up against a top ten defense, Langsdorf says he’ll prepare them the same way this week as they do for any other game.
“We’ve really been preaching, if we do the same thing every week and we prepare the same way, it is another game,” Langsdorf said. “Everyone will make it a big game, but we don’t have to prepare harder, because we’re playing Wisconsin than we do Illinois.”
Offensive Line
Despite an overall impressive performance against Illinois on Friday, offensive coordinator Mike Cavanaugh says his position group has to take another step forward if they hope to beat Wisconsin.
“We gave up a sack,” Cavanaugh said. “Obviously, we’ve got to be way better than that against Wisconsin.”
Junior quarterback Tanner Lee was sacked twice for a loss of 16 yards.
Stanley Morgan
Junior receiver Stanley Morgan led the Huskers friday with eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, but he also led the team in drops with four.
Receivers coach Keith Williams is confident Morgan will cut down on the drops, as long as he sticks to his fundamentals in practice.
“Those drops he had were just due to the fact that he didn’t look (at the ball),” Williams said. “All of those drops, you can see on tape, his head is turned away from the ball. He’s usually great at that part of what we call ‘taking a picture’ of the ball, or taking a photo. He’s got to get back to that. He had a good practice today in terms of that part of his game.”
Running Backs
Running backs coach Reggie Davis mentioned if junior running back Mikale Wilbon can’t play due to a sprained ankle, sophomore Wyatt Mazour and junior Austin Rose are in the conversation for being the No. 3 back behind Devine Ozigbo and Jaylin Bradley.
You can contact Tommy at 402-840-5226, or you can follow him on Twitter @Tommy_KLIN.
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