Too Many YACs

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I got to Sports Breaf Hoscarpose edition was shot live
Ben Linka. Here's Jim Well and that rule.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yesterday was talking about lots of different things that we
saw in the Illinois game. Shano specifically tackling not very good,
a lack of a running game. Nebraska only had nine
rushing carries, not including Dylan Ryolaz sacks in the second half,
so we have lots to talk about. Start with tackling.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
What happened, Yeah, I mean, I think they're getting pushed
around at the point of attack, lots of yards after contact.
I mean that stat on nineteen first down runs where
Illinois averaged five point six yards on those first down
runs is an alarming stat because the entire game, it
basically says they're operating at a second and five, second
and four and at that point you're already you're already down.

(00:50):
At that point, you know, you have a really hard
time operating as a defense. I think the edge rushers too,
will have to play with better discipline. We see them
rush up a lot and that Loug go Almeyer had
his way running right around him. And you know, the
Hudson card this week will we'll be able to get
away from pressure. He's athletic and run. So they have

(01:11):
to do a better job because I do think Purdue
that is what they do well. They will run the
ball and figure out a way that they've They've given
up a lot of rushing yards, but they've proven they
can run it as well. So that will be a
challenge again this week that Nebraska has to play with
more discipline on the defensive edge.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, uh, it's a little bit. It's a little bit
confusing to a lot of Nebraskans who look at that
front wall and see all of that athletic ability, all
of that size, and all of that experience, and wonder
why is it we don't dominate more on the offensive
line or the defensive line. You might point up Shano specifically,
the three three five defense does not really allow for

(01:53):
consistent stopping of the run.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, I mean you moved that fourth piece around the
fourth rush. Every base defense has four guys rush, and
you have linebackers that are the fourth rusher. So in
Nebraska's case, a lot of times it is M J.
Sherman and they'll move them up to the line of scrimmage.
But yeah, you have your three base down linemen at
the point of attack, and generally on paper, the three

(02:16):
guys they have been dominant. I mean, they've done a
really good job the last two years in this scheme,
Nash hut Maker, Ty Robinson and Jamari Butler. Here's the key, though,
if they get tired, then you have to start subbing.
And I do think there is that second group that's
probably obviously not as good as the first group. And
you know, they've been putting years. Some freshmen and a
young Recherd freshman in that group that have come in.

(02:38):
And Brett Bielma said that was his plan. He goes,
we wanted to kind of chop away at them, keep
them on the field for six seven play drives at
a time, knowing that if we did that, we would
tire them down throughout the course of the game and
it would pay off late in the game. And that's
exactly what happened. Illinois really started to wear Nebraska down

(02:58):
or maybe they're pass rush and some of the things
they were doing wasn't as effective because that play count,
especially in the second half, when Illinois held the ball
for about nineteen minutes of the thirty minutes, you know,
started to go their way.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Sounds like Turner Corcoran's going to be out for a
while the starter or left tackle. Do We have Pro
Football Focus grades on Gunnar Gatula from last Saturday was.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Their second highest grade alignment, actually only behind Bryce Benhard.
So he did a really good job. He gave up
one hurry, no sacks were charged to him. He had
the one penalty though over time that was probably his
big knock there. But he had a solid game for
all intents and purposes for coming in in the spot. Now,

(03:44):
what we don't know now is the plan of Mike
and Mazuka, you know, and if he's available to go
back into the starting lineup this week. We get the
sense that it could happen, but we'll see kind of
where Matt Rule takes it. I don't think it's a
Donovan Royola decision. It's a Matt Rule decision on Mazukah
and kind of getting him back on the field and
would he play guard or could he play tackle? Mazuka

(04:06):
has played tackle as a player over the course of
his career. He's proven he can play that position too,
So that's something I think to watch this week as
we get closer to Saturday.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Does he have a Randy Gregory problem or somewhere or
do we know? Well, I mean, you know, he's not injured,
and Matt's been a little evasive about exactly what's going on.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't say that. I mean, he's
an emotional guy. He's in you know, I don't know
what happened after the Colorado game, but whatever happened behind
maybe I don't know what. Maybe I don't know what
the truele got. Yeah, you know, but he did play
on special teams. Guys, he got in the game last week.

(04:51):
He just didn't get in on the offensive line.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Is that how you pronounced his name? Is it Masuka
or because it looks like Maskua, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
It's Mazuka.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's Mazuka.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
And on Huskers dot com now they even have like
the player pronouncing the name a little speaker next to
their name. So for a play by play guy like yourself, Jim,
a form play by play that would have been a
dream to have.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
Very helpful.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Of course, back in my day, everybody's name was Smith
and Jones.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
And wonderful Mond that guy. Yeah right, I am hip
that's about as big as a god. But we're down
to Grant Segrein as the backup right now to uh
Gunnar Gatula left tackle. The Grant was a really good
high school athlete at Oakland. Craig played baseball, ran trackting.
He's a huge guy, six six and like three ten,

(05:38):
and he's backing up Benhart too. I mean he was
swinging around, man, that's a lot.

Speaker 3 (05:44):
Latowsky's played some tackle before. Tyler Kannak has played tackle
at Utah, So don't don't rule those things out. I mean,
it's kind of like the NFL. When an injury happens
in the NFL, it's all hands on deck. You shuffle
around your your chairs at that point.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
Just make sure they're not on the Titanic. Now, seanat
let's visit about corner too. We forget that Bly Hill
has been out. This guy was going to play a lot.
He's been out since the summer, suffered a summertime injury,
and now Tommy Hill has a foot problem. Or we're
looking at some depth issues in the defensive secondary. And

(06:24):
even though I think you're right, I think there was
some quality play back there against Illinois, but they were
also lost a lot and in many cases you saw
Illinois guys running free in the secondary.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Yeah, early in that game, Tony White was really aggressive
with his second with his secondary players of safety. He
brought him up and then Illinois threw over the top
of the man the man coverage, and that's where Tommy
Hill's foot injury was exposed. Tommy Hill gave up fifty
seventy yards on three catches, then he was out of
the game.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
At that point, you see, are right, was okay, but
the depth is a problem.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Current cider Sean Callahan here every morning and the afternoon
buzz just after five on news radio eleven ten KVAB