So the opponent gets the ball at your 32. Or your 12. Both happened Saturday.
So what. Not every defense thinks that way, but when yours does, you’ve got something good in the stove usually.
«It’s an opportunity to play ball,» Husker defensive coordinator Tony White said Tuesday. «We talk about the process. Early on it was kind of a deal where, like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?» There’s an education that comes to it that we got to do our part regardless. I think it goes back to them believing that it doesn’t matter where, it doesn’t matter how, when it’s our time to go play ball, we go play ball.»
That’s kind of cool for a coach to see, which he does in the Huskers right now.
«You don’t feel that, ‘Ah man, what are you doing?’ You feel that, ‘Hey, we get to go on the field and play, so let’s go play.’ And that’s a testament to the guys buying into everything that’s going on in the process and just understanding that, ‘Hey, man, the game happens. That’s part of it. Let’s go do our part. Period.'»
– White believes rotating players so much has helped keep Husker defenders fresh as they head to November.
«You’ve got guys who their history, they haven’t finished the year, like Luke and Blaise and some of those guys. Those guys are still fresh running around. So that’s a huge part in being able to have a quality rep at the end of the year.»
– It didn’t really come up in many places after the game Saturday but Tony White got to it Tuesday.
That high-five between Quinton Newsome and Tommi Hill – while we all enjoyed it – was a situation where a crankier ref could have flagged it and by rule it would have negated the touchdown and pushed it back from the spot of the foul. (Editorial comment: I’m glad they let the kids have fun on this one).
But, as White said, «that (play) was the first teach tape» this week.
«Some of the young men didn’t know that if they started high-fiving and then that ref threw the flag, the offense would have the ball 15 yards from the spot of where he threw it so we got lucky. But you want to use those moments to continue to educate and teach so those guys know that when they get in that position again, they’ll act differently.
«But it’s fun to see them make plays. We just want them to do it the right way.»
– Sort of doubling off what Rhule said on Monday about letting the tape tell you the truth about a performance no matter what the stats say, White said «it’s the standard of play versus the result.»
No twisting it. It’s sure great to win.
«But what happens is you neglect those things that will get you beat later on down the line or against better opponents. So we’re always looking at the standard of play. When that takes precedence over the results you’ll be happy with the results more than not.»
White added there was a big emphasis in Tuesday’s practice on that standard.
– Obviously there was a lot of good against Purdue.
White thought the perimeter tackling was strong.
He credited the DBs with having good eyes on the ball, which allowed them to make those picks.
White thought the D-line and backers also made the Purdue QB nervous and out of rhythm. «The disruption up there, I know it might not have showed in the stat line … but those guys did a good job of making sure they weren’t on time.»
– White said freshman Princewill Umanmielen made a tremendous play in space for a TFL Saturday, but it was multi-faceted than just the tackle.
He also took a slant away while dropping in coverage. So when Purdue’s Hudson Card looked in his first window to throw it, Umanmielen was sitting there. «Which made him check it down, which them made P-Will run out there and go tackle that athlete in open space. As he continues to develop and he does things like that on the field, you’re like, ‘That’s why he’s out there running around as a true freshman.'»
White said guys like Umanmielen finding success at different spots, like the Jack linebacker role, doesn’t just happen. He points to the cross-training work coaches like Husker D-line coach Terrance Knighton does with guys.
«It’s really cool when the head man is for it and he’s a big proponent of it and then you’ve got guys in the room who are consistently trying to push that envelope and see what we can do with different guys.»
– For certain the D-coordinator isn’t taking lightly what Michigan State can do.
«They’re more explosive than you think they are,» he said. «This goes back to the results versus the standard.»
He has a lot of respect for how dynamic running back Nate Carter is and he runs behind a big O-line. There’s also a couple of good tight ends to his eye, including one who is also on the hoops team. «Give me a break, that’s ridiculous. He’s tough to cover.»
White understands MSU is still figuring out the QB spot.
«But they’re up against Iowa going into the fourth quarter. They’re kicking Rutgers’ butt going into the fourth quarter. So we’ve got to do our part. We’re going to prepare to see their very best. It comes down to us living up to our standard.»
– White said Matt Rhule told the team something «awesome» this week.
«He was talking about being in this position for the first time where November matters for these guys. November matters. So now, again, this is another learning experience for this group, right? So it’ll be fun to watch.»