LINCOLN - It's not at all uncommon for Nebraska's top defensive linemen to stay late after practice and fine-tune their technique. They had ample motivation to set aside a few extra minutes for just that Monday.
The focus: pass rush.
The Huskers couldn't consistently disrupt either BYU quarterback during Saturday's 33-28 loss. And when they did generate pressure, their unbalanced pursuit opened escape lanes for the quarterbacks.
So on Monday the linemen lined up opposite one another to simulate a one-on-one matchup with an offensive lineman. The post-practice drillwork session was focused on going straight ahead while maintaining proper body positioning. It's just one piece to the puzzle.
Maliek Collins, Vincent Valentine and Kevin Williams were among a handful of players who hoped the extra attention would help the next time they're in a game where an effective four-man pass rush is essential.
"We've got a lot of stuff to work on," Collins told reporters Monday.
The Cougar quarterbacks, starter Taysom Hill and backup Tanner Mangum, helped bring that to light Saturday.
They dropped back with the intention to throw 55 times. Nebraska notched three sacks and four quarterback hurries. They delivered a couple of other big-time hits - Collins wrapped up Hill and slammed him to the turf on one second-quarter play. The Huskers did seem to cause more duress as the game progressed.
"We saw good improvement from the first half to the second half," Collins said. "But we've got to be able to play full games."
Said defensive line coach Hank Hughes: "You get a little bit of a feel as you go into a game. Kids get a little bit more feel. I felt like we were getting a little bit more push in the second half."
But the problems didn't end there.
When Hill and Mangum got squeezed, they often found a path to safety, extending the pass play or scrambling for extra yards. BYU totaled 123 yards when the quarterback escaped the pocket - which doesn't include an 11-yard QB draw and the 42-yard Hail Mary play that won the game.
Nebraska's linemen often compromised lane integrity as they worked to rattle the Cougar quarterbacks.
"If you're not going to get a lot of sacks, then what you have to do is really force that pocket and make the guy just stay in the pocket and throw the ball on time," head coach Mike Riley said. "Because you should have more guys covering. You should be in pretty good shape that way. That's things we just have to tighten down."
That's four rushers who are responsible for six possible rush lanes. Not easy.
"You can't get pushed one way or another," Hughes said.
That's even more important when Nebraska commits more bodies to the rush. The Huskers blitzed a cornerback on one second-quarter play, and Hill trotted right through a gaping hole in the middle of NU's defensive line, sprinting away for a 21-yard touchdown. He had a similar scramble - for 35 yards - when Nebraska brought pressure but didn't seal off lanes up the middle in the third quarter.
"That's very important going forward," Collins said. "We've got quarterbacks in this league that are athletes, so we need to be able to contain those guys."
The defensive linemen could use some help, though. They weren't the only ones responsible for 19 BYU plays that went for 10 yards or more.
Husker linebackers and defensive backs didn't carry out all of their assignments Saturday. There were communication mistakes. There were moments when the execution of proper technique could have prevented big gains.
It regularly came down to the details of the game - aspects that seem minor but can lead to costly outcomes, defensive coordinator Mark Banker said. Now the defense has to recommit to mastering the basics.
"That's my job to get them to understand it, my job to get the coaches to understand it and then coaches to coach that," Banker said. "We're all in it together. Let's get it done. Let's get it corrected."
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