Cosgrove: NU defense wasn't executing

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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

The pattern has become somewhat predictable for Nebraska's defense: A Saturday loss on the road followed by a rather uncomfortable Sunday film session at South Stadium.

"I'll tell you what, I knew we weren't executing on the field," Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said Sunday, referring to Saturday's 34-27 loss to Iowa State in Ames. "When you actually get to see it on film, it becomes even more disturbing."

Cosgrove lamented his unit's overall lack of execution.

"We always talk about defining techniques in man coverage and zone coverage, in our pass rush, in our blitz game," he said. "We did not execute."

Nebraska also suffered losses Oct. 9 at Texas Tech (70-10) and Oct. 23 at Kansas State (45-21).

Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer threw for a career-high 345 yards and three touchdowns Saturday.

The Huskers returned three-fourths of a starting secondary that last season led the nation in pass-efficiency defense. This season, playing for a new staff, the Huskers rank 25th in that category.

"Basically, last year they played cover-two and cover-three," Cosgrove said of the Husker secondary. "When that's all you do, play after play, you get pretty good at it. We continue to play cover-two, but this year we wanted to be more aggressive in coverages so we decided we'd play more man-to-man coverage.

"If the techniques aren't defined and executed, you're going to have problems. You have to play the way you're taught to play."

The Sporting News, in its preseason edition, listed Nebraska's secondary as the nation's best.

"I think there's talent back there," Cosgrove said. "I'm not going to question that."

As Nebraska's entire defensive unit reviewed film Sunday, Cosgrove said, the players retained a positive demeanor.

"But the thing you don't like to see is having to make the same corrections all of the time," Cosgrove said.

Asked whether he feels his defense has underachieved, Cosgrove said, "I think you'd have to say it has at times. That's pretty obvious, right?"

GRASS PROBLEM: If the wealth of talent on Oklahoma's roster wasn't enough for Nebraska to think about this week, the fact the Sooners play on a grass field in Norman also is a concern, Cosgrove said. "It's proven we have not been a good grass team in the last four or five years here," he said. "On a lot of the coverages (at Iowa State), we had guys slipping around. I didn't see their guys slipping around on the grass."