Red Report: Some spread, huh?
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Oh, the spread offense. A secondary coach doesn’t sleep so easy when it’s coming.
Speaking Friday at the Big Red Breakfast in Omaha, Husker cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian talked of the tall task his guys will face against Missouri’s spread attack.
“This week will almost be to the point of ridiculous,” he said. “They spread it out to run it and they’ll be in empty sets, no-backs at least 30 times. They really make you spread the field laterally and put that pressure on you, more so even than Texas Tech. Because they want to run the ball, too.”
Missouri ranks fifth nationally in total offense, averaging 344 yards passing and 200 yards rushing a game.
One of the toughest things about defending the Tigers, he said, is that they “want you to pressure,” then burn you on screen passes when you do.
Elmassian said third downs will likely be the game’s deciding factor.
“We got to get this crew to third-and-7,” he said. “That’s a challenge, but that’s the key. That’s the money down. Get them to third-and-7, and they’ll start putting the ball down the field, and then they become what I call a normal offense.”
TALKING CORNERS: Elmassian praised cornerback Zackary Bowman for his hard work in recovering from a serious offseason knee injury, but said the senior “is not back to form at this point in time. … He’s got to get his timing back with his tackling.”
He said newcomer and junior college transfer Armando Murillo is “our most consistent player back there,” but also admitted his favorite guy is senior Cortney Grixby.
“I told (Grixby) the week of the Southern Cal game we’re going to start Zack and Armando,” Elmassian said. “He just wants to win games. He didn’t do the pity-party deal.”
He said last week against Iowa State, the trainer came to him and said Grixby was done for the day after rolling an ankle. At halftime, Grixby came to Elmassian and said, “I’m going.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever met a young man that is so unselfish,” Elmassian said. “A guy like that keeps you in the business.”
QUICK HITS: About the defense’s poor performances this year, Elmassian said: “Don’t confuse effort with results. If you look at the Ball State game, we gave great effort, the effort was there, but the results weren’t. It’s about making plays.”
* About Nebraska’s low sack total: “The most overrated statistic in football is sacks. That stat was generated by Lawrence Taylor and NFL guys. … If you’re going to face a passing team, what will really decide if you’re a good rush team is if every six times he throws the ball you are affecting his throw. … We’re not there, obviously.”
* About freshman defensive back Anthony Blue: “His focus is like none other I’ve seen in a true freshman. … He’s at a point now, if we have an injury, we’ll play him. … Woody Hayes said for every (freshman) you start, you’ll lose a game, and I think it’s true. We don’t like to play them.”
* About defensive back Prince Amukamara, and a reason why he came back to defense after spending two preseason practices working with the offense: “He found out he had to (pass) protect.”
* About Anthony West, who’s currently playing corner: “He may end up being a safety.”
* About the game starting so late: “Kids don’t care. We could play at 6 in the morning.”
— Brian Christopherson
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