For all of Kenny Moore's juking and jiving on an eight-carry, 116-yard rushing performance, Nebraska gave the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions a taste of their medicine from 2006 - when

Curt McKeever: NU's defense made plays when it had to

Posted: Saturday, October 6, 2007 7:00 pm

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Bo Ruud has just been schooled silly by another hip-swiveling end-around run by Wake Forest's Kenny Moore.

The Demon Deacons — having already driven 87 yards for a touchdown to open the second half, only to have NU answer with a 74-yard TD march — are starting to look fully capable of knocking off the Huskers.

But at least Ruud can be thankful he's not defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.

"I think he'd be a little worn out, because we gave up too many plays," the senior strongside linebacker said when asked to put himself in Cosgrove's shoes following the Huskers' 20-17 victory in Groves Stadium.

I'm thinking of other words to describe what Cosgrove must have been feeling as he watched Wake Forest execute the end-around time and time again with the 204-pound Moore.

Maddening.

Exasperating.

Awestruck.

But at the end of the day, I'll venture this one's the most fitting adjective to use:

Rewarding.

For all of Moore’s juking and jiving on an eight-carry, 116-yard rushing performance, Nebraska gave the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions a taste of their medicine from 2006 — when the Deacons were just OK on offense but thrived with a ball-hawking defense. 

Wake Forest's 'D' was at it again midway through the final quarter Saturday, collapsing the pocket around Sam Keller and forcing the Husker quarterback to get rid of the ball. But it was tipped and then intercepted at the NU 10-yard line.

What happened next was not the result of an accident, but the fruits of a well-planned scheme by Cosgrove and his defensive staff.

Facing third-and-goal at the 10 thanks to defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh dropping Micah Andrews for a 6-yard loss, Wake Forest was in need of a big play from first-time starting quarterback Brett Hodges. The third-year sophomore dropped back, and hitched his arm once before releasing a pass to the end zone that was intended for Chip Brinkman.

It never got close to the wide receiver, in part because Hodges had been fooled into thinking cornerback Zackary Bowman had peeled away from the play and wouldn't be anywhere near the area. Instead, he intercepted the pass.

"They'd probably really never seen us do that coverage before," Ruud said. "It's a match-up zone where (Bowman) let his guy go and he came off and then they threw it right to him. We had a guy inside (linebacker Corey McKeon), and the corner came from outside and came under the route.

"It was just how we practiced it, actually."

Believe it or not, Nebraska also actually worked on the end-around plays. But sometimes the best-laid plans are no match for blazing speed, precise blocking and just good coaching.

In the set for the end-around, the Deacons could have utilized: 1) Hodges on a naked bootleg (on which he completed a 61-yard pass play); and 2) the zone cutback. Since the latter also involved a reverse option, Nebraska had to defend three plays in one.

But down the stretch, Cosgrove's troops had a good enough handle on the play that he felt comfortable enough to "see-saw" the safeties, thereby making it more difficult for Hodges to hook up with his outside receivers.

Oh, Cosgrove is still sure to hear about the end-arounds from fans who still are having trouble getting around the fact that it's been 10 years since Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter guarded the fort.

Let me offer this perspective.

Even with Moore's fancy runs, Nebraska's defense allowed just three points off of Keller's three turnovers.

And after Moore's 34-yard run started Wake Forest's second possession of the second half, the Demon Deacons punted four times, turned the ball over and watched the Huskers force Hodges into four straight incompletions to seal the victory.

If anyone should be left feeling maddened by that, it's the Deacons.

"I'm sure he was a little stressed, at times," Ruud said of Cosgrove, "but that makes the victory all that more sweeter for 'Coz.' "

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.