Nebraska was bullied and beaten soundly by Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Along with losing in the trenches and having mediocre quarterback play, there were two other season-long weaknesses that were once again exposed by the Utes.
**Tackling**
In past seasons, it was special teams play that crippled the Huskers. This year, however, poor tackling was a major issue. Part of the problem stemmed from size—Nebraska was too small and too inexperienced up front. While the Blackshirts performed well in pass defense for most of the season, there were a significant number of yards after the catch, especially late in the year.
Basic football fundamentals, such as wrapping up and taking down ball carriers, were lacking. The combination of size issues and a lack of aggressiveness resulted in a team total of just 22 sacks, with team leader Javin Wright recording only three.
New defensive coordinator Aurich comes over from San Diego State, a defense that posted 32 sacks and picked off 15 passes. The Aztecs finished 14th in the nation in total defense. Aurich and head coach Rhule plan to put a strong emphasis on tackling across the board as soon as the teaching phase begins.
**Takeaways**
Nebraska finished the season with a plus-2 turnover margin. They had 13 takeaways in 12 games but gave the ball back 11 times, including once in the bowl game. After five games, they were a plus-6, but their momentum slowed following a minus-3 performance in a win at Maryland.
While a plus-2 turnover margin isn’t terrible, it’s far from impressive. To end the season, Nebraska failed to register a takeaway in the final four games. Their last takeaway was an interception against USC.
By comparison, San Diego State’s defense, led by now Husker DC Aurich, forced 18 takeaways. Pushing Nebraska’s takeaway total into the 20s would signal a marked improvement in defensive play across the board.
**Looking Ahead**
With a small but highly regarded recruiting class coming in, there are areas where the Transfer Portal doesn’t need to be heavily relied upon—such as running back, where promising youngsters Mekhi Nelson, Kwinton Ives, and Isaiah Mozee showed plenty of talent.
However, in the areas where games are most often won or lost—in the trenches and under center—Rhule and his staff have plenty of work to do, both during and after the Transfer Portal closes.
https://heavy.com/sports/college-football/nebraska-cornhuskers/nebraska-football-huskers-four-gapping-holes-exposed-in-lopsided-loss-to-utah-part-2/
