Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010
Pre-Oklahoma State

On how much the tackling issues surprised him against Texas
"I think we have been pretty good tacklers to this point. If you look at a few of the missed tackles, a lot of it was overzealous guys just trying to make the big hit in the open field. Good tackling in the open field is just getting the guy down. That is how you have to approach it. You can't always go for the big hit in an unrestricted space."

On how much Oklahoma State will challenge the Huskers with open space issues
"It won't be any different than any spread team, really. We faced that at Washington and we faced that Saturday. We faced it with Idaho and last year a number of times. It's what that spread offense is about, creating one-on-one matchups."

On his thoughts on Kendall Hunter and the challenge he presents
"They have a lot of great players. Going back to that other question, they use their athletes well to create matchups. You've got to eliminate or limit those one-on-one matchups as much as you can, but it's hard to do because they have weapons at receiver and a quarterback who is a good trigger man. They've got backs out of the backfield who have a lot of speed and can create matchup problems. They spread you out really well with the screen game and the inside runs and the deep balls. They always try to keep you off balance. I don't want to point at any one guy because they are all effective."

On how much he likes Nebraska's chances against a team that passes so well
"How much do I like our chances? I mean, the goal is always to go in and defend them. If our guys execute we will be all right. If our guys don't, then we won't be. It's kind of the way it is every week, whether it is a run-oriented team or a pass-oriented team.  We have matched up fairly well against spread teams and other times we have given up. We just need to play our game."

On if the players going for the 'big hit' was just a product of the hype of the big game
"I don't know. I'm not a psychologist. I have been through it 100 times in my head. Were we tight, were we not tight? I don't know. I can't answer that. It is stuff that we have talked about as a staff and talked about as team and creating awareness on their part. We approach every game the same."

On Texas' rushing yards, and how many of them came from missed tackles
"At least half. Maybe a little bit more. Probably a third of that was on drops. It hurts you early in the game and slows your pass-rush down. So we have to do a better job of defending. Defending the drop so we can cut it loose, and long-yard situation with our rush. And the drop yardage goes back to missed tackles, too. There were a couple of occasions where their quarterback got hotter and whatnot. We didn't make the tackles in space and they got the first downs."

On how linebacker Will Compton responded and looked during his playing time
"He's fine physically. He is probably not in the shape he would have been had he been playing throughout. I don't think his foot is bothering him at all, and I don't think he thinks about it."

On why Pelini moved some of the front around during the game and what he was trying to accomplish
"We just wanted to create some different matchups for them. We didn't have an opportunity to do it very often. I think just once or twice in the game. We would have liked to do it a little more."

On if getting Will Compton back allows the defense to do some different things
"No. I don't think so."

On if there is anything in particular with Oklahoma State's attack that impresses him
"Their speed and ability to spread the field well. Going back to the earlier question they create matchup issues because they have a lot of speed to work with. I'm also very impressed with their scheme and how everything builds on each other. It is a very impressive scheme and not haphazard where everybody just runs. They think the scheme and the run plays build on the play-action. The pass routes build on it, the screens build on the runs. You've got to be locked in and have your eyes in the right place."

On if the players knew about the missed tackles and how they felt about them
"If they didn't know, they'll know after this press conference. Yeah they know. Shoot, they're harder on themselves than we are. Walking off the field, I didn't have to tell them."

On if there are any changes this week regarding tackling practice
"We've always emphasized tackling. That's why it is disappointing and a bit surprising, frankly. I think we have been a pretty good tackling team over the last three years. It is one thing I think we have always done well. It bit us on Saturday. Again, it is just not using technique. It is going for the big hit. It is just not smart football. Get your arms on him and around him and get them down."

On if there has been poor tackling in the past regarding success running the ball against NU
"I don't know. I can't answer that."

On if there is a danger on dwelling too much on what went wrong against Texas
"No. You have got to move on. Again, if you are a coach, and worth your salt, and you're going to do what you preach, you have got to dwell on what you did wrong. Whether you win or lose, you can't change that. You can't change a result. But whether we won that game or lost that game, we were poor tacklers. If we would have won the game, we still would have dwelled on that. And so, that is just the approach we have to take."