Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
Pre-Texas A&M

On how much he's seen Texas A&M improve on offense
"They are just more efficient. They were always good offensively numbers-wise. He (Ryan Tannehill) doesn't make mistakes, they've eliminated the turnovers, much more efficient offense and difficult to defend.

On what Courtney Osborne and Austin Cassidy have brought to the safety positions
"They're physical players. They're smart. We didn't have a lot of assignment busts or anything like that prior to them, but they've proven that they are good open-field tacklers and that was what we were looking for when we made the change."

On Courtney Osborne saying he wasn't getting many reps
"He's been getting equal reps since the start. I'm not sure when he said that or why he said that, maybe just with the ones."

On what he is doing now that is taking him to where he is at
"Tackle. I don't know if he is a better player now than he was. He was always a good player. We had some experienced safeties back there who were playing well at practice and doing all the right things. Like I said, we needed to be better tacklers at the safety position. We've always known he was a good tackler and that solved some of our issues defensively. He didn't magically transform himself. He's always been a good player."

On what has helped him do that
He's always had that, we're very comfortable.  He's a good football mind, studies the game, prepares himself, and does a good job. "

On being one of the top defenses in the nation statistically
"I don't think any of them mean anything, except scoring defense honestly. Everyone has asked me about run defense, pass defense, and pass defense efficiency, all those things.  They don't mean anything. It's scoring defense and keeping your opponent to less points than you score, period. End of story. You give a little to get a little. If you want to be great in coverage sometimes you're going to give up a few yards in the run game. If you want to be stout against, the run you're going to give up something in the pass game. Ultimately the total defense stuff is all that matters. Quite frankly I don't care about that. I never talk about it, I never look at it. I wouldn't have known we were number one if you wouldn't have just said it. All I know is that on a given Saturday I want to be the best defense on the field. We have to outplay our opponents defensively and that is how we look at it."

On playing better in November and later in the season
"I hope, shame on us as coaches if we're not getting our best stretch at the end of the season. That is the way it has to be. We have a system, as our players become comfortable in the system we improve in the system. That should be true across the board, offensively, defensively, for every team in the country really."

On if Texas A&M's offense is more complex than some other offenses
"That is a misnomer. Pro style offenses are typically simpler than what you face in college. What they do and what Coach Sherman did at the NFL level and at the college level is stress you with formations. It's very complex. It's simple for them, but it's complex defending it because every time they change the formation you have different guys doing things that another guy did on a previous play. They stretch you that way. To say that an NFL offense is more complex than a college offense, anytime you take the quarterback and run out of it, it becomes less complex. I don't believe that, but I do know that he is a good mind and he knows how to exploit you. He'll study us. We'll have to make some changes. We'll have to do a few things a little bit different just to keep him guessing because he'll be doing some things to keep us guessing. It will be a good chess match."

On Texas A&M's receiver Fuller causing mismatches with his size
"Yep, he does. He causes mismatch problems. You see him going up and making high catches on film and you have to do a great job on that. Definitely a weapon. They've got other receivers too, a good solid running back and a good quarterback. It kind of reminds you a little bit of Oklahoma State. They don't really have a drop-off at any skill position. You have to play it tough and you have to be good across the board."

On pressuring the quarterback
"That will be key, how much do I look for it? I go to bed every night praying that will happen. I hope it happens. They're good up front though, they protect the quarterback well."

On counteracting the hurry-up offense
"Wear my headsets, we have more problems than you think. It just causes issues for you. It's harder to substitute. It's harder to make adjustments. I blew one two weeks ago against Iowa State where I went to sub and they went hurry-up and I got called for 13 men. That is stupid on my part. There are a lot of things that go into it. The calls aren't the issues, but when they're in hurry-up and you're in your seventh or eighth play of the drive and your guys are gassed and rushing the passer four or five straight times, I think that is when it becomes the issue with a substitution deal. I think the Big 12 refs have done a nice job this year of allowing you to match personnel, but when they don't change personnel I think that is where the issue happens."

On the confidence of the defense
"I hope they're a confident group. That was a great game they played the other night. They know and I know it's a whole different animal now. Every week you prepare for such a different offense. The challenges are all different. You can carry some confidence over from one opponent to the next, but it all starts anew on Sunday for what we're going to be asked to do and the challenges they face in the given week. I don't know if there is a whole lot of carryover from Kansas to Texas A&M.

On how much he welcomes the opportunity to coach Eric Martin on defensive end
"I think Eric is going to be a heck of a player. It is a big transition going from a two-point stance to a three-point stance. You don't know how it's going to work. He's been there a little over a week now and shows a lot of promise. He is a very powerful kid and will be a heck of a pass rusher. It's just how quickly he can learn to play six technique over a down tight end. That's a difficult thing to do. It's not easy for even an experienced defensive end. That will be key to his progression."

On if defensive end is harder to learn than the linebacker position
"In terms of assignments, no. In terms of reaction, yes it's faster. That is where the transition happens."

On what made him think Martin would be good for that position
"He's a physical guy, he can run. He's always been a good pass rusher. I don't know if it takes much more than that."

On Prince (Amukamara) and Alfonzo (Dennard) at the corner position and the freedom it allows
"It allows you a lot of freedom. We don't leave them isolated all the time, but you know when you want to pressure you can and you're not afraid of doing that a lot of times. When you're in a season where you're struggling at corner it really limits what you can do defensively. We can use our safeties, our dime, our nickel, and our backers in pressure to take away the corners help, double inside receivers, you can double their guy, you can just be really creative and know that they're going to get the job done for you. I really like how those two play, I like how they prepare, and I like how they study film. They're very well prepared. It's not all athletic ability when they step on the field. They do their homework and they know who they are going against."

On if they are the best cornerbacks he's been around
"They're the best cornerback combination I've been around."

On if a cornerback can be the best defensive player in a league
"Yeah, if he is the best defensive player it doesn't matter if he is a nose man or a cornerback. You look at NFL scouts, they're not afraid to draft him first. It will change the defense, no question."

On how important it is to lock up the north
"Does that mean winning? That's very important. That's all we care about is winning each week and being the best team on the field on Saturday. The rest will take care of itself."