Energized Defense Making Progress for Huskers

Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska football team practiced for a little more than two hours on Saturday inside the Hawks Championship Center, working out in full pads.

Defensive Coordinator Erik Chinander spoke with the media following practice to discuss his thoughts on his defense.

"I like the energy. The kids are really trying, they're buying in, they're doing what we ask them to do,” he said. “A lot of learning left to go, a lot of coaching technique wise and just what we're trying to get done in the scheme, but I like where they're going. I think they're going to be alright."

Chinander went on to talk about gaining trust with the defensive players, who have a third defensive coordinator in three years.

"You need to get to know these kids as people before you start going too hard on them for errors and that sort of thing, and I think our coaching staff is a really good teaching group,” Chinander said. “We are all so willing to travel with Coach Frost anywhere because we believe what he believes and that's if we make these kids into good dads and good brothers and good sons and good husbands and good people in the community, then we're not going to have to talk about wins or losses very much. The starting point is to get to know these kids as people, and then we'll get into the football real hard."

Chinander also touched on what the biggest challenge on the defensive side of the ball will be during spring practices.

"The biggest challenge of this defense is changing the mindset,” he said. “We want to get turnovers, we want to be aggressive, we want to get to the quarterback, we want to get the football out, we need to be an aggresive unit to match up with our offense. I think we just need to change the mindset, getting guys pressed up on recievers, letting guys loose, making guys free to make plays on the football instead of worrying about something going over their heads. So I think it's just a mindset and a culture."

The Huskers will return to spring practice on Tuesday. Nebraska’s annual Red-White Spring Game presented by First National Bank is set for Saturday, April 21 at Memorial Stadium and is sold out.