Bo Pelini: Spinner Update

The Blackshirts have returned!

After dismantling an explosive Missouri offense this weekend, Bo and Carl Pelini are resurrecting the Nebraska defense of old.

As discussed previously, the dime pressure "Spinner" package was used to perfection to disguise and attack the rhythm of the Pinkel offense.

A good article with a few choice interviews, "emptying the notebook" alludes to the effect of this scheme.

The Huskers used their normal personnel up front but worked out of a three-man front, taking defensive end Cameron Meredith out of a three-point stance and using him as a stand-up outside linebacker. Along the line, the Huskers spread out their linemen, putting bigger bodies along the edges.

“They lined up their D-tackles on our tackles,” Missouri center Tim Barnes said. “Having those guys out there, I know it’s different for our tackles, having that much extra weight. I know they’re used to faster, quicker guys.”

“We worked that three-man front all spring and all fall, just for this game,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini told reporters after the game. “Our guys were ready to execute it.”

Also, noting catch-man pressures (from consistent pre-snap coverage shells) as the trend many defenses will look to as an answer to "the spread" offensive game. Nebraska HAS been playing a ton of Cover 1 this year, which was a trademark of former DC, Charlie McBride.

“They played a couple different coverages, but for the most part if was all man-on-man,” receiver T.J. Moe said. “Once you hit 5 yards down the field, no matter what the coverage was, it was you against him. We didn’t do a good enough job getting open today.”

On a few occasions, they dropped a safety down to play Cover 3, but primarily were in Cover 5 (2 deep man-match under) allowing the underneath defenders to aggressively attack the receivers with help behind them.