LINCOLN — The secret to slowing the spread offense is really no secret at all.

There's no complex formula. No exotic defensive scheme.

“The game's a lot easier than you make it out to be,” Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard said.

And the Huskers, with more experience at getting slaughtered by the spread than stopping it, appear on the verge, as Texas Tech visits Memorial Stadium today, of making progress against the system that has so frustrated them.

Where's the evidence? Other than a strong defensive effort against the Missouri spread on a rainy night that would have stymied the Indianapolis Colts, the evidence plays out every weekend across America.

Notice what happens each Saturday — Texas Tech, or a similar offense, torches a defense like Kansas State's for 66 points and 739 yards, as occurred last week.

And on NFL Sundays, nothing. Not a hint of the spread.

You can bet more than a few NFL coaches could grasp the spread on some level close to Tech mastermind Mike Leach. They simply know it won't consistently succeed against elite defenders well schooled in their assignments and technique.

The point: Have a good defensive plan. Execute it well with athletes as capable as those on the other side of the ball, and the spread is beatable.

Nebraska seems headed in the right direction.

“Bottom line is we need to score points,” NU coach Bo Pelini said, “because you're not going to shut this team out. You'd like to, but, you know, they're a pretty good offensive football team.”

That said, the 15th-ranked Huskers field a defense this fall strong in two areas key to success against the Red Raider spread. Nebraska rushes the quarterback well with its four linemen. Also, its defensive backs — usually six strong — form a versatile, athletic and physical group.

“Our front four, they're all just beasts,” NU cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “It looks like we've got a blitz called on every snap.”

It doesn't hurt the D-line that it's led by Ndamukong Suh, arguably the nation's most dominant tackle. As for the secondary, the emergence of defensive backs like Amukamara, Alfonzo Dennard, Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes has amounted to a nice overhaul.

Depth in the secondary is crucial. Almost as big as the ability to tackle and cover in space, according to Carl Pelini.

“Like always,” the NU defensive coordinator said, “you're going to have a lot of one-on-one situations in the run game and in the pass game. You've got to be able to execute.”

Nebraska ranks third nationally in pass-efficiency defense and third in scoring. It has allowed four touchdowns in five games, including just one through the air. Texas Tech threw seven touchdown passes last week. It has 25 in six games.

So something's gonna give today.

Often in these strength-on-strength scenarios, the spread sputters slightly. It's a system designed to feast on athletically limited and disorganized defenses.

As Missouri scored 52 points against Nebraska last year and 41 three times in three other wins over NU since 2003, the Tigers averaged 18.4 per game in going 0-5 against Oklahoma.

Texas Tech scored 70 against an unequipped Nebraska defense in 2004. It has averaged 47 points in three wins over NU since 2004 but just 19 against the Sooners over that same time.

Nebraska's defense is not on par with Oklahoma of the past five years, but the Huskers have a plan to get there. And against the spread, that's more than half the battle.

In preparing for Mizzou, NU coaches laid it out for the defense. Their game plan provided a complete report on how the Tigers would attack Nebraska. The Huskers said they knew what was coming and when it would come.

“It's coaching,” said senior safety Larry Asante, a starter on the 2007 Nebraska defense that ranked 112th nationally in total yardage. “Once we get our game plans, we run with it. We take gambles at practice, so the games pretty much play out before we get to Saturday.

“Nothing surprises us. That all goes back to coaching.”

Success breeds confidence. And sometimes, Bo Pelini said, fundamental defense creates an illusion.

“When you (execute), you look like a better, more physical football team,” Pelini said. “You're getting your hands on people. You're playing with more technique. If you're playing the right way, it should look more physical, because that's the only way you play good defense.”

It's the only way to stop the spread.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9587, mitch.sherman@owh.com

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