Mitch Sherman, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Planning for success: Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Of all the ugly residue this week from Nebraska’s first loss of the Big Ten season, nothing hurt as badly back at Memorial Stadium as the reality that Minnesota physically dominated the Cornhuskers.

The Gophers rushed for 271 yards, a season high against Nebraska. More than that, Minnesota sent numerous Huskers walking slowly to the sideline. The Gophers, in winning 34-23, owned the line of scrimmage.

A common sight on Saturday in Minneapolis: running David Cobb blasting through the first and second contacts from Nebraska defenders.

“You have to be physical all the time,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “You can’t pick and choose. There were some times when it hurt us. It was a guy here or a guy here. It was a breakdown here or there. That’s not the standard that I want these guys to live by."

So on Sunday as the Huskers returned to practice, guess what awaited? Not the helmets and shorts of a normal day-after-the-game workout; rather, Nebraska broke out the shoulder pads. Two days later, gone from practice were the Blackshirt practice jerseys -- a symbol of defensive excellence at the school -- worn since August by much of the first-team unit.

As the Huskers prepare for a visit on Saturday from Northwestern, their plan for success calls for increased physical play. It’s a staple of Nebraska football that must remain consistent, players and coaches said.

"We have a standard that we want to live up to here,” defensive coordinator John Papuchis said. “Certainly what we put on the field Saturday wasn’t up to that Blackshirt standard. I don’t wear a Blackshirt, but if I wore a Blackshirt, I would take mine off too.

"We didn’t play good enough and we didn’t do anything well enough to warrant them."

No one gets off easy in this area. Nebraska surrendered four sacks, more than the Huskers’ first six opponents combined.

Offensively, Nebraska attempted 30 passes and rushed 30 times -- nice balance, but likely not the most favorable breakdown, considering the blustery conditions and the fact that I-back Ameer Abdullah averaged 8.7 yards on 19 carries.

Too often, the Huskers went for the big play in the passing game. Yes, Minnesota dared Nebraska to throw, stacking seven or eight defenders near the line of scrimmage. But when the Huskers ran, they usually ran well.

Still, offensive coordinator Tim Beck preferred balance.

"We need to execute,” Beck said in reference to the running and passing games.

The Huskers stand behind their play-caller.

"You can’t just pound the rock every play,” left tackle Jeremiah Sirles said. “You can try, but if there’s nine people in the box, we need to get the ball to our playmakers on the outside.”

Offensively and defensively, a focus lasted through the week in Lincoln to get more physical as a tough November schedule awaits.

"That's definitely our No. 1 (objective) right now,” defensive end Randy Gregory said. “I don't think we've ever had a problem playing physical, but I think (last week) just showed we need to bring our level up a little bit more than it is right now. The games are only going to get tougher.”

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