‘Minnesota’s watching:’ How Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White preps for opening test

Nebraska’s Tony White knows he has a 3-3-5 defense — and potentially other things — that Big Ten opponents haven’t seen and his own players are still learning. So there remain challenges and weaknesses to work through and overcomplicated wrinkles to discard.

But White is not currently in the business of unpacking where NU needs to improve.

“Minnesota’s watching,” White quipped, referring to the post-practice interviews that pop up on YouTube. “So I don’t know.”

Yes, “8/31,” as White called it Friday, looms.

The Huskers haven’t beaten the Gophers in five years and, in that time, never quite figured out how to stop Minnesota’s slow-cooked, power-run system that gobbles up the clock and fourth quarter rushing yards. The good spring and offseason vibes ultimately lead to a major exam, pass or fail, for which White holds daily, two-hour test prep in the form of practices.

He wants his secondary to be more physical, for example — to love tackling runners like they love covering receivers. Seasoned vet Quinton Newsome, White said, has had two strong practices in that area.

What else?

“I always want more takeaways,” White said. “You can never be too physical in that regard — without being stupid.”

To get both things, defenders have to play with what White calls “Husker speed” and “dominant contact.” It’s a couple of branding notes from this defensive staff that land somewhere between Eric Chinander’s more easygoing approach and Bob Diaco’s stage trunk of props.

Be faster than the other guy. Be so physical that your blow overwhelms your opponent’s blow. Straightforward stuff.

White spends time chewing on how best to get players flying around and hitting hard. For the speed aspect, he’s not afraid to go with guys who might seem a little underweight — he did so at Syracuse with success — but he also tries to eliminate obstacles.

A scheme that requires too much explanation and practice may not translate well to the game. The intricacies of NU’s 2021 defense — with JoJo Domann and Marquel Dismuke executing it — proved difficult for a 2022 defense that struggled, in the opening month, to stop anything opposing offenses ran.

Nebraska doesn’t want to overthink it again.

“It’s a matter of making sure that we’re doing the things that we need to do here at Nebraska to put these guys in position to go make plays,” White said. “Because sometimes you get too much information, too many things, and then you’re scrambling their mind. It’s hey, let’s cut it down. That’s the point we’re at right now. Cutting it down, making sure our guys can absorb everything we’re doing and letting them go play.”

The lone defensive mind who hadn’t previously worked with coach Matt Rhule, White brought 3-3-5 analysts with him, but he has tried to incorporate the ideas and worldviews of his assistants.

Defensive line coach Terrance Knighton is close with his players and a pass-rush technician who likes to develop a four-man pass rush in practice. Linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek loves little details and trying to figure the ripple effects of a given defense and the opponent’s response. Defensive backs coach Evan Cooper has Rhule’s ear and also an eye for talent; he’s the one who found lightly-recruited defender Eric Fields, who now could play as a true freshman at rover.

“That’s the thing I can’t stress the most: It is our defense,” White said.

Versatile. Rarely in the same front or look twice.

“The 3-3-5 defense, it’s one where you don’t put yourself in a box,” linebacker Chief Borders said. “You can show a 4-2-5, you can show five-man down but then you’ll run a three-man rush with two high safeties over the top…once you get the defense down and you understand the concept, you can do what you do.”

The defense is “growing,” White said, into a finished product. Whether it matures enough by Aug. 31 may determine whether the Huskers break a long losing streak against P.J. Fleck.

Before then, White will chew on another traditional task that falls to Husker defensive coordinators.

Handing out Blackshirts.

“I’ve got an idea,” White said. But he didn’t share what it was before he talks to Rhule.

“We’ll do it,” he said, “as we do it.”