In the previous two games at Nebraska, the University of Washington defensive unit got torched for 55 and 51 points.
Last Saturday, the Huskies defenders went into the heartland and regained their swagger, holding the Cornhuskers to a single touchdown and a field goal in an old-fashioned 17-10 victory for Jedd Fisch's football team.
Rather than try and take people's heads off, the UW went about it with a calculated, cerebral approach.
They didn't try to rush extra mobile quarterback Anthony Colandrea; instead, they simply kept him hemmed in by the pocket and prevented him from getting out and running all over the acreage. He rushed just 9 times for 20 yards, which hurt no one.
Whereas it looked like the defensive line was getting no pressure whatsoever on Colandrea, that was the plan all along. Just contain him. Just cordon off the area and not let anyone through.
"It wasn't a sexy game for the defensive line," UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said.
Huskies safety Rylon Dillard-Allen (4) returns a first-series interception 20 yards against Nebraska. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yet there was a certain amount of allure in seeing the Cornhuskers grow frustrated with their lack of offense, especially in throwing interceptions to defensive backs Rylon Dillard-Allen and Manny Karnley on the first two drives of the night.
"Getting two turnovers right away definitely was a shock for them," Husky edge rusher Jacob Lane said. "They weren't expecting to start the game that way. I think kind of the whole game they were kind of frustrated."
After the Huskies got manhandled on defense a few weeks earlier in a 41-24 loss to a more physical Iowa team at home, this game was more atttune to the expectations placed on a unit expected to affect the outcome of games, especially when the offensive approach is extremely limited.
Linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale had his best game over 16 games in two seasons, leading the Huskies with 10 tackles and picking up an early sack.
"If he plays like he did [Saturday] night for the rest of his career, we'll all be happy," Walters said.
Strong safety Alex McLaughlin, with his 48-yard interception runback for a late score and the third UW pass theft of the evening, earned himself conference honors, the first of any kind for the Huskies this season, when he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
McLaughlin was so efficient he was flagged for targeting on a second-half tackle, only to have it overturned on review, which rarely happens.
Edge rusher Isaiah Ward (91) and the Huskies kept Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea under wraps. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A captain, McLaughlin naturally passed the buck rather than take a bow for his big night.
"I think it's just a testament to the whole defense -- I think we played extremely well on Saturday," he said. "I couldn't have done it without the guys around me, especially the dudes up front creating so much pressure."
Dudes up front.
Yes, the Husky defensive swagger is back.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/washington as Husky Defense Got Its Swagger Back at Nebraska .
