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Erik Chinander: Nebraska’s defensive showing in Week 0 not ‘up to our standard’

Michael Costeines

By Michael Costeines

Published:

What went right for Nebraska Saturday in Dublin? Probably not much if you’re a Huskers fan.

That sentiment was echoed by defensive coordinator Erik Chinander.

“I don’t care who’s in the game, that wasn’t up to our standard,” said Chinander about the outing. “But I also understand we had a lot of new faces in there. A lot of untimely mistakes happened that you wish you had an NFL preseason… We can’t make that as an excuse. We know we had a job to do and ultimately we didn’t get it done.”

The Huskers were dismal on defense against Northwestern. Chinander’s unit gave up 528 yards, including 214 on the ground.

It’s also not like the Wildcats are expected to contend in the B1G West division. Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski also threw for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Some believed Nebraska would contend in the BIG West. The Huskers need to figure out a plan fast on defense (and offense) before things could start to really unravel. In fact, some fans probably wanted head coach Scott Frost to stay in Dublin after the loss.

Luckily, Nebraska might be off the hook for a bit. The Huskers welcome FCS North Dakota to Lincoln and host Sun Belt member Georgia Southern on Sept. 10.

Then, the defense better be prepared when they face Oklahoma. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel could have a field day when the Sooners invade Lincoln.

Michael Costeines