Husker D-line holds ground

LINCOLN - Buddy Wyatt was in a joking mood following Nebraska's win against Iowa State.

At least, it seemed like he was joking. We'll say he was joking, anyway.

“Panic,” said the Nebraska defensive line coach with a slight chuckle when describing his emotions when tackle Ty Steinkuhler and end Clayton Sievers were each out with injuries early in Saturday's game. Nose tackle Ndamukong Suh was also slowed by a dinged-up knee.

Possibly holding back tears, possibly not, Wyatt elaborated.

“No, we had guys who had been working hard, and it was their turn and they stepped up and performed, which is always a good thing.”

Good enough to finish off Iowa State, anyway. Missouri's high-octane offense figures to be a different test.

To be certain, Nebraska's defensive line was one of the biggest question marks entering the season, a natural result of losing four starters including NFL Draft picks Adam Carriker and Jay Moore. Most of the major contributors now are sophomores and juniors.

Five games into the season, the hope is that you're not a newcomer anymore. Banged up at best, though, the state of the defensive line remains like a Bill Callahan injury report - day-to-day.

“We're not new, but we're still improving,” Wyatt said. “Our goal is to get better every week, and I think we took some strides this week.”

Most will agree there was progress made by the defensive line. The pass rush improved. Suh was fighting off double teams. Others were holding off blockers so linebackers weren't getting mauled. There was energy, and some of the fun Corey McKeon told us had been missing.

Even Iowa State coach Gene Chizik noted he thought the Cyclones would have better success rushing the football, surely recalling those gapping holes USC trotted through.

The stats will also support Wyatt's claim. The three sacks match the amount in the first four games combined, and the five quarterback hurries no doubt contributed to Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer's three interceptions.

Steinkuhler forced a fumble, and Potter recovered one. Sievers was having his best game of the season, and Barry Turner probably did, as well. Don't pack your bags for San Antonio just yet, this came against a one-win team, but there was improvement.