HOPPEN: Nebraska’s secondary troubling opposing quarterbacks due to incredible depth

Add Blaine Gabbert to the list of victims.

He joins Nathan Enderle, Jake Locker and Garrett Gilbert as highly touted opposing quarterbacks the Cornhuskers' secondary has frustrated into poor games.

Gabbert came in as the owner of a 67.2 completion percentage on the year. But on Saturday, Gabbert spent much of the afternoon with happy feet in the pocket while NU's defensive backs blanketed his receivers.

He completed just 18 of his 42 passing attempts, good for a season-low 42.9 percent completion percentage.

"They're great players," Gabbert said after the game. "They're well coached and do their jobs extremely well."

For most secondaries, that would be high praise. For this one, however, it's a severe understatement.

This is one of the best defensive backfields in college football, and Saturday's performance solidified its status among the nation's elite.

Week after week, it is tested by another accomplished passer, and each time it passes with flying colors. The Huskers are third in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (148) and tied for ninth in interceptions (13). Opposing quarterbacks are completing a measly 47 percent of their passes this year.

And that didn't change even with two new starters against Missouri. Poor tackling in the Texas and Oklahoma State games prompted NU's coaches to switch things up at both safety spots.

Saturday's new starters, Courtney Osborne and Austin Cassidy, had never played much more than special teams and mop-up minutes previously. But the duo played well, and Missouri was unable to take advantage of their inexperience.

And speaking of inexperience, coaches and teammates couldn't say enough about the play of true freshman cornerback Ciante Evans after he replaced All-Big 12 candidate Alfonzo Dennard, who left the game early on with a concussion after colliding with Osborne on a play. Evans took the field during a game that hadn't already been decided for the first time in his young career.

Gabbert thought he saw blood in the water and tested the 5-foot-11 corner several times with deep balls. But each time, the pass fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Ciante played like a veteran out there," defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. "He's just a loose guy. He jumped right in when Dennard got hurt."

The play of Evans, Osborne and Cassidy is a direct example of what makes this secondary so extraordinary: It has remarkable depth.

In Dennard, Prince Amukamara, Eric Hagg and DeJon Gomes, the Huskers basically have four cornerbacks on the field at all times, partially because the Big 12 is ripe with spread offenses but also because it's not possible to keep any of their talent on the sidelines.

All four are inseparable from their man, and on the rare occasions when one does allow a reception, he's right there to make a solid tackle.

And with Evans and Anthony West (who was painfully close to having a pick-six on Saturday), the Huskers have two players on the bench that would start for most other Big 12 schools.

And the safeties? The Huskers were able to pull two brand-new starters off the bench without missing a beat. Even if they had struggled, PJ Smith (three interceptions) and Rickey Thenarse (34 tackles) were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to earn their jobs back.

Sadly, the secondary's glue imitation won't last forever. Amukamara, Hagg, Gomes, West and Thenarse are seniors, and most of them are likely moving to NFL careers.

And next year, NU will find itself in the Big Ten, where it will spend most weeks game planning to stop punishing ground games with two or three linebackers. The Huskers' days of defending 40 passes a game will soon be few and far between.

So enjoy it while it lasts, Husker Nation. You are watching history each and every week.

Dan Hoppen is a junior news-editorial major. Reach him at danhoppen@dailynebraskan.com