Husker rushing defense on life support

Of the 119 teams playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly called Division I-A, Nebraska is last in rushing defense. Yes, No. 119. "I know we're not very good," said NU defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. "It's pretty obvious." So obvious, in fact, that many teams have centered their offensive approach on running the ball right at the Cornhuskers until it works. Through nine games, Nebraska is giving up an average of 242.6 rushing yards per game. Baylor, the 11th-ranked rushing defense in the Big 12 Conference, is giving up an astounding 60 fewer yards on the ground per game than the Huskers. Clearly, defending the run has been a problem for Nebraska. On Saturday, Texas exploded for 364 rushing yards - 248 of those coming in the fourth quarter - against a Husker defense that had blitzed and kept the Longhorns off-balance for the first three quarters. Texas running back Jamaal Charles broke free for touchdown runs of 86 yards, 40 yards and 25 yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' 28-25 win. So what happened? NU sophomore linebacker Phillip Dillard said it was a combination of the speedy Charles making plays and Husker defenders missing assignments. "We just have to stay more focused in the fourth quarter," Dillard said. "With our assignments, we just can't get tired and lose sight of what we're supposed to do." NU Coach Bill Callahan said the Huskers' frequent blitzing against Texas left the defense susceptible to big plays, but he said his team's lack of success against the run this season has been "disappointing." The Huskers' lack of a successful rushing defense is somewhat puzzling considering the past two seasons. In 2006, Nebraska gave up 116.6 rushing yards per game. In 2005, that number was 124.2. Texas wasn't the first opponent to gash the Huskers with its running game. It's been a troubling trend all season, and each of Nebraska's last three opponents have picked up at least 300 yards on the ground. Oklahoma State punished Nebraska for 317 rushing yards in a 45-14 win on Oct. 13, and Texas A&M gained 359 rushing yards in a 36-14 victory over the Huskers on Oct. 20. Things don't get any easier this week. Nebraska's opponent on Saturday, Kansas, is ranked third in the league with an average of 215 rushing yards per game. KU also allowed just two rushing touchdowns on the year, compared to 25 for Nebraska. And if the recent trend of running the ball on the Huskers continues, expect the Jayhawks to move the ball on the ground early and often. If that happens, Nebraska would probably still be behind teams such as No. 118 Alabama Birmingham (2-6) and No. 117 Louisiana-Lafayette (1-7) in defending the run. Or any other team, for that matter. "You never want to allow yourself to be last in anything. Period," said NU sophomore defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. "You always want to be up there with the elite groups of guys playing defense. … We just need to work harder on stopping the run." BENGOULDSMITH@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM