2025 MARYLAND RECAP: Indirect Solutions

The staff finds a way to protect the offensive line in pass pro (by not passing), while the structural defensive changes we saw last week continue

Photo courtesy Huskers Athletics

This week’s sections are:

• Duo Dominance and Other Run-Game Notes

• Defensive Trends Continue

• Curls/Stops To Beat Cover 3

• Attacking The Second Level

• A Gameplan To Protect The Line

• Lower Blitz Rate — More Pass Rush Wins?

• Two Plays Everyone Knows NU Is Running In Situational Football

• Two-Pick Stunts

• Y Motion

• Turnover Margin Tracker

Duo Dominance and Other Run-Game Notes

I wrote after the opener against Cincinnati about how we saw a heavy dose of gap-scheme runs from Nebraska’s offense, surprising because Dana Holgorsen’s background had typically been in the zone running game. In the games after the opener, though, we saw things get closer to where we expected with a lot more zone running, and after the Michigan State game Nebraska was at about 55% zone runs to 34.5% gap runs.¹ But against Maryland, we saw NU really get back to gap-scheme runs, with the zone-gap split dead even.