The Curious Case of Isaac Gifford and the 3-3-5 defense

[st3f0]

Isaac Gifford playing the Dover Safety position is constanlty out of position, takes terrible angles and struggles to make open field tackles.

Am I crazy to think the defense would be better if Tony White shifted from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 and brought Gifford closer to the LOS to be the 4th LB?

 

[dinglefritz]

Isaac Gifford playing the Dover Safety position is constanlty out of position, takes terrible angles and struggles to make open field tackles.

Am I crazy to think the defense would be better if Tony White shifted from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 and brought Gifford closer to the LOS to be the 4th LB?

Or run a more traditional 4-3 with a true WDE and put one of our back 8 on the bench.

 

[headcard]

His safety position is supposed to be a hybrid LB/Safety. The 3-3-5 should be pretty adaptable, if you have the guys, because you have a hybrid DE/OLB and a Hybrid LB/Safety.

But, I agree he has not played well this year and would probably have benefited from a move to LB, like Bullock.

 

[tro80]

In hindsight, whatever we spent on NIL to bring back some of these guys for their Covid year was not money well spent.

 

[Truewooper]

If he can't play the hybrid position well then move someone else there who will do better.

 

[HuskerDrew]

If he is playing so much that means the guys behind him are worse. That’s on the coaches and if so they need to be shit canned.
The D overal is ok, but if we ran 4-3, we
Could have Butler, Nash, Ty, and Lenhardt/Williams up front, with the 3 linebackers coming from the group of Princewill/Gbayor/Sherman/Shavers/Magahee/Bullock

That would be so much better than watching Gifford take a shit angle or miss a tackle or get erased… or all of the above

 

[phoenix4nu]

If he is playing so much that means the guys behind him are worse. That’s on the coaches and if so they need to be shit canned.
The D overal is ok, but if we ran 4-3, we
Could have Butler, Nash, Ty, and Lenhardt/Williams up front, with the 3 linebackers coming from the group of Princewill/Gbayor/Sherman/Shavers/Magahee/Bullock

That would be so much better than watching Gifford take a shit angle or miss a tackle or get erased… or all of the above

If it’s a scheme problem, that’s on White and Rhule.

 

[huskerfan66]

In hindsight, whatever we spent on NIL to bring back some of these guys for their Covid year was not money well spent.

That's the problem I envision coming with the 105 limit. Do you retain a 5th year guy and recruit the young kid? With our results I'd say take youth versus the same old same old and struggling to be bowl eligible

 

[Laner2]

If he is playing so much that means the guys behind him are worse. That’s on the coaches and if so they need to be shit canned.
The D overal is ok, but if we ran 4-3, we
Could have Butler, Nash, Ty, and Lenhardt/Williams up front, with the 3 linebackers coming from the group of Princewill/Gbayor/Sherman/Shavers/Magahee/Bullock

That would be so much better than watching Gifford take a shit angle or miss a tackle or get erased… or all of the above

Speaking of Princewell and Lenhardt, are they on a milk carton somewhere?

 

[HuskerDrew]

Speaking of Princewell and Lenhardt, are they on a milk carton somewhere?

This is an issue IMO. These dudes were making plays early in their careers… now we don’t see them? How could they have gotten worse?
We clearly have a coaching issue.

 

[BrighteRed24]

If it’s a scheme problem, that’s on White and Rhule.

It’s also a Rhule and White problem if they are not recruiting / developing guys that are better than our current players.

At this point, I don’t want to hear our coaches say that guys aren’t making plays. Many of these current players haven’t made plays their entire career, so that’s not a surprise. What are Rhule and White doing to recruit and develop guys to replace the underperformers?

 

[dinglefritz]

Speaking of Princewell and Lenhardt, are they on a milk carton somewhere?

Lenhardt played okay I think when he was in there. Princewill has lost some snaps to other guys.

 

[oldjar07]

Isaac Gifford playing the Dover Safety position is constanlty out of position, takes terrible angles and struggles to make open field tackles.

Am I crazy to think the defense would be better if Tony White shifted from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 and brought Gifford closer to the LOS to be the 4th LB?

I know Gifford is the favorite whipping boy right now, and he has not played well this year. But the problems you list certainly aren't unique only to Gifford. I think Cooper may have been a bigger loss than we thought. The front 7 hasn't always impressed me at times either. I don't know if Tony White is quite the savior we all thought he was last year.

 

[dinglefritz]

This is an issue IMO. These dudes were making plays early in their careers… now we don’t see them? How could they have gotten worse?
We clearly have a coaching issue.

Princewill is listed as a linebacker this year. Last year it appeared he was playing the role of a pass rushing specialist. Williams fills that role this year. Princewill I think is competing for snaps with Sherman and MacGhee. Some people want to see more MacGahee. Sherman has been pretty solid from my limited view.

 

[dinglefritz]

I know Gifford is the favorite whipping boy right now, and he has not played well this year. But the problems you list certainly aren't unique only to Gifford. I think Cooper may have been a bigger loss than we thought. The front 7 hasn't always impressed me at times either. I don't know if Tony White is quite the savior we all thought he was last year.

We lost probably our best all around corner to graduation. People underestimate the effect that has had on our back end.

 

[InMotion]

I think a few of the defensive guys came back another year to never lose EVER. I think I heard that somewhere.
Oh and BTW, since they stopped making "Chasing 3" videos, what is that group of people doing for the program now? Probably nothing just like everyone else.

 

[huskerfan1414]

Isaac Gifford playing the Dover Safety position is constanlty out of position, takes terrible angles and struggles to make open field tackles.

Am I crazy to think the defense would be better if Tony White shifted from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 and brought Gifford closer to the LOS to be the 4th LB?

A glaring example of regression under this “developmental” staff.

 

[IM4NUalways]

Isaac Gifford playing the Dover Safety position is constanlty out of position, takes terrible angles and struggles to make open field tackles.

Am I crazy to think the defense would be better if Tony White shifted from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 and brought Gifford closer to the LOS to be the 4th LB?

Just bench him. He is not good.

 

[huskerfan1414]

This is an issue IMO. These dudes were making plays early in their careers… now we don’t see them? How could they have gotten worse?
We clearly have a coaching issue.

Another exhibit of the issue with rhule being a “developer” if they are getting worse.

 

[OO Snipes]

He’s playing hesitantly. Wonder if he got his bell rung and is just not going full out. He is not making any plays. Should be the smartest person on the field. He could have laid a couple hits to dislodge the ball and he just lays off.

 

[OO Snipes]

He’s playing hesitantly. Wonder if he got his bell rung and is just not going full out. He is not making any plays. Should be the smartest person on the field. He could have laid a couple hits to dislodge the ball and he just lays off.

 

[oldjar07]

A glaring example of regression under this “developmental” staff.

He’s playing hesitantly. Wonder if he got his bell rung and is just not going full out. He is not making any plays. Should be the smartest person on the field. He could have laid a couple hits to dislodge the ball and he just lays off.

He was a really good player last year so not sure what's going on with him. He is playing very hesitant, especially these last few games. I won't say he sucks, as a lot of things are pinned on Hartzog and Gifford just because they are the favorite whipping boys, but we we actually have much deeper issues on defense. But he has been mediocre at best and it's hard to remember the last time he has made a play.

 

[HuskerDrew]

Princewill is listed as a linebacker this year. Last year it appeared he was playing the role of a pass rushing specialist. Williams fills that role this year. Princewill I think is competing for snaps with Sherman and MacGhee. Some people want to see more MacGahee. Sherman has been pretty solid from my limited view.

Oh yeah, I see those 3 all at the Jack position. Another reason to lose the 3-3-5. If we could replace Gifford with another LB we’d be better off. Gifford is not making ANY of those plays.
I’d rather have Princewill or MaGahee out there in place of Gifford.. he’s seriously regressed

 

[dinglefritz]

A glaring example of regression under this “developmental” staff.

Your hot takes are getting worse.

 

[Huskermatt23]

or just maybe not start unathletic white kids who walk on at Nebraska? Nebraska fans love it, statistics on the other hand say it rarely works out.

 

[RedMyMind]

or just maybe not start unathletic white kids who walk on at Nebraska? Nebraska fans love it, statistics on the other hand say it rarely works out.

agree. Need more felons

 

[HUSKERBILL]

Just bench him. He is not good.

Gifford is a below-average starter in the Big 10.