Spotlight #1: Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard 

Spotlight #2: Michigan State S Trenton Robinson 

1st quarter

12:58: Cousins throws into double coverage. Dennard in there. Good recovery speed to make a play on the ball.

12:01: Cousins throws into tight coverage. Cunningham is beat to the ball by a linebacker, picked.

11:07: Robinson does a good job of finding the ball. Good speed and wrap up on a tackle.

10:20: Robinson with a solid tackle on a quarterback run.

8:12: Dennard knocked off the play well on a screen.

7:12: Robinson takes a poor angle to the ball, shoved off the play easily.

0:41: Dennard beats Cunningham to the ball on a slant. Deflection.

2^nd quarter

12:17: Dennard with a tackle for no gain on an outside run.

12:01: Cousins throws to Cunningham into double coverage, Dennard with a play on the ball. Pass deflected.

11:00: Dennard gets into the backfield on an outside run. Pushed off the play well by a blocker.

9:38: Robinson in on a pile near the line of scrimmage.

6:55: Cousins takes a coverage sack from Baker Steinkuhler, a talented junior defensive tackle who probably won’t come out this year.

5:39: Dennard almost has in pick in double coverage. He hasn’t done a lot of one on one covering tonight, but he has 4 pass deflections in almost a half in double coverage. He’s the one making all the plays. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins keeps throwing deep into double coverage. Very poor decision making.

4:33: Dennard blocked off on an outside run.

1:43: Cousins has a pick dropped. He’s having a terrible game.

 

3^rd quarter

14:49: Robinson in on a short tackle.

10:24: Robinson pancaked on a reverse.

9:36: Robinson run over.

8:18: Dennard on Cunningham again, he almost gets his 5 pass deflection, but instead it’s just incomplete. Kirk Cousins is 4 of 16 so far tonight.

6:10: Coverage sack by Nebraska again.

5:58: Robinson with a tackle for a gain of 3.

3:02: Robinson in on a tackle on the outside.

1:38: Robinson brings the ball carrier down from behind after a big gain. Play called back after a penalty.

1:19: Robinson whiffs on a tackle for loss.

4^th

13:12: Dennard with a nice open field tackle.

12:11: Dennard and Lavonte David doubling a receiver. This time David almost picks it off. Pass deflection.

12:02: Coverage sack for Nebraska.

11:16: Dennard allows a short catch on 4^th and 13. He kept the play in front of him in coverage. That’s what he was supposed to do, but he missed the tackle. First down.

9:59: Dennard blocked with an excellent block on a reverse.

8:23: Lavonte David with a tackle for a loss.

4:45: Another coverage sack.

2:46: Robinson in on a short tackle.

1:46: Robinson with a tackle for loss.

0:00: Nebraska had a very simple game plan. Take away DJ Cunningham. In 7 games coming in, Cunningham caught 48 balls for 723 yards and 3 scores. He’s by far his team’s leading receiver and Kirk Cousins loves throwing to him. They had double coverage on him all night. Alfonzo Dennard, once a consensus first round pick who has been slowed by injuries this season, was the cornerback on him on almost every play. In addition, Nebraska always put a safety or a linebacker on him as well. Lavonte David, a day 2 prospect and one of the best cover linebackers in college football, was that linebacker on several occasions. That game plan worked. BJ Cunningham didn’t have a catch.

Kirk Cousins seemed completely lost without Cunningham. I noted earlier this season that Cunningham often would try to force things to Cunningham, his favorite target. It had been working to this point. Cunningham was one of the Big 10’s leading receivers and Cousins looked like a day 2 prospect going 136 of 204 (66.7%) for 1707 yards (8.4 YPA), 11 touchdowns, and 4 picks in 7 games. However, tonight Cousins went a miserable 11 of 27 for 86 yards and a pick in a 24-3 loss.

Cousins seemed determined to force it to Cunningham even though Nebraska was focused on stopping him. He refused to check down, in favor of forcing it to his favorite receiver deep against double coverage. He may have only had 1 pick, but Nebraska’s defenders got their hands on at least a half dozen balls, probably around in the 7-8 deflections range. He really displayed poor decision making and it should drop his stock into the early day 3 range.

Cunningham should also see his stock fall a bit. Cunningham looked like a breakout star coming into this game, but he couldn’t do anything against double coverage even though he was targeted so many times. He was getting beat to the ball by linebackers and cornerbacks alike and Alfonzo Dennard flat out outplayed him.

Dennard had the type of awesome game we were expecting him to have coming into the season. He had 4 pass deflections and only allowed one catch, a short catch on 4^th and 13, though he did whiff on the tackle and allow the first down. Yes, he did have help all game, but he was the one making all the plays and he really showed everything you like out of a cornerback in coverage. Not only did he have 4 deflections, his tough coverage helped force at least 3 or 4 coverage sacks against Kirk Cousins.

He struggled a bit against the run, but if he keeps playing like this, he’ll move himself back into the top 15 range. He finally looks healthy after struggling with injuries to start the season and now has half a season to prove himself as the #1 cornerback. Remember, he was the #2 guy last year to Prince Amukamara, though Dennard played very well in that role.

The other spotlight in this game was Trenton Robinson. The former cornerback looks finally healthy after a history of leg injuries. He had 8 tackles in this game and looked sharp in coverage, though he is only 5-10 195 and it showed against the run. He had a good number of tackles, but he didn’t look like a strong tackler and he did miss a few tackles. Unless he can convert back to cornerback, he won’t be anything higher than a late round pick. On the season, he has 39 tackles and 2 picks.