Season seasoned
defensive backs
-—— u
By antone useka
Senior Reporter
They’re the most experienced
sophomore, sophomore, freshman
defensive backfield combination in
the Big 12 Conference.
Sophomore right cornerback
Ralph Brown was the only returning
starter in the secondary at the begin
ning of the season. Senior free safety
Eric Warfield played in all 12 games
last season but never started a game.
This season Brown and Warfield
were being joined in the secondary
by sophomores Mike Brown and
Jerome Peterson. With an injury to
Peterson before the Kansas State
game on Oct. 4, true freshman Erwin
Swiney has taken over the starting
duties at left comeiback.
“I don’t think we’re where we
need to be,” Mike Brown said. “As
the year has gone on, I think we’ve
gotten better.”
The defensive backs have been
well-tested this season while facing
some of the best quarterbacks in the
nation in Central Florida’s Daunte
Culpepper, Washington’s Brock
Huard and Kansas State s Michael
Bishop. All tried to pass against the
NU defense, but none had much suc
cess putting points on the board.
“That got us prepared for all the
good passing teams,” Mike Brown
said.
Nebraska opponents have thrown
for 1,195 yards this season against
the Husker secondary but average
just 149.4 yards per game.
Opponents have also thrown five
touchdown passes on NU, but an
opposing receiver hasn’t caught a
touchdown pass against the Huskers
in 16 quarters, since the fourth quar
ter of the Kansas State game.
When Swiney started against
Kansas State, it was a tough for the
freshman as well as for Ralph Brown.
“No matter who’s going to play,”
who’s going to start,” Swiney said,
“we still have to play hard.”,
Ralph Brown said it’s hard to get
a good working relationship when
the opposite side corner keeps chang
ing.
No matter who s
going to play, who’s
going to start, we still
have to play hard”
Erwin Swiney
freshman defensive back
S f
“The was hard because you grow
kind of a relationship with the other
side corner,” Ralph Brown said. “You
get kind of used to one guy and then
it changes.”
Ralph Brown, however, has had a
lot of good advice for Swiney.
Swiney is in a situation similar to
Ralph Brown’s last season. Last year,
Brown was the least-experienced
player in the secondary and was
picked on by opposing quarterbacks
every week.
However, he proved himself last
season and was named the Big 12
Conference Newcomer of the Year
and once again is one of the best cor
nerbacks in the conference this sea
son.
He said he tries to give Mike
Brown and Swiney confidence that
“they can run with any wide receiver
in the country.”
“We’re just as talented,” Ralph
Brown said, comparing last year’s
squad with this year’s, “but not as
mature as that group.”
NebraskaJiad three defensive
secondary players drafted by NFL
teams last spring, including Michael
Booker, who was selected by tjie
Atlanta Falcons as the 11th pick over
all.
But Swiney and the bth# sec
ondary players agreed that the best
thing for an immature secondary is
the pressure Nebraska defensive line
men Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter
are able to put on opposing quarter
backs.
“It helps out a lot,” Swiney said.
“The coverage is so short, the quar
terback is sacked before you know
it.”
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Michael Warren/DN
NEBRASKA DEFENSIVE BACKS Clint Finley (left), Erwin Swiney (back), Jerome Peterson (right) and Joe Walker
(front), are part of the Huskers’ young secondary that has grown quickly this season.
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