Nebraska football defensive lineman excited for new scheme

[ASFN Admin]

Nebraska football defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel is excited to play under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. He spoke to the media earlier this week about what he likes about his new coach.

This is not the first time that we have heard a Husker player praise Aurich. Cam Lenhardt also praised his new defensive coordinator earlier in the week.

Rob Aurich joins Nebraska after spending last season with San Diego State. In his first season with the Aztecs, his defense finished fifth in scoring, allowing 12.6 points per game.

SDSU was also in the top ten for yards per game (266.7), yards per pass (5.1), rushing touchdowns allowed (5), and opponent completion percentage (53.3).

Aurich's hire brings about a philosophical shift for the defense, as he runs a 4-2-5. The Huskers have run a 3-3-5 scheme under Matt Rhule over the past three seasons.

Van Poppel appreciates many things about his new coach, and noted that Aurich’s schemes might seem complex to the outside eye; however, Van Poppel is excited for fans to see the finished product.

“And to an outside eye, it might seem really confusing, but I think once you sit down, you learn the installs, and you see what he’s like, you start to pick up on his kind of vibe and his feel, it makes complete sense, and you start to get a sense of what he wants to do, and it’s fun to play for. He’s confident … He knows what he has on the field. He knows what he can do as a defensive coordinator and scheme wise. And then he also has a lot of confidence in his players.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how Van Poppel fits into this defense. He had a decent season last year, recording 16 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in 13 games. The defensive line will need to play at a higher level this fall, especially with several marquee opponents on the schedule. Van Poppel will be a major piece of that.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football defensive lineman excited for new scheme

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