Elijah Jeudy was 6 years old the last time Nebraska had a shutout. The iPhone was just 2 years old.
It was a long time coming.
On Saturday, the Huskers recorded their first shutout since Dec. 30, 2009, a 33-0 victory over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. Akron was on the wrong side of the score Saturday, 68-0, at Memorial Stadium.
“It means a lot,” Jeudy, a senior defensive lineman, said about the shutout. “Personally, I haven’t been a part of a shutout before so to be a part of that was amazing.
“Especially being able to see the young guys get in the game and being able to dominate the way they did. It was a great feeling.”
Last week, head coach Matt Rhule talked about the defense playing faster to the ball.
“I think the whole D-line made steps,” said Jeudy, who transferred from Texas A&M and is in his third season with the Huskers. He has two tackles so far this season. He had 13 tackles in 13 games last season, and eight tackles in 11 games in 2023.
“I think we played faster than we played for [the] Cincinnati game. That was something that we all came together and decided that was one thing that we were going to work on at practice all last week and that’s what we did.”
Nebraska plays FCS opponent Houston Christian on Saturday, a notable step down in weight class for the 2-0 Huskers. HCU (1-1) has an explosive offense, averaging 39.5 points per game, which might present a challenge for the 21st-ranked defense in the country. The Huskers are tied for the 13th-best scoring defense in the nation, allowing 8.5 points per game.
“I think last year we were worried about playing a brand too much,” Jeudy said. “Now it’s just a nameless, faceless opponent. The man there is just the man. You got to play him.
“For me [to improve], playing a lot faster. That’s really it for me: Playing a lot faster. Getting off the ball, being more physical.”
Rhule gave a halftime speech during the Akron game with his team ahead, 33-0, that has gotten a lot of attention.
“I went after them at halftime,” Rhule told the media on Monday. “I freaking lost it in the locker room.
“I was pissed that we let them drive the ball down right before the half, almost making a field goal. Where’s the killer instinct?
“I want us to be a football place. Football teams, you put away the teams you’re supposed to put away. You don’t let them have life.”
Jeudy heard Rhule’s fire-and-brimstone speech, and related to it.
“That’s just the standard,” said Jeudy, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder who is from Philadelphia. “We’ve been preaching all week you got to put the teams away that’s supposed to be put away. That was the plan the whole time. That was nothing new to us.”
Defensive coordinator John Butler told the media Tuesday: “We’re trying to play to a standard. At times against Cincinnati we played to that standard and at times we didn’t. Against Akron we played to that standard more but we still have ways to go and ways to develop.”
Jeudy said his defensive line room gets great energy from position coach Terry Bradden and his style of coaching.
“It’s just the energy. His energy is contagious,” Jeudy said. “When we don’t got it, he’ll give it to us and then he’ll spark the whole D-line room. It’s really just the energy.
“To play in the trenches, you have to have a lot of energy. You have to get off everything physical and I think he gives that to us even though he’s not out there with us, him just saying it gives us motivation.”
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