ISU and Nebraska defenders talk about their game

The Iowa State linebacker corps will be a major factor in the 19th-ranked Cyclones’ matchup with number-20 Nebraska. Sophomore Brandon Brown leads the Cyclones in tackles and Brown says he and the other linebackers will need to contend with a Husker offense that combines the option with the power game. He says they have to follow through with their assignments and do what they’ve practiced and they’ll be o.k.Brown says reading the keys is important in defending the option, he says you can’t be step late, and need to react quickly.In the past few years, the Nebraska-Iowa State game has been a physical mismatch. Brown feels the Cyclones have closed the gap with the strength to play with anyone. Brown says the big plays they’ve given up this year have been the result of missed assignments, not mismatches.Nebraska players and coaches have spent more time answering questions about their September 14th loss to Penn State this week than they have about their game with Iowa State. Senior defensive lineman Chris Kelsay is one of the Huskers’ captains and says the game against the Cyclones gives them an opportunity to make up for the loss. He says the start of conference play gives them a new season with plenty of goals ahead.Nebraska comes into the game as the underdog, and Kelsay says that’s due to his team’s loss and I-S-U’s good start. He says I-S-U has shown they’re on the rise and quarterback Seneca Wallace gives them a chance in any game. Kelsay says his team has to take it into their own hands to turn things around.