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Mark Mangino's Nebraska Strategy: Hold On Every Play (Good vs Evil Edition)

Late last night in Lawrence, Kansas, a large man is wracking his brain for answers.....

Icondevil_mediumSo.... how you going to handle them?

Iconmarkmangino_medium Who?

Icondevil_medium Don't pretend. I know what you're thinking.


Iconmarkmangino_medium I don't know what you're talking about.

Icondevil_medium Fine, we'll play it your way. Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick, Nebraska's defensive tackles. 14 sacks, 23 tackles for loss between them. Best set of interior linemen in the nation. What are you going to do about them?

Iconmarkmangino_medium We'll move Reesing around, double-team Suh when we can, keep in a blocker, run some screens and draws. We can deal with it. 

Icondevil_medium Have you seen what these guys have done?  Blaine Gabbert hasn't been the same since Suh squashed his ankle, that Sheffield kid from Tech is missing games because of a foot injury, and last week Oklahoma lost two players for the season, including their best blocker Brody Eldridge. How are you going to handle them?

Iconmarkmangino_medium Hell, I don't know. Got any suggestions?

Icondevil_medium Hold them on every play.

Iconmarkmangino_medium We can't get away with that.

Icondevil_medium Sure you can. Why not?

Iconmarkmangino_medium The penalties will kill us.

Icondevil_medium Ha!!!! Big 12 refs have barely called holding on these guys all year, why would they start now?

Iconmarkmangino_medium But....

Icondevil_medium Plus, you have a good reputation for penalties. If they start calling it too much, you remind them how swell your guys are.... and how nasty Pelini can be.....

Iconangel_medium What's going on here...?

Iconmarkmangino_medium Nothing.
Icondevil_medium Nothing.

Iconangel_medium I can read his mind too, you know. This sounds a little.....

Icondevil_medium A little....?

Iconangel_medium ..... a little like cheating.

Icondevil_medium Cheating? It's only holding if they call it. Everybody holds. Right coach?

Iconmarkmangino_medium ...

Icondevil_medium Besides that..... he's  protecting the health of his players.

Iconangel_medium That's a rationalization. People do that all the time.... do something they know is wrong, but rationalize it away. You really wouldn't do that would you, Coach Mangino?

Icondevil_medium pssst... you ever notice how angels kind of look like pastry?

Iconmarkmangino_medium Yeah..... pastry......  (inhales sharply, angel disappears)

Icondevil_medium Whoaaaaaa, took care of that problem!!!!

Iconmarkmangino_medium What were you saying.... how can we get away with this?