There were so many things to like about the Nebraska football victory over Indiana Saturday. One of the things that really stood out in particular was the play of defensive lineman Ty Robinson.
Robinson is a player that has gotten criticism from me and others. For one, he hasn’t performed at a high level to this point in the season. However, he certainly showed what he could do on Saturday night. He recorded four tackles and a sack. This was by far his highest output of the season to this point. In addition to those statistics, he displayed some of what made him a highly sought-after recruit.
For one, he exploded into the backfield. He was able to be a disruptive force. Secondly, he was able to use his high-motor ability to immediately react to plays. Those two things were on full display Saturday. Those two things are what also made him a highly-sought-after recruit. I remember watching his high school highlights and being amazed at what I saw. He showed that same aggressiveness and a reckless abandon that makes him such an impactful player.
He looked like he was comfortable on Saturday night. Robinson looked like a completely different player.
Maybe, saying he was a completely different player Saturday night is an unfair statement to make. He looked like the player that Nebraska football thought they were getting when they recruited him.
Robinson’s emergence important for Nebraska football
Saturday’s game against Indiana could be an extremely encouraging launch point for him the rest of the way. If he can play with that same aggressiveness on the defensive line, that is huge. This defense works best when every single player is working in sync with one another. Robinson’s emergence could be huge for the rest of the defensive line. He just needs to continue to play with that aggression, and explosive ability that he is known for.
It’s something Mickey Joseph challenged him to do on Saturday night, and he mentioned that in his press conference, as transcribed by Michael Bruntz of Husker247.
Joseph challenged Ty Robinson to “cut loose” against Indiana. “That’s the only way that kid can play cut loose and play with some fire. He did that on Saturday,” Joseph said of Robinson.
It’s safe to say that Robinson answered the challenge.
