Tag: Isaac Gifford

Isaac Gifford identifies key defensive change

Isaac Gifford knows the defense has to make some changes.

Nebraska defensive back Isaac Gifford identified one area the team needed to improve on following Saturday’s 27-20 loss to the UCLA Bruins.

Gifford had a big day statistically for the Huskers. He recorded nine tackles, his second-highest in-game total this season. He has had a solid year overall, as he has tallied 44 tackles on the year in addition to a pass deflection.

The Nebraska native has been a mainstay for this program for the past couple of seasons. In his press conference following the game, Gifford indicated that the defense needed to make a particular adjustment.

“We have to get up and contest. There are too many guys making a catch, and the defender is not right there to make the tackle. We got to get up, be on them, we got to be contesting passes.”

It will be interesting to see what the program does on that side of the football. The Bruins recorded 358 total yards of offense, including 219 through the air. The Huskers will have to zero in on defending the pass, as the defense looks to find some form of consistency moving forward through a crucial stretch.

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Isaac Gifford tabbed as semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy

Isaac Gifford continues to make an impact on and off the field.

Nebraska football safety Isaac Gifford was one of 16 Big Ten Conference semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The list was announced on Wednesday.

The Campbell Trophy recognizes a player as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation. This is decided based on combined academic performance, football performance, and leadership, per the official website.

Gifford has undoubtedly made his impact felt on the field. He has recorded 22 tackles, including five against Illinois last Friday. He has been in the Nebraska football program since the 2020 season and has slowly worked his way into becoming a key defensive contributor.

The 2023 season was his breakout year, as he tallied 86 tackles and an interception.

Gifford has had a well-rounded experience at Nebraska during his academic and athletic career. On the field, he will look to continue to be an aggressive defender as the program looks to get back into the win column on Saturday against Purdue.

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Isaac Gifford reveals mindset of Nebraska defense heading into Purdue game

Isaac Gifford and the Nebraska defense are ready to rebound heading into the Purdue game Saturday.

Nebraska football safety Isaac Gifford revealed the team’s mindset heading into Saturday’s game against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Gifford has had a solid start to the season. He has recorded 22 tackles on the season, including five against Illinois last Friday.

Gifford has been a staple of Nebraska’s defense for several seasons. He has recorded 189 combined tackles in five seasons with Nebraska, including an 86-tackle season last year, as he really established himself on the defense. He knows what it takes to win ball games.

The Huskers will look to bounce back defensively after surrendering 381 yards to Illinois last Friday. This included giving up 5.8 yards per play. Gifford’s experience and tenacity will be needed on Saturday, with the Huskers needing to pick up a win amid a demanding schedule.

Gifford spoke about the frustration of the defense.

“The Huskers will look to bounce back defensively after surrendering 381 yards to Illinois last Friday. This included giving up 5.8 yards per play. Gifford’s experience and tenacity will be needed on Saturday, with the Huskers needing to pick up a win in the midst of a difficult schedule.”

Nebraska will travel to West Lafayette this Saturday to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT, and the game can be seen on Peacock.

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Nebraska Football Countdown to Kickoff: No. 2 DB Isaac Gifford

The countdown until August 31 is down to two days.

The countdown until kickoff for the Nebraska Cornhuskers is down to just two days and with under 48 hours until kickoff, Huskers senior defensive back Isaac Gifford is in the spotlight.

The Lincoln native is in his fifth season with the program and has 44 career games played including 22 starts. Over the last two seasons, Gifford has been one of the Huskers top defenders with back-to-back seasons of 70+ tackles and five or more tackles for loss.

His 2023 season was the best of his career with 12 starts while totaling 86 total tackles including 44 solo tackles. He also had 6.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He also recorded nine pass deflections and one interception. In nine of 12 games, he recorded seven or more tackles including a pair of games that included a pair of games in which he recorded double-digit tackles including 11 tackles against Iowa.

This fall, Gifford will return as the Huskers starter at the ROVER position and will be expected to be one of the Blackshirts leaders on defense.

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Defensive back Issac Gifford named to 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Nebraska defensive back Isaac Gifford was named to the 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List on Thursday.

Another Husker football player enters the 2024 season on an award watchlist. Nebraska defensive back Isaac Gifford was named to the 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List on Thursday.

Named for Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 National Championship-winning quarterback of the University of Florida Gators, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

Gifford actively contributes to the Huskers’ Life Skills program, volunteering extensively at the Lincoln Food Bank, speaking at schools, and helping with hospital visits.

In the spring of 2024, Gifford received the Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award and was named to the Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer Citizenship Teams for his community work.

On the field, Gifford led Nebraska with 86 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss, and was second on the team in pass breakups with eight. Gifford is one of 11 semifinalists for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and will be honored as part of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

The 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy finalists and recipients will be selected on ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will take place in February at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

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Trio of seniors to represent Huskers at Big Ten Media Days

A trio of Nebraska seniors will represent the program at this year’s media days.

On Thursday, a trio of Nebraska Cornhusker seniors will represent the team at Big Ten Media Days. Heading to Indianapolis will be defensive back Isaac Gifford, offensive lineman Ben Scott, and defensive lineman Ty Robinson.

Big Ten Media Days are slated to last three days this year at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Big Ten Football Championship Game will also take place in December.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule along with Gifford, Scott, and Robinson will be a part of the festivities on Wednesday, July 24 alongside the likes of Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State, UCLA, and USC.

Nebraska is set to kickoff their 2024 season on August 31 against the UTEP Miners.

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Nebraska defensive backs coach Evan Cooper resigns

Defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Evan Cooper resigned on Friday evening.

The Nebraska football team received a resignation letter right before the start of training camp. Defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Evan Cooper resigned on Friday evening.

Cooper was entering his second season as the Huskers’ defensive backs coach. The 2024 campaign would have been his 12th consecutive year on Rhule’s staff. He resigned for personal reasons.

Cooper’s secondary played a key role in the Huskers’ best statistical defense since joining the Big Ten Conference in 2011. Nebraska’s pass defense limited opponents to 6.1 yards per attempt, which ranked ninth nationally.

The Huskers also ranked 15th nationally in passing efficiency defense and eighth nationally in rushing defense. The Huskers’ secondary helped Nebraska rank 14th nationally in total defense and 17th in scoring defense, their best finishes since 2009 and 2010.

The secondary accounted for seven interceptions and 30 pass breakups. Defensive back Issac Gifford also led Nebraska in tackles with 86, becoming the first Husker defensive back to record 85 tackles in a season since 2014.

This is the second consecutive season that an assistant coach at Nebraska has departed the program just before fall camp begins. Tight ends coach Bob Wager resigned in 2023.

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Nebraska receives boost for 2024 with two key starters returning

A pair of key starters have announced their return for Nebraska.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers football program is eying a big 2024 season, and on Monday, a pair of key starters for the program announced their returns for the 2024 season.

Safety Isaac Gifford and offensive tackle Bryce Benhart announced via X on Monday that they are returning to Nebraska with a short video.

Gifford, a senior defensive back out of Lincoln, started all 12 games for the Huskers at safety in 2023, recording 86 tackles, a team-high and a career-high. He became the first Husker since Nathan Gerry in 2014 to record 80 or more tackles and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten in the process from both the coaches and media.

Benhart, the rising sixth-year senior out of Minnesota, has made 41 starts at right tackle for the Huskers over his career, tying the school record for career starts at the position. Before the season, Benhart was a Senior Bowl watch list member before starting all 12 games and earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media.

Nebraska in 2024 will look to improve in the second year of the Matt Rhule era after going 5-7 in 2023. In each of Rhule’s prior head coaching stops at the college level, his programs have seen significant jumps in their second year. At Temple, the Owls were 2-10 under Rhule in year one before going 6-6 in 2014, eventually improving to 10-4 and 10-3 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. At Baylor, Rule and the Bears were 1-11 in 2017 before improving to 7-6 in 2018 and eventually 11-3 in 2019

For a Nebraska team that lost four games by a field goal, it may not take too much to get the Huskers over the hump and into the territory of pushing for eight or nine wins. The Huskers will open their 2024 season on August 31 as they host the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium.

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