As the No. 24 Nebraska football team began winding down preparations for Saturday’s matchup against Iowa State, the Huskers’ focus turned to the Cyclone defense.

“I’m impressed with how hard they play,” head coach Bill Callahan said Thursday after Nebraska’s two-and-a-half hour workout in shoulder pads and shorts at Memorial Stadium.  “I really like how their guys are competing in the back end.  Their linebackers are feeding off one another, and they’re really sound.  They’re a really good defense right now.  They have a lot of confidence, and you can see it growing as you continue to watch film and watch them progress through their schedule.” 

The leader of the Iowa State defense is all-conference linebacker Alvin Bowen, who led the nation last year with 12.91 tackles per game, including 17 against Nebraska.  This season, Bowen ranks 10^th in the Big 12 with 32 tackles on the season including four for loss and a sack.  In addition, Bowen has picked off a pass and broken up another. 

“He’s an outstanding linebacker,” Callahan said.  “He’s very active and a smart guy.  He’s instinctive and quick.  The thing that impresses me is that they feature him as a playmaker so you see him on blitzes.  He’s a sure tackler, so when he’s in the open field, he makes all the big plays for them.  His coverage has been good as well.  He’s got a lot of things going for him.” 

Bowen is the top pupil of first-year ISU head coach Gene Chizik.  The former Texas defensive coordinator has brought some of his defensive schemes from Austin to Ames.

“Everything they essentially implemented at Texas, you see that carry over to their program,” Callahan said of the Cyclones.  “They have a lot of new wrinkles on defense. They’ve added some things to their package, just like anybody does as you grow with your team and you learn your personnel.  I’m really impressed.”

The Huskers close preparations for Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. contest against the Cyclones with a walkthrough Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.