Fifteen seconds.
That’s nearly how much time Mark Banker needed to compose himself after being asked a simple question.
How much has Nebraska’s defense improved over the last few games?
Even when Banker, the first-year defensive coordinator, spit out a couple of words through tears, he paused again.
“Pull yourself together,” Banker told himself aloud.
And he continued.
“These guys fought all the way through, and we improved a ton,” Banker said. “They grasped the system, they did everything we asked them to do, and these last three games have been fun, a lot of fun.