In all the talk about the improvement of Nebraska’s defense over the past three weeks, there hasn’t been much said about Mick Stoltenberg and Deontre Thomas.
Working in tandem in the middle of the Huskers’ defensive line, the senior (Stoltenberg) and the freshman (Thomas) have given NU a pair of reliable anchors in the defensive front as other units have been hit by injuries.
Nebraska knew what it had in Stoltenberg, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound mountain of a man whose physical attributes and booming voice perfectly fit the nose tackle profile.
The Elkhorn native has been a mainstay in Nebraska’s lineup, starting every game, and emerging as a leader and physical force for a Blackshirt defense that has risen to 34th in the country in total defense through five games.