Editorial Defense too white? A multi-year analysis

[Mavsker]

White defenders are often considered as being slow and deadweight on a defense. In this post I look at how Nebraska's defenses have ranked since joining the Big Ten (covid year excluded) along with the number of white vs black starters on that year's defense, to determine whether our white defenders have been a net gain or a net drag on our defensive rankings.

TLDR: our average defensive rank during this period was 56.5. White starters pulled this average towards 49.5, while black starters pulled it towards 60.25. Conclusion: white starters have not been a drag on Nebraska's overall defensive rank since joining the Big Ten, but rather, have slightly improved DONU's defenses on average.

Defensive rankings by year (https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2024-team-defense.html)
2011: 42nd
2012: 58th
2013: 51st
2014: 60th
2015: 76th
2016: 33rd
2017: 116th
2018: 88th
2019: 67th
2020 (skipping as the stats are really weird for this year)
2021: 36th
2022: 77th
2023: 13th
2024: 17th

Defensive starters by race by year (using depth chart from season opener, or first I could find)
2011: 6 white, 5 black
2012: 5 white, 6 black
2013: 2 white, 9 black
2014: 2 white, 9 black
2015: 3 white, 8 black
2016: 5 white, 6 black
2017: 2 white, 9 black
2018: 3 white, 8 black
2019: 1 white, 9 black, 1 mixed
2020 (skipped)
2021: 6 white, 5 black
2022: 5 white, 6 black
2023: 6 white, 5 black
2024: 4 white, 7 black

Analysis


I did run this same analysis excluding the remarkably bad 2017 defense and the remarkably good 2023/2024 defenses. The gap shrinks by about half, from W+11 to W+5.5.

 

[V-Doub]

White defenders are often considered as being slow and deadweight on a defense. In this post I look at how Nebraska's defenses have ranked since joining the Big Ten (covid year excluded) along with the number of white vs black starters on that year's defense, to determine whether our white defenders have been a net gain or a net drag on our defensive rankings.

TLDR: our average defensive rank during this period was 56.5. White starters pulled this average towards 49.5, while black starters pulled it towards 60.25. Conclusion: white starters have not been a drag on Nebraska's overall defensive rank since joining the Big Ten, but rather, have slightly improved DONU's defenses on average.

Defensive rankings by year (https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2024-team-defense.html)
2011: 42nd
2012: 58th
2013: 51st
2014: 60th
2015: 76th
2016: 33rd
2017: 116th
2018: 88th
2019: 67th
2020 (skipping as the stats are really weird for this year)
2021: 36th
2022: 77th
2023: 13th
2024: 17th

Defensive starters by race by year (using depth chart from season opener, or first I could find)
2011: 6 white, 5 black
2012: 5 white, 6 black
2013: 2 white, 9 black
2014: 2 white, 9 black
2015: 3 white, 8 black
2016: 5 white, 6 black
2017: 2 white, 9 black
2018: 3 white, 8 black
2019: 1 white, 9 black, 1 mixed
2020 (skipped)
2021: 6 white, 5 black
2022: 5 white, 6 black
2023: 6 white, 5 black
2024: 4 white, 7 black

Analysis
View attachment 56605

I did run this same analysis excluding the remarkably bad 2017 defense and the remarkably good 2023/2024 defenses. The gap shrinks by about half, from W+11 to W+5.5.

I think i0w@ proved long ago that a defense full of pasty whites can be effective. But thanks for crunching numbers 🙂

 

[Ext. 55]

 

[Kaladin]

Good lord we have had some bad defenses over the years

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Good lord we have had some bad defenses over the years

Not enough white guys - at least what the data says

 

[Mavsker]

Good lord we have had some bad defenses over the years

I had to do a double take at that 116. Right after posting a 33, you fire that DC and bring in a clown.
Also was kind of surprised Bo's defenses were as mediocre as they were in those Big Ten years.

 

[Mavsker]

Also, when I was thinking about how I'd do this analysis, I remember wondering "what am I going to do with Mexicans and Asians". Never came across one that was first on the depth chart. Good chance I missed someone but wow. Only came across one that I couldn't easily put into white or black.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Also, when I was thinking about how I'd do this analysis, I remember wondering "what am I going to do with Mexicans and Asians". Never came across one that was first on the depth chart. Good chance I missed someone but wow. Only came across one that I couldn't easily put into white or black.

I saw Andrew Rodriguez passed out on a table one time. Could have been him

 

[Mavsker]

I saw Andrew Rodriguez passed out on a table one time. Could have been him

Lol. I want to say he had a Haitian dad and a Hispanic mom. But he played on the offensive side.

Collin Miller was the toughest. I just had to put him as mixed.

 

[vailhusker]

Dean - "How many were walk-ons?"