Carriker Chronicles: Charlie McBride Unfiltered on Nebraska's Defense

Nebraska legend and three-time national champion Charlie McBride, who served as Husker football’s defensive coordinator for 18 years, is raw, open and unfiltered in this interview with Adam Carriker. McBride explains the two most important things Nebraska’s defense needs to do, and how Matt Rhule and the Huskers can play better in November. Charlie also shares his love for the four-man line.

Hit the play button below to enjoy the banter, and scroll down for a synopsis.

Nebraska legend Charlie McBride doesn’t sugarcoat a thing in his sit-down with Adam Carriker on Carriker Chronicles. A three-time national champion who spent 18 seasons running the Blackshirts, McBride leans into what he knows best: straight talk, old-school football, and what it really takes to play defense at a high level. He jumps from memories of dominant Nebraska teams to the realities of today’s college game, all with the kind of honesty longtime fans expect from him.

McBride gets right to the point about defense. Schemes change and terminology evolves, but in his mind the job has never really changed. If you can’t stop the run and you can’t pressure the quarterback, nothing else matters. He circles back again and again to the line of scrimmage, stressing that games are still won up front. That explains his trust in a four-man defensive front — create pressure without selling out, stay sound on the back end, and make offenses earn everything.

McBride also digs into the chess match that happens before the snap. He talks about disguising coverages, moving just enough to make quarterbacks hesitate, and how small details can swing an entire series. It’s the kind of stuff casual fans might miss, but McBride sees it as the difference between a defense that survives and one that takes over games. Of course, none of it works without players who communicate, stay disciplined, and actually prepare during the week.

Charlie McBride on the sidelines as Nebraska defensive coordinator — Charlie McBride. | Huskers.com

Another big topic is how teams handle November. McBride explains that when the season drags on, it’s not just about talent anymore. Bodies are beat up and minds get tired, and that’s when toughness and accountability show up — or don’t. He talks about loyalty inside a program and how trusting the guy next to you becomes even more important late in the year, when championships are usually decided.

Along the way, McBride shares stories from a career full of them. He revisits the 1999 Nebraska team and the questions that still linger about their lone loss, weighs in on Kirby Smart’s approach to coaching, and reads from a letter he once received from Bobby Bowden. A poignant moment comes when he talks about leaving behind his old defensive notebook — a quiet symbol of decades spent teaching and living the game.

Between the stories, the laughs, and the football wisdom, this episode is a reminder of why Charlie McBride's voice still carries weight with Nebraska fans and defensive-minded football people everywhere.

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