Coming into this season, expectations were at a decade-high for Nebraska U.
Reporters and talk shows spoke of the Huskers’ potential to win the Big 12 North and perhaps reach a BCS bowl game.
Pierre Allen embraces that pressure.
“I expect a national championship and nothing less out of this team this year,” the defensive end said. “It’s right there for us.”
If the Huskers are even to approach that lofty goal, they will need a big year out of Allen, one of several players expected to help ease the loss of Ndamukong Suh.
At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds with a quick first step, Allen seems ideal to help fill the void.
“I just want a great season, double-digit sacks,” Allen said.
“I licked (my chops) last year because they were double-teaming Suh, and I thought I was gonna get them. But they’ll come.”
Allen finished 2009 with 51 tackles and five sacks, good enough to earn him a spot on the 2010 preseason second-team All-Big 12 lists in several publications.
Against Western Kentucky on Saturday, Allen recorded five tackles.
The Huskers will need a strong showing from the senior this Saturday as they welcome Idaho to Memorial Stadium.
And unlike Western Kentucky, Idaho is no pushover.
The Vandals posted an 8-5 record last year, capped by their thrilling last-second win over Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Idaho began 2010 with a 45-0 demolition of North Dakota last Saturday.
Orchestrating the strong offensive effort was quarterback Nathan Enderle, a North Platte native.
The senior threw for 311 yards against North Dakota and is listed as a potential NFL Draft pick on several draft boards.
Enderle’s arm makes it all the more important that Allen and the rest of the defensive line provide consistent pressure.
Allen isn’t getting anywhere near the hype Enderle’s received, primarily due to his injury history.
He’s spent the past two years battling tendinitis, among a host of minor injuries.
Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said with the tendinitis gone, Allen was able to make big improvements in the offseason.
“By fixing that problem, it’s not just that he feels better, it’s that he was able to, for the first time in a few years, spend the offseason doing a lot of the things our guys do in the weight room to get stronger in terms of speed and power,” Pelini said.
“I see that strength translating into explosive power on the field. That, to me, is the biggest stride he’s made. He’s got all the tools.”
Tight ends coach Ron Brown loves having his players go against Allen in practice because, he said, they won’t face many better defensive ends this year.
“When you go against Pierre Allen, one-on-one blocking, you’re going against a guy with a chance to be one of the very best defensive ends in America,” Brown said.
“He’s one of the best guys we’ll block all year. He’s playing with great quickness and explosion.”
Allen said he isn’t concerned with his on-field production, which has been strong since he became a starter early in his sophomore year.
The senior believes it’s just as important to help younger ends Cameron Meredith, Josh Williams and Jason Ankrah.
“I gotta step up my leadership role a little more and coach the younger guys like (Suh and Barry Turner) coached me,” Allen said.
“I don’t think I have to do anything extra on the field, because we have a lot of great guys, physical-wise and athletic-wise, that can fill in for those guys.
“I’ve just got step my leadership role up and coach the youngsters.”
Allen said the biggest reason he doesn’t think there will be a drop-off without Suh starts with the guy wearing a gray sweatshirt on Saturdays.
NU coach Bo Pelini has brought in a proven defensive system, Allen said, and in his third year with the team, it’s starting to click.
“At first it was kind of tough, because they brought a whole new scheme in and it was completely different,” Allen said.
“It’s completely better, it’s a great new scheme. But it took some time learning it — it wasn’t easy.
“Now, it’s coming to all of us.”