# Owen Chambliss leads Nebraska defense with command > The Huskers linebacker speaks with purpose and commands respect on the field, earning praise from his defensive coordinator. - Title: Owen Chambliss leads Nebraska defense with command | Shortify - Summary: The Huskers linebacker speaks with purpose and commands respect on the field, earning praise from his defensive coordinator. Owen Chambliss is Nebraska's… - Keywords: owen chambliss, nebraska, linebacker, defense, leadership, rob aurich, huskers, college football, big ten, derek wacker, sports, Owen - Source: Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI — https://si.com/college/nebraska/football/nebraska-linebacker-owen-chambliss-the-clear-leader-of-his-squad - Published: 2026-09-16T00:44:53+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: owen chambliss, nebraska, linebacker, defense, leadership, rob aurich, huskers, college football, big ten, derek wacker, sports ## Voice of a natural leader Owen Chambliss speaks with deliberation and purpose. His teammates pay serious attention to every word he says. ## Field general on defense Patrolling the middle, Chambliss is the defensive leader calling signals, making plays, and seeing everything on the field to react accordingly. ## Coordinator's ringing endorsement Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich called Chambliss a general on the field. Having him out there makes everyone feel comfortable and confident. > he's a little bit of a general out there, out on the field. So, when he's out there, it's good to have him. ## Chambliss values the praise The linebacker said the compliment means the world to him. He comes in every day trying to put his guys in the best position to succeed. > It means a lot to me. You know, I come in here every day, try to work to try to put my guys in the best position to be successful on the football field. ## Injuries slowed his start Chambliss arrived at Nebraska from San Diego State with defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. A turf toe in spring and hamstring issues in fall camp kept him sidelined. ## Rust knocked off quickly Against Bowling Green, Chambliss recorded four tackles in Nebraska's 56-7 win. Aurich said they saw only a mild version of what Chambliss can do. > I felt good. Yeah, had to knock off a little bit of rust off. I haven't football played in a while. ## More to come from Chambliss Aurich believes there's a whole lot left in what Chambliss brings to the table. The defense feels really comfortable when he's on the field. > But I thought we saw the mild version of what Chambliss is. I think there's a whole lot left in what he brings to the table. ## Defense dominates Bowling Green Nebraska held the Falcons to nine first downs, two of nine on third downs, and just 169 total yards. The defense was stifling. ## Wacker scores on fumble recovery Junior linebacker Derek Wacker, Chambliss's defensive buddy, scored on a 25-yard fumble recovery in the fourth quarter against Bowling Green. ## Chambliss celebrates his friend Chambliss loves Wacker and praised his work ethic and positive attitude. Seeing his local teammate score made the whole day better. > I love Derek and Derek's one of my best friends on the team and he puts in so much work every day. ## North Dakota runs the ball Nebraska expects North Dakota to run the ball plenty, which excites Chambliss as a middle linebacker. That's the matchup he wants. > I mean, it's fun to play football every week, but when you know someone's going to try to run the ball and you play middle linebacker, you really get excited, right? ## Huskers ready for Saturday The two and zero Huskers face North Dakota on Saturday at six fifteen p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Chambliss will lead the defense. ## Key takeaway Owen Chambliss is Nebraska's defensive leader, calling signals and making plays from the middle linebacker position with natural authority that his teammates trust completely.