As a young secondary with spotty collegiate experience, the 2013 ISU football defense finished the year in the bottom half of the Big 12 in nearly every passing defense statistic. With only two starters from last year’s squad returning, it will be another young group seeing playing time.

This spring, however, new defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist takes a more focused approach hoping to see better results.

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” Linguist said. “How can I take all my energy and all my coaching and all my focus and put it in front of me in one snap, and then let that play be over and play the next snap?”

Linguist, the former Buffalo defensive coordinator, calls it “snapping clear” — forgetting what happened the previous play and focusing on the next one. It’s the secondary’s new motto after finishing as one of the most penalized units in the Big 12 last season.

He says he’s already seen improvement in the group through the spring and hopes to see more consistency out of the unit this season.

“Small minds shrink when bad things happen. When you’re playing a game, something bad is going to happen. How do you respond the next play? It’s a culture, it’s a mentality, it’s a mindset,” Linguist said. “When they get experience and they get confident, they know how to overcome those things without anyone saying anything to them.”

A prime example of turning experience into results is returning starter Nigel Tribune. The cornerback had a rough start to his freshman campaign before developing into a more reliable starter for the team.

This spring, Tribune said he’s working on consistency and defending double moves after being a target for pass interference calls last season. He knows the level of talent the secondary practices against will help develop the group.

“Our receiving corps is pretty good. They’ll be one of the top receiving corps in the Big 12, so I get worked,” Tribune said. “[Last year] I still had some high school tendencies. I feel like I’ll be a little more adjusted and confident on the field than last year.”

Others have stepped up and made big plays in practice as well, Linguist said. Returning cornerback Sam Richardson has taken steps since the beginning of the spring after hauling in an interception in a scrimmage last Saturday.

With no returning starters at the safety position, Linguist says he likes the work younger guys have put in early this spring.

“T.J. Mutcherson and [Kamari] Cotton-Moya, both new safeties, both are in there on Sunday night at eight o’clock and they’re over there watching film,” Linguist said. “It’s a good thing to see that they want to do it.”

As a new coach on a new staff, Linguist said the positions are an open competition and each player gets to battle for a starting spot. It’s the “snapping clear” approach — forgetting what happened last and focusing on what’s next. 

“I came in day-one and said, ‘Guys, the best thing about me is you’ve got a clean slate,'” Linguist said. “Whoever wants it, you can go get it. I don’t care what you’ve already done, all that matters to me is what you go get done this spring.”