The clocks ticks for the Nebraska football team toward a game nobody suspects the Huskers will sweat, much less lose, and the questions accompanying NU’s preparation for Western Kentucky are appropriately few and threadbare.

It’s suited Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini just fine, thank you, as he pleasantly met the press after Monday’s workout on the fields east of the Hawks Championship Center. Pelini, who faced even fewer queries during the Big 12 coaches teleconference, said the Huskers needed “better attention to detail” and a full week of practice before kicking off vs. the Hilltoppers.

“There were some mental errors that weren’t up to our standard,” Pelini said. “I saw a lot of good things, too.”

Players interviewed Monday focused on the process of improving - not a WKU team that’s lost 20 straight games dating back to September 2008, and is breaking new offensive and defensive schemes unseen by Nebraska.

“We’re repping stuff over and over and over so it becomes reaction when we get out there,” linebacker Eric Martin. “So we can do it without thinking…I’m not thinking about the game. Just about practice.”

Pelini’s tango with the media on the three-man quarterback race continued in its leaden manner, as reporters posed questions to which, at this point, they can nearly recite the answers.

Are Zac Lee, Cody Green and Taylor Martinez still splitting reps three ways at quarterback?

Bo: “We manage the reps at the quarterback position in a way that we think will enable us to play the best.”

Will the competition extend into the season?

Bo: “That’s how the culture of this program is built - ongoing competition. It’s a constant evaluation.”

Do the quarterbacks know who’s starting?

Bo: “No…I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

For you behavioral psych majors out there - Pelini was smiling during that last bit.

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced Monday in full pads on the fields outside the Hawks Championship center in unseasonably hot weather. You could feel the storms a-comin in the humidity of the air.

What’s New: Austin Cassidy received NU’s 85th scholarship. On the injury front, unknown. Reporters did not ask Monday and appear to be on a need-to-know basis.

Coach Quote: “I know there are some other deserving guys and I think we’ll be able to reward some other guys down the line.” - Head coach Bo Pelini on awarding Austin Cassidy a scholarship

Player Quote: “It’s possible. We’re more comfortable with the scheme this year. That’s a plus. We got a lot more depth. It’s not going to be a letdown if I have to go out of the game. - Senior defensive end Pierre Allen, on whether Nebraska’s defensive line can improve on 2009 without Ndamukong Suh

Notes:

***Pelini announced that backup quarterback LaTravis Washington would play special teams this year. Washington, who moved from linebacker to quarterback in spring 2009, has played sparingly in mop-up duty.

“He’s as good a guy in the locker room as you’re ever going to have,” Pelini said. “We love having him around. Great attitude. He’a a winner.”

***Pelini supported a potential college “exhibition game” or scrimmage during fall camp that helps teams work out kinks on some other team.

“It’d break up the monotony of camp,” Pelini said. “I don’t think that will ever happen with the NCAA. I think that’s an advantage. It gives you a chance to get out there. Even if they let you practice against somebody else it would be good…I’d welcome it.”

***Center Mike Caputo has to work a little extra on snaps each day because he’s dealing with three different quarterbacks of three different sizes and three different styles, shall we say, of taking a snap from under center.

“Everyone’s a little different underneath, but I kind of look at it as their job to adjust,” Caputo joked. “I just snap the ball. Just to be blunt.”

Next Practice: Tuesday. Full pads again. Heavy install days. Coaches and players are typically very tired afterward.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Nebraska’s football team is down to a week before its season opener vs. Western Kentucky, and head coach Bo Pelini has budged as much on a three-man quarterback race as a turkey dinner lost to the permafrost of your garage freezer.

But -

“We have our plan,” Pelini said Saturday in his comments to end NU’s three-week training camp. “You’ll just have to wait and see what it is.”

Get out your tea leaves and roll the bones on those two sentences.

Anyway, don’t expect a depth chart - “I don’t really see any need to do that,” Pelini said - or a conventional answer to NU’s quarterback question. The coach offered up the “ten guy” solution to reporters Saturday. It only takes five to make a overpriced cheeseburger, while ten wouldn’t leave much in the way of offensive linemen on the field.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Pelini said.

Until next Saturday…

That hot-button issue aside, Pelini declared the 2010 camp a success. Physical. Full of development and growth. NU players confirmed throughout camp that the Huskers’ workouts were more intense than in years past.

“Guys are sick of hitting each other,” Pelini said. “They’re ready to play some football.”

That means Western Kentucky, which Pelini called an “unusual opener” because of a brand-new coaching staff. WKU hasn’t won a game in almost two years.

“It’s not the most ideal situation, but that doesn’t affect our players very much,” he said.

The coach praised senior defensive end Pierre Allen, poised for a breakout year after fighting through a nasty and nagging turf toe injury in 2009.

“He’s had a big-time camp,” Pelini said. “He’s playing really well…healthier, bigger, faster, stronger than he has been. He played at a pretty high level last year. But I think he’s pretty focused on taking it to another level this year.”

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska conducted a situational walkthrough Saturday morning instead of a fully-padded practice.

What’s New: NU begins preparation for Western Kentucky. Fall camp ends. What’s been settled? At some positions - not much. The battles for playing time continue.

Coach Quote: “I don’t think you can ever let yourself become comfortable. You’ve got to be on edge. There are certain ways you have to prepare and do things to put a quality product out on the field. That’s where my focus is.” - Head coach Bo Pelini

Coach Quote II: My expectations are a lot higher than anybody else out here. I don’t worry about that. - Pelini, on preseason rankings

Notes:

***Much remains to be seen, but here appear to the true freshman most likely to play in 2010:

Left guard Andrew Rodriguez: Working with the two-deep after a season-ending injury to Mike Smith and some nagging injuries to Brandon Thompson. Rodriguez is raw, coaches and teammates, but possessing a lot of natural ability and talent.

Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa: In the mix at wideout; where, exactly, is unclear. Likely behind the top three of Niles Paul, Brandon Kinnie and Mike McNeill. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Enunwa is good at catching balls in traffic while Pelini called him “mature.”

Defensive tackle Chase Rome: No surprise that the highly-touted freshman who enrolled early might see the field, even with the defensive tackle spot relatively well-stocked. He’s not exactly a lock to play because he necessarily have to. Carl Pelini said Rome needs to continue to “earn” that time.

Other newcomers, juniors LaVonte David and Yoshi Hardrick, should play as well. Wide receiver Stanley Jean-Baptiste, a sophomore, appears slightly out of the mix for now.

Next Practice: Monday. Game week. Finally.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson Thursday didn’t a drop even the hint of a hint on Nebraska’s three-man quarterback as fall camp comes to a close.

He frequently used two phrases: “We’ll wait and see” and “we’re still evaluating.” A few times during the 15-minute conversation with reporters - almost solely focused on the signal caller - Watson joined the two phrases together in a marriage of ambiguity.

Leaning against a table lined with flavored water and milk cartons shaped like bloated Hi-C boxes, Watson laughed and seemed at ease as a crush of media grew around him.

Tired of the QB subject, Shawn?

“I haven’t had to talk to you guys,” he joked.

Just ten days. Probably felt longer. We missed you, too.

“Everybody thinks you’ve got to do this thing like now,” Watson said. Deciding a quarterback.

Well, most teams do that at the end of the camp. Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech did in the last week. CU tried the mystery reveal last year, with head coach Dan Hawkins waiting until game night, only to watch Buffalo fans boo his son.

Western Kentucky named its guy, and the head coach was furious with the kid three months ago. Nebraska did in 2007, choosing Sam Keller over Joe Ganz after two scrimmages.

OK, so maybe Watson makes a point.

He continued: “You don’t have to. You want to make sure you’re making the right decision and you’re giving it the time it needs.”

And how much time is that?

“We’ll decide when we decide,” Watson said.

So the OC is bullish on keeping a poker face. He was equally assertive about the progress of senior Zac Lee, sophomore Cody Green and redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.

“They’ve all gotten better,” Watson said. “A lot better.”

To test their skills, Watson said, NU “turned it loose” threw the book, the kitchen sink and the Pelini Package of weird blitzes at them. Live rounds. Big hits. Let’s see who’s standing.

“We haven’t coddled them at all,” Watson said.

He insisted that the offense doesn’t have to change much, either, depending on which quarterback plays. Although Lee and Martinez, for example, appear to land on opposite sides of the quarterback spectrum, Watson said all three had to “strengthen their weaknesses” to stay in the hunt.

Lee became a better runner. Green improved his game management. Martinez polished up on his passing.

“It’s worked out good for us,” Watson said. “And it’s worked out good for them.”

The offense could look more like it did in 2008 with Ganz dipping and darting around, making plays. It could more closely resemble the 2009 Holiday Bowl plan - more conservative, but daring when necessary. Watson did not appeared worried, adding “we have lots of stuff.”

On the offensive line, Watson said he’d like to develop 12 guys who could play this year. One plugged in right after another when injuries strike. NU appears on course, he said, despite a season-ending injury to Mike Smith. Bo Pelini reported no serious injuries Thursday, despite several players not practicing.

In Smith’s wake, true freshman guard Andrew Rodriguez is, Pelini said, “working with the varsity” and seems a candidate to torch his redshirt. At left tackle, Watson said the position battle between redshirt freshman Jeremiah Sirles and junior Yoshi Hardrick remains ongoing. Hardrick missed practice Thursday, but Watson said he hasn’t missed a beat on the field, and players gush about his physicality.

“He gets everybody going,” said wide receiver Brandon Kinnie, one of Hardrick’s best friends.

Of Sirles, who’s never taken a snap in a college football game, Watson said, “Awesome. He’s good.”

Even Pelini partook in the communion of praise for the offense.

“I like what we’re doing scheme-wise,” he said. “I like what we’re doing personnel-wise. I feel real good about where our offense is.”

NU returns for another heavy practice Friday before, Pelini said, the Huskers will “back down” physically in preparation for Western Kentucky, which hasn’t won a game since Sept. 20, 2008 and has beaten exactly one Division 1-A team - Middle Tennessee State - in three years.

“We kind of doing some homework,” Pelini said. “Some of it’s guesswork.”

You want a report? You got it.

Particulars: Nebraska practiced for two-and-a-half hours on the fields east of the Hawks Championship Center.

What’s New: Camp is coming to a close, the most physical one in recent memory. NU will begin preparing for Western Kentucky, inasmuch as a team that’s lost 20 in a row warrants an extreme degree of preparation. Although a handful of players were spotted in gym clothes as the Huskers filed out of the Hawks, Bo Pelini reported no injuries.

Coach Quote: “It’s hard to let go of the position you coach. I always have an eye over there and I’m sneaking into their meeting rooms and stuff. I’m probably driving JP crazy.” - Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini on becoming more of a “walk around” DC. Pelini was joking. He seemed quite comfortable with his defensive coaching staff, in reality.

Player Quote: “I haven’t worked split out as a receiver at all this camp. I’ve worked strictly on the line. I’ve gained weight so I’m able to hold my own a little better.” - Sophomore tight end Kyler Reed

Notes:

*Nebraska fans won’t get a glimpse of him until next Saturday. But make no mistake - they will get to see junior linebacker LaVonte David, who has leaped the depth chart and is in the running to start despite being at NU for just one fall camp.

“He really gets the game,” Carl Pelini said. “He’s got an instinct for it. Not perfect. It’s not an easy system to learn. But he’s very instinctive with it. And that’s given him an opportunity to progress rapidly…we’ve been able to throw a lot at him and he’s really absorbed it well.”

David, of course, assumed a shot at the starting job when Sean Fisher went down with a season-ending injury. Behind him is junior Mathew May and sophomore Alonzo Whaley.

*His development is nowhere near complete, but left guard Andrew Rodriguez appears ready to burn his redshirt for 2010 as a backup for Keith Williams. Others who may: Defensive tackle Chase Rome and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, of whom wideout coach Ted Gilmore is quite pleased.

“He’s turned some heads,” Gilmore told several reporters.

*Safety is a vastly different position for senior Anthony West, Carl Pelini said, but he’s found his natural spot and is hustling to get caught up on the mental aspect of the game.

“He can’t get enough route combinations thrown at him,” Pelini said. “Every time he gets a new one, he learns from it.”

*With depth on the defensive line, Carl Pelini expects to be tougher and more aggressive early in the season.

“We’ve started slow on the defensive line for a couple years - statistically speaking,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of depth and in those hot, early games we got gassed. And that’s not going to happen. We’re eight, nine deep and I’m going to be comfortable rolling those guys through.”

Next Practice: Friday. It is closed to the media.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

For the first time in this fall camp, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini took on a clipped, irritated tone after his football team’s practice, seemingly unsatisfied with NU’s focus during the two-hour workout outside Hawks Championship Center.

“It was OK,” Pelini said. “Not to my liking. But it was OK. Got a long way to go, though.”

When asked if he was edgy, he replied: “Call it as you may.”

Over four minutes, Pelini didn’t precisely elaborate on Nebraska’s struggles Tuesday.

Sophomore linebacker Will Compton did.

“The mental part what was not there today,” Compton said. “We’ve got to do a better job than that. That was not up to our standard…we’re competing for a national title. The national champion doesn’t just go along each and every day and not put pressure on themselves and work hard. You’ve got to hold yourself up to a national championship standard if you want to compete for it.

“If he says we have a bad day - we’ve got to get it fixed.”

Said senior safety Dejon Gomes: “You’re trying to go out and get better. If you stay the same, in theory you’re losing a practice.”

Pelini shut down questions about the Huskers’ three-man quarterback.

“There’s a chance we could play ten guys,” Pelini quipped. “Anything can happen.”

Asked when he’d decide on a starter, Pelini indicated Sept. 4 - the day of the Western Kentucky game.

“So I’m not answering quarterback questions,” Pelini said.

Ditto for the rest of the depth chart.

“Guys that trot out there for the first play - guys we put out there - are the starters,” Pelini said. “Until then it’s a competition to see who steps up.”

It remains to be seen whether NU will release a depth chart prior to the first game.

Pelini said there were scholarships available to be given to walk-ons, but no decisions had yet been made. The coach reported no injuries.

With the start of fall classes on Monday, Nebraska welcomed the rest of its roster - mostly walk-ons with a handful of scholarship players - but Pelini said practice wouldn’t change much until the end of the week when the Huskers begin preparation for WKU.

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced for two hours outside the Hawks Championship Center on one most of the pleasant weather days of August.

What’s New: Several players appeared held out of practice Tuesday, but Pelini reported no serious or significant injuries

Coach Quote: “If people have time to follow twittering and tweeting, then they need to get a job.” - Head coach Bo Pelini, on players’ Twitter accounts. Nebraska apparently has a policy on players having these accounts, but Pelini said it’s handled internally.

Player Quote: “We’re going to have a huge target on our back. Everybody’s going to be out there trying to prove a point on Nebraska as a whole, but especially on our secondary because of how we performed last year.” - Free safety Dejon Gomes on NU’s defensive backs.

Notes:

***Bo Pelini’s sole praise of the evening was reserved for left guard Keith Williams.

“He’s doing really well,” Pelini said. “He has practiced well. He hasn’t missed a rep.”

***Few of Nebraska’s offensive players were tipping their hands in the slightest about the NU quarterback race. Most of them stuck to the “it’s a competition” line.

“They’re all playing well,” receiver Brandon Kinnie said. “We’ll see.”

Said sophomore tight end Kyler Reed: “They’re all great leaders. They’re all out there leading the team with a great huddle presence.”

***To a player, this fall camp in 2010 is more intense than the previous two under Pelini. Part of it is higher stakes. And part of it is a resurgent pride on the part of the offense after struggling for much of 2009.

“We’re being a lot more physical,” Reed said. “We’re proving we can be a lot more physical with our defense. We have a great defense. If we can be physical with them, we feel we can be physical with most people in the country.”

And part of it is the leadership and chattering from receivers Kinnie and Niles Paul.

“It’s intense every day,” Kinnie said. “If it’s not, we make it intense.”

Next Practice: Wednesday. There is no post-practice media access.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Is the heat ever going to stop? Ugh! OK, six takes:

*My view on the now-ended Nebraska media ban: I held off on commenting until Bo Pelini publicly offered his side Saturday, in part to see if he addressed the basic incongruity of having media availability at practices when he didn’t speak.

Pelini did resolve it by reducing access to those days when only he planned on chatting with the media in the first place. I think it’s better that he’s around after each practice, however briefly, to discuss injuries - if there are any. When game week rolls around, perhaps that will be the plan.

I was more surprised by the crush of media who surrounded Bo on Saturday and then rattled off a bunch of roster questions when even Bo himself, I suspect, figured he’d kick off the post-practice presser by explaining the ban. I dunno. Maybe he didn’t expect it. He certainly had an answer for the query when it came nearly ten minutes into the conversation.

To the point: Nebraska football is a massive operation that pays for nearly everything that is NU’s athletic department, and it is the key reason why the Huskers had a chance at joining the Big Ten and tapping into its massive academic resources.

More than that, it’s a cultural icon. As an expert fly fisherman finds a perfect rhythm to his cast, so too does college football move among us in mid-August. In the midst of a state budget crunch, the Gulf oil spill, boring summer movies, politics as usual and battles over abortion and immigration bills, by God, Nebraska football is one of the few pleasurable things around.

So it’s kind of a big deal. Bo is the program’s chief steward. So he’s kind of a big deal, too. Whether he fully appreciates his value to the state or not yet, the line “How did Bo think practice went yesterday?” is probably the breakfast routine of many Nebraskans, along with their danish and coffee. Whether they thumb to the sports page of their newspaper, turn on talk radio or log on to their favorite Husker Web site, mild-mannered folks in these parts live a little vicariously through the no-nonsense Pelini persona.

Bo should try to see Nebraska football as a regional phenomenon - not merely one bound by state borders. Like the Boston Red Sox or Atlanta Braves or Utah Jazz. The absence of competition for fans’ time and money generates cultural intensity worth preserving and nurturing.

Injury report concerns are duly noted. Breathless reports or camera shots of kids being loaded into an ambulance? Not the way I’d play it. We get a little bogged down in the details and sometimes miss the forest to examine a blemish on one tree. That’s a flaw of the press, nurtured by this belief that toil and trouble fundamentally tells an equanimous, objective truth. It can but only in context - which we can lack or fail to apply because that would violate the brevity cause.

And we’re walking here…we’re walking…

*Accepting former Washington tight end Kavario Middleton onto the team - it’s not a done deal as of last Saturday, but it’s expected to happen soon - is the right kind of risk. Nebraska gets a proven pass-catcher at tight end; Middleton gets a second chance.

Now, can he block? Ron Brown - the red courtesy phone.

*Based on what I’m hearing, the quarterback race will head into the season, potentially through several games, with the timetable being when one QB clearly identifies himself as the consistent, dependable guy, drive after drive. I’d give Zac Lee the edge, but he has to prove it in a game, on the road, with the pocket collapsing around him. See you in Seattle.

One notion worth repeating: Lee has the best arm on the team. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson raved about Lee’s “arm talent” early last season, and he threw deep passes in the Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State games that Joe Ganz, Zac Taylor and Sam Keller couldn’t throw. After his elbow injury got worse, however, the zip he could put on the deep out or that lovely fade pattern wasn’t there.

“There were times I’d watch the tape last year and I’d just know: That wasn’t me,” Lee said. Lee insists he’s all the way “him” now.

I think what became “clearer” in the QB race was the separation between No. 2 and No. 3. Which, in practical terms, has to happen. It’d be terribly hard, for game prep, to keep splitting repetitions between three guys.

*Teams that try to throw the ball on Nebraska will do so at their own peril. The Brothers Pelini have assembled one mean unit. With Anthony West and Dejon Gomes potentially starting at both safety spots, NU’s base defense will have five natural cornerbacks on the field. And while the front four is down a Ndamukong Suh, the pass rush - from a pure attacking standpoint - could improve.

This does not bode well for Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas, which, by the time it plays the Huskers, is likely to have abandoned its quest for a power offense.

But running teams - and Nebraska faces more than a few - will test the middle of NU’s defense pretty well. West and Gomes aren’t big guys. They’re not likely to support the run as well as Larry Asante and Matt O’Hanlon did by the end of their senior years. And while junior college transfer LaVonte David may be the goods at linebacker, he’ll still get tested.

*Boise State surging for a national title may make the best case imaginable for a playoff. If that seems backward, just remember: What makes a good case to members of BCS-autobid conferences isn’t the same as what makes a good case to us.

The third-ranked Broncos are, by all accounts, a pretty darn good team. But few seriously think that Boise could withstand the week-in, week-out pounding of, say, the Pac-10. In a one-game vacuum, sure. A whole conference slate? Doutbful.

So if BSU waltzes its way into the BCS national title game having been tested exactly once - in its season-opener vs. Virginia Tech - taking a big wad of cash and media attention with it, rest assured: The powers that be won’t like it. That is, after all, their money, not Boise’s money. And now that ESPN has reclaimed the BCS contract, it will wage a war on two opposites fronts: Pumping up the BCS because it has to, while showing journalistic “integrity” by undercutting it with the views of its on-air talent. Goldman Sachs comes to college football.

There is, by the way, a distinct possibility that Boise State and TCU could square off for the national crown. The Horned Frogs have by and large humiliated the Mountain West over the last two years, and its season-opener, vs. Oregon State, is the precisely the kind of game the Beavers - sporting a new quarterback - tend to throw away.

*Five Heisman favorites (and a sleeper) not named Mark Ingram, who will not repeat as the winner because, well, only one guy ever has.

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa: If Ndamukong Suh cracked the door open a bit for defensive players, Clayborn - an absolute beast of a defensive end for the Hawkeyes - could crack it open a little more. It’ll help that Iowa’s defense as a whole is one of the nation’s best.

Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh: He’s a throwback, able to carry the ball 40-50 times per game in the Panthers’ run-heavy attack. If he goes north of 2,000 yards, he’ll get a hard look. Especially if Pitt wins the Big East. It’s been 35 years since Tony Dorsett won the Heisman.

Kellen Moore, Boise State: Presuming the Broncos get by Virginia Tech, Moore will spend the rest of the season chalking up big numbers in low-pressure environments, often on Friday night national TV. That’s a perfect recipe for a Heisman campaign.

Christian Ponder, Florida State: An early game at Oklahoma is key. The best quarterback prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft - just watch, he will be - Ponder is mobile, armed with a cannon, surrounding by an experienced offensive line and three of his top four receivers from last year. He’ll have a huge year. If he stays healthy.

Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: All eyes are on college football’s chosen one, who’s been so since Tim Tebow’s final pass in the Sugar Bowl. Pryor’s wonky throwing motion is less of a big deal because of his height, and he’s just a notch below Vince Young in terms of mobility. Moreover: This is OSU’s year.

Sleeper: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: You’ll notice that Murray is not my Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year - that’s Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert - but he shows up here because of OU’s apparent willingness to let Murray return kickoffs. He’s a real threat to go over 2,000 total yards in that case.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Crammed a in tight, rugby-like scrum far too cramped for their middle-aged physiques, reporters circled around Bo Pelini early Saturday afternoon as the head coach opened practice to the media for the first time in three days.

“We missed you - if you couldn‘t tell,” one camera operator quipped. Another, unable to squeeze in, lifted his camera above the fray to capture what must have been the top of Pelini’s cap.

And then Pelini answered media questions for more than nine minutes on a variety of topics - starting with the injuries of linebacker Sean Fisher and cornerback Anthony Blue - without being pressed to address the elephant in the room.

When a reporter finally asked for his rationale behind the ban - which was accompanied by a shorter prohibition of practice guests - Pelini, ready for it, delivered an answer without a hint of irritation.

I wasn’t real happy with the way a couple situations were handled,” Pelini said, alluding to news reports of player injuries - including Fisher’s - before he could address them specifically. “One situation in particular. I understand you guys got a job to do - I’ve got a job to do, too.

“So I just thought it was at the right time - really not one single thing, a culmination of things - that I thought it was time to eliminate some distractions for this football team. Get back to focusing on what we need to focus on. I thought it was the right time to do that.”

Pelini then announced an adjusted practice availability schedule to the media, which is invited Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of next week. Pelini will speak at each gathering. Players can field interviews Tuesday, assistants on Thursday, and Pelini alone on Saturday.

“In hindsight, I wish that’s the way we would have handled it,” he said. “With all the things that happen in fall camp and the busy schedule, I wish we would in hindsight that’s the way we would have done it in the first place. But you live and learn, right?”

And Nebraska football marches on, as Pelini answered a variety of questions after Saturday’s two-hour scrimmage on the fields east of the Hawks Championship Center, a workout marked by “good tempo,” Pelini said.

Pelini had just one significant injury to report: Tight end Dreu Young, nagged by a bad back for more than a year, will again undergo surgery. He won’t be back until midseason “if at all.”

“It’s going to take some time for that to play our medically,” Pelini said. “He wants to be out there.”

Young was, along with sophomore Ben Cotton, one of the best blocking tight ends on the team, but Pelini said he’s comfortable with the depth at the position and wouldn’t initially think to recall slot adjuster Mike McNeill back to the position.

“That’s always an option,” Pelini said. “We have a lot of options.”

The quarterback race, meanwhile, got “clearer,” Pelini said. He wouldn’t elaborate.

Under the adjusted media schedule, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson won’t be talking until next Thursday.

“No timetable,” Pelini said. “There’s great competition. I see all three guys getting better. The picture’s become a little bit clearer for us, but nothing’s been decided.”

At linebacker, Fisher should miss the entire season, Pelini said, but junior college transfer LaVonte David - even before Fisher’s injury - was making a move at the position.

“He’s showing he’s a really good football player,” Pelini said. “He’s showing he can be a factor for us. We’re excited about him and what he’s shown up to this point. He’s come in and made some quick strides.”

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska scrimmaged and practiced for two hours on Saturday - likely its final major scrimmage of fall camp

What’s New: Media access. But you knew that. Dreu Young’s out until midseason and possibly all year. He was one of NU’s best blocking tight ends; look for a walk-on to slide in there and take over some of the blocking duties.

Coach Quote: When you’re in camp and it’s hot and you’re working hard, that’s part of the deal. You just look across the country. That’s why it’s football. - Head coach Bo Pelini on tempers flaring in practice.

Notes:

***Pelini said there’s a small chance that kicker Adi Kunalic will get a chance to kick some field goals in games season. Alex Henery is among the nation’s best kickers, and has been from the second Kunalic stepped on campus.

“We’re not afraid to put him in the game, I’ll tell you that much,” Pelini said.

***Aside from David, four linebackers appear to be most in the mix for playing time: Sophomores Will Compton, Eric Martin, and Alonzo Whaley and junior Mathew May. Pelini said Whaley’s struggled through some “consistency issues” during camp.

***Pelini doesn’t pay attention to polls too much - Nebraska is No. 8 in the Associated Press poll - but he does appreciate how a high ranking early helps anchor a team in the top 25.

“It’s pretty easy to move down if you screw up, but it’s pretty hard to start way out of there to move up if you have aspirations of doing something special,” Pelini said. “That’s always a positive. People recognized we played pretty good football at the end of last year.”

Next Practice: Monday. The practice is closed to the media.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

If you're a Nebraska fan and didn't spend the last 24 hours in a meat locker, you probably know that head coach Bo Pelini banned the press from post-practice interviews until Saturday. Ex-players, parents and friends of the programs aren't allowed indefinitiely.

The practices guests still aren't allowed. But the Associated Press reached Pelini Wednesday, and the coach appears willing to adjust his position on the media ban.

There has been, predictably, a lot said and written on the matter.

Here's a quick catalogue of the views on the matter. We'll have our own Thursday. Check back for more views.

Tom Shatel
Steve Sipple
LJS Video chat
AP
1620 Schick and Nick
1620 Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Huskers Illustrated: Mike Babcock

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

As Shawn Watson walked out of the Hawks Championship Center Tuesday, Nebraska’s offensive coordinator paused at the entrance and looked back at a scruffy, scraggily-haired kid who one day hopes to be a fifth-grade teacher.

“Too many interviews for a fullback,” Watson joked to junior Tyler Legate, who held court with a few reporters.

Legate, at 5-10, 235 pounds, can take it.

“Legate’s a tough sucker, man,” running backs coach Tim Beck says with a smile and a hint of admiration. “He just does everything right. He’s a fierce competitor and tough kid. He’s a typical Nebraska fullback, I can tell you that.”

Even Beck, just a third-year coach, knows the template. A stud runner in high school. A blocker in college. Occasionally a pass reception or a carry. But a fullback lives for the isolation play or the kickout block, down after down.

The Neligh native is in a good position battle with junior Ryan Hill, a converted tight end with good hands and deceptive speed. Redshirt freshman C.J. Zimmerer, an Omaha Gross product, is still learning the ropes, although he broke a few runs in the Red/White Spring Game.

"No job is safe," Legate said.

He’s the frontrunner, though. His stature allows him to get under a defender’s pad. He’s redistributed a little weight to the right spots. He’s a little faster. And Nebraska’s emphasis on a power running game may lead to an expanded role.

Plus - the pedigree.

“It’s always been a Nebraska kid,” Legate said. “Doesn’t have the greatest speed, not the most athletic kid in the world, but tries to just find his way on the team.”

Tyler’s cousin, Billy, was one of those guys. And Tyler remembers most of the big names, too. Or, at least the ones you can count on a 21-year-old to remember: Cory Schlesinger. The Makovicka brothers. Dane Todd. Steve Kreiwald. Judd Davies.

Like most of those fullbacks, Legate is a bit of a raconteur, too. He can chat up a media guy, even if the Neligh native looks like he turned in a 12-hour shift at the mill. Not a kid with aspirations of teaching grade school. He worked his practicum last year at Lincoln’s Huntington Elementary. Fifth grade.

“I liked that age group,” Legate said. He relates to them well. And he remembers his own fifth-grade experience. He never got in too much trouble, either.

“Fun times,” he said.

He tried not to tell his students he played football at Nebraska. Practicums are hard enough without playing ask-a Husker.

They found out anyway.

“They get pretty excited,” he said. “The ones that like football. Kinda like me growing up. If I had somebody come into the classroom who played football, I’d have been the same way.”

The future profession is a sharp contrast to his current day job. Legate doesn’t mind indulging a little in that, either.

“It’s the manly part of everybody,” he said. “Nobody wants to get pushed around. Nobody wants to get beat on something.”

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

For every compliment Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s doled out since last December’s 33-0 win in the Holiday Bowl - and he’s doled out his share - there seems to be a little voice that reminds him to temper each line praise with another of caution.

It happened again Tuesday night. By Watson’s mood and comments - and the ticked-off looks on the faces of Husker defenders you could tell: The offense had a good day against an even better defense.

“We made a handful of plays,” Watson allowed. Against these budding Blackshirts, hey - a handful can look like a Barry Switzer-style half a hundred. Especially when the uber-competitive Brothers Pelini are, however briefly, on the receiving end.

But Watson carefully added this: “We have to put it on film when it really counts.”

And that’s smart. Even if Nebraska’s offense was besieged with injuries last year (it was) and head coach Bo Pelini declared martial law and put the attack on early curfew with two and three tight ends to guard the gates (he did), Watson perhaps knows now that, well, this is Nebraska.

Husker fans love them some defense. But it’s gobbling up those chunks of yards, accompanied by a bonanza of points, that puts more stars in their eyes.

Watson’s offense didn’t do that last year, and revisionist history has more credit going to quarterback Joe Ganz in 2008 than to Watson, even if the OC had to rebuild the offense after a disastrous 52-17 loss to Missouri and did so - in a week.

Remember the stigma Scott Frost collected in 1996 after his second start at Arizona State (19-0 loss, three safeties, Frost’s rear end in a proverbial sling)? Despite recovering nicely that year, Frost didn’t shake it - or the doubts or the boos - until 1997. It took one quarter, two long touchdown runs, and a 27-14 win at Washington to do it. To put it on film - when it really counts.

Funny, that the Huskers return to Seattle in 2010.

Funny, too, that what will save the Huskers’ bacon in Husky Stadium this year, is the same thing that Nebraska used 13 years ago: A healthy, dominant, downhill running game.

Play your three-card QB Monte all you want. Ganz and Zac Taylor aren’t walking through that door. At least not in uniform. At least not this year. Watson isn’t going to be able to stick Lee - and certainly not Cody Green or Taylor Martinez - in a shotgun and ask him to deal 45 times a game. Or 35 times a game. Frankly, 25 is pushing it under Bo’s new watch.

It’ll be land with an occasional dose of air. A Tom Watson seven-iron at Carnoustie. More zone read plays, less dig and drive routes.

“If you can run the ball it doesn’t matter what else is going on,” Lee said. “You can move the ball, be steady, control the clock.”

You saw it in the spring and again now in fall - the Huskers are packing for a long, fruitful winter of smashmouth football. The quarterback race, while interesting, is subplot of the main story: Folks - up close - this is a huge offense, built for power.

Aside from undersized center Mike Caputo - and he’s far from small - it’s the biggest and tallest offense I can remember. The backs all weigh north of 205 pounds. The starting wide receivers measure 6-1, 220, 6-3, 220 and 6-4, 235. Tight end Ben Cotton is 6-6, 255.

Running backs coach Tim Beck has spent all of fall camp drilling into pupils heads: Don’t get cute with your running style. Don’t search for a hole. Cut and go. Get tough yards. Wear down the opponent. Play faster.

“Be more physical,” Beck said. “Be more decisive. When there’s not a hole - create one.”

Pound, pound, pound.

And whether any of it works hinges on the offensive line. You hear the raves, sure. And after the Huskers smash-n-grab Western Kentucky and Idaho, you’ll hear some more. But they’ll need to put it on tape. When it really counts.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Though cooler temperatures finally blew into Lincoln Tuesday, it was not a faint-hearted afternoon practice for Nebraska’s football team.

“It got a little heated,” running back Rex Burkhead told the Lincoln Journal-Star. “A few fights got out of hand.”

The sophomore was referring to a variety of competitive scuffles that occurred during the workout. Enough that head coach Bo Pelini cleared out the practice of the few visitors he does allow - to dole out a little extra conditioning at the end of practice.

Many players, tired, quickly filed for the skywalk that connects the Hawks Center to the locker room. Most of the Huskers who stayed behind were on the offensive side of the ball.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson certainly was upbeat.

“We’re making plays against a great defense,” he said. “It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come.”

And he’s still vague about the three-man quarterback race that reached Day Ten Tuesday. The media can’t watch practice

“Competition is really close,” Watson said. “I feel like they’ve all really gotten better…the battle wages forward.

Watson praised the management skills of senior Zac Lee, sophomore Cody Green and redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.

“They know what each other’s doing - yet they’re taking care of their job,” he said.

NU’s offense continues to hum in the run game, according to several Huskers. Running backs coach Tim Beck said he’s seen a distinct improvement in the offensive line’s run blocking.

“I love our mentality,” Beck said. “We’re really being physical.

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska held a spirited workout two-hour workout inside the Hawks Championship Center, its cargo bay doors flung open to let in an unseasonable - and much needed - cool breeze. The practice itself was anything but cool, as players confirmed that enough scuffles broke out that head coach Bo Pelini ordered disciplinary runs at the end. The offense appeared in a decidedly happier mood than the defense.

What’s New: Several news outlets reported that linebacker Sean Fisher suffered a leg injury. To what extent is unclear. Pelini will address the issue Wednesday morning. Dreu Young and Austin Cassidy did not practice. Freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell was in full pads for his first day after recovering from a hamstring injury. Scouts from several NFL teams were on hand for the workout.

Coach Quote: “He plays big, and he plays fast. He’s got ability to get in and out of a cut. He functions very well in space and in tight proximities. He’s really a complete player. We’re really pleased with him.” - Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson on freshman wide receiver Quincy Enunwa

Player Quote: “It’s different for me coming from corner. We had our opportunities where we had to get into the run fit and give our support, but at safety there’s a lot more opportunity. It’s really big. We’ve been talking about throughout camp and even in the spring. - Senior safety Anthony West on stopping the run.

Notes:

***The best thing about former Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz being back as an intern? Quarterback Zac Lee said it’s the value of talking to a guy who “just got done doing this.”

“There’s some little tricks of the trade that maybe he’s been forced to use that we haven’t used,” Lee said. “He’ll say ,‘Hey, try this.’ He’s good for the little extra stuff.”

And it hasn’t been awkward, Lee said, having the guy who started in 2008 back as a coach. When Lee transferred to NU in 2007, it was Ganz and Beau Davis who tutored him then, too.

“It’s just been a continuation of that,” Lee said.

***Lee said mentioned four areas of improvement he focused on in the offseason: Running the zone read better; pushing the pocket; throwing on time; and anticipating breaks and throws. We’ll have more on Lee in a few days.

***West doesn’t look a thing like former strong safety Larry Asante did - he’s a good 20-25 pounds lighter - so it would hard to expect the same production as a run stopper. Yet West is counted upon to fill up holes and support linebackers when necessary. He spent all summer watching Asante - and former NU free safety Matt O’Hanlon - to pick up tackling tips.

“The main we stress is: Just get the guy down,’” West said. “Coach (Marvin Sanders) always says there’s no bad tackles, just get the guy down. That something I try to keep in my head.”

***Beck said Lester Ward, Austin Jones and Collins Okafor are in the running for the No. 4 tailback job. Just how much they’ll be needed, of course, depends on whether Roy Helu, Rex Burkhead and Tray Robinson stay healthy. They didn’t have much luck in 2010.

***Watson said Enunwa - a California native who drew little interest from Pac-10 schools during the recruiting cycle but looks like a prototypical West Coast Offense receivers, has “put himself in the hunt” at playing this year. Enunwa, at 6-2, 205 - he’s all of that - has a natural talent for receiver.

“Some kids, you throw the ball out back and they start making plays,” Watson said.

***Junior fullback Ryan Hill Tuesday confirmed that he changed numbers from 80 to 33 last week, in part to make way for Kenny Bell to wear No. 80, and in part because 33 is his mother’s favorite number, along with several close friends and family.

Next Practice: Two on Wednesday, morning an afternoon.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

As the Nebraska football team starts its most grueling week, head coach Bo Pelini gave a thumbs up to NU’s Monday morning practice - the first of nine over six days.

“They’re still a little leg-weary, I’m sure, but you couldn’t see that,” Pelini said. “They moved around pretty good out there today.”

The two-hour workout on fields east of the Hawks Championship Center featured “good tempo,” Pelini said. Players benefited from getting Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday off to rest their bodies before plunging into what Pelini called a “big evaluation week” that should begin to separate the top units from scout-team types.

Said sophomore safety P.J. Smith: “After this week, we’re going to know who’s in the first group, who’s in the second group. We have to pick it up a lot this week.”

Through nine days of fall camp, Pelini said liked the intensity and mental fortitude despite brutal weather conditions.

Unlike 2008, when Pelini frequently criticized the lack of focus and concentration from his players, a competitive culture has taken hold in 2010 that leaves the third-year coach, more often than not, pleased with progress.

“Our consistency’s better,” Pelini said. “Our kids understand how to approach the day. I don’t see as many ups and downs. Our guys are little more mentally tough than we have been in the past…I don’t see our guys feeling sorry for themselves.”

On with the report:

Particulars: NU practiced Monday morning for two hours without a scrimmage. The Huskers will go again Monday afternoon, with a two-a-days on Wednesday and Friday, as well.

What’s New: Cooler temperatures. Dare we say Monday morning was downright lovely? After last week, it sure was.

Coach Quote: "Fans don’t find out who’s on it. Doesn’t matter. They’re elected by their teammates." - Head coach Bo Pelini on the Huskers’ Unity Council

Player Quote: "We have so many calls - as never before. As we go along each day, we’ll make up a new call to try and stop an offense. You have to study a lot. Stay in your playbook…every day we’re writing something new in it." - PJ. Smith, on Nebraska’s evolving defense

Notes:

***Nebraska kicker Alex Henery worked with San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding this summer at a couple of kicking camps. But he didn’t exactly get lessons from Kaeding. Both of them spent most of their time teaching kids how to kick.

Who taught Henery? And who helps refine his technique now?

“Um, myself?” Henery says sheepishly. The kid has the ego of a flea, so he’s not kidding. For tutelage, he watches Kaeding and the Chicago Bears’ Robbie Gould - whose style and accuracy inside 45 yards is strikingly similar to Henery - and critiques himself on videotape. But, yes, Henery does most the work on his own.

***Henery gave the thumbs to the new holders he’s been working with during fall camp, as punter Brett Maher tries to concentrate on place-kicking - especially junior Peso Austin Cassidy.

“Not too much a difference really,” Henery said. “Kind of learning their habits and what they like to do. Getting them to hold the ball just the way I like it.”

***Fall camp is a tough grind even on the reporters - kidding there - but NU freshmen may find their heads swimming as the Huskers dive headlong into two-a-days.

Smith remembers his first camp in 2008. Just wanted it to be over. The physical toll was part of it, but a bigger chunk was trying to process the complexity of the defense, when in high school he was used to basic zone coverage schemes.

“You coming here with all these terms and I’m sitting here like ‘What the hell you talking about?’” Smith joked. “I know how the young guys feel.”

Just wait, he tells them, you’ll get it. Then, fall camp becomes “fun.”

“Once you know what you’re doing, you’re just flying around - you don’t even care,” Smith said.

Next Practice: Monday afternoon, then again Tuesday afternoon.

See also: Fall Camp Impressions

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Welcome to Husker Heartbeat - a sampling of links and quick wit to start your morning! Keep checking each morning, Monday-Friday, for new links! We look for the offbeat as well as the straightforward - so don’t just think of us as a typical link farm!

A quick abbreviation key FYI: OWH=Omaha World-Herald, LJS=Lincoln Journal-Star, CN=Corn Nation, BRN=Big Red Network, HI=Huskers Illustrated, BRR=Big Red Report. If we need to add more - we will. Others, like ESPN, are self-explanatory.

*Ohio State uses a "Hell Week" inspired by the Navy Seals during its training camp.

*OWH: The heat wears on the Huskers.

OWH: Is this the year for Kyler Reed?

*Recapping Ndamukong Suh's first game for the Lions.

*A lot of offense in Missouri's first scrimmage.

*Why the Big Ten chose Indy for the title game.

*Fox Sports: The Prince is ready for the NFL.

*Kansas State's most talented defensive player, Brandon Harold, is making his move in 2010 after injuries derailed 2009.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Bo Pelini revealed no surprises as Nebraska’s football team held its first major scrimmage of fall camp, an hour-long crack of the pads on fields just east of the Hawks Championship Center. The head coach termed the scrimmage a mixture of good and “sloppy.”

“It’s about where I thought we’d be right now,” Pelini said. “Not good enough to play championship football yet, but that’s why we’re in camp and that’s why we’re practicing…when you see something good on the offensive side, obviously you don’t like it on the defensive side and vice versa.”

Pelini is rare to point out specific positives, and he didn’t exactly indulge on Saturday, either, although he said the quarterback play was “good” and “running backs ran really hard.”

“We’re running the system well, and I think we’re deeper,” Pelini said. “Which obviously makes you better. I think we have more guys capable of playing winning football for us. We’re showing some physicality in the run game, which I really like. There’s a lot of positives.”

Pelini also continues to praise what he calls NU’s “back end” of defensive backs.

“Across the board, we have some versatility, which gives you a lot of options,” Pelini said.

But there remains much to clean up on both sides of the ball, Pelini said. He saw “sloppy tackling” from the defense Saturday and “protection break down” on the offensive line.

“Some communication errors,” Pelini said. “Maybe a protection against the pressure. Overall, we’re protecting the quarterback pretty well.”

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced for two hours - scrimmaging for roughly one - getting every player some useful repetitions. NU films the scrimmages, examines it to see who stood out, and will reconvene after a day off Sunday.

What’s New: Freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell and sophomore cornerback Lazarri Middleton joined the 105-man roster Saturday both wearing jerseys. Also - it appeared that H-back Ryan Hill has changed to No. 33.

Coach Quote: They’re gonna set the ground rules and curfew and what we expect. This is a time in camp, when you give them a day off heading into kind of a long week next week, guys gotta be smart. They gotta protect each other, understand what’s at stake and make good decisions.” - Head coach Bo Pelini on the Unity Council and a night off for the Nebraska football team. Translation: The police blotter better stay cold.

Notes:

***Pelini said freshman defensive tackle Chase Rome is working with the No. 1 and No. 2 defenses and could be a candidate to burn his redshirt this fall.

“He’s playing good football,” Pelini said. “He’s definitely in the mix…hopefully that will continue. Having that spring (camp) will help him a little bit.”

***Pelini said sophomore tight end Kyler Reed - oft-hurt and sparingly used last year despite considerable athleticism - will get more looks this year.

“He’s more confident and he’s playing with a little bit of an attitude,” Pelini said. “He’s playing well. He’s made some plays. I think he’s going to be a playmaker for us.”

***Nebraska left tackle Mike Smith and tight end Mike McNeill graduated Saturday. Smith broke his leg earlier in camp. McNeill was given the day off by Pelini.

***Nebraska will be breaking a new left tackle this fall, and thus far, Pelini likes what he’s seen from redshirt freshman Jeremiah Sirles and junior Yoshi Hardrick.

“That position is manned pretty well,” Pelini said. “I see progress.”

Next Practice: Monday morning, for the second of four two-a-day practices.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

As if Nebraska’s quarterback race wasn’t hot enough.

NU head coach Bo Pelini Friday put to rest budding rumors that redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez had skipped practice Thursday by saying Martinez was excused from the workout and scrimmage.

“We knew he wasn’t going to be at practice,” Pelini said. “…I don’t know where you’re getting your information. It’s bad information. No he wasn’t at practice. I knew he wasn’t at practice. I knew where he was.”

When asked of Martinez’s whereabouts, Pelini said: “Don’t worry about it. It’s no one’s business but ours. We know exactly where he was.”

Pressed again, Pelini said: “There was no concern! Next issue.”

The Norco, Calif., native was present at Friday morning’s workouts, the first of two. Thursday afternoon, Pelini unexpectedly closed the end of that day’s practice to the media, plus the stretching portion of Friday morning’s practice.

NU holds four two-a-days over the next eight days. Pelini said the Huskers will scrimmage again on Saturday.

“Little by little, we’ll ease them into it,” Pelini said. “You want to get your work done, but you don’t want to overload your guys either…we have to be smart as a staff to make sure we come out of this (next) week and you’re not beaten down.”

Martinez missed the Thursday scrimmage - the first day, Pelini said, the Huskers were allowed to really tackle. Pelini said he liked what he saw.

“I think we’re getting better in a lot of areas, I really do,” Pelini said. “I’m seeing progress.”

On with the report:

Particulars: NU got to go back outside Friday morning with a two-hour workout on the fields east of the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska was in full pads.

What’s New: Nebraska scrimmaged Thursday and started two-a-days on Friday with a 2-hour workout in the morning. NU returns to practice at 3:45 p.m. The Huskers will head back to scrimmage on Saturday. Yoshi Hardrick returned to practice Thursday and Taylor Martinez, after being excused Thursday, returned to practice on Friday.

Coach Quote: He’s made some plays. In the last few days, he’s started to get more comfortable. I’m seeing him make more plays. He’s really athletic. I like what we’re seeing from him” - Head coach Bo Pelini on new JUCO linebacker LaVonte David.

Player Quote: I’m not going to want to come off the field this year but I need a blow, it’s going to be good to know that the guy coming in for us is capable and ready to do the job. - Defensive tackle Jared Crick on depth at the defensive line

Notes:
***With Mike Smith’s broken leg, there’s no looking back at left tackle, where redshirt freshman Jeremiah Sirles and Yoshi Hardrick are battling for the starting job. With Hardrick’s absence from practice this week, Sirles, a giant at 6-6, 310 pounds, has been getting most of the work with the No. 1 unit.

“A lot of potential,” said defensive end Cameron Meredith, who faces Sirles daily in practice. “He gets me on plays and I get him on plays. We’re making each other better, which is good.”

***Crick said he can feel the offensive line’s health - especially during the scrimmage.

“I saw kind of a bounce in their step,” Crick said. “They were coming off hard. That’s how they are when they’re healthy. Quick off the ball and tough to go against.”

Crick’s been able to renew his daily battles with left guard Keith Williams.

“He’s fast again, he’s strong again,” Crick said.

***Meredith had praise, too, for sophomore guard Brandon Thompson, who is likely to back up Williams or Ricky Henry now that Smith is lost for the year. Thompson struggled through a hernia last year.

“He was really getting off the ball and really getting after people,” Meredith said. “His technique has gotten better.”

***If you thought life might get a little easier for 6-foot-4, 230-pound wide receiver Mike McNeill once he was able to match up with smaller cornerbacks - think again.

“They’re a different animal,” McNeill said. “Especially our corners. They’re freaks. It’s fun going against them….as far as being able to pick on them, they can hold their own.”

Of course, McNeill is facing what many consider to be one of the nation’s best secondaries. When he lines up in the slot, Peso back Eric Hagg lines up against him. That’s one terrific matchup between two of the team’s better athletes.

***McNeill said Rickey Thenarse has the biggest hit in camp thus far.

“Will Henry got smacked on the sideline by Rickey,” McNeill said.

Henry caught the ball, turned, stood up and Thenarse “just KO’d him,” McNeill said.

“That’s what Rickey does,” McNeill added.

Next Practice: Friday afternoon, and again Saturday morning.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

He talks quickly and confidently, rarely breaking stride or dimming his smile as he hits up teammates with a joke or a jab. Occasionally, to anyone or no one, he busts out the line of a random song in a goofy, mock-falsetto that makes the mundane job of holding a water cooler a little more livable.

Then Nebraska tight end Ben Cotton gets down in a three-point stance and slams into teammate Dreu Young in a blocking drill that pits brute against brute in a test of strength, balance and sheer want-to. Position coach Ron Brown’s barking instructions halts and the battle is over. A stalemate.

Cotton’s grin comes right back.

The favorite to win NU’s tight end job, the sophomore makes a point of loving this. He plays for a top ten team. His brother, Jake, is at the other end of the field in the chute with the rest of the freshmen defensive tackles. His dad, Barney, coaches the offensive linemen 20 yards away, and occasionally, in tandem drills, they work together, two giant guys, both Huskers, sharing something that seemed unlikely three years ago.

“It was always a dream of mine,” Ben Cotton said. “I wanted to play for him at some level.”

Which is why, before his junior season at Ames (Iowa) High School, Ben committed to play at Iowa State, where Barney served as offensive coordinator. After coaching at four different spots 1989-2003 - including the one year at Nebraska - Barney finally seemed settled at ISU, which hoped in 2006 to contend for the Big 12 North title after back-to-back 7-5 seasons.

A brutal conference schedule (that mirrors the 2010 slate) derailed the season. The Cyclones fired head coach Dan McCartney. Barney, too. Ben committed to Louisville during the summer of 2007. And Barney chose volunteer at Ben’s high school.

“I’ll look up to him for the rest of my life for making that decision,” Ben said. “It helped me a lot as a football player. It was a great time just for me and him to get to know each other.”

Suddenly, Barney was around more often in 2007, a change from his life as a college assistant when, Ben said “they don’t take one second off.” Ames struggled in Ben’s senior season, but he appreciated his dad’s teaching.

“I’ve always believed in everything he taught,” Ben said “Just simple things. Being relentless. Working hard. That’s the kind of player I want to be. Hard worker, a guy who will never quit, a guy who will tough it out through anything.”

Meanwhile - chaos at Nebraska in 2007. You know the story.

Goodbye, Steve Pederson, hello Tom Osborne; goodbye Bill Callahan, hello Bo Pelini. And hello Barney Cotton, who coached with Pelini at Nebraska in 2003.

When Barney got the NU job, Ben was actually on a plane to take his official visit to Louisville. An ice storm hit Des Moines. Ben’s flight was delayed. And Bo offered Ben to play at Nebraska.

“God works in mysterious ways,” Ben said.

And here is Ben Cotton now, drawing raves from offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, who compares the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder to some of his pupils at Colorado, which turned out some of nation’s best tight ends during Watson’s tenure there.

“Ben can run, he can catch, he can block, he can do everything,” Watson said. “And he’s developed into a really good player. We wanted to clear the way for him.”

Starter Mike McNeill moved to slot receiver. Ben takes little for granted - there’s plenty of depth, including Young and Kyler Reed, behind him - but he is going to enjoy it. Yes, even a brutally hot fall camp.

“There’s no point fighting each other,” Ben said. “That’ll never get the best out of you. But if you keep guys upbeat, keep supporting each other, keep competing with each other, we’ll get better.”

Is that mindset a chip off dad’s block?

“I was more of a pain in the ass when I played,” Barney said, laughing. “He’s got a different personality. Hopefully people would say I played hard, which he does. But I wasn’t probably quite as positive.”

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Please enable Javascript, or download the podcast here.

Join Husker Locker today - it's free!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

The lauded depth on Nebraska’s 2010 offensive line got a little thinner Wednesday, as head coach Bo Pelini confirmed after practice that senior Mike Smith broke his leg in practice Tuesday and would miss the season.

“It’s pretty clean break,” Pelini said. “He’ll recover fully.”

Pelini declined to say which leg. Offensive line coach Barney Cotton said Smith snapped it on a play in practice.

“Guys kind of fall into each other,” Cotton said. “Turned out to be a more severe injury than maybe you would have thought looking at it.”

Smith had started for two years at left tackle, but served as a “swing” player this fall. At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Smith had struggled with nagging injuries that diminished his play at tackle.

But it’s still a blow to NU’s overall experience and versatility on the offensive line.

“It’s one less guy,” Pelini said. “But we still have great competition.”

Pelini said Smith could petition for a sixth year of eligibility, but “it’s up to him.”

“I anticipate he’d want to come back for another year,” Pelini said.

Nebraska spent its first day in pads - and its second straight day overall - practicing inside the Hawks Championship Center with the air conditioning turned on as temperatures again soared near the triple digits outside. Although Pelini lauded his team Monday for battling through the heat, he sensed, too, that the Huskers were getting “worn down.”

“It’s pretty ridiculous out there,” Pelini said. “You beat your team down if you’re out there too much.”

Left tackle Yoshi Hardrick, who struggled with heat exhaustion Monday, was held out again Wednesday. Pelini said Hardrick should return Thursday.

“He’s feeling good,” Pelini said. “There’s no issues.”

Through five practices, Pelini said the NU quarterback race is “about even” between Zac Lee, Cody Green and Taylor Martinez.

“This could go on for a long time,” Pelini said. “I know you guys don’t want to hear that, but that’s the facts.”

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced again inside the Hawks Championship Center with temperatures outside hovering around 100 degrees.

What’s New: Full Pads! Players have been hitting pretty hard for two days now. On Wednesday, perhaps, they got to wrap up a little more. Also, left guard Keith Williams returned to practiced after missing two days. Left tackle Yoshi Hardrick did not. Lingenfelter replaced Smith on the 105-man roster.

Coach Quote: “It’s better protection. I don’t really like when it’s no pads because our guys don’t like it. You’re banging each other’s shoulder. We still get a lot done without pads, but it’s back to real football again.” - Head coach Bo Pelini on practicing in full pads.

Player Quote: “It’s not something I was forced to do. I could have backed out at any time. It was a little something that I think helped me, and it’ll benefit me in the future. There was never a time where I felt overwhelmed.” - NU wide receiver Khiry Cooper on playing baseball during the summer while participating in the full summer conditioning program Cooper drove two hours to Junction City during the week ten times this summer.

Notes:

*Junior cornerback Anthony Blue was not in pads today.

*Sophomore defensive end Josh Williams physically looks like a different player from his arrival in 2008. Different, in fact, from 2009, when nagging injuries often kept Williams on the stationary spinner bike.

“It gives him a lot more confidence that he can carry out and do the techniques we ask him to do,” ends coach John Papuchis said. “In all ways, he’s really changed.”

*Sophomore Brandon Thompson and Lingenfelter were seen snapping the ball to former Nebraska quarterback and current Husker intern Joe Ganz after practice to perhaps find a No. 3 center.

*Cole Pensick is currently the No. 2 center despite moving to the position in the spring. Having just 20 practices under his belt at center, Pensick has progressed quickly, said Cotton.

“He’s way ahead of where he was in the spring,” Cotton said.

The biggest item on Pensick’s summer to-do list?

“Getting the ball off on time,” Cotton said. “So far, we’re getting off on a good cadence.”

Next Practice: Thursday. At long last, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini will speak and his interviews are usually among the best.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Please enable Javascript, or download the podcast here.

Join Husker Locker today - it's free!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

The giant cargo doors to the Hawks Championship Center were shut tight Tuesday afternoon. The Nebraska football team turned on the air conditioning inside the giant facility, and the Huskers practiced indoor after surviving 100-degree temperatures on Monday.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson told reporters the adjustment was needed for Nebraska to conduct a second “high-intensity” practice after Monday.

“When you go outside, and it’s that hot, it’s just hard,” Watson said. “After a while, the human body just wears down. We want practices that are high intensity practices where we’re able to execute for the duration of practice. We came in because we wanted to get our practices more crisp.”

NU didn’t change a thing in its routine, Watson said. He didn’t offer a prediction for where Wednesday’s fully-padded workout might take place, since the heat is not likely to subside in Lincoln until the weekend.

Nor did Watson betray much about the quarterback race that remains in its early stages.

“The last two days have been really competitive,” Watson said.

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced inside the Hawks Championship Center for 2½ hours. NU donned the helmets and shoulder pads, and will wear the leg pads on Wednesday.

What’s New: Practicing indoors. It wasn’t exactly cool inside the Hawks Center, but the conditions were significantly better than Monday’s scorcher. Also, guard Nick Ash appears to be the 105th player on Nebraska’s roster. Ash appeared Tuesday in a helmet and jersey.

Coach Quote: He’s in China…I don’t put the fire hose out there for him to drink out of, I just give him the garden hose so he can get his feet under him. - Shawn Watson on freshman quarterback Brion Carnes It can’t be easy trying to evaluate three quarterbacks while bringing along a freshman, too.

Player Quote: “All of the cornerbacks throughout the day, I’ll ask them ‘What am I supposed to do in this certain defense?’ Throughout the day, they tell me. At practice, I ask them all the time. They’re always helping me. Everybody has my back. They know I’m new, so they help me out every chance they can.” - Defensive back Antonio Bell It could be a good fit for Bell, who was never destined to be much of a run blocker at wide receiver.

Notes:

*Left tackle Jermarcus Hardrick was held out of practice Tuesday. Hardrick was struggling with cramps and heat on Monday. Bo Pelini will address the issue further after practice Wednesday.

*Guard Keith Williams was held out of practice and is expected back Wednesday.

*One reason senior Mike McNeill was moved to his “adjuster” role was to make way for sophomore Ben Cotton, whom Watson compared to tight ends he coached at Colorado, which includes one of the best in Big 12 history, Daniel Graham.

“Ben can run, he can catch, he can block, he can do everything,” Watson said. “And he’s developed into a really good player. We wanted to clear the way for him.”

*It’s hard to miss freshman guard Andrew Rodriguez - at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, he’s one of the largest players on the team - but his athleticism and nimble feet draw equal attention in drills.

Although Rodriguez has “a lot of technique work to do,” Watson said, the OC added that “he’s got size and strength that a lot of freshmen don’t have.”

“He’s been very impressive just in his skillset,” Watson said.

Next Practice: Wednesday afternoon, as the Huskers will be able to practice in full pads for the first time.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Please enable Javascript, or download the podcast here.

Join Husker Locker today - it's free!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

There weren’t buckets of salt and bullhorns at the Nebraska football team’s Monday afternoon practice, but the Huskers didn’t cut any corners in their 2½-hour workout on the new fields east the Hawks Championship Center.

Yes, outside. The whole time. In a heat index that reached 115 degrees. NU had extra water stations set up and made sure players didn’t stand around too long in their helmets and shorts. But Nebraska didn’t ramp down its third practice of fall camp one bit. Nor did the Huskers particularly drag themselves through the Hawks Center when practice ended.

“It’s just about fighting through it, mental toughness,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “It’s not easy when you go through the heat like that. But our guys - they did fine. It shows how good of condition they’re in and how good of a job our strength crew did.”

A reporter asked if Pelini considered practicing inside. He looked around the Hawks Center, which, without turning on the air conditioning, is the equivalent of a sauna.

“No,” he replied. “Without the air, sometimes it’s hotter inside.”

Shoulder pads afforded Husker players their first chance to hit each other.

“It was a hot one today so everyone was kind of a little heated,” sophomore Rex Burkhead. “A lot more people flying around, trying to get that first hit in. There’s always a little scuffle. But that comes along with it. We’re brothers. We’re around each other every day. There’s always going to be something like that to happen. It just makes us better. It means we’re competing."

Pelini said coaches are “hamstrung” a bit by the 105-man roster limitations for fall practice, but they’ve divided the team into two groups based on their experience.

“We’re getting a good mix of getting the older guys repped and the younger guys taught,” he said.

Early in camp, Pelini also said he’s impressed with the most recent crop of true freshmen. In 2008 and 2009, NU redshirted most of its incoming class, and wouldn’t be blamed for doing so in 2010 based on the amount of depth and experience at most positions.

Still - “I think it’s a talented group of kids,” Pelini said. “We’ll see how it plays out. Some of them have really stepped up and did a good job.”

On with the report:

Particulars: NU practiced in extreme heat but apparently pulled through it well. Pelini didn’t hesitate to call Monday’s practice a good one, applauding the effort. With temperatures expected to stay near 100 on Tuesday, we’ll see if the Huskers ramp down at all.

What’s New: Left guard Keith Williams was held out practice with a pulled muscle and will return on Wednesday. Nebraska will add a 105th player to the roster Tuesday, Pelini said. Also, NU is using two yellow automatic snap machines to facilitate quarterback drills.

Coach Quote: “You haven’t heard me talk redshirt. I don’t know where that came from. He’s playing.” - Bo Pelini on kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic. If it wasn’t clear before - it is now.

Player Quote: He’s cool when you talk to him and get to be his friend, but he doesn’t really talk too much. He’s not the type of person who’d walk up to you and say hi. You’d have to walk up to him or chase him down. We’re two opposites together.” - NU linebacker Eric Martin on one of his best friends on the team, quarterback Taylor Martinez. No. 3 keeps to himself, but he’s impressed a lot of his teammates with his talent - and quiet leadership has its advantages.

Notes:

***It’s only been three practices, but running backs coach Tim Beck has seen sophomore Dontrayevous Robinson already make a move in fall camp.

“He’s been real impressive in the first couple days," Beck said. "Real physical. He’s been carrying his weight well. He’s always been a very tough guy, but he’s understanding things better. He’s playing fast and physical.”

***Burkhead said he’s bulked up to 214 pounds after a playing weight of 200 last season. Ideally, he’d like to start the season at 210 pounds. If that seems too big for the kid, remember that Nebraska is looking at reducing some of the wear and tear felt by some of the offensive players - evident toward the end of last year in the hard-hitting Big 12.

***A scout for the New England Patriots was on hand Monday seen talking to Pelini before practice and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson after it.

***Defensive back Andrew Green is now working at the Peso slot, according to the Lincoln-Journal Star. Green is a redshirt freshman and is working behind Eric Hagg and Austin Cassidy.
.
Next Practice: Tuesday, in the afternoon heat.

See also: 8/9 Practice Photos

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

Please enable Javascript, or download the podcast here.

Join Husker Locker today - it's free!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

A funny and rare thing happened to Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini after his football team’s first practice of fall camp. Shortly after he started his chat with a caravan of cameras and reporters, half of those beatniks began to peel off, darting for one three guys stationed in a triangulation of fire around Bo.

Zac Lee. Cody Green. Shawn Watson.

The two NU quarterbacks and their offensive coordinator were the main attraction Saturday night, even if the biggest story of 2010 had barely scratched out a few paragraphs in its first chapter. Unsurprisingly, Watson - looking even trimmer than usual - declared the race between Lee, Green and Taylor Martinez “dead even” through approximately 150 minutes of football practice.

Shocker, huh? Here’s another: The trio will share the repetitions like three triplets divide the last scoop of lasagna.

“Even Steven,” Watson said.

Watson means it. Early in Saturday’s practice, Lee and Martinez alternated snaps at one station while Green took some inside the Hawks Center. The drills - indecipherable, really, while one stands there like stump on the sideline - shifted subtly from one to another.

“Hey” Watson yelled at some runner dressed in a breathable red shirt. “Get Cody Green out here! He needs to be a part of this!”

As if an advertising exec, Watson later talked of putting the quarterbacks in situations where they could test their “intelligence” and “resourcefulness” to “play big in big moments.”

Can a kid like Martinez, who’s never taken a snap in a college football game, really do that without, as Pelini calls it, “live bullets?”

Watson put this spin on it: “Cody’s played in a game, but I don’t think he’s played in a game the way he’d like it to be represented. I would say the same thing about Zac.”

In an ironic twist, the intrigue was the best-known quantity, Lee, the senior returning from elbow surgery that kept him out of spring practice. He started throwing full-bore three weeks ago in 7-on-7 drills. In Lee’s words, that’s when he really began to “torque it.” Before that, he was on “a pitch count,” which is explanation enough.

“I always felt pretty good throwing,” Lee said. “It was more what I was allowed to do.”

And yet, the expanse of summer meant “there was no reason to force it or accelerate the rehab,” Lee said. So he didn’t. And when he came back, he said, the arm felt good. Strong.

Wide receiver Brandon Kinnie called it “man, a rocket.” But it’s no great secret, at this point, that Lee has one hell of a fastball.

Where teammates noticed Lee had grown the most was in his command of the huddle and film work. Out for spring, Lee spent hours watching tape of his games to critique his play. Kinnie was surprised when, during 7-of-7 drills, Lee approached him with mistakes the quarterback made in 2009, and an explanation for how to get on the same page.

“I see a different person,” Kinnie said.

Watson agreed: “There’s purpose in his play. In everything that he’s doing.”

Said Lee: “I grab whatever I can and use it as motivation.”

Green finds himself in familiar territory.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, we had a little quarterback controversy-type deal - with a senior,” Green said. “So it’s basically the exact same thing here.”

With a dash of Martinez, the slender, quick redshirt freshman who can’t talk to the media until he plays a game.

This could be a long month of progress reports. Pelini said at Big 12 Media Days that he’s prepared to take this debate until the first conference game.

Said Watson: “Everything we do is centered around the quarterback anyway, and it’s even more so when you have a situation like we do now. But we are going to make sure that guy earns the job and clearly walks away from the others.”

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

On a blazing hot afternoon to kick off the Nebraska football team’s fall camp, head coach Bo Pelini sauntered into sea of 30-or-so reporters, fixed his gaze on Hawks Center turf and said “have at it.”

But there just isn’t much to have at on a first day, other than a firm grasp of the confident mood among the players after a 2½-hour workout and 90 minutes in front of fawning Husker supporters at Saturday morning’s Fan Day.

Pelini, the most popular autograph of fans - his efficiency under the white tent was something to behold, considering he’s given all manners of items to sign, and fans swiftly darted behind him for stealth photos with the coach - called Saturday afternoon’s jaunt a “typical first day” with a flurry of mistakes and good effort.

“They’re a little more comfortable,” Pelini said of the Huskers. “Meaning with the system, with the coaches, there’s been some continuity. That always helps…we got a lot of work to do. Just kicking it off and getting it started. Getting the kinks out.”

On with the report:

Particulars: Nebraska practiced on the grass fields adjacent to the Hawks Championship Center for 2½ hours in helmets and shorts on a sunny, hot, breezy afternoon. A typical first day, as Nebraska began the long journey toward Sept. 4 and the first game.

What’s New: The FieldTurf practice fields, installed over the summer for a cool half-mil. They now look like the turf inside Memorial Stadium and theoretically give NU the opportunity to practice in the rain more easily instead of heading inside the Hawks Center.

Coach Quote: “I wouldn’t trade James Dobson for anybody.” - Bo Pelini. Dobson, NU’s strength and conditioning coach, did another knockout job in Pelini’s opinion - even with the true freshmen on the roster. Pelini said the Huskers were more athletic and sporting more lean body mass.

Player Quote: “We’ve been itching to get back out every since the Holiday Bowl. It’s good to start hitting each other again. We all had a great offseason.” - Defensive lineman Jared Crick.
Notes:

*Several scholarship players did not make the 105-man roster: Wide receiver Kenny Bell, defensive backs Lazarri Middleton and Marcus Mendoza, guard Nick Ash, linebacker Micah Kreikemeier and quarterback Kody Spano all were not at Saturday’s practice. In addition, 2010 recruit Bronson Marsh was not at practice; he is expected to “grayshirt” and join the team in January.

Pelini said Spano has not fully recovered from his second torn ACL and will spend the rest of the month rehabbing. It’s also questionable, to some extent, just how many useful snaps Spano would have received with a quarterback competition raging. Bell has a hamstring injury that could take at least ten days to heal.

*Former Husker linebacker Matt Holt will retire from NU because of a recurring shoulder injury, according to Huskers Illustrated.

*Nebraska now has three post-practice tables of goodies for players to gobble based on whether they’re trying to gain weight, maintain weight or lose weight. A new staple on each of the tables: Kosher pickle spears. Muscle Milk, Propel and Gatorade sit on the tables, as well.

*The new defensive intern - replacing Doug Colman - is former Husker linebacker T.J. Hollowell. Colman took an assistant coaching job at Tulane.

*Roy Helu confirmed Saturday that he and Rex Burkhead spent their bulk of their summers competing against one another in conditioning drills. Helu said his shoulder wasn’t 100 percent until after spring practice, early in the summer.

*Left guard Keith Williams had high praise for 2010 recruit and true freshman Andrew Rodriguez for his size and athleticism.

Next Practice: Sunday afternoon, which is closed in its entirety to the media.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

It was just hours after the Nebraska football team had reported for the 2010 season, and offensive line coach Barney Cotton had assembled his bunch for the first of many fall camp meetings.

Cotton, having overseen a difficult transition for NU’s bulldozers - scheme, technique and attitude changes, lack of depth, injuries, a rash of false start penalties and fruitless plunges into the collective teeth of waiting defenses - was on fire Friday night.

“All jacked up,” senior left guard Keith Williams said.

He delivered a short, sharp message: Play hard. Compete even harder. Be the most physical line in college football. And get ready, because no job is secure.

“He told us, ‘the best guy is going to be out there,” Williams said.

And then Williams added: “And the healthiest guy is going to be out there.”

Options. Cotton has some now. We’ll see what he does with them.

He, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and head coach Bo Pelini have already pushed some buttons and made some changes, taking Mike Smith, a two-year starter at left tackle, and having him back up center Mike Caputo. In Smith’s place: redshirt freshman Jeremiah Sirles and the big dude who wore red-rimmed sunglasses and short dreadlocks at Saturday’s Fan Day, junior Yoshi Hardrick. Arguably the most important spot on the line, handed over to a couple newcomers.

That’s confidence. That’s NU’s offensive line in 2010. Smiles, sweat and swagger after a gulag in 2009 where guys played through the swine flu, torn muscles, bum ankles, shoulders that felt like they were caught in bear traps, knee tweaks and just about anything else you can imagine.

“We get banged up real bad,” Williams said. “In the trenches - it’s real hard.”

Williams partially tore a pectoral muscle in fall camp last year. That’s like a scalpel digging into your chest when you engage a 320-pound defensive lineman. He grinded through it. He had little choice. Many of NU’s young offensive linemen - including freshman guard Brent Qvale - were hurt themselves. All of them redshirted.

“Your body’s going to feel the pain,” Williams said.

At right tackle, Marcel Jones was starting to turn the corner, master his assignments, when he hurt his ankle, and played sparingly through the last three games of the year. At least he had a proven backup in D.J. Jones to take over.

But the injuries crippled the Huskers’ running game, especially in the Big 12 Championship, when Nebraska appeared to be practicing for a rugby scrum with its various two-yard jaunts. NU’s offensive futility - 35 carries for 67 yards - played a key part in a 13-12 loss to the Longhorns.

“It still hurts,” Williams said.

Even with 223 rushing yards in the 33-0 Holiday Bowl win, Marcel Jones said the Husker brain trust chose to make subtle changes to improve the health of the line. Better nutrition. More fluids and electrolytes. Yes, more massages. And a little less weight, seen most clearly on D.J Jones, but evident on other players, too.

“We evaluated ourselves and that was the main thing: You have to stay healthy to have a great season,” Marcel Jones said.

Then, the simplified blocking schemes that require more grit and less finesse were a hit with these guys in spring. While a quarterback competition between Zac Lee, Taylor Martinez and Cody Green is the talk of fall camp, Williams shrugs.

“The only that’s going to change for the offensive line is the voice,” he said. “We’re going to block our butt off for them.”

Nebraska’s offensive line is still giant, but quicker. With the addition of Hardrick - who, according to Williams and Jones, is “just like (guard) Ricky Henry, only bigger,” the Huskers got a little nastier, too. As many as ten players could vie for playing time, and Williams isn’t even sure, aside from true freshman Andrew Rodriguez, who’s behind him at left guard. He just knows he’s in a job fight.

“Nothing is secure,” Williams said. “Not even for me. And I’ve been here five years.”

The line is not going to shift down this fall camp to avoid injuries.

“Because then you’re out there tip-toeing around,” Jones said. “So just fly around and get after it.”

More than that, backing off detracts from the “most physical” pipeline NU is trying to rebuild. Nebraska intends to get downhill - yes, even running out of the shotgun - and that requires the twitch of an alley cat. Instinct. And a bit of a brute.

The wide receivers may chatter more - Brandon Kinnie sure did his share Saturday - but the best snapshot of Nebraska’s hopes for Big 12 Championship were in Williams’ casual smile and prediction for the offensive line.

“Oh, we’re going to have a good time,” Williams said. “We’re going to be physical. We’re going to fly around. We’re going to hit people.”

Check Out All of Our Photos from Fan Day!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

It’s hot as hell as Nebraska’s football team started its fall camp Saturday, but that confidence you see among the players and coaches is no mirage emanating from NU’s new practice fields.

These Huskers like themselves some Huskers. Guns loaded. Let’s get it on. The defense has a whole season’s worth of excellence to prop itself up, while the offense has, well, pluck. .

“I think (we’ve grown) leaps and bounds,” said junior wideout Brandon Kinnie. “We got a little bit a swagger about ourselves and we got a lot to prove and the defense doesn’t like that very much.”

Said left guard Keith Williams: “We’re going to be physical. We’re going to fly around. We’re going to hit people.”

And tight end Mike McNeill: “The confidence, the excitement - we’re just a team. The guys all love each other. We love hanging out. We love competing….guys aren’t dreading fall camp. Guys are looking forward to going one-on-one against each other. We’re going to have fun.”

Check back on, oh, Tuesday, to see how much fun it still for NU as Death Valley weather descends on Lincoln and temperatures creep into the triple digits.

Nevertheless, the Huskers appear chuffed, with an attitude geared for championships. Confidence is part of the Bo Pelini package, and it’s trickled down to the roster. You could see the swagger come from a mile away, frankly, and not just because the Nebraska football team rocked ice, chains, aviator sunglasses and mustaches out of a spaghetti western for Saturday’s Fan Day.

It started in the Holiday Bowl. Continued through what, by all accounts, was a smashing session of winter conditioning. And the summer, quiet by the usual standards of a major college football program - aside from that viral video to “Beat Texas” - was a bit different, at least in description, from 2009.

No, the program wasn’t any easier. But the Huskers seemed to enjoy it more.

The levity came from unexpected places. Sophomore defensive end Cameron Meredith was poring over some of the old portraits NU has of former All-Americans when he saw a picture of Mike Knox. He liked the mustache. Started to grow one.

“I’ve already got a girlfriend,” Meredith said. “If I was single, I don’t know.”

And now, Burt Reynolds and Ion Tiriac, you have a lot of Husker company, the most interesting of which was Alonzo Whaley’s dipped-in-blond-dye look.

“I saw his this morning,” Meredith said. “I didn’t know what it was.”

Then receiver Niles Paul - in what seems to be a years-long debate with cornerback Prince Amukamara over just about every little thing - brought some boxing gloves down to the locker room on the final day of summer workouts. How about some afternoon fights?

“It was fun, just to be done with some summer workouts,” Kinnie said. “Just in the locker room, going at it.”

Amukamara paired up with Rickey Thenarse. Kinnie called out a cornerback, but nobody answered, so he took on scatback Austin Jones. Paul battled Roy Helu. And Yoshi Hardrick and Baker Steinkuhler, in a battle of the behemoths, squared off.

“There was some tumbling in that one,” Kinnie said.

“I was laughing so hard I was about to cry,” McNeill said.

Every team jokes around. Blows off steam. Nebraska’s no different.

But Bo’s fingerprints are all over these Huskers now. The family vibe resonates throughout the program. Another move by Meredith: He started inviting all of the freshmen - really any player - over to his house on Friday nights.

“When I came here that first summer it was like the worst summer I ever had,” Meredith said. “I didn’t know anyone. I was in the dorms every day. So I always try to invite them over.”

Said McNeill: “Bo wanted to change the culture and he has. He’s the leader of us and we look to him and follow what he does. At the same time, seniors are now going to do what he can do and has done for us.”

It’s the transition I talked about Friday coming to bloom. But it needs to be tested with time, heat and toil. Saturday is likely to be the sunniest of fall camp; one the grind begins and adversity slams into the side of this team - as it does every squad - we’ll see who the enforcers are. And we’ll see how much more Bo has to crack the whip.

Check Out All of Our Photos from Fan Day!

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

We could probably craft 100 questions for fall camp - and you’d want three more. One top of the key question - posed here - we’ll keep it at seven. Feel free to supply your own in the comments section.

Can Nebraska find a true starting quarterback in August? It’s given that Zac Lee, Cody Green and Taylor Martinez are relatively inconsistent (or, in Martinez’s case, entirely unproven). It’d be good if one of them had a terrific, eye-popping camp, though. Our frontrunner for now is Lee.

A kingdom for four receivers? Niles Paul seems set as the No. 1 Brandon Kinnie appears to be No. 2. Now - find two more plus some insurance against injury. We like Mike McNeill and Khiry Cooper, with an interested eye on the new speedy kid, Stanley Jean-Baptiste.

Who emerges after an intense competition at linebacker? It’s a pretty cool competition, really, with four sophomores - Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Eric Martin and Alonzo Whaley - at the center of the battle, a highly-toured JUCO recruit in Lavonte David learning the defense, and two walk-ons in Matt Holt and Mathew May returning after recovering from injuries.

How does the offensive line stay healthy in August and still compete their tails off? Nebraska has ten guys that could play consistently this year, but health is crucial - especially for players who got hurt last year. What will NU do - if anything - to alter its practice approach to avoid injuries?

Will kicker Adi Kunalic redshirt? We could get an answer to that within a week. Kunalic is currently one of the nation’s best kickoff specialists, but, as a senior with a redshirt left, he’d like to have a year to be a placekicker once Alex Henery graduates. We’ll see.

Can Terrence Moore push Baker Steinkuhler to start on the defensive line? Moore has a more prototypical build for the nose tackle position, and while injuries have limited him in previous years - as a fourth-year junior, it’s his time now.

How quickly does Marvin Sanders replace Larry Asante and Matt O’Hanlon? He’ll have plenty of players to try out at safety. P.J. Smith appears to be the frontrunner at strong safety, while a number of candidates will be in the running at free safety.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

The long-held clichés of fall camp don’t exist in high-end college football now.

Players don’t head to some abandoned liberal arts school with dirt fields for three weeks. They don’t toil in the sun and heat for 11 hours of two-a-days because they’re already in shape from a summer of grueling workouts. Water isn’t only recommended - it’s required to avoid liability.

When it rains - the Nebraska football team heads inside the Hawks Center.

Work, work, work on the clock, clock, clock. Serendipity zero.

Players, like machines, “process” the playbook. And that’s on top of the physical stuff, the classes, the social life, and the microscope that follows around many of Nebraska’s best-known players. With everything that NU provides these athletes - from the perks to the well-intentioned restrictions on what they should say to the media - it’s harder to stand out as an individual leader, because so much of your daily life is etched already in stone.

And yet, as the Huskers enter the third year of the Bo Pelini era, player leadership is precisely what they need.

Bo has worked hard to create a culture of shared accountability and closeness. And, yes, it does leave the media - and you, the fan - on the outside sometimes. But the “we’ve-all-got-each-other’s-backs” mindset has reduced a lot of the message board cross chatter and individualism stowed away on the Bill Callahan ship, which leaked like the Titanic. There’s a buy-in, a commitment here. Belief. And that’s good.

Now the players have to start to take on some of Bo’s fire as their own.

There’s a come point where the coach, must - to put it bluntly - hand over the ass-kicking to a couple captains or seniors and let the players reproduce the culture. Any good leadership structure eventually transitions into that stage. There wasn’t a coach who did it any better than Tom Osborne, who spoke softly but empowered his players to carry a big stick on the practice field. Players weren’t afraid of Osborne’s wrath or anger. They were afraid of disappointing him. In that subtle shift, you see, is genius.

And Bo can get there. But the players have to take up some of the slack.

In two years, there’s been two guys - Joe Ganz and Phillip Dillard - who really stood out, doing the dirty work. Ndamukong Suh led by example, and when you set that kind of example, well, it’s easy to lead. Plus, Suh was smart, sensitive. He knew how and when to pick guys up. Senior running back Roy Helu knows the same.

But you need the attitude, a Murtaugh, a Sandman, an Alberts, a Frazier, a Peter, a Wistrom, a Polk. It’s good that Ganz is back with his friendly cockiness. The quarterbacks need that example around the building. One of them - preferably senior Zac Lee - needs to develop a certain air.

And when Dillard finally got into shape and with the Bo program - he transformed the Blackshirts from a good defensive line into the nation’s best unit. NU wasn’t bad on defense through the first six games of the year. But it was a machine during the last half of the season. Guys made plays all over the place. Dillard made his share. More than that, players liked him. He could woof a little. He could joke a little. His love for the game was palpable. And 18-to-22-year-olds need to see that from their peers. Pigskin pleasure. They feed of it. Playmaking is contagious.

Story image 2

File Photo
Bo's fire needs to catch amongst the players.

Bo can take this team so far in that regard. He can scheme around weaknesses on defense, and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is always game for an experiment. But the players have to walk the last mile to win a Big 12 and national championship. Schemes and plans won’t be enough in 2010. Nebraska won’t surprise a soul this year with its match-zone coverage on defense. Big 12 coaches - a smart lot - will be armed with good plans to attack it. And few of them will find any reason to respect NU’s passing game until the Huskers earn it.

This is big-but-young senior class. Who will lead? Don’t kid yourself: That’s the key question in 2010. You’d like a quarterback to emerge, yes. But Nebraska can win with a manager under center. What the Huskers need is a few players with a “follow me” mindset. Aside from Dillard, they lacked it in 2009, especially on offense.

Niles Paul is a candidate. He has some knocks against him - inconsistency, off-the-field problems - but he makes plays, and he’s willing to be accountable. Can he hold his team that same standard? Helu is an interesting case, bright guy, a little mercurial. Can he lead while locked in a position battle? Any offensive linemen? Brandon Kinnie? Mike McNeill? Rex Burkhead? Green? Martinez?

Does the defense belong to Jared Crick and Pierre Allen? Allen, quiet with the media, gets the attention of the locker room. He’s played through some injuries that would leave you in bed for a week. Is Prince Amukamara - humble, but ultra-talented - prepared for a leadership role. How about one of Helu’s best friends, thoughtful, serious Eric Hagg?

You don’t have to watch many practice drills to understand that Nebraska, no kidding, has 10-15 upperclassmen who will play the NFL. Toward the end of his tenure at NU, Callahan got hot with the recruiting gun, and Pelini’s coaching staff have developed these players into Sunday stocks.

But can they seize this moment? The non-conference schedule falls into place. Oklahoma and Texas are down just enough. Missouri comes to Memorial Stadium. It’s all there, a great buffet of success.

We’re about to find out. One cliché of fall camp hasn’t changed: It’s where leaders emerge and pretenders slink off the sideline. Let’s get to it.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post