Cotton Bowl Notebook: Nicks has backup role in offensive line
DALLAS — After starting the previous two games at right tackle — and drawing rave reviews from Nebraska coaches — Carl Nicks deferred to Lydon Murtha to open Monday’s Cotton Bowl.
Nicks entered the game for the third series, and he and Murtha generally alternated from there, with Murtha also getting some playing time at left tackle along with starter Chris Patrick.
Nebraska coaches didn’t start Nicks as a disciplinary move, he said.
“I missed our last practice (before Christmas break),” said Nicks, a junior from Salinas, Calif. “I went home early.”
Nicks said he told the coaches of his plans in advance.
“But they still stressed that I should be there for practice,” Nicks said. “But I couldn’t change my (plane) ticket, and it ended up how it ended up.”
He said he supported his coaches’ decision to bench him.
“They let me know I had to bust my butt (during bowl practices) if I even wanted to play, let alone start,” Nicks said.
Murtha, a sophomore who made his third start of the season, gave Nebraska’s offensive line a mixed review for Monday’s performance in a 17-14 loss to Auburn.
“I think we came out really strong, but maybe a little flat in the second half,” he said. “The pendulum swung and it went their way in the end.”
Ready for rest
Sophomore Matt Slauson played a significant number of snaps at right guard despite two sore knees. His right knee has a sprained medial collateral ligament, hyperextension and a bone bruise. His left knee isn’t much healthier — he fell on it during practice last week and it was still swollen Monday. “I need a lot of rest,” he said.
Lucky day
Husker sophomore I-back Marlon Lucky finished with 195 all-purpose yards, including 88 rushing, 67 receiving and 40 on two kickoff returns. He started the game in place of junior Brandon Jackson, who broke his right hand Dec. 2 in the Big 12 title game and practiced for the past month with a hard cast and then a splint in the last few workouts.
In addition, Husker I-backs Cody Glenn (foot) and Kenny Wilson (knee) were limited during the past month, meaning Lucky carried the load in practice.
“Marlon has been the workhorse,” Callahan said.
Jackson, who had started the previous eight games, carried seven times for 38 yards Monday, including a 20-yard touchdown run. Neither Glenn nor Wilson saw action.
Lucky’s 88 rushing yards were his most since racking up a career-high 156 on 10 carries Sept. 23 against Troy.
Starting strong
Nebraska scored on its opening drive for the eighth time in 14 games this season. The Huskers’ 15-play, 80-yard march consumed 7 minutes, 23 seconds, marking NU’s longest scoring drive of the season in terms of plays and time.
All told, Nebraska scored first in 12 of 14 games this season — all except against Texas and Oklahoma.
Trouble was, the Huskers typically struggled in the third quarter, finishing with a total of 43 points in the period. That compares with 117 in the first quarter, 135 in the second and 120 in the fourth.
Tough critic
It would have been a remarkable interception had NU linebacker Bo Ruud made the play on a scary fourth-quarter pass by Auburn’s Brandon Cox. But Ruud felt like he should have made the grab just the same.
“It’s going to really bother me tomorrow because that’s one you dream about, when you’ve got a chance to win the whole game, and I only got a finger on it,” Ruud said. “If I had been breaking a little bit better, I could have probably taken it to the house. It was awfully close.”
Finishing stronger
Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp had a message for his unit as it took the field right after Nebraska linebacker Stewart Bradley recovered a fumble to set up the Husker offense at the Tiger 42-yard line with 5:24 left in the game.
“I told the kids that this is the moment of truth,” Muschamp said. “As a coach, that’s what you want and that’s what you work for. That’s why you spend all those hours at night grading film and evaluating. That’s what it’s all about. Let’s go win the game on defense. We’ve been on the field five times this year (at the end of games) and won the game on defense. That’s what they pay you to do — win the game.”
John Mabry contributed to this story.
Nicks entered the game for the third series, and he and Murtha generally alternated from there, with Murtha also getting some playing time at left tackle along with starter Chris Patrick.
Nebraska coaches didn’t start Nicks as a disciplinary move, he said.
“I missed our last practice (before Christmas break),” said Nicks, a junior from Salinas, Calif. “I went home early.”
Nicks said he told the coaches of his plans in advance.
“But they still stressed that I should be there for practice,” Nicks said. “But I couldn’t change my (plane) ticket, and it ended up how it ended up.”
He said he supported his coaches’ decision to bench him.
“They let me know I had to bust my butt (during bowl practices) if I even wanted to play, let alone start,” Nicks said.
Murtha, a sophomore who made his third start of the season, gave Nebraska’s offensive line a mixed review for Monday’s performance in a 17-14 loss to Auburn.
“I think we came out really strong, but maybe a little flat in the second half,” he said. “The pendulum swung and it went their way in the end.”
Ready for rest
Sophomore Matt Slauson played a significant number of snaps at right guard despite two sore knees. His right knee has a sprained medial collateral ligament, hyperextension and a bone bruise. His left knee isn’t much healthier — he fell on it during practice last week and it was still swollen Monday. “I need a lot of rest,” he said.
Lucky day
Husker sophomore I-back Marlon Lucky finished with 195 all-purpose yards, including 88 rushing, 67 receiving and 40 on two kickoff returns. He started the game in place of junior Brandon Jackson, who broke his right hand Dec. 2 in the Big 12 title game and practiced for the past month with a hard cast and then a splint in the last few workouts.
In addition, Husker I-backs Cody Glenn (foot) and Kenny Wilson (knee) were limited during the past month, meaning Lucky carried the load in practice.
“Marlon has been the workhorse,” Callahan said.
Jackson, who had started the previous eight games, carried seven times for 38 yards Monday, including a 20-yard touchdown run. Neither Glenn nor Wilson saw action.
Lucky’s 88 rushing yards were his most since racking up a career-high 156 on 10 carries Sept. 23 against Troy.
Starting strong
Nebraska scored on its opening drive for the eighth time in 14 games this season. The Huskers’ 15-play, 80-yard march consumed 7 minutes, 23 seconds, marking NU’s longest scoring drive of the season in terms of plays and time.
All told, Nebraska scored first in 12 of 14 games this season — all except against Texas and Oklahoma.
Trouble was, the Huskers typically struggled in the third quarter, finishing with a total of 43 points in the period. That compares with 117 in the first quarter, 135 in the second and 120 in the fourth.
Tough critic
It would have been a remarkable interception had NU linebacker Bo Ruud made the play on a scary fourth-quarter pass by Auburn’s Brandon Cox. But Ruud felt like he should have made the grab just the same.
“It’s going to really bother me tomorrow because that’s one you dream about, when you’ve got a chance to win the whole game, and I only got a finger on it,” Ruud said. “If I had been breaking a little bit better, I could have probably taken it to the house. It was awfully close.”
Finishing stronger
Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp had a message for his unit as it took the field right after Nebraska linebacker Stewart Bradley recovered a fumble to set up the Husker offense at the Tiger 42-yard line with 5:24 left in the game.
“I told the kids that this is the moment of truth,” Muschamp said. “As a coach, that’s what you want and that’s what you work for. That’s why you spend all those hours at night grading film and evaluating. That’s what it’s all about. Let’s go win the game on defense. We’ve been on the field five times this year (at the end of games) and won the game on defense. That’s what they pay you to do — win the game.”
John Mabry contributed to this story.
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