Red Report: Drop it
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Quarterback Sam Keller has one prevailing thought after a receiver drops a sure catch.
Go right back at him.
It’s almost a guarantee, Keller said, that the receiver will catch it the next time.
Nebraska dropped four passes in Saturday’s 52-10 victory against Nevada — two by Terrence Nunn, one by Frantz Hardy and a sure touchdown by fullback Thomas Lawson.
Keller, a senior, said he used to get upset and frustrated with dropped passes. He said he’s learned that’s not productive.
“Nobody feels worse than they do. So why beat them up about it? I’ll say, ‘Hey, get the next one.’ That’s really all you can say.
“Naturally, your instinct is to say, ‘Shoot, that’s a huge first down, we could’ve had 50 yards,’ whatever. But if you catch yourself thinking about that, what’s that going to do to the next one?”
Steinkuhler back
Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said Ty Steinkuhler was back on the practice field Tuesday and would “absolutely” play on Saturday.
The sophomore defensive tackle injured his knee less than five minutes into the season opener.
Junior Kevin Dixon came into replace him and did “pretty good” according to Cosgrove, even intercepting a pass in his first game as a Husker.
"Fundamental techniques have to improve, but the more reps he gets, actual game reps will really help him,” Cosgrove said of Dixon.
By the numbers
5: Quarterbacks that Nebraska plans on “knocking out” of games this season, according to linebacker Steve Octavien. He said it “messes up” the other team’s chemistry. (Note that Wake Forest is already down to its No. 2 quarterback).
Scouting report
K Adi Kunalic
Senior Ben Eisenhart, a regular on Nebraska’s kickoff coverage unit, said after Saturday’s game against Nevada that never before had he run so far, so many times, for no reason.
That’s what happens when your kicker has six touchbacks.
And even though true freshman Adi Kunalic thought it was pretty OK that he only had to run 10 yards, he, too, got exhausted.
“I was getting pretty tired toward the end there,” said Kunalic, who’s final two kickoffs didn’t reach the end zone. “I didn’t think I was going to kick that many kickoffs during the game. I was like, ‘Why are they still scoring? I’m getting pretty tired here.’”
That last comment drew hearty laughter from the media. It probably would elicited a similar response from fans, considering the numerous standing ovations Kunalic received during Saturday’s game.
“That’s what I’ve been doing in practice, kicking it out of the end zone,” Kunalic said. “I just didn’t know how the crowd was going to react to it.”
Kunalic’s 46-yard field goal was the longest by a Husker since David Dyches in 2004.
“I didn’t even think I was going to kick it,” said Kunalic, who’s still battling Alex Henery for place kicking duties. “I was actually standing all the way over on the other side, and I was just like, ‘Oh, they’re kicking a field goal.’ I was going to watch it, then Coach Callahan starting yelling my name.”
Opponent watch: Ball State
Just in case you’re looking ahead to Nebraska’s first-ever meeting with Ball State ...
The Cardinals dropped a 14-13 heartbreaker to Miami (Ohio) Saturday night in their home opener. A record 7,885 students attended at the newly-renovated Scheumann Stadium.
Quarterback Nate Davis was 19-of-36 passing for 198 yards and one touchdown — a 23-yarder with 11:22 remaining for a 13-7 lead. But Miami’s Brandon Murphy scored on a 6-yard run with 17 seconds left for the winning score.
Ball State plays at Eastern Michigan this week — the first of three straight road games, including the Sept. 22 game at Nebraska.
—Compiled by Brian Rosenthal and Brian Christopherson
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