Red Report: A running challenge
Don’t be expecting 413 rushing yards this week.
Coach Bill Callahan said after Wednesday’s practice the NU running attack will meet more resistance this week.
He considers the defensive front seven the strength of the Wake Forest team.
“This is a team that prides itself against stopping the run,” Callahan said. “They’re going to do anything they need to do to stop the run.”
He said it’s not uncommon for Wake Forest to play its safeties tight against the line of scrimmage to negate the ground game.
“They harass and make plays and disrupt. They’re well-coordinated, (with) excellent fundamentals. They do an outstanding job of getting to the quarterback.”
In Nebraska’s season-opening 52-10 win against Nevada, the Huskers had 96 plays and 625 yards, easily wearing down a lesser opponent.
Such stats will be difficult to reach this week. Last year, Wake Forest ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (15.4 points a game) and 21st in run defense (105.8 yards a game).
And though the Demon Deacons gave up 408 yards in the air in a 38-28 season-opening loss to Boston College, they only allowed 54 yards on the ground.
Callahan said it’s a drastic difference when he looks at film of Wake Forest’s defense of two years ago — when Nebraska won 31-3 in Lincoln — and the film from the Boston College game.
“They’re much bigger (now), they’re thicker, they’re more physical, especially the two tackles inside,” he said.
Steinkuhler situation: Callahan said the status of junior defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler for Saturday’s game is still uncertain.
“He worked. He came out on the field a little bit,” Callahan said. “He’ll be day-to-day.”
On Wednesday, Steinkuhler wasn’t wearing pads and had a noticeable limp.
The Lincoln Southwest grad suffered a knee injury in the early minutes of the season opener. Since then, coaches have been silent on specifics of the injury.
Junior Kevin Dixon would likely get the start if Steinkuhler can’t go.
By the Numbers
0: Number of fumbles Nebraska had in 70 rushes against Nevada.
Scouting Report
NT Shukree Barfield
Shukree Barfield said he saw about nine or 10 snaps in Saturday’s opener.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound junior is backing up sophomore Ndamukong Suh at nose tackle.
“I would like to play more, but coaches are doing everything they can do to put me on the field,” Barfield said.
“I’m just here to help this team win a championship. My expectations coming here were to be a starter. I’m not starting right now, but I’m going to still work my behind off to get where I need to be. It’s going to take time.”
Barfield is a New Jersey native who is in his first season as a Husker after playing at Garden City (Kan.) Community College alongside fellow Husker Kevin Dixon.
“He played well at times during the game, but he knows the areas he needs to improve on, and playing in those games helps,” defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “We’ll see the improvement he makes after that first game.”
Opponent watch: Kansas State
Wildcats coach Ron Prince had some fun at the expense of the ESPN announcers who called his team’s 23-13 loss to Auburn on Saturday night.
After an ugly third-quarter hook slide by quarterback Josh Freeman, the announcers became quite concerned that the sophomore had injured himself on the play.
“The commentators, I think, were reading a little more into that (Freeman’s health),” Prince said to the Kansas City Star. “I guess one guy may have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, and so he was trying to do a pretty good job of diagnosing. I’m not sure what medical college he went to, but I’m sure he’s well-qualified to make that assertion.”
Freeman said he had a few bruises. He threw 57 passes, completing 32 for 268 yards, and two interceptions.
— Brian Christopherson
Coach Bill Callahan said after Wednesday’s practice the NU running attack will meet more resistance this week.
He considers the defensive front seven the strength of the Wake Forest team.
“This is a team that prides itself against stopping the run,” Callahan said. “They’re going to do anything they need to do to stop the run.”
He said it’s not uncommon for Wake Forest to play its safeties tight against the line of scrimmage to negate the ground game.
“They harass and make plays and disrupt. They’re well-coordinated, (with) excellent fundamentals. They do an outstanding job of getting to the quarterback.”
In Nebraska’s season-opening 52-10 win against Nevada, the Huskers had 96 plays and 625 yards, easily wearing down a lesser opponent.
Such stats will be difficult to reach this week. Last year, Wake Forest ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (15.4 points a game) and 21st in run defense (105.8 yards a game).
And though the Demon Deacons gave up 408 yards in the air in a 38-28 season-opening loss to Boston College, they only allowed 54 yards on the ground.
Callahan said it’s a drastic difference when he looks at film of Wake Forest’s defense of two years ago — when Nebraska won 31-3 in Lincoln — and the film from the Boston College game.
“They’re much bigger (now), they’re thicker, they’re more physical, especially the two tackles inside,” he said.
Steinkuhler situation: Callahan said the status of junior defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler for Saturday’s game is still uncertain.
“He worked. He came out on the field a little bit,” Callahan said. “He’ll be day-to-day.”
On Wednesday, Steinkuhler wasn’t wearing pads and had a noticeable limp.
The Lincoln Southwest grad suffered a knee injury in the early minutes of the season opener. Since then, coaches have been silent on specifics of the injury.
Junior Kevin Dixon would likely get the start if Steinkuhler can’t go.
By the Numbers
0: Number of fumbles Nebraska had in 70 rushes against Nevada.
Scouting Report
NT Shukree Barfield
Shukree Barfield said he saw about nine or 10 snaps in Saturday’s opener.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound junior is backing up sophomore Ndamukong Suh at nose tackle.
“I would like to play more, but coaches are doing everything they can do to put me on the field,” Barfield said.
“I’m just here to help this team win a championship. My expectations coming here were to be a starter. I’m not starting right now, but I’m going to still work my behind off to get where I need to be. It’s going to take time.”
Barfield is a New Jersey native who is in his first season as a Husker after playing at Garden City (Kan.) Community College alongside fellow Husker Kevin Dixon.
“He played well at times during the game, but he knows the areas he needs to improve on, and playing in those games helps,” defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “We’ll see the improvement he makes after that first game.”
Opponent watch: Kansas State
Wildcats coach Ron Prince had some fun at the expense of the ESPN announcers who called his team’s 23-13 loss to Auburn on Saturday night.
After an ugly third-quarter hook slide by quarterback Josh Freeman, the announcers became quite concerned that the sophomore had injured himself on the play.
“The commentators, I think, were reading a little more into that (Freeman’s health),” Prince said to the Kansas City Star. “I guess one guy may have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, and so he was trying to do a pretty good job of diagnosing. I’m not sure what medical college he went to, but I’m sure he’s well-qualified to make that assertion.”
Freeman said he had a few bruises. He threw 57 passes, completing 32 for 268 yards, and two interceptions.
— Brian Christopherson
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