Red Report: Boo-bird surprise
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Shawn Watson got talking about football and had a hard time stopping at the Big Red Breakfast in Omaha on Friday.
The Husker offensive coordinator spoke for 80 minutes about everything from Prince Amukamara to last week’s booing.
Watson said he was surprised to hear the boos as Nebraska struggled to a 41-40 win against Ball State.
“I think when it really gripped me was when (quarterback) Sam (Keller) said, ‘I didn’t expect that at Nebraska.’ And honestly, I didn’t, either,” Watson said. “You’re Nebraska fans. You’re better than that. … Was there a little disappointment? I think in our kids, yeah, because they didn’t expect that.”
Watson’s comments were met by applause by most in the room.
HELPING EACH OTHER: Despite the struggles of the defense, Watson said there’s certainly no animosity between that unit and the offense.
“It’s not one side or the other. We’re a team. Everyone one on that team has an ‘N’ on that helmet and a ‘Huskers’ on the front of that jersey.”
He said coaches from both units are in constant communication about ways they can better the other side.
“If they see something in us, they tell us, and we do the same for them. … We actually break each other down: ‘This is the way we would attack you.’”
Watson got some laughs from the crowd after a response to a question from a fan about Nebraska’s first 15 scripted plays.
“If you saw a game-plan sheet, you’d be amazed at the detail,” he said. “Even though we look like dummies, we’re not. I keep trying to convince my wife that.”
QUICK HITS: Watson said he told his players to expect to see an Iowa State team at maximum level this week.
“We’re like their in-state rival,” he said. “We’re no different than Iowa is to them. When they look at the Big 12 North, we are their rival. ... The point I’m making to you is we’re going to get their best effort.”
* Though the Huskers have rushed for only 145 yards on 64 carries the last two games, Watson is not as alarmed as some fans.
“People keep asking about the run game. They’re worried about the run game,” he said. “You have to understand in the two games we’ve been in lately, the run game has kind of gone on the back shelf just because of the kind of games we’ve been in.”
* It was indicated that you might see a heavy dose of Cody Glenn at running back against ISU.
“Cody will get time,” Watson said. “When Cody came into the USC game, he really gave us a lift. … Cody’s a guy that sparks us.”
* Watson also heaped praise on freshman running back Roy Helu.
“Helu, we’ll put him in there in any situation right now. He’s really the guy who backs up Marlon (Lucky). He can do things Marlon can do.”
* Why’d they burn the redshirt of Prince Amukamara?
“What triggered it was his play. He was a pain in the tail on the scout field. I’m like, ‘Man, get him off there.’ The kid’s a natural. When a kid’s a natural player, you don’t want to sit that kind of player.”
Amukamara played on special teams against Ball State.
n Watson said sophomore Jacob Hickman did a standout job last week, starting only the second game of his career on the offensive line.
“He had a whale of a game. He’s playing as good as anybody. And when you’re playing as good as Lydon (Murtha) or Carl Nicks are playing, you’re playing at a heck of a level.”
* Just because the Huskers haven’t yet used many gimmicks on offense (reverses, trick plays, etc.) doesn’t mean they haven’t been working on them.
“There are a lot of things that you hold in your hip pocket, because you don’t want to show them if you don’t need to show them,” Watson said. “We’ve purposely, in all honesty, held things.”
* Watson said quarterback Joe Ganz is ready if needed, despite a lack of game reps because of the close scores of nonconference games.
He said Ganz gets as many reps in practice as most starting quarterbacks at other schools.
“We feel really comfortable with him as our backup. Joe can go in at the drop of a hat and win a game for us.”
— Brian Christopherson
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