Red Report: The scheduling game
Hmmm… what might make a good football game for Nebraska in the year 2018? You know, when we’re traveling to Memorial Stadium by flying cars?
This is the kind of question Tim Cassidy has to address as Nebraska’s associate athletic director for football.
At the Big Red Breakfast in Omaha on Wednesday, Cassidy talked about the tough chore of scheduling out-of-conference games.
Since Nebraska isn’t real close geographically to schools in conferences like the MAC or Sunbelt, Cassidy said it is difficult getting some of those teams to Lincoln.
Nowadays, he said many teams out of mid-level conferences are expecting a payout of about $900,000 to a $1 million to come to Nebraska.
“A lot goes into scheduling,” Cassidy said. “When you’re scheduling some of these opponents down the road, you’re not sure exactly what level of competition you’ll have when you actually play.”
Yes, it’s tough to project what the national rankings will look like in 2018. Cassidy said it’s the goal to schedule at least one out-of-conference game a year against a big-name team.
Next year, Nebraska will have the rare situation in which it plays eight home games. In most years, the Huskers have played six or seven.
The first five games are all at home. The out-of-conference schedule includes San Jose State, New Mexico State, Virginia Tech and Western Michigan.
EARLY TO RISE: Man, these 10 a.m. games are a real treat for a bunch of college kids. That’s the scheduled kickoff time in Boulder for Nebraska-Colorado on Friday.
With the game so early, Cassidy said players will wake up at 5.
By 5:20: Players will already be getting taped up.
By 6: Breakfast servings, complete with spaghetti.
By 7:30: The team bus will be rolling toward Folsom Field.
Of course, the early start might not be as troubling to some players as the expected cold weather.
Senior receiver Maurice Purify, a California native, joked about that on Monday: “As far as the cold games, I am done with the cold games. I am ready to go somewhere warm and by the beach.”
By the Numbers -- 21: The number of walk-on players, according to Cassidy, that Husker coach Bill Callahan has given scholarships to since he’s been the coach at Nebraska.
Scouting Report -- RB HUGH CHARLES: Colorado’s rushing offense is quite underwhelming statistically. The Buffs rank eighth in the conference and 75th in the country.
But CU does have a pretty good talent in running back Hugh Charles. Last time Nebraska played Colorado in Boulder, Charles got loose for a 45-yard run on the team’s first play from scrimmage. The Huskers shut him down from there, holding him to just 78 yards for the day. Last season, he had 67 yards against Nebraska.
This year, the senior’s averaging 82 yards a game on the ground. He has just five touchdowns, but he’s done enough to catch the eye of Callahan.
“I think the one quality that sticks out is his speed,” Callahan said. “That’s the concerning element of his play. They run a lot of off-tackle, lead draws and isos, things of that nature. So if he does get into the secondary, he can make life tough on you.
“It’s going to be important to gang-tackle, wrap him up and hit him pretty good.”
Opponent Watch: This season, ABC and ESPN have been using “celebrities” with school connections to introduce the starting lineups of their team.
With Friday’s contest on ABC, Colorado’s weekly football media release is promising that “something extra special is in the works for the Nebraska game.”
Guess you have to skip the Friday morning shopping now with that teaser, huh?
-- Brian Christopherson
This is the kind of question Tim Cassidy has to address as Nebraska’s associate athletic director for football.
At the Big Red Breakfast in Omaha on Wednesday, Cassidy talked about the tough chore of scheduling out-of-conference games.
Since Nebraska isn’t real close geographically to schools in conferences like the MAC or Sunbelt, Cassidy said it is difficult getting some of those teams to Lincoln.
Nowadays, he said many teams out of mid-level conferences are expecting a payout of about $900,000 to a $1 million to come to Nebraska.
“A lot goes into scheduling,” Cassidy said. “When you’re scheduling some of these opponents down the road, you’re not sure exactly what level of competition you’ll have when you actually play.”
Yes, it’s tough to project what the national rankings will look like in 2018. Cassidy said it’s the goal to schedule at least one out-of-conference game a year against a big-name team.
Next year, Nebraska will have the rare situation in which it plays eight home games. In most years, the Huskers have played six or seven.
The first five games are all at home. The out-of-conference schedule includes San Jose State, New Mexico State, Virginia Tech and Western Michigan.
EARLY TO RISE: Man, these 10 a.m. games are a real treat for a bunch of college kids. That’s the scheduled kickoff time in Boulder for Nebraska-Colorado on Friday.
With the game so early, Cassidy said players will wake up at 5.
By 5:20: Players will already be getting taped up.
By 6: Breakfast servings, complete with spaghetti.
By 7:30: The team bus will be rolling toward Folsom Field.
Of course, the early start might not be as troubling to some players as the expected cold weather.
Senior receiver Maurice Purify, a California native, joked about that on Monday: “As far as the cold games, I am done with the cold games. I am ready to go somewhere warm and by the beach.”
By the Numbers -- 21: The number of walk-on players, according to Cassidy, that Husker coach Bill Callahan has given scholarships to since he’s been the coach at Nebraska.
Scouting Report -- RB HUGH CHARLES: Colorado’s rushing offense is quite underwhelming statistically. The Buffs rank eighth in the conference and 75th in the country.
But CU does have a pretty good talent in running back Hugh Charles. Last time Nebraska played Colorado in Boulder, Charles got loose for a 45-yard run on the team’s first play from scrimmage. The Huskers shut him down from there, holding him to just 78 yards for the day. Last season, he had 67 yards against Nebraska.
This year, the senior’s averaging 82 yards a game on the ground. He has just five touchdowns, but he’s done enough to catch the eye of Callahan.
“I think the one quality that sticks out is his speed,” Callahan said. “That’s the concerning element of his play. They run a lot of off-tackle, lead draws and isos, things of that nature. So if he does get into the secondary, he can make life tough on you.
“It’s going to be important to gang-tackle, wrap him up and hit him pretty good.”
Opponent Watch: This season, ABC and ESPN have been using “celebrities” with school connections to introduce the starting lineups of their team.
With Friday’s contest on ABC, Colorado’s weekly football media release is promising that “something extra special is in the works for the Nebraska game.”
Guess you have to skip the Friday morning shopping now with that teaser, huh?
-- Brian Christopherson
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