Red Report: Pelini says team too relaxed in Monday's practice
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
RELAXED TO A FAULT: Husker football coach Bo Pelini thought his team was too relaxed Monday, labeling the spring practice in Memorial Stadium as “average.”
“The tempo wasn’t as good as I like to see it,” Pelini said. “It picked up as practice went, but we need to get more out of the next couple of days.”
Governor Dave Heineman was among those watching the workout.
Pelini said it is human nature for players to let up a bit with the finish line to spring practice in sight, “but we got to fight that.”
“You point it out, you adjust and you keep raising your standard,” he said. “That’s what we’re about around here, is raising our standard of play, the way we go to work every single time we walk on the field.”
Pelini won’t be weighing performances during Saturday’s Spring Game any differently than the spring practices that came before it.
“It’s just another day, another day of evaluation, to get better and learn,” Pelini said. “You don’t discount it, obviously, but we’re going to be a little bit more vanilla. It’s just another day.”
A sort of draft system will be used in the next couple days to sort out the teams for the scrimmage, splitting the sides up fairly evenly in what Pelini hopes to be “a good, competitive game.”
BANNED FOR A DAY: The first-year head coach took exception to an editorial published in Monday’s Daily Nebraskan, and invoked a ban on the student newspaper’s reporters from the day’s postpractice interview session.
“That’s between me and the Daily Nebraskan,” Pelini said of the situation. “We’ve talked and worked things out and they’ll be welcome back at practice Wednesday.”
The editorial was critical of the way Pelini has handled some off-the-field issues, taking the stance that “while his actions to keep players out of trouble are commendable, it’s how he has handled players once they are in trouble that is problematic to say the least.”
Among other things, it took issue with Pelini’s lack of comment on a situation involving recruit Josh Williams, a defensive end from Denton, Texas, recently accused of robbing a man of $900. Pelini said last week he was awaiting more information on that issue.
Daily Nebraskan editor-in-chief Josh Swartzlander said Pelini called the newspaper Monday afternoon and told a news editor that reporters weren’t allowed at Monday’s practice. One DN reporter did attend the practice but was asked to leave, Swartzlander said.
“Obviously, I think we have the obligation to bring up issues like we brought up, to have kind of a public discussion about how players should be disciplined,” Swartzlander said. “But I’m glad that we could work something out and still allow our reporters to cover the team and the practice.”
Swartzlander said he and Pelini talked by phone after Monday’s practice, the coach saying that the ban was over.
The Daily Nebraskan editor said Pelini told him his initial reaction was based on how important it is to him to stand up for his players.
Swartzlander said the two eventually discussed the potential of the newspaper doing a story about the coach’s philosophy on discipline.
BY THE NUMBERS: $148
The price of a ticket being asked on StubHub.com by one seller for a club seat ticket to Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game.
As of Monday evening, at least five different sellers on StubHub were asking for more than $100 per ticket to the sold-out scrimmage.
SCOUTING REPORT: QB Patrick Witt
So who is Nebraska’s No. 2 quarterback behind Joe Ganz?
Pelini said it’s too early to say. “It kind of goes back and forth” between redshirt freshman Patrick Witt and junior Zac Lee.
“I think Patrick is probably a little ahead of Zac mentally, but Zac’s getting better every day,” Pelini said.
“Zac’s got a little bit more athleticism, can run a little bit better. Patrick’s a little bit further ahead in the offense right now, but they’re both good football players. There’s excellent competition going on at the quarterback spot.”
OPPONENT WATCH: Virginia Tech
The Hokies are running out of running backs.
Just one day after finding out that No. 1 tailback Kenny Lewis Jr. will undergo shoulder surgery and could be out from four to six months, promising freshman Jahre Cheeseman suffered a broken left fibula during a Saturday scrimmage.
This comes after standout Branden Ore was dismissed from the team before spring ball.
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