Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005 6:00 pm
Coming off a 40-15 loss at Kansas last week, Nebraska players responded with an excellent week of practice, Husker assistant coach Bill Busch said Friday.
When Nebraska plays Kansas State today at Memorial Stadium, Husker coaches will be looking for 60 minutes of consistently strong play, Busch told the Big Red Breakfast in Omaha.
“We’ve had flashes in every game,” Busch said. “Now we have to have a four-quarter game.”
Busch indicated the Kansas loss wasn’t as bad as many people seem to think. For instance, Busch said, the players made “way, way fewer” mental errors against the Jayhawks compared to games early in the season.
As for Nebraska players’ attitude, it’s been strong all season, Busch said.
“There are no locker room problems, period,” he said. “I guarantee it.”
Busch called the Huskers “an absolute dream” to coach.
“Our week of practice has been tremendous because we have such resilient kids,” Busch said.
Nebraska (5-4, 2-4 Big 12), mired in a three-game losing skid, enters its final two regular-season games needing one win to become bowl-eligible, while Kansas State (4-5, 1-5) needs victories today and next week against Missouri to qualify for bowl status.
The Wildcats, losers of four straight, have had “flashes of greatness” this season, Busch said. He said the Husker defense’s biggest concern is corralling quarterback Allan Evridge of Papillion-La Vista, an effective scrambler and the school’s all-time freshman passing leader.
“When the coaching (part of a play) breaks down, he makes plays with his feet,” said Busch, Nebraska’s safeties coach and special teams coordinator.
SPECIAL GUESTS: Representatives from the Houston, Champs Sports and Alamo bowls will be on hand for today’s game. Although the Independence Bowl won’t be on hand, it doesn’t necessarily mean the bowl is uninterested. “There are a lot of possibilities, and we haven’t discussed the situation team by team,” said Missy Setters, the event’s interim director. “But obviously, Nebraska, with its tradition and following, is a good draw. They were a great team to host (in 2002). They were great to work with.” NU lost a 27-23 decision in 2002 to Mississippi, which featured quarterback Eli Manning. The 2005 Independence Bowl may provide Nebraska with one of its more intriguing bowl-game matchups, considering the top two Southeastern Conference teams on the bowl’s list of possibilities are South Carolina and Tennessee.
TODD UP FOR WUERFFEL TROPHY: Nebraska junior fullback Dane Todd has been named one of 13 finalists for the first Wuerffel Trophy. The national award will honor a college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding athletic achievement. The award is named in honor of 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, a standout quarterback at Florida, who went on to a six-year NFL career. Todd carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in biological sciences and is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District VII pick. A voting committee comprised of 10 Wuerffel Trophy regional directors will vote on the finalists and the winner will be announced later this month. The Wuerffel Trophy will be presented at the All Sports Association’s Awards Banquet in February in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
SAFETY VALVE: Busch said he was mostly pleased with his safeties’ tackling prowess this season. “We’ve had the least amount of missed tackles since I’ve been in coaching,” said Busch, who since 1995 has coached secondaries at Northern Arizona, New Mexico State and Utah. He added, “But we have missed some tackles on big plays, and that’s concerning.”
BRIGHT FUTURE: Although Husker safety Leon Jackson, one of the most touted players in the 2005 recruiting class, is yet to play a down at the position, Busch said the player’s future is bright. Jackson has contributed only on special teams this year. Asked what has kept Jackson from playing time at safety, Busch said Nebraska’s objective is always to play its best 11 players. “Leon’s really coming along,” Busch said. “He’s a bright-eyed kid. I love him.”
ETC.: Today marks NU’s 275th straight sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium. … Nebraska and K-State have met each year since 1923. … The Huskers lead the overall series 72-15-2, but the Wildcats have captured each of the last three games.
— Steven M. Sipple