Huskers go through 60-play scrimmage
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska went through a 60-play scrimmage Thursday on the grass fields. The best news: No major injuries.
“We came out of it in good shape,” coach Bo Pelini said.
He described the scrimmage as “OK.”
It’s getting close now. On Thursday, Husker players started watching game film in preparation for their Aug. 30 season-opening opponent Western Michigan.
“Our guys, it was like Christmas in there. They were all fired up. They were ready to go,” NU linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said after Thursday’s practice. “For me, it’s the same way. We were sitting in there (all fall) going against Coach (Shawn) Watson’s offense, which is brutal. It is so multiple and makes you adjust in so many different ways. Every day you go out there and see about 20 new different plays. So it’ll be nice to really hone in on (another) offense and game-plan.”
“We got some things done. It wasn’t a real long go," Pelini said. “We got a look at a lot of different guys. We put a lot of guys in there we were trying to find out about in a live situation.”
The scrimmage also featured live special teams work.
Receivers coach Ted Gilmore said the scrimmage focused heavily on the running game.
Of note, Joe Ganz was the only quarterback with a no-contact green jersey.
“We’ll see what it looks like when we see the tape," Pelini said of the scrimmage. “There were some good things on both sides, and there some mistakes on both sides.”
Linebackers coach Mike Ekeler, though, said there were too many communication breakdowns on defense.
“It’s a great learning experience," Ekeler said, noting the defense had been better with communication on Wednesday. “Now we’re going to be able to go back in and show these guys, ‘Hey, when we all talk and we’re all on the same page, it's clicking.' When we're not, you see little things — little things that we know we have done a million times. If you don't communicate, those little things turn into big things.
This and that: Pelini said Major Culbert (ankle) didn’t practice but "will be back within the next day or two," as will Clayton Sievers, who's missed most of the week with an ankle/bone bruise. ... Latravis Washington (knee) should return Monday. ... Pelini said offensive tackle Jaivorio Burkes is playing well after missing the first two weeks of camp with a high blood pressure problem.“He’s doing well,” he said.” “It’s like he didn’t miss a beat.”
Scouting report: OT Brandon Thompson: The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Thompson, from The Woodlands, Texas, is the only true freshman offensive lineman in fall camp.
Given Nebraska’s depth at the position, it’s probable Thompson is looking at a redshirt.
However, offensive line coach Barney Cotton said Thompson has been impressive in practice.
“I’ve been really pleased with his mental pickup of the game and his skill level,” Cotton said. “I mean, he was able to do things fast, rather than a young guy playing tentative.”
Cotton referenced a period in camp when the offensive line was “kind of beat up,” and he inserted Thompson at left tackle with the No. 2 unit.
“He got into the fire with our twos pretty extensively there for about three or four days and really surprised me,” Cotton said.
“He really knew his stuff better than I thought he might know and played a lot faster than I thought he might. He really did a nice job for a true freshman, because we’ve got a big offense.”
Opponent watch: Wisconsin
(Hey, they could meet in a bowl game, right?)
Nebraska native and one-time Husker commit Allan Evridge has been named the Badgers’ starting quarterback.
Evridge, a fifth-year senior, is listed first on the depth chart, ahead of junior Dustin Sherer and sophomore Scott Tolzien.
Evridge committed to former Nebraska coach Frank Solich’s staff but eventually signed with Kansas State. He started seven games for the Wildcats as a redshirted freshman in 2005, then transferred.
Evridge played in seven games last fall, completing 5 of 12 passes for 66 yards.
Just asking: When's the preparation start for Aug. 30's season-opener against Western Michigan?
"We watched some film before we came out," Ekeler said after a Thursday scrimmage. "Now our guys see that light at the end of the tunnel. It's really here."
The coach said after all the hard work of fall camp, which ends Saturday, guys are fired up to be finally working on preparation for their first opponent.
"I tell you what, it has been a physical, physical, physical two-a-days," Ekeler said. "And our guys have done a great job. They've responded well. They've played when their nicked up a little bit. It's been good. They're excited to get somebody new."
— Brian Rosenthal, Steven M. Sipple and Brian Christopherson
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