Red Report: Thenarse out for 'a while'

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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Opening statement

“It’s the next game on the schedule. That’s how we’ll treat it.”

—Bo Pelini, on how NU views the Missouri game

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Thenarse's injury: Two days after Rickey Thenarse made a slow exit from the field with a noticeable limp, Bo Pelini said the safety would be “out for a while.”

The Husker coach said Monday he still didn’t know the extent of the injury to Thenarse’s right knee. The damage occurred when the senior planted the wrong way during kickoff coverage in the first quarter of Nebraska’s 55-0 win against Louisiana-Lafayette.

That came just days after Pelini said he wanted to get Thenarse more playing time.

But now the chances of Thenarse playing when Nebraska opens Big  12 play at Missouri on Oct. 8 seems unlikely.

Things looks better for senior safety Larry Asante.

Pelini said Asante is “fine” after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s win. Asante hurt himself while breaking for an interception he returned 74 yards for a touchdown.

Rivalry?: Some Husker fans don’t like to use the word for anyone but Oklahoma.

But Pelini was asked during Monday’s Big 12 Coaches Teleconference if he’d call Nebraska-Missouri “a rivalry.”

“I think any time you play somebody in your division you can use that word,” Pelini said.

The series has been intense in recent years, and the Huskers haven’t won at Missouri since 2001. The Tigers defeated the Huskers by five touchdowns each of the past two seasons, including last year’s 52-17 drubbing in Lincoln.

Asked if he thought his team was really looking forward to this game given last year’s result, Pelini said: “I think they’re looking forward to the preparation of going down there because it’s the next game. It’s a new year. I don’t get caught up in what happened last year or recent history or anything else.”

The change: Nebraska seemed to find another level after last year’s loss to Missouri. The Huskers nearly knocked off a Top 10 Texas Tech team in Lubbock, Texas, the next week, then won six of their final seven games to finish the season.

Pelini said it was “nothing in particular” from the Missouri game that caused the Husker turnaround.

“I think we just started to get better as a football team at that point,” Pelini said. “We weren’t a very good football team going into that game.”

Make it snappy: The Huskers didn’t turn the ball over Saturday but had one ugly gaffe in the third quarter on quarterback Cody Green’s first series. Facing a third-and-10 from their 43-yard line, the snap got away from Green. He had to fall on the ball for a 22-yard loss.

“We were trying to hurry up and snap the ball because the shot clock was running out,” Green said. “I was trying to set the back and when I set the back, I was saying hut at the same time. I just missed the ball. That was on me.”

Press Box video: NU 11th nationally in scoring offense



Tripped up: Nebraska had one defensive touchdown and it appeared it was ready for seconds Saturday. Linebacker Sean Fisher picked up a fumble at the NU 13 and was in the clear late in the third quarter.

“I saw the open field and so I was thinking, ‘Am I going to score?’” Fisher said. “It disappeared pretty quickly.”

Yes, he tripped on teammate P.J. Smith’s foot and went down at the Husker 34.

At least he hopes Smith tripped him. “Otherwise it was just on my own.”

Day off: The Huskers didn’t practice Monday but will be back at it Tuesday as they try to take advantage of a bye week.

“You’re going to have a bye in there at some point,” Pelini said. “It’s all how you manage it. I don’t get caught up in worrying about the schedule. And when the bye week comes, you deal with what the schedule is and you set your schedule accordingly.”