NU alters routine for Thursday game
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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
For Dreu Young, the worst part of playing a football game on Thursday night is that management test on Friday morning.
It’s at 9:30, or roughly six hours after Young and the Huskers are expected home next week from a trip to Columbia, Mo.
Not that Young, a Big 12 honor roll student, needs any prodding, but just in case, he’ll have Bo Pelini keeping watch. The Nebraska coach is making certain his players won’t conveniently forget to set the Friday morning alarm.
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“That’s going to be the challenge,” said Jeff Jamrog, director of football operations. “I know Bo is going to talk to our players about getting up and going to class on Friday.”
Young isn’t surprised.
“That’s kind of the culture of the team now,” said the junior tight end. “You go to class regardless of what’s going on. You better have a really, really good excuse to miss class.”
Like playing a football game.
Class conflicts are among a few curves Nebraska’s staff and players must navigate in playing a rare Thursday game. The Huskers play at Missouri one week from Thursday.
It’s Nebraska’s fifth Thursday night game. Four of those games will have been on the road, which throws a few more bumps into the routine.
When Nebraska agreed in February to play Missouri on a Thursday, Jamrog’s first phone call was to the team motel.
“That’s No. 1,” he said. “Make sure you have a place to sleep.”
No problems there, although Jamrog had to arrange for some late checkout times. Nebraska won’t leave the motel until about 5 p.m.
Which begs the question: What will players do all day? Killing time before Saturday night games usually involves watching football on TV, but the only TV on Thursday …
“Hopefully,” Jamrog said, “they’re not watching any soap operas.”
Although, expect a group of young and restless players. They’ll have about two to three hours to themselves in the afternoon — between chapel/Mass and meetings, and a 4 p.m. pregame meal. Kickoff is 8 p.m.
Young said he’ll study for his test on the flight down and back, but that he’s concentrating strictly on football while in Columbia.
Nebraska meets at 10:30 on Wednesday morning, will have a walk-though in Lincoln and leave for Columbia at 2:15. So players will miss nearly two full days of classes.
“The whole deal about this game, the toughest part is on our student-athletes,” Jamrog said, noting how academic adviser Dennis Leblanc helps players with any necessary arrangements to make up missed assignments or tests.
Footballwise, Pelini said playing on a Thursday doesn’t present major issues. Nebraska is practicing three days this week, taking Friday off, then beginning game-week preparations Saturday. Which is Nebraska’s Monday. Before a Saturday. Which is actually a Thursday.
“It will actually be a benefit,” Pelini said, “because we won’t have school on Saturday and Sunday.”
Nebraska then has two extra days to rest/prepare for a home game against Texas Tech on Oct. 17. So this Thursday deal isn’t all bad, especially given all college football eyes will be on ESPN for the only game of the night.
“National publicity is pretty tough to turn down,” Jamrog said.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at brosenthal@journalstar.com or 473-7436.
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