Mickey Thursday Presser

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Mickey Joseph Thursday rundown: On team belief, injuries, learning as a head coach​

ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 7 minutes ago

Huskers interim head coach Mickey Joseph struck an upbeat tone after Thursday's practice, two days before his team plays Purdue in a game with important Big Ten West implications.

"Great week of practice. Great week for the kids. Great week for the coaches. We're excited about this opportunity to play a top-notch football team," said Joseph, his team almost a two touchdown underdog against the Boilermakers. "I think they're only like seven points from being undefeated. They're really good in all three phases of the game. We're going to have to play well when we go there,"

Joseph got a little into how he operates behind the scenes as a head coach, Thomas Fidone's status for the season, and the belief he sees in this team.

Here's the full rundown.

WHAT MORE STANDS OUT ABOUT PURDUE AFTER STUDYING THAT SIDE ALL WEEK?​

"Like I said before, they have a lot of experience. When you can play in college football with senior and juniors. With that COVID year, that means some of them are fifth-year juniors and sixth-year seniors so that's the maturity level. They're a very mature football team so that means they won't panic under the stress and it's a team you're going to have to execute well against."

MARK WHIPPLE SAID THE OFFENSE DIDN'T PRACTICE AS WELL BEFORE RUTGERS, BUT HE'S SEEN IT SWITCH THIS WEEK. YOU SEE THAT?​

"Well, Whip's really hard on practice. He's really hard and what we don't do (is) we don't keep secrets from our kids. If they didn't practice up to our standard we let them know. But we felt they bounced back this week and they've got to practice well. The way you practice is the way you play on Saturday. So they've got to practice well."

REIMER AND NEWSOME WERE BANGED UP. YOU EXPECT THEM TO TRAVEL? AND WHAT'S RAHMIR'S SITUATION?​

"They both will travel. Then they'll be a game-time decision with both those kids."
On Rahmir...
"He's available this week ... We're still going to use him in both roles (as a receiver and running back). He's a real high football I.Q. kid so you can do that with him."

HOW HAS HE SEEN COACHES HANDLE THE SHUFFLE WITH FISHER WORKING WITH CORNERS AND BUSCH WITH SAFETIES/NICKELS?​

"I've seen the coaches are more comfortable. Because like I've said, everybody in the country has a corners coach and a safeties coach, and some people have a nickels coach. Because it's two different positions, and when you have one guy coaching them all ... we had to do it at LSU, we had to bring Bill (Busch) in. Bill coached our safeties and Corey (Raymond) coached our corners so I think it's a great idea. I think that's what the NFL does and I think you've got to do that because it's two different positions. It's hard to see all four. That's why you see more spread teams on offense because they have two receivers coaches – an inside and outside ... But (our coaches) are comfortable with it right now."

WHAT MAKES PURDUE SO GOOD IN THE RED ZONE?​

"They're really consistent and they do what got them down there. They have a really good quarterback. He doesn't make many mistakes. He knows where to go with the ball before the ball is snapped. So we've got to be tightened up when we get down there."

DO YOU NEED TO MANAGE ANTHONY GRANT'S WORKLOAD DOWN THE STRETCH?​

"Well, anytime you have a running back like Anthony when you get to this part in the season, we've got to be smart with it because he's got a lot of mileage on him right now. So we've got to be smart with him at practice. We're doing that. Coach Applewhite understands what he needs to do with AG. And Coach Whipple understands also so I'm comfortable with how they handle him at practice and how they handle him in a game."

SEAN BECKTON MENTIONED LAST WEEK HOW YOU LIKE TO CALL PLAYERS IN FOR INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS. HOW'S THAT GOING TRYING TO LEARN THE FULL TEAM MORE?​

"I knew them. I knew who they was. But I'm trying to get the inner ... get inside of them and figure out what gets them going, what gets them to tick. So, yes, I have individual meetings and I continue to have them with everybody on the team. If I see you, 'Hey, I need to talk to you.' Because I want them to feel comfortable, the ones that don't know me (well), to feel comfortable to just come into my office and speak with me if they have something to talk about. Or if they just want to talk.
"Sometimes they just come in there to just hang out and that's good with me. Because it gets boring sometimes as a head coach because you're not in meetings all the time so sometimes I just pop into meetings. My position coaches always say, 'You got a problem Coach?' 'No, just bored.' You need some friends sometimes. When you're the head coach, nobody wants to be your friend," he said joking. "They're trying to still kick me out of the locker room. I'm not going anywhere."

HAS IT BEEN A STRANGE ADJUSTMENT THE LAST FEW WEEKS?​

"No, the staff's been great, the administration has been great, the kids have been great. Everything's been great. Everybody is just buying into what we want to do, so no. It's strange the way it happened but we're settled into it now."

HOW MUCH MORE CONFIDENT ARE YOU AFTER A MONTH ON THE JOB?​

"I learn a lot everyday. Everyday I learn a lot about this position. And it helps that I have Coach Whipple with me, who has been a head coach. Coach Bill Busch, who understands me, who knows what I want, Coach Beck, Coach Fish and Coach Applewhite, the ones to keep me in my place, 'Hey, you probably shouldn't do that.' So I'm still open. I'm still not the guy that has all the answers. I think when guys think they have all the answers, you know nothing. So I'm still open to suggestions from my staff because that's why they're there. They're there to help me and they're doing a wonderful job of helping me in this position."

IS THERE AN UPDATE ON THOMAS FIDONE'S STATUS?​

"I don't think he's going to come back this year because I don't want to take a chance with him. He's really moving well right now. He's in a good spot right now, but he understands that we're not going to put him out there until ... really with him he's going to say he's ready. But we've got to be smart with Fidone."

IS HE SEEING THE BELIEF FROM GUYS SHIFTING THAT THEY CAN WIN? OR IS THERE STILL HESITANCY TO BELIEVE?​

"No, because they're going to take on my mentality. They're going to take on my makeup. My makeup is to be aggressive and to get after people. And right now they're believing that they can do it. What they have done is they have bought into what I'm asking them to do, what the coaches are asking them to do. So you see smiles on their faces. You don't see doubt in their eyes. You don't see doubt in their body language. They feel like 'Hey, we're in the game, we know it's going to be a slugfest, we know there are going to be tight football games, but we're not scared to be in those situations anymore.'"

Mickey Joseph Thursday rundown: On team belief, injuries, learning as a head coach

Huskers interim head coach Mickey Joseph struck an upbeat tone after Thursday's practice, two days before his team plays Purdue in a game...

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