Monday Press Conference

[vailhusker]

Frost discusses Monday of tough meetings, and position jobs up for grabs​

ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 38 minutes ago

All hands on deck, all options on the table at those spots covered in worry for Husker football. You know the ones.

That seemed the theme of Scott Frost's Monday press conference, as the Huskers look for solutions, especially at the two main areas that are holding this team back: the offensive line and special teams.

"We're going to look at it," Frost said of possible O-line changes. "There are some guys that I know have the ability to play better than we have had a few positions. So competition is always open and we're going to give some other people a real shot. ... It's kind of been a little bit here, a little bit there, but we've got to find a left guard and we've got to play a little bit better at right tackle. Those are probably a couple of the spots we'll look at."

Frost said there have to be expectations, and when those are meant, you have to explore other possibilities. "That doesn't mean we crumple anybody up and throw them away. This is a team thing."

The coach had a long talk with the team on Monday morning.


"I feel really bad for the guys who have been doing so many things right and playing at such a high level," Frost said. "And a couple little pieces, and a couple decisions ... have probably cost us two or three games this year."

Frost reminded the team that he got benched his senior year and things worked out pretty well and it made him play with a chip on his shoulder the rest of his career. He mentioned to the team that Adrian Martinez got benched last year, "and he's playing at an elite level right now."

When it comes to any shakeups at positions, "That happens. That's life. And if those guys bounce back, a couple of them, they're going to be fine. But you have two choices when something like that happens. I hope they make the right choice. I think overall it's going to make us better as a unit."

It was noted by starting right guard Matt Sichterman that Frost spent more time during Monday's practice with a specific eye on the O-line.

"If we have one area that's struggling that needs my attention, I'm going to spend more of my time there. So I was in a couple meetings today. The special teams meeting was tough. It was rough, but it was honest. Coach (Dawson) did a great job. He got their attention. He's had their attention the whole year, but I think he really got their attention this morning. And I want to see guys respond. We're so close in getting this over the hump. It's going to take a complete team deal and we're all in this together. So if my intent is needed somewhere else, that's where it will be."

More Frost Hits:

– "We're a tough team, physically. We have to be a tougher team mentally," he said. "It doesn't take any physical toughness to stay set and wait for a snap count. It doesn't take any physical toughness to let go of a quarterback when the whistle blows. Those are the things that we have to make the right decision in the moment."

He believes Nebraska is playing with "a nasty attitude" at a lot of positions. "We need to find that nasty attitude in a couple others. And shaking things up, and giving other guys opportunities, hopefully will lead to that."

Could true freshman Teddy Prochazka be in consideration too? "All hands on deck. Teddy has got a chance to compete for it just like anybody else."

– Frost thought players really responded to the message at halftime in Saturday's 23-20 overtime loss to Michigan State. "That was elite defense we played in the second half," he said of allowing just 14 yards to the Spartans and no first downs.

On offense, "That didn't even cross my mind that we're going to give up a punt return here. I was upset that we didn't get a first down to keep the clock moving. We should've. Should've executed a little bit better on a second-down play ... And then you look up and despite the guys doing everything right and dominating a half of football, you get that momentum swing and take another gut punch."

That's why, he said, every guy has to take accountability and do his job when called.

– Frost said the second returnman shouldn't have even been a factor in the return. It wasn't a miscommunication from Daniel Cerni, Frost later said, but a mishit. The ball was supposed to go 35 yards the other way.

"But there are 30 plays that could have won that game for us. We can point at a few of those, and that (punt) was obviously not good. But there are other areas where we can get better too."

The Huskers talked themselves this week about times they've used two returnmen. They've usually done it against rugby punters. "I don't think that's an issue right now. If that's a strategy we want to go with, it can be, but we just need someone that's going to run up and catch a ball, run back and catch a ball."

– Are there other returnmen options not yet explored? Kamonte Grimes was a name that popped up back in camp. Anybody new who could enter?

"Guys are getting reps all the time. When guys are ready, (even if) they're young, we're going to use them. When we started camp, Samori (Toure) really wasn't even returning punts. Cam and Oliver were going to be the guys. Oliver's been hurt and we stopped using Cam. At kick returner, Zavier was going to be our guy. He went out at halftime. Getting consistency back there is going to help just like getting consistency anywhere and getting more reps is going to help."

Frost said Oliver Martin and Zavier Betts are "close" when it comes to returning.

– Frost had a decision to make after Michigan State's punt return for a TD. The Spartans were called for a 15-yard penalty after it. He could have made MSU kick a 35-yard extra point but he chose to take the yards on the kickoff.

"I decided to take the field position and then we fumbled the kickoff return and started at the 19. That hidden yardage stuff will kill you in a game. Guys heard about it again this morning, practiced well. But there's been some situations where we've practiced well and then we go out and we don't do it on the field, and that's what we need to get figured out."

– When it comes to fixing problems midseason, Frost said what's been unique this year is a different issue popping up each week. "You fix one, and work on one, and spend a lot of time on one, and something you haven't even anticipated comes up."


– The Huskers will be playing back-to-back home night games, with a kickoff under the lights against Northwestern and Michigan. "We just need to get back on the field and win. That's what we need to do. I don't care if the game's at 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. We're so close. We've been a bad team that won a few games, and then a pretty good team that won some and lost some. Right now we're a good team that's lost some games. We've got to get over that hurdle, and right now the more opportunities that we get, the better.

"I love this team. I love being around them every day. I can't wait for them to get another chance."

 

[Strongarm517]

Finally some substance! Real action? We’ll see

 

[vailhusker]

Frost on O-line: 'We've got good players ... We've got to get more out of them'​

ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 33 minutes ago

Matt Sichterman saw the head man's eyes were often locked in on that Husker offensive line on Monday. More than usual, as Nebraska football is in a a state of urgency to find the right personnel and solutions up front for a group that has not met expectations so far in 2021. A group that has been, among other problems, literally jumpy.

Scott Frost had a couple intense exchanges with that O-line on Saturday night amid some of those messes (four false starts in the first half, seven sacks allowed for the game) during Nebraska's 23-20 overtime loss to Michigan State. The head coach again had a close eye on that bunch at Monday's practice.

"Coach Frost, obviously he's the head coach and he has to address the issues and who's not performing on the team. And that's been us as an offensive line," said Nebraska starting right guard Sichterman. "Coach Frost is continuing to take a bigger role in coaching us as an O-line, along with Coach Austin, trying to emphasize some of the points that he wants to make. That was apparent today in practice. Coach Frost was with us, with the O-line, working to get us right."

Nebraska offensive line coach Greg Austin has consistently maintained a sense of urgency, Sichterman added, believing NU lineman need to continue to rally behind his message, with everybody knowing a team weakness needs to become a team strength if Husker football is to turn a corner. "I think he's a great coach (with) consistent messaging to us, but also finding new ways to incorporate new drills that we need to improve ... I think he does a good job of balancing that."

Sichterman noted that some new drills were added to the practice routine on Monday.


"You can't do the same things and expect a different outcome," the fifth-year Husker lineman said. "We're trying whatever we can to get this thing right. I'm happy with how all our group responded today. I think we had a good practice, and I think the competition in this room is as high as it has ever been. I'm excited about guys pushing me, pushing other guys."

Frost said later during Monday's press conference that the left guard spot, in particular, needs to find the guy. Ethan Piper started the year there, but after some struggles the Huskers moved to Trent Hixson, who gave way after one of those false start penalties to Brant Banks this past weekend. Broc Bando, who was back in uniform after an illness, might also be someone to consider.

But it appears all options are on the table, and Frost said the Huskers also need more out of the right tackle spot currently being taken up by Bryce Benhart.

It's a struggle that comes back on everyone involved, of course. Nebraska gave up seven sacks in the loss to Michigan State. There are only two teams in all of the FBS that have given up more than 18 sacks like Nebraska, although the Huskers have played in at least one more game than some teams.

"I want to see more of an attitude – more nasty," said Frost, who spoke of some tough but needed position group meetings occurring earlier that morning prior to practice. "We talk all the time about having a desire to excel, no fear of failure. And you can talk that you want, but I want to see them come off the (ball) and rip it, strike people and run. Create some seams for the running backs to go through. Right now, I'd rather have a miss doing that than getting on guys for not moving somebody.

"I don't want to see running backs take the ball and have a wall of people in front of them. We need some crease runs. That's going to open a lot of things up. And we need to protect better."

There were some technique issues at play in the pass pro faults on Saturday, Frost added, and that they are going to help the line out in some other ways with protection too.

"We have maybe the most athletic quarterback in the country, and he still got sacked seven times, so there's a lot to fix there," Frost said. "Coach G is working hard and so am I."

Anybody could be considered for snaps up front moving forward, according to the head coach, including true freshman Teddy Prochazka. "We've got big, strong guys that can run. Got to play better."

Frost is happy with the play of his quarterback Adrian Martinez, who had to have X-rays on his jaw after taking some big hits on the first series Saturday. The coach believes the QB has bailed out the offense a lot this season. The pressures are too many.

"He's got good people around him. The running backs are running hard, the receivers are doing a good job, the tight ends are playing really well. We've got to give him a little more time to throw. He's missed a couple easy ones, but if he had time to sit back there and really pick teams apart, he'd have even better games than he's had now. So we've got to do a better job in front of him."

Such is Sichterman's plan, knowing all the tough critiques that are out there. Probably no tougher than were received in film reviews on Monday.

"There's a lot of football left to be played, and we're going to keep showing up and going to work," Sichterman said. "Got to keep trusting our coaches and trusting what we're doing. We're just going to keep doing that."

As the weekly press conference was meeting its ent point, Frost discussed that balance of tough love on a group that is under performing, while also building belief in what can still happen this year.


"I don't want to beat these guys down. This is the same group that we finished the year with last year, and played really well," the head coach said. "So I don't know what it is right now. But I have faith in these guys. They've got to pick it up. They didn't play well enough Saturday and we still should have won the game. Didn't play well enough, and had a bunch of yards and more opportunities.

"So we're going to keep working with them. We've got good players, with good talent. We've got to get more out of them."

 

[Steveweiser316]

@slattimer you see the o-line issues as just problems with RT and LG?

 

[slattimer]

@slattimer you see the o-line issues as just problems with RT and LG?

Lol....no