- Messages
- 22,854
- Likes
- 101,127
Frost Hits: 'They want to run it, we want to run it'
ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 67 minutes agoScott Frost said earlier in this week he thinks his team is starting to see the formula.
"Been another good week. The guys know how to prepare now. There's not a lot of difference from one week to the next. They're doing what they need to do to get ready for a game," the coach added after Thursday's practice, two days before the Huskers host No. 9 Michigan at Memorial Stadium.
Michigan is riding high, 5-0 and coming off a 38-17 win at Wisconsin. The Huskers are similarly confident after going toe-to-toe with Oklahoma, outplaying Michigan State in the second half, and then ripping off a 56-7 win over Northwestern that showed what it can look like when the parts come together.
The Wolverines, though, are doing the details well: No. 1 in the league in running the ball and tops in the country in not giving the ball away, having just one turnover all season. The defense has been stout too, with Michigan D-lineman Aidan Hutchinson is the best defender the Huskers have seen on film, according to Matt Lubick.
"We need to do everything well. I think the run game is probably the key to this game," Frost said Thursday. "They want to run it, we want to run it. They want to stop it, we want to stop it. The team that gets behind that has to throw probably isn't in a good spot, so we have to do everything we can up front and on defense."
Here's all he said in his last meeting with the media before kickoff:
– There's on reason to believe the Huskers won't trot out the same starting O-line this week, which featured true freshman Teddy Prochazka at left tackle and Nouredin Nouili at left guard, with Turner Corcoran moving from left to right tackle.
"They're preparing well," Frost said. "Thought they had a great start last week. Still a lot of room to improve. Hopefully they took another step this week in practice. We have to have more of the same. More low pad level. More movement. It's going to be harder this week, so guys got to be ready for that. Another week of practice doesn't hurt."
– Frost said he's really happy for the success JoJo Domann is having. "He's been through a lot, seen a lot, held up through a lot. He's a good player for us. He has better players around him now than he had before. When plays are there for him to be made, he makes them. He's a key part of what we're doing and really glad I've had the opportunity coach him."
– The Huskers have a deep list of recruits checking out this game. They should see quite a scene. "I expect an environment to even be better than last week. We're all grateful to our fans for last Saturday. That was pretty special. I imagine it will be that way or better this week. We need some noise when they're on offense. Environment like that makes kids want to play here. Having kids here to watch that is going to help us."
Frost doesn't know if it helps the rhythm much or not of having a third game in a row at night. "Still a long wait in the hotel the night before the game, the day of the game. But our guys are used to it now so maybe there's comfort with having done that already – might be good for us. But doesn't really matter."
– Thomas Fidone has been great in working his way back to the practice field, Frost said. "Just unfortunate what happened to him. He's an elite athlete so we figured he'd heal pretty quickly he has. He's really talented and a little rusty right now, but it's good to see him back out there."
– The running back rotation? "It's always up in the air. I'm sure multiple guys will play again. We had a couple guys play really well last week, so hopefully they can do the same thing and we start building consistency."
– Greg Austin praised Cameron Jurgens and Matt Sichterman for helping be "the glue" of the O-line as parts changed around them. Frost said of Jurgens, "Cam has been steady for us. He's the leader. I love his attitude and just his personality. As much as his personality can seep onto everybody else, we want that to happen. He's aggressive. He's what we ask guys to do. He's the one making the calls so that makes it easier with everybody else that is playing with him."
– The difference in Zavier Betts right now? "Some guys come into the program ready to go and some it takes a while. You got to grow up physically sometimes, and sometimes in other ways. Zavier has come a long ways," Frost said. "Still has some growth but it seems like every week he's getting better and better. He's a guy that can make plays for us. He's better when he's out there on the field and hopefully we can keep him there."
– The Huskers took a different, longer path through campus for the Unity Walk before the game last week. Expect it to continue, as NU players got dropped off closer to Selleck Hall. "It was great. We did it because of Homecoming, and wanted to go by the Student Union and the students. I think the players really liked it. I liked it. It's pretty short when we just drop off right here and come in the stadium, so I imagine we'll stick with that."
