Wednesday Presser | The Platinum Board

Wednesday Presser

Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

Welcome to tPB!

Welcome to The Platinum Board. We are a Nebraska Husker news source and fan community.

Sign Up Now!
  • Welcome to The Platinum Board! We are a Nebraska Cornhuskers news source and community. Please click "Log In" or "Register" above to gain access to the forums.

Wednesday Presser

The word from Whipple: 'We've got to stay together and we've got to finish'​

ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON

Mark Whipple said he was "more encouraged than discouraged" in in review of the Nebraska offense in game 1. But "finish" was the word he came back to a few times.

He does think the Huskers have seemed to bounce back well from the travel to Dublin and disappointment of a 31-28 loss to Northwestern.

"They've been good," the coach said after Wednesday's practice, three days before Nebraska hosts North Dakota. "We had a really good meeting on Sunday night and then practiced light on Monday. But they were flying around. Last few days have been good. Today was pads and we did some good things."

Whipple said the Huskers were installing some new things on Wednesday, so it was a little rough. "We'll get it cleaned up."

Here's everything the Husker OC had to say.


FROST SAID YOU WATCHED THE FOURTH QUARTER WITH THE OFFENSE: WHAT WAS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE GUYS?​

"I'll talk about the game quickly, and then I'll do Belichick and move on. I was more encouraged than discouraged. I told the guys, 'Three quarters you had 440 yards ... you average 8 yards, four touchdowns, one turnover that was shaky on Isaiah's. And then in the fourth quarter we didn't finish. We were really good on third downs and in the fourth quarter we were 0-for-3. ... I thought what we did well was we started fast, which we hadn't in the scrimmages. And the offensive staff did a good job at the halftime of putting some things together and we scored two touchdowns in a row.
"But bottom line, we really harped this week on finishing. And overall, I've coached a lot of games. It's the only game I've ever coached where we didn't have an offensive penalty. So you're talking about discipline. Our offensive staff doing a good a great job with our players. With 75 plays, that's what, 825 chances to make a mistake or lack of discipline. So I think that is where we're at and we're just really harping on finishing."

WHAT DO WANT TO SEE THIS WEEK?​

"Finish. Finish each play. You give a little more and then when you get to the fourth quarter, we've learned something. And that's what these guys have done."
Whipple said he's handling it like he did when he first got here where the first practice offers an evaluation and then you see where they take it to the second practice, and so on.
"I told them I'm not going to say anything: Here's the facts and just see what you can do this Saturday. Then we can see where we're at as a football team."

THE TEMPO WORKED WELL EARLY. DID IT WORK AGAINST YOU LATE? HOW DO YOU WALK THAT FINE LINE?​

"It just comes down to third downs and situational football. That's why we were good (early). I keep telling the guys, it's third down (and you get it), we get three more plays. It's not just a first down. 'Hey, we got a first down.' We get three more plays and you're hanging on to the ball more and that helps the defense. That just takes some time. Today we had a pretty good third-down session. Harping on the blitz game and things that way, so they're detailed in a little bit more on situational football field."

HOW DID HE PERCEIVE FROST'S 'CREATIVE' PLAY CALLING COMMENT ABOUT THE RUN GAME?​

"It's all been good."
Whipple said he didn't even know about it until a Husker staffer informed him it might come up. "I like you guys. That doesn't mean I read you," he said with a laugh. "Hey, we got to get better in all parts. Coaching-wise, I told the guys, we got to coach better. I got to call better plays. I got to coach better. You guys got to play and we've got to stay together and we've got to finish. And that's really the message."

DO YOU SENSE FROST HAS HAD DIFFICULTY LETTING GO OF THE PLAY CALLING?​

"Not when we score touchdowns," Whipple said with a laugh. "You know? He's like everybody. He wants us to win as much as anybody. And it's a first time for everything. How I do things is probably different than others. But I thought our coaches did a really good job. Like I said, no penalties, they did a good job of preparing the guys. Especially in Dublin ... Our walk-throughs were good. I make notes on every day, and you're out there and it's beautiful and there's things that way, a new stadium, the locker room is just average, but our guys came to play. It goes back to, again, we've got to finish. Finish.
"We're not playing high school football anymore, where it's 12-minute quarters. Fifteen minutes. You've got 60 minutes and we have to do our best in the last 15 minutes of the game. I said, 'You want to win a championship? That's what champions do.'"

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT CASEY THOMPSON'S PERFORMANCE?​

"I thought he managed things and that goes back to no penalties – with the signals, with the calls. I thought he showed leadership. Made a couple big plays on scrambles. He ran into a couple things that way. Wasn't perfect. I thought he was a little better than average. Missed some balls. Missed some easy throws, which were first downs on third downs, and we worked on those things.
"I think he handled everything really well and I've seen a little more bounce in his step. I've seen a little bit more leadership this way."

DID HE MISS A COUPLE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER WHERE HE DIDN'T SEE GUYS DOWNFIELD?​

"Missed a couple early, you know. And we dropped six balls, and you can't do that. So we've got to keep practicing, getting better. We've just got to improve."

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THE RUN GAME?​

"Yeah, we only had two explosive runs. We'd like to be at seven or eight explosive runs over 12 (yards). It's guys blocking downfield. That's kind of the way offense is. You can have 10 guys doing the right thing and one guy's a little off and that's what happened a little bit in our run game ... Anthony (Grant's) first time playing. He played a little bit at Florida State but not much. I think he showed some things. So we've got good backs. As we keep moving, I think you'll see how those guys will progress."

DO YOU LIKE THE MIX WITH GRANT, YANT AND AJAY ALLEN?​

"Well, yeah, we kind of settled on Anthony there after a while. I wanted to get those guys reps. I think you'll see Gabe (Ervin) a little bit more... Last week was my decision on that and he'll be in the mix. Just getting to know each other that way."

HOW ABOUT RAHMIR?​

"Yeah, he's got snaps at running back, he's got snaps at wide receiver. He's been really good. I didn't watch the special teams but guys said he did a great job. He's a great teammate, maybe the best teammate on the team. Really appreciate him and his sacrifices and his efforts."

WHAT'S THE LINE BETWEEN USING THE QB IN THE RUN GAME AND KEEPING HIM HEALTHY?​

"We had a couple runs, and we'll have some. We'll have them every week for all the guys that way. The one play we put Logan (Smothers) in, he's really good at that play. He's run it before. The things Chubba (Purdy) will have down the road that he's got, and Casey's got some things that way. So they can all run and make some plays in the run game. Each week we'll just diversify and go from there."

WHAT'S YOUR FEELING ON YOUR YOUNG TIGHT ENDS AFTER TRAVIS VOKOLEK?​

"Yeah, Travis, I think he had five catches for 63 yards. And a lot of the plan was starting to go to him and then he got hurt. And probably I went away from it a little bit. Boerk (Nate Boerkircher) had the one drop, but Boerk's a good player. The other guys, I know them as well. So we'll see what those other guys, they've done well in practice, but we missed Travis. He's the captain and the leader that way. Casey's stepped up a little bit more in his place (as a leader) this week."

WHEN YOU DID KNOW ISAIAH GARCIA-CASTANEDA COULD BE SOMETHING AFTER MISSING THE SPRING?​

"He's just gotten better and better. He's a really conscientious kid that cares so much. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. We've had some talks with him. I have. Just relax and go play and I think he showed his ability. Same when he came to the sideline after the 'fumble' (Whipple made air quotes). Was just really uptight. 'Just relax. It's going to happen.' He came back and made some plays. So we have some depth out there. Alante did a good job in the Z. He had three catches. So we were able to spread it around, which is what I would like to do. But he's certainly showed he can make plays."

 

Nebraska defense quick hits from Wednesday's practice​

By MICHAEL BRUNTZ

Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander met with the media on Wednesday morning in Memorial Stadium following the Huskers’ practice as the team continues preparations for North Dakota.

Here’s a quick rundown of news and notes from Chinander’s time at the podium.

— Chinander said Wednesday that the opener against Northwestern was “definitely not up to our standard at all,” but said he liked his unit’s effort against Northwestern. Chinander said a few missed assignments and missed tackles cost the Huskers against the Wildcats.

“That’s on me to get those fixed, and I will get those fixed,” Chinander said. “We take great pride on this unit in putting the fire out when we get put in an unfavorable situation, we fix it. That’s life, it happens in football. It’s nobody’s fault, we need to fix it, we need to put out the fire and we didn’t do that this week and it’s got to improve.”

— Chinander said he appreciated Caleb Tannor’s leadership in accepting responsibility for Saturday’s loss, but that the defense’s issues were about more than one player.

“I appreciate Caleb, but it doesn’t fall on one player,” he said. “It falls on me.”

— Chinander said his nickels played relatively well in the game.

Chris Kolarevic has been cross training this fall at both inside backer and at nickel. Chinander said the veteran linebacker has the ability to play both spots if needed.

— Chinander said he liked the defensive plan about managing reps up front, but said they will need to rotate Devin Drew and Stephon Wynn Jr., going forward. Chinander said the second team defensive linemen gained trust from the coaching staff with the way they played against Northwestern. Chinander said the plan was for Drew to get about 20 snaps in Saturday’s opener.

— Both Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich missed time on Saturday because of injury, with Nebraska relying on Va Mauga-Clements and true freshman Ernest Hausmann to spell the veterans. Chinander said things get more challenging with less experienced players in the game, but those replacements have to be ready to go.

“It looks it looks a little different when those guys aren't in there and not so much the level of play, but just the comfort level they have with the rest of the team and getting everybody lined up and if the awkward happens or the unusual happens, they don't flinch. But you know in this game, next guy has to be ready and you have to prepare every single day like you're the next guy up,” Chinander said

— Chinander said Hausmann has a “long, very bright future ahead of him.”

— Chinander was asked, and said no new Blackshirts were handed out this week

 

Nebraska defense quick hits from Wednesday's practice​

By MICHAEL BRUNTZ

Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander met with the media on Wednesday morning in Memorial Stadium following the Huskers’ practice as the team continues preparations for North Dakota.

Here’s a quick rundown of news and notes from Chinander’s time at the podium.

— Chinander said Wednesday that the opener against Northwestern was “definitely not up to our standard at all,” but said he liked his unit’s effort against Northwestern. Chinander said a few missed assignments and missed tackles cost the Huskers against the Wildcats.

“That’s on me to get those fixed, and I will get those fixed,” Chinander said. “We take great pride on this unit in putting the fire out when we get put in an unfavorable situation, we fix it. That’s life, it happens in football. It’s nobody’s fault, we need to fix it, we need to put out the fire and we didn’t do that this week and it’s got to improve.”

— Chinander said he appreciated Caleb Tannor’s leadership in accepting responsibility for Saturday’s loss, but that the defense’s issues were about more than one player.

“I appreciate Caleb, but it doesn’t fall on one player,” he said. “It falls on me.”

— Chinander said his nickels played relatively well in the game.

Chris Kolarevic has been cross training this fall at both inside backer and at nickel. Chinander said the veteran linebacker has the ability to play both spots if needed.

— Chinander said he liked the defensive plan about managing reps up front, but said they will need to rotate Devin Drew and Stephon Wynn Jr., going forward. Chinander said the second team defensive linemen gained trust from the coaching staff with the way they played against Northwestern. Chinander said the plan was for Drew to get about 20 snaps in Saturday’s opener.

— Both Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich missed time on Saturday because of injury, with Nebraska relying on Va Mauga-Clements and true freshman Ernest Hausmann to spell the veterans. Chinander said things get more challenging with less experienced players in the game, but those replacements have to be ready to go.

“It looks it looks a little different when those guys aren't in there and not so much the level of play, but just the comfort level they have with the rest of the team and getting everybody lined up and if the awkward happens or the unusual happens, they don't flinch. But you know in this game, next guy has to be ready and you have to prepare every single day like you're the next guy up,” Chinander said

— Chinander said Hausmann has a “long, very bright future ahead of him.”

— Chinander was asked, and said no new Blackshirts were handed out this week


Big Balls Chinander being a leader and taking responsibility.
 
Agreed 100%, but that have consistently improved. And he has always been really straight up and taken ownership of the poor performances and production from what I have seen and heard. Certainly more so than our head guy.
That's fair, but I just feel like people forget that literally none of his defenses have been good other than last year which was about on-par with Banker's last defense.
 
That's fair, but I just feel like people forget that literally none of his defenses have been good other than last year which was about on-par with Banker's last defense.
I get it. I just see him as a guy that actually takes action and improved things. The offense has been completely helter-skelter since day 1 for Frost, and Chins defense has grown to be more consistent. I wouldn’t think of retaining him if Frost is fired, but he has been better than his “offensive genius” buddy. It’s really all relative when we are talking about a complete dogshit program, IMO, because none of it really matters. Nobody can overcome FFHCSF
 
Chinander has to be fuckin embarrassed. What an embarrassing display to let an average QB dick you around like that.

And worse he had no halftime adjustments either. I actually thought last year that EC might have a long P2 (it's not P5 anymore) career ahead of him... but this dude is headed right back to the AAC or maybe a dying Pac12 if he's lucky.
 
Back
Top