Week 2 v Akron: Depth Chart, Game Notes, Etc

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38-9 NU

 

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Full Akron week presser:

Please link the correct video of the presser - we support Inside Nebraska around here.

 

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[Irv]

"Butler said the D-line needs to get off the ball."

Thought Jeudy in particular did an excellent Job of quickly getting far off the ball.

 

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Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen​

***Holgorsen said he had a lot of respect for Cincinnati’s program. “They were pretty motivated to play.” He said UC’s three-man shell coverage was difficult to attack, but he liked how NU put the ball in play and stayed patient on offense.

***Holgorsen said Cincinnati was “the lowest-tackling bunch” he’d faced in a while. That wasn’t a criticism, but it got Janiran Bonner and Jacory Barney hurt, which impacted their offense.

***Holgorsen said it would take “multiple guys” to replace all that Bonner did on offense. He said Carter Nelson and Isaiah Mozeewould be at the top of that list.

***Holgorsen said Nebraska needed more explosive plays, and he wasn’t happy about the average yards per play. Some of that had to do with the way UC defended, but the Huskers also only forced six missed tackles out of 70 opportunities.

***Holgorsen said he had to get more running backs involved beyond Emmett Johnson. He said Johnson “ran his tail off” on Thursday night and was “the player of the game in my mind.” They tried to get Mozee involved early, but “it didn’t look good.”

“I don’t care who we play. That’s got to change.” He said Mekhi Nelson was the No. 2 on Thursday night, but that rotation remains open for competition.

Praise for Raiola, receivers, and Nelson’s recovery​

***Holgorsen said Dylan Raiola “did what we asked him to do.” They didn’t want Raiola forcing the ball in play. They wanted him to protect the ball and put it in play.

***Holgorsen said the offensive line, particularly left tackle, would also come down to who practiced the best this week. Overall, he thought the unit played well against a big and physical defensive line. “That was a good test for us in game one.”

***Holgorsen said he was pleased with receivers Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter, outside of their lack of explosive plays. He liked how they won one-on-one matchups and helped Nebraska have an efficient night on third and fourth downs.

***Holgorsen said Carter Nelson was “just now getting his legs underneath him” and not “doing anything for six months” after his double hip Labia surgery. “But now he’s back. I see what Carter is now.” He just needs reps and will get more chances with Bonner out.

***Holgorsen said it was “100% true” that teams make the biggest jump from Week 1 to Week 2, but he added that they want to be playing their best football in November and December.

***Holgorsen said he’s known Luke Lindenmeyer was a “good football player” last season, and now Lindenmeyer believes he’s that caliber of player.

Defensive coordinator John Butler​

***On the defense needing to play faster, Butler said that “comes down to diagnostics” with reading plays and knowing where to go before the snap. He thought the coverage was fine, but NU needed to play faster against the run and in rushing the passer.

***Butler said the individual player game film review was all about guys being harder on themselves than the coaches. He said those self-reviews were “critical” in player development.

***Butler said defensive line was “not a thinking man’s position,” and at times vs. Cincinnati, Nebraska was “a bit too fit oriented.” He wants those guys to fire off the ball and “create a new line of scrimmage.”

***Butler said that consistently playing hard and using physicality to get off blocks were the biggest keys for players like Riley Van Poppel and everyone on the defensive line.

***Butler said Donovan Jones was a big, physical linebacker who could play cornerback or dime. “We think Donny’s one of those guys that’s a winner.” He considered Jones, Ceyair Wright, and Andrew Marshall three of Nebraska’s best defensive players.

Butler on the defense’s highs and lows vs. Cincinnati​

***Butler said two of Nebraska’s top linebackers, Javin Wright and Vincent Shavers, both made game-changing plays against Cincinnati, but their consistency in the run game must continue to improve.

***Butler credited Malcolm Hartzog for making the biggest play of the game after what had been a frustrating drive for him. He said that was a winning play that wasn’t easy to make.

***Butler thought the defense covered well and tackled better as the game went along. The biggest issue was QB Brendan Sorsby “turning the game into a high school football game” with his scrambles. He said there was little rhythm to the game in the second half because of Sorsby’s improvisations.

***Butler said the Arrowhead Stadium crowd “helped us significantly on third down.” He expects Memorial Stadium to be the same way, but it will ultimately come down to their execution, regardless of where they play.

***Butler said defending quarterback scrambles would be a priority all season because that was now on film as a way teams can attack Nebraska’s defense. The Huskers must show they can contain dual-threat QBs better than they did Sorsby.

----RW

 

[Dr.DrakeRamoray]

Hope the HuskerVision folks find a way to throw a song like this in the pregame sometime

Was supposed to see him at pinewood but he canceled his tour, I was pissed!

 

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***Holgorsen said Carter Nelson was “just now getting his legs underneath him” and not “doing anything for six months” after his double hip Labia surgery. “But now he’s back. I see what Carter is now.” He just needs reps and will get more chances with Bonner out.

Labia strikes again

 

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Safety DeShon Singleton​

***DeShon Singleton said the defense needed to “work on our angles and tackling” after the Cincinnati game. “Just effort to the football. We need more effort to the football… All 11 people to the football.”

He said guys were “fatigued” late in the game, and they needed to fight through that better.

***Singleton said defending the QB run came down to more reps against it in practice.

***Singleton said Hartzog was “made for those moments” like his game-winning interception. He said they disguised a Cover 2 with a one-high shell. He saw Hartzog “come out of nowhere” and make a play on the ball. “I just had a smile on my face, like, ‘Go get it, Malc.'”

***Singleton praised Jones and Rex Guthrie for rising to the occasion. He said Jones did an excellent job of staying ready and ensuring there was no drop-off when he entered the game. Singleton said Guthrie’s work in practice and film study prepared him for the moment.

Offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka​

***Teddy Prochazka said it was “a great feeling” to make it through an entire game after his injuries. He said he felt a little more sore this time around, but Thursday night was a significant step in his lengthy recovery journey.

***Prochazka said he competed all the way until game day before securing the No. 1 right tackle job. He said Tyler Knaak had pushed him all offseason, and they’ve helped each other as much as possible on and off the field.

***Prochazka said he’d been on the sidelines where “it was like, ‘Oh crap, here we go,’ when games got tight late. He said Thursday night was more like “What’s next?”

***Prochazka said first and second-down efficiency was a priority for the offense this week and beyond. They were good on third down, but they must start drives better to stay on schedule.

***Prochazka said Gunnar Gottula, Turner Corcoran, and Elijah Pritchett continue to push each other through “tough competition each day” just like he and Knaak do.

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Quarterback Dylan Raiola​

***Raiola said he thought he played “fairly well” against Cincinnati. There were “a handful of plays I’d like back,” but other than that, they took what the defense gave them and won the game.

***Raiola admitted it was “hard’ not to push the ball downfield more, but they had to stay patient and disciplined. He said the last time he faced a three-high look like UC was his last game of high school, which he lost. “Yeah, I know that defense very well.”

***Raiola said his receivers could “all do special things,” and he made sure to add Lindenmeyer in that as well.

***Raiola said creating more explosive plays involved picking his spots with shots downfield while also getting the ball to his playmakers as much as possible.

***Raiola said Prochazka was “a special human” and “the epitome of a Husker football player.” He said he loves having Prochazka on the line because he sets the standard for the entire offensive line.

***Raiola said Emmett Johnson “sees the field at such an elite level” and was “a big weapon” as a runner and receiver.

***On playing in Memorial Stadium again, Raiola said he was “excited to be back home.” He said Nebraska’s game day atmosphere was “second to none” and a place “every player in the country should want to come play in.”

***Raiola said he believes teams make their biggest jumps from Week 1 to Week 2. Having a game together under their belt would provide a critical step for the Huskers. That said, Raiola believes Akron will also make plenty of adjustments and be better than they were in Week 1.

Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer​

***Lindenmeyer said Thursday night was “a great game” because of the atmosphere, but also his role in the offense.

***Lindenmeyer said Holgorsen’s message about more explosive plays was to “keep doing what we do and lock in on fundamentals.” If they do that, big plays will come.

***Lindenmeyer said he puts so much importance on practice because he never wants to be the reason a coach yells at the offense. That happened once early last season, and he vowed that it would never happen again. He credited that preparation during the week for his rise up the depth chart.

***Lindenmeyer said he never really felt like a walk-on at Nebraska because of “the love” he’s felt since he joined the program. “They took a chance on me, so I’m going to give them my all.”

***Lindenmeyer said Raiola’s “confidence and poise” stood out as much as anything on Thursday night. He said Raiola read the defense, checked into the right plays, and got the ball to his receivers. “He didn’t do that last year.”

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