Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen
***Holgorsen said Maryland’s defensive front seven was “explosive, athletic, look great, look the part.” He called it “a tremendous challenge for us to continue to improve.” He thought the offense showed some signs of improvement at times against Michigan State, but there were also moments where they didn’t.
“We all obviously saw that.”
***On the stretch where Nebraska had 19 plays over 25 plays vs. MSU, Holgorsen said: “That was tough.” He said the last time he had a stretch like that as a coach was ironically in 2019 against Maryland.
He didn’t want to give a bunch of excuses, saying there were many reasons why NU struggled. Ultimately, the Huskers must execute more effectively across the board.
***Holgorsen said the extended real-time break between drives after the blocked punt stalled some of the offense’s momentum. He credited the defense and special teams for saving the game during that stretch, “because we just sucked.”
“It just seemed like everything we were doing was going backwards… It was dire.”
***Holgorsen said teams need “a spark” to get out of those slumps, and
Dylan Raiola’s 45-pass to
Jacory Barney “changed the entire sideline.” He said, “You could sense” doubt creeping over the team until that play turned things around.
On Raiola, pass protection, and wide receivers
***On Raiola, Holgorsen said, “There’s a lot on a starting quarterback,” especially at a place like Nebraska. Between the wind, protection breakdowns, and offensive mistakes, Raiola felt “the pressure to be great… When you’re getting the crap knocked out of you, you get loopy. He was getting loopy.”
Holgorsen Raiola needed to continue to handle those situations “professionally, and I know he will.”
***Holgorsen said they went with
Elijah Pritchett and
Gunnar Gottula at tackle because “those guys are the future” on the offensive line.
***Holgorsen said it’s hard to run the ball when you only get 52 snaps and constantly “running into pressures” on long-yardage downs. He said he’s “actually excited where we’re at in the run game,” noting he liked what he saw from
Emmett Johnson and
Isaiah Mozee.
***Holgorsen said
Carter Nelson was another player who needed to continue to improve. He said last week was Nelson’s best week of practice yet, so he’s on track.
***Holgorsen said Nebraska’s pass protection issues were on “everything.” That includes the offensive line, quarterback, running backs, receivers, and even his play-calling. He said he made a bad call that led to a sack. “That’s on me.”
***Holgorsen expects more teams to throw pressure at Nebraska’s offense, starting with Maryland. “They’re going to bring ’em… They’re going to pressure, and we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us. I’m excited about that challenge.”
***Holgorsen said receivers
Dane Key and
Nyziah Hunter played their best games yet against Michigan State. Key didn’t have a catch, but he did his job and got open. “Dane blocked his tail off. He played faster and blocked his tail off… The ball’s going to find him.”
Holgorsen also sensed that Hunter was “becoming a real player,” which is why he called the screen pass to him that went for a touchdown.
Defensive coordinator John Butler
***Butler said Maryland quarterback
Malik Washington “looks like he’s very well coached.” He noted that Washington doesn’t take snaps, knows where to go with the ball, and “makes the throws.”
***Butler said Maryland’s passing game was “probably our biggest challenge yet” this season.
***He said the defensive line “created more havoc and made more plays” with its pass rush. They won one-on-one blocks and knew where to attack MSU’s line.
***Butler said
Dawson Merritt got the start on Saturday because he plays hard, finds the football, and learns quickly from his mistakes. He compared Merritt to what NU saw with Vincent Shavers last year as a true freshman.
***On
Rex Guthrie, like
Donovan Jones, started to show “life” late last season and really took off over the offseason. He’s bigger, faster, and more confident now, and his play has improved by the day.
***Butler said
DeShon Singleton’s breakout game was a result of putting himself in position to make plays. “He did the work to put himself in position,” and he also played “his most physical game” of the season.
***Butler said his relationship with
Ceyair Wright, despite being from opposite ends of the country, has grown through the mutual love of football. Wright wants to be coached hard, and Butler wants to push him to be great. He said, “There’s a level of trust there, and now they have an open line of communication where Wright can offer advice and Butler will listen.
***Butler said going on the road for the first time would be “a great challenge for us.” He went to high school near College Park, but “this is a business trip.” He said road games “really test the mettle of your defense,” and he was eager to see how his group responds.
***Butler said
Elijah Juedy was another example of a veteran guy sticking with it and putting himself in positions to make plays. He said Jeudy makes plays like his sack vs. MSU and near-sack vs. Michigan “all the time” in practice. “He has that ability.”
Defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri
***
Williams Nwaneri said Nebraska’s pass rush clicked vs. MSU after “really focusing” on it over the previous two weeks. That emphasis paid off in the game, and now the challenge was to “keep it going” for the rest of the season.
***Nwaneri said he could sense Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles start to get rattled “after the first drive,” and they kept “getting to him” more and more as the game went on.
***Nwaneri said Washington was a big and athletic quarterback, similar to some NU has seen this season. Like Chiles, they must “affect him” early and set the tone with their pass rush.
***Nwaneri said the Huskers were excited to “go to somebody else’s place and take it over… We’re up for the challenge.”
***On Rhule’s message of “motor” this spring, Nwaneri said he focuses on that every day in practice to “make it a habit.”
Defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy
***Jeudy said his first sack of the season “felt great. First of many.” He said his family was “really proud” that all his hard work had finally been rewarded.
***Jeudy said Nwaneri had “grown a lot” since his arrival, especially with how well he “takes his coaching to the field.”
***Jeudy expected a lot of family members at the game on Saturday. He said College Park was just a couple of hours’ drive from his hometown of Philadelphia.
***Jeudy felt the defense played “more violent” and “caused havoc” vs. Michigan State. He said that would be their “theme” for the rest of the season.