(BAND MUSIC) >> THE HUSKERS ARE WELL-RESTED AND HEADING TO HAPPY VALLEY.

TRY TO GET TO EIGHT WINS.

WE PREVIEW THE GAME AND CHAT ABOUT THE SEASON THUS FAR, AND WE TALK WOMEN'S TACKLE FOOTBALL TONIGHT ON BIG RED WRAP-UP.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) >> HI EVERYONE, I'M MIKE'L SEVERE AND WELCOME TO BIG RED WRAP-UP ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

THE HUSKERS ARE TRYING TO GET ITS HIGHEST WIN TOTAL SINCE 2016 AT PENN STATE THIS WEEK.

AND WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINION.

YOU CAN CONNECT WITH US, OF COURSE, ON THE FACEBOOK.

LATER OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AS WELL.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOWL GAME.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE HUSKERS IN.

THIS IS THE SIDELINE SURVEY FROM LAST WEEK.

CITRUS BOWL 42%.

THE HIGHEST ONE ON ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

AND THEN OF COURSE 22% TIED FOR TAMPA AND NASHVILLE.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION HOW MANY TEAMS DO YOU THINK THE BIG TEN WILL GET IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF?

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR OR FIVE?

20% SAYS TWO, 45% SAY THREE.

AND OF COURSE, WE CAN ALWAYS HOPE THAT MICHIGAN BEATS OHIO STATE.

AND MAYBE THEY GET FOUR.

CHAT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH NEBRASKA RIGHT NOW FROM HUSKER DAMON BENNING AND OF COURSE, SEAN CALLAHAN.

MICHIGAN DOES CONTROL THEIR FATE STILL.

AND IF THEY COULD WIN FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW OVER OHIO STATE, THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE CRAZY.

>> YEAH, I'D ACTUALLY BE IDEAL.

JUST BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A IT'S NOT TOO FAR FETCHED OF A WORLD WHERE I THINK NOTRE DAME AND MIAMI COULD BOTH GET IN, AND THEN YOU GET TO G5.

>> YEP.

>> AND THEN GO 4-4, AND THEN IT GETS INTERESTING WITH OR AT FOUR FROM THE BIG TEN.

THEN IT GETS INTERESTING WITH CAN TWO GET IN FROM THE BIG 12, WHICH REALLY SQUEEZES THE SEC.

WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT I'M AFTER.

>> OF COURSE ON THE OTHER SIDE USC GETS UPSET OVER OREGON.

OHIO STATE STILL BEATS MICHIGAN.

USC LOSES.

IT COULD BE TWO AS EASY, RIGHT?

I MEAN IT COULD GO BACK AND FORTH PRETTY EASILY.

>> DO YOU LOOK AT SEC OREGON AS AN ELIMINATION GAME FOR OREGON?

>> YES.

YES.

I DO.

>> THEIR RESUME IS SHAKY.

>> YEAH.

THE WAY THEY HAVE THEM.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT.

IT'S BECAUSE RIGHT NOW.

>> BECAUSE THEIR BIG WIN AGAINST PENN STATE OF COURSE IS NO LONGER.

>> THEY HAVE WASHINGTON AFTER US.

>> YES.

EXACTLY.

SO YEAH IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.

THOUGHTS SO FAR ON THE SEASON AND AND HOW AS A FORMER PLAYER DO YOU TREAT THE BYE WEEK.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT PART OF THE BYE WEEK FOR YOU GUYS.

>> SO I THINK IT'S IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THEY'RE COMING OFF THE WIN AGAINST UCLA FOR THE BYE WEEK BECAUSE IT IT CHANGES YOUR PREPARATION TO SOME DEGREE.

I THINK YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE YOUR OWN BENCHMARK.

BUT REALISTICALLY YOU GET A LITTLE MORE PEP IN YOUR STEP BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE EXTRA TWO DAYS OF PREP.

YOU TREAT THE REAL REST DAY AS AN ACTIVE REST DAY BECAUSE, YOU WANT TO STAY BUSY AND KEEP THE MOMENTUM.

YOUR MOOD IS DIFFERENT, SO I THINK YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS KICKS IN ABOUT TO STAY AGGRESSIVE.

SO YOU ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF REST AND RECOVERY.

THAT'S NUMBER ONE.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT WHEN YOU START TO IMPLEMENT THAT GAME PLAN EARLY AND YOU GET THE IPAD AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR INSTALL AND YOU'RE LOCKED AND LOADED AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE AND YOU'RE GOING TO A TOUGH PLACE.

AND PROBABLY YOUR FIRST TRUE ROAD GAME.

I THINK YOU WANT TO ALWAYS WANT TO BE ON ATTACK MODE WITH THE BALL.

>> SO THERE'S A BYE WEEK IN BETWEEN, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE SAW THIS EARLIER IN THE SEASON.

THEY BEAT MARYLAND AND THEY HAD TO GO TO MINNESOTA.

YOU'RE FEEL ABOUT ADJUSTING TO WHATEVER DIDN'T GO QUITE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

>> YEAH I THINK THIS IS DIFFERENT.

FOR NEBRASKA JUST HAVING THE WEEK OFF TO GET READY FOR THIS TRIP.

I MEAN THAT BACK AND YOU BROUGHT THE POINT OUT THE STAT OF NOT WINNING THE BACK TO BACK WEEKS ON THE ROAD, HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO.

I THINK THE MOMENTUM OF A, GETTING THE WIN AND HAVING THE WEEK OFF TO KIND OF RECOVER, LOOK AT THINGS CLOSER, WATCH PENN STATE, PLAY, BUT PENN STATE WAS AT HOME.

I MEAN, OUR PENN STATE WAS ON THE ROAD LAST WEEK, SO, I JUST THINK THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION THAT MARYLAND.

MINNESOTA WAS A UNIQUE STRETCH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORTENED WEEK OUT AT MINNEAPOLIS.

>> YEP.

>> NOW NEBRASKA'S GOING TO SEE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF THAT WITH THE SHORT WEEK AT HOME WITH A VERY PHYSICAL IOWA TEAM THAT'S GOING TO COME TO LINCOLN ON BLACK FRIDAY.

>> HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE BYE WEEK FOR EMMETT JOHNSON?

WE TALKED SO MUCH EARLY ABOUT HOW MANY CARRIES HE WAS GETTING THE LAST FOUR WEEKS.

OBVIOUSLY HE'S BEEN RUNNING THE BALL A LOT.

HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR HIM?

>> WELL, I IT WAS IMPORTANT, RIGHT.

BUT FOR E.J.

HE DOESN'T TAKE TIME OFF.

RIGHT.

EVEN WHEN HE COULD HE COULD CUT REPS DOWN OR MAYBE GET LIGHT WORK.

HE'S CONSTANTLY GETTING REPS.

HE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS.

IT'S A RHYTHM AND FIELD GUY.

>> YEAH.

>> SO HE LIKES TO STAY BUSY.

HE EATS THE RIGHT WAY.

HE TAKES GOOD CARE OF HIS BODY.

AND SO FOR HIM, MAN, YOU ALMOST WANT TO STAY IN A RHYTHM.

BUT HE'S SMART.

HE'S PLAYED THE LONG GAME WITH HIS BODY AND HE DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF GOOD SHOTS IN TERMS OF DIRECT.

SO I THINK HE ENJOYS THE TIME OFF.

HE GOT A CHANCE TO CAMPAIGN A LITTLE BIT.

NOW LET'S SEE IF HE CAN PUT IT TOGETHER IN A GOOD PERFORMANCE.

>> DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF BIG SHOTS.

RANDOM NAME, BUT PIERRE THOMAS.

>> THAT'S WHO HE IS.

>> OH THE TIPTOE.

>> ALWAYS TURNED HIS SHOULDERS JUST PERFECTLY.

YEAH I RARELY EVER TAKE A BIG SHOT.

WHAT ABOUT IN TERMS OF, AND DAMON WAS MENTIONING RHYTHM GETTING T.J.

LATEEF ANOTHER WEEK RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE OFFENSE, GET UNDER CONTROL, UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDS TO DO BEFORE GOING ON A ROAD IN THIS TOUGH TRIP.

>> YEAH, THEY GAVE HIM A REALLY SIMPLE MENU AT UCLA JUST THE WAY THEY USED HIM, THE WAY HE HAD CONFIDENCE IN WHAT HE WAS DOING.

NOW THAT'S ALL OUT ON FILM.

AND NOW JIM KNOWLES HAS HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THAT.

SO I THINK HOW DO YOU PIVOT OFF OF WHAT HE DID AT UCLA?

FIND SOME MORE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, GET HURT AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, PENN STATE HAS STRUGGLED, WHICH EVERYBODY STRUGGLES UP IN A WAY WITH MOBILE QUARTERBACKS.

SO HOW CAN YOU UTILIZE THAT MOBILITY THIS WEEK.

TO GET THIS VERY AGGRESSIVE PENN STATE DEFENSE OFF BALANCE.

YOU KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BRING NUMBERS AT LATEEF TO SEE HOW HE HANDLES IT.

JIM KNOWLES DID SOMETHING SIMILAR LAST YEAR TO DYLAN RAIOLA IN COLUMBUS WHEN HE WAS AT OHIO STATE.

AND YOU HAVE TO THINK HE'S GOING TO HAVE A SIMILAR AGGRESSIVE GAME PLAN, TO GET AFTER LATEEF.

>> NOT DISAGREE WITH SEAN AT ALL.

I SAW PLAYS THAT HE HADN'T RUN BEFORE.

SO THEY ADDED SOME THINGS, RIGHT?

>> I'M IN AGREEMENT.

I'M ON THIS.

>> THEY ADDED STUFF.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT IT LOOKED SIMPLE BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING AGAINST UCLA AND BECAUSE HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN RHYTHM.

BUT THEY ADDED STUFF THAT PLAY WE JUST SAW.

I DIDN'T SEE THAT PLAY ALL SEASON.

>> AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RUNNING THE DUO THE PLAY ACTION OFF DUO, PUTTING HIM IN UNDERNEATH CENTER A LITTLE BIT MORE AND PUTTING E.J.

DIRECTLY BEHIND THE RUNNING BACK.

IT WAS SUBTLE, BUT IT WAS IT WAS DIFFERENT.

AND I THINK THE THING THAT WE LEARNED ABOUT T.J.

HE'S BRIGHT.

HIS FOOTBALL ACUMEN IS AT A HIGH, HIGH LEVEL AND HE PREPARES LIKE A PRO.

SO, THEY'LL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON IT AND HIS CONFIDENCE WILL GROW TOO.

BUT TO TO AGREE WITH SEAN, THE PRESSURE PACKAGE WILL PROBABLY LOOK A LOT MORE LIKE THE LAST FEW SERIES AGAINST INDIANA.

>> YEAH.

>> THAN IT WILL WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST LANSING.

BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU'RE PENN STATE, I GET IT.

YOU KNOW, THE COACH EFFECT BUMP AND MAYBE YOU SETTLE IN AND NO OLIVER VS OLIVE.

BUT I MEAN, IF WE'RE HONEST FIU, PENN STATE LOOKED A LOT LIKE MICHIGAN STATE PENN STATE.

>> YEAH.

>> THAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON WITH A HEALTHY QUARTERBACK AND A FULL TEAM.

IT STILL IS THE SAME PENN STATE TEAM.

IT LOOKED A LOT LIKE WHAT WE SAW AT EAST LANSING LAST WEEK.

>> WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO A GUY WHO COVERS PENN STATE A LITTLE BIT LATER.

BUT WHAT I'VE NOTICED WATCHING IN THE LAST FOUR WEEKS IS THEIR PRESSURE PACKAGES HAVE CHANGED.

THERE ARE TWO BEST GUYS COMBINED FOR SIX OF THEIR EIGHT SACKS IN THE LAST FOUR GAMES.

THEY'VE BEEN GETTING AFTER IT MORE.

THAT'S SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE TO GET READY FOR.

>> YEAH, I THINK THEY JUST HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE AS THE MATCHUPS HAVE CHANGED.

I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WHEN THE SCHEDULE IS HARDER, THEY PLAY TO THE PRESSURE THE OREGON GAME.

THEY JUST DIDN'T REALLY PLAY TO WIN THAT GAME.

WHEN YOU GO BACK AND WATCH IT, THEY WERE SO CONSERVATIVE AT TIMES WITH WHAT THEY DID.

>> THAT WAS A JAMES FRANKLIN GAME.

>> EXACT.

>> YEAH.

BEEN WATCHING THAT FOR TEN YEARS.

AND YOU JUST THINK ABOUT HOW FAR THINGS HAVE COME.

JAMES FRANKLIN IS NOW THE HEAD COACH OF VIRGINIA TECH.

AND THAT OREGON GAME WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.

SO I THINK NOW THERE'S THIS NOTHING TO LOSE MENTALITY.

THEY'RE HEAVY FAVORITES BY ALMOST TEN POINTS THIS WEEK.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE HEAVY FAVORITES AGAINST RUTGERS.

GET TO SIX WINS.

GET TO MAYBE NEW YORK FOR THE PINSTRIPE BOWL.

I MEAN THAT'S KIND OF WHAT PENN STATE'S PLAYING FOR RIGHT NOW.

THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO PLAY FOR OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THEIR SEASON AND HOPEFULLY GETTING A BOWL TRIP.

>> THE BACK END OF THAT OR THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN IS WITH THAT FRONT 5 OR 6 MAN PRESSURES.

THEY'VE THEY'VE BEEN VULNERABLE TO SOME BIG PLAYS.

AND WHAT'S HAPPENED IS TEAMS HAVE THROWN THE BALL OVER THEIR HEAD A LITTLE BIT.

SO THEY'LL HAVE TO SHORE THAT UP A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I DO THINK T.J.

CAN SPIN IT AT A GOOD ENOUGH LEVEL WITH THOSE GUYS OUTSIDE, WHERE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RUNNING AFTER THE CATCH.

YOU SEND PLUS TWO PRESSURES YOU BETTER TACKLE ON THE BACK END AND IT'S LEFT THEM A LITTLE BIT VULNERABLE.

>> AND ALSO PRETTY MUCH EVERY QUARTERBACK THEY'VE GONE AGAINST WAS MOBILE, HAS HAD A BIG NUMBERS.

NIKO OBVIOUSLY HAD A HUGE GAME AGAINST THEM.

EVEN MENDOZA HAD TWO RUNS FOUR FIRST DOWNS, HAD A TOUCHDOWN RUN.

>> HE SAVED THEIR BACON ON A COUPLE OF THOSE SCRAMBLE EXTENDING FIRST DOWN DRIVES.

>> YEAH.

SO I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF SOME OF THOSE RUN PLAYS FOR THE TEAM WERE PUT INTO IT.

TO GO AGAINST WHAT WE'VE SEEN ALREADY IS A PROBLEM FOR.

>> YEAH.

SET THE TONE EARLY WITH HIS LEGS AND KIND OF GET THEM OFF BALANCE BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT QUARTERBACK THAN DYLAN RAIOLA.

>> YEAH.

>> YOU KNOW SO THE FILM THAT THEY WERE PREPARING ON NEBRASKA THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW I MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH TO STUDY.

BUT WE KNOW LATEEF'S ATHLETIC ABILITY CAN REALLY GET YOU OFF BALANCE.

WE SAW WITH UCLA OPENING PLAY OF THE GAME WHAT THEY DID.

AND THAT REALLY SET THE TONE.

I FELT LIKE FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT, WITH HIS MOBILITY, THAT THEY HAD TO DEFEND NEBRASKA DIFFERENTLY THAN MAYBE PREVIOUSLY WITH DYLAN RAIOLA.

>> YEAH, IT'S AN OLD WIVES' TALE, BUT NOBODY TALKS ABOUT THE SOUP AS LONG AS IT'S HOT.

NOBODY TALKED ABOUT THE OFFENSIVE LINE LAST WEEK.

>> YEAH.

>> I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING MUCH OFFENSIVE LINE TALK ON MONDAY.

TUESDAY AFTER THAT GAME.

>> IT'S JUST INTERESTING HOW I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M THE SAME IT'S THE SAME OFFENSIVE LINE THAT'S GOT A GUY MENTIONED IN THE HEISMAN.

HE'S A MAXWELL FINALIST.

YOU'VE RAN THE BALL.

WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE PLAYED NINE DIFFERENT OFFENSIVE LINEMEN.

WHO KNOWS HOW MANY DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS YOU'RE DOWN.

TWO OF YOUR TOP THREE TACKLES.

YOU HAD A GUY FLIPPED POSITIONS, AND YOU CAN'T LOOK ME IN.

YOU CAN'T LOOK ME IN THE EYE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE AND TELL ME PRITCHETT IS NOT A BETTER PLAYER TODAY THAN WHEN THEY GOT HIM.

SO WHY ARE THEY A PERFECT UNIT?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

WERE THEY LEAKY ON THE EDGES A COUPLE OF GAMES?

100%, BUT I'M NOT YET READY TO HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION.

WHEN WE LOOK AT IT IN ITS TOTALITY, WITH CONTEXT ONLY.

THEY'VE GIVEN UP 24 SACKS IN BIG TEN PLAY, BUT ONLY TWO OVER THE LAST THREE GAMES.

SO OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING HAS GOTTEN BETTER.

>> YEAH, SINCE THAT MINNESOTA NINE SACK GAME.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED AND IT STARTS WITH GETTING THE BALL OUT OF THE QUARTERBACK'S HAND.

I MEAN, YOU'RE YOU'RE JUST NOT SEEING THE QUARTERBACK HOLD THE BALL FOR FOUR PLUS SECONDS.

AND WE SAW AT TIMES WHETHER IT WAS PROTECTION ISSUES, RECEIVERS NOT GETTING OPEN OR JUST THE QB HOLDING THE BALL TOO LONG, THE BALL WAS IN THE QUARTERBACK'S HANDS WAY TOO LONG AND LED TO ISSUES, WITH EVERYTHING THEY WERE DOING.

I THINK DANA HOLGORSEN HAS DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE BALL OUT OF THE QUARTERBACK'S HAND, NOT ALLOWING WHAT WE SAW AGAINST MICHIGAN, WHAT WE SAW AGAINST MINNESOTA TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> PLUS, THEY'RE RUNNING THE BALL.

>> IT'S INTERESTING.

IF WE'RE HONEST.

PULL OUT, GO 30,000FT AND BE OBJECTIVE.

WOULD YOU REALLY BE SURPRISED IF TWO OF THE THREE INTERIOR LINEMEN WERE HAD GOT POSTSEASON HONORS?

I MEAN, BETWEEN LUTOVSKY, EVANS, AND SPINDLER, THESE GUYS ARE PLAYING AT A REALLY HIGH LEVEL.

IT'S JUST UNDERAPPRECIATED POSITIONS AND IT'S NOT AS SEXY AS LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF TACKLE.

>> BEFORE WE GET TO DEFENSE REAL QUICK, WE'RE NOT TALKING ENOUGH ABOUT EVANS MOVING TO CENTER AND HOW HE'S PLAYING THE TOUGHEST POSITION ON THE LINE IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, AND HE IS PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL.

>> HE'S FLOURISHED.

HE I MEAN HE'S NOT IT'S NOT JUST THE POSITION CHANGE.

IT'S YOU DON'T EVEN MENTION HIM FOR ANYTHING THAT'S GOING WRONG.

AND WE TAKE FOR GRANTED HIS ATHLETICISM.

WHEN IT GOES RIGHT, IT'S LIKE, OH THAT'S JUST JUSTIN BEING JUSTIN.

AND IT'S LIKE, AGAIN, THE CONVERSATION IN ITS TOTALITY WITH OFFENSIVE LINE DEVELOPMENT.

I GET WHAT'S EASY TO SEE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GIVE UP 18 SACKS IN TWO GAMES BETWEEN MICHIGAN STATE AND MINNESOTA, RIGHT.

IT GETS UGLY IN A HURRY.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT FROM A DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT I'LL LISTEN.

>> YEAH.

DEFENSIVE WISE WE LOOK AT THE BLACKSHIRTS UP 28-7.

THEY GIVE UP THOSE LATE SCORES.

YOUR FEELING ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE TEAM OVER THE LAST EVER SINCE NEBRASKA STARTED RUNNING THE BALL AND GETTING MORE TIME OF POSSESSION.

WHAT YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE DEFENSE.

>> WELL THE PASS DEFENSE HAS BEEN ELITE.

AND I THINK THE USC GAME REALLY SOLIDIFIED THAT.

NOBODY DID WHAT NEBRASKA DID TO MAKAI LEMON.

>> NOBODY.

>> NOBODY.

AND I HAD USC WRITERS SAY THAT TO ME AFTER THE GAME WE'RE LIKE, WELL, WHAT NEBRASKA'S SECONDARY DID TO USC'S RECEIVERS.

THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE ALL YEAR.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'VE STRUGGLED OBVIOUSLY WITH THE MOBILE QUARTERBACKS AND STOPPING THE RUN AT TIMES.

BUT THEY'VE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT NOT GIVING UP THE BIG PLAYS.

I THINK THAT'S THE ONE THING WHEN TEAMS SCORE ON THE DEFENSE, IT'S LONG DRIVES.

IT'S 14, 15, 16 PLAY DRIVES.

SO I THINK THAT IS A POSITIVE THAT, HEY, NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE TO EARN WHAT THEY GET AGAINST THIS BLACKSHIRT DEFENSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN MOMENTS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN EXCELLENT.

THE PASS RUSH WITH JUST FOUR HAS JUST NOT BEEN WHAT YOU NEED IT TO BE, THOUGH, TO BE AN ELITE DEFENSE IN THE BIG TEN ALL AROUND.

>> YEAH.

YOU FOR SOMEBODY TO GO ON LONG DRIVES LIKE THAT.

BETTER CHANCE OF THEM GETTING PENALTIES, TURNING THE BALL OVER AND THAT SORT OF THING.

>> YEAH.

AND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN PARTICULAR WITH THE COUPLE OF LONG DRIVES THAT NEBRASKA HAS GIVEN UP, I THINK THEY HAVE FOUR DRIVES OF 16 PLAYS OR MORE.

ON 75% OF THOSE, THERE'S BEEN A DEFENSIVE PENALTY THAT HAS EXTENDED THOSE DRIVES TOO.

SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXCUSE AND, AN EXPLANATION IS ACCOUNTABILITY.

SO NEBRASKA HAS TO OWN THE FACT THAT THEY NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCIPLINED.

YOU GET A LITTLE HANDS, YOU GET A LITTLE GRABBY, YOU GET PI'S.

THOSE EXTEND DRIVES.

BUT WHEN TEAMS ARE TAKING FOUR DOWNS TO GET TEN YARDS OR YOU GIVE UP A SCRAMBLE, SOME OF THAT YOU'LL, YOU'LL LIVE WITH, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T LOVE IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T THINK IT'S SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG HAUL.

BUT, TO SEAN'S POINT, THEY'RE NOT THROWING IT OVER TO NEBRASKA.

THEY'RE NOT THROWING IT OVER NEBRASKA'S HEAD, AND THEY'RE NOT GIVING UP THE EXPLOSIVES FOR SCORES OVERTIME.

THAT DOG WILL USUALLY HUNT.

>> AND YOU THINK ABOUT I HAVE TO THINK ALL THE WAY BACK TO THAT OHIO STATE GAME.

YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WHEN JEREMIAH SMITH GOT OVER THE TOP ON THE ONE.

BUT I MEAN, YOU JUST DON'T I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF REALLY ANY THAT HAVE BEEN OTHER THAN A PASS INTERFERENCE THAT REALLY BEEN DEEP BALL.

>> YOU THINK ABOUT HOW OPPOSITE THAT DEFENSE WAS.

THAT DEFENSE AT OHIO STATE ALLOWED ONE RUSHING FIRST DOWN, AND IT WAS A QB SNEAK WHERE A FALSE START WASN'T CALLED ON.

WHERE JEREMIAH SMITH OBVIOUSLY DID WHAT HE DOES.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT THIS DEFENSIVE >> HAD A SWITCH RELEASE, THEY TURNED HIM FREE.

>> IT'S NOW THE PASS DEFENSE THAT'S BEEN ELITE OR THE RUN DEFENSE HAS HAD ISSUES MAYBE JUST BEING CONSISTENT.

YOU KNOW, GIVING UP A LOT OF 4 TO 8 YARD TYPE RUNS.

AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO THIRD AND LONG IT'S BEEN THE QB RUNS.

YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SEEN THE THIRD AND EIGHT AND LONGER QB PLAY GET A FIRST DOWN.

AND THAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW A TOUGH BLOW AT TIMES WITH THE DEFENSE.

>> PROBABLY WON'T SEE THAT THIS WEEK WITH PENN STATE'S BACKUP QUARTERBACK.

BUT JUST GETTING MORE PRESSURE.

THEY'VE ONLY GIVEN UP 12 SACKS IN BIG TEN PLAY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT NEBRASKA.

BE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE HAVOC.

>> SO I THINK FOR THEM IT'S THE PRE-SNAP LOOKS RATHER YOU YOU SHOW FIVE.

YOU BACK OUT.

YOU SHOW SIX YOU BACK OUT.

GRUNKEMEYER HAS SEEN SOME THINGS REAL CLEAN.

YET HE'S FLUSHED HIMSELF OUT OF THE POCKET A FEW TIMES TOO.

AND THESE LAST FEW STARTS.

FOR NEBRASKA I THINK THE BIGGEST WAY FOR THEM TO AFFECT THE QUARTERBACK SATURDAY WILL BE PRE-SNAP LOOKS.

THEIR D LINE IS QUIETLY GETTING BETTER.

KEONA DAVIS, NWANERI THOSE GUYS.

VAN POPPEL, IT TRAJECTORY UP.

SO IF YOU'RE NEBRASKA YOU GET MCCULLOUGH BACK.

WHETHER IT'S PLUS ONE PLUS TWO PRESSURE THE EFFECTIVENESS WILL BE ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU SHOW HIM PRE-SNAP.

>> THE ONE THING THAT NEBRASKA WON'T HAVE AS BIG OF AN ADVANTAGE THEY'VE HAD RECENTLY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH NEBRASKA IS NUMBER TWO SPECIAL TEAMS, WAS PENN STATE SIX?

IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY GOOD COVERAGE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MATCHUP, SPECIAL TEAMS WISE?

>> THE PUNT RETURNS IN GENERAL ARE JUST HARDER TO COME BY.

AND SOME OF THESE BIG TEN GAMES.

I MEAN, YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF PUNTS FROM MORE MIDFIELD AREA, WHICH GENERALLY YOUR RETURN GUYS KIND OF JUST CATCH IT OR LET IT GO IN THE ENDZONE MODE AT THAT POINT.

SO I THINK A LOT OF IT IS EARLY IN THE YEAR, YOU GET KIND OF MORE RETURN OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WE SAW.

AND THERE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN THOSE CHANCES.

BUT THE BLOCKED PUNT FACTOR PENN STATE HAS BLOCKED FOUR PUNTS.

NEBRASKA'S OBVIOUSLY GOT THE ONE BIG ONE FOR POINTS AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE I THINK EVERYONE WANTS TO BLOCK PUNTS.

MICHIGAN STATE BECAUSE THEY DID ONE ON PENN STATE LAST WEEK TOO.

SO I LEAN TOWARDS NEBRASKA BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SO SPECIAL IN THAT AREA THIS YEAR WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOTTEN OUT OF THE RETURN GAME, THE KICKING GAME.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF PRESSURE ON ARCHIE WILSON.

IT'LL BE INTERESTING WHAT KIND OF HEAT THEY BRING OUT HIM ON.

>> BARNEY HAS MORE RETURN YARDS THIS YEAR THAN THEY HAD BETWEEN 2021 AND 2024, WHICH IS CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT.

COMING UP A LITTLE LATER ON BIG RED WRAP-UP, WE'LL SHARE YOUR STORY ABOUT WOMEN'S FOOTBALL IN NEBRASKA.

NEXT UP, WE'LL BE JOINED BY FORMER NEBRASKA O LINEMAN BRENT QVALE.

AS WE GO TO BREAK MORE SHOTS FROM HURRDAT SPORTS.

BACK IN TWO.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) >> SO GO PLAY ON NBC NATIONAL TV, YOU KNOW, DO I LOVE GETTING BACK AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING AND PLAYING FRIDAY AT 11?

YEAH.

WELL, WE'LL.

GO DO SOMETHING TOUGH.

YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S IT.

NOW, YOU GUYS KNOW WHY I SAY THINGS LIKE, HEY, LET'S STOP FIGHTING AS A HUSKER NATION, LET'S ALL COME TOGETHER BECAUSE WE GOT BIGGER FISH TO FRY.

SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT FOUR NIGHT GAMES THIS YEAR, FOUR ROAD NIGHT GAMES THIS YEAR.

SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S GONNA GET A CHANCE TO SEE OUR DEFENSE FLY AROUND.

>> WHEN I GET THERE IT'S JUST ANOTHER GAME.

YOU KNOW I'VE COACHED IN A BUNCH OF COOL STADIUMS AND COOL VENUES, BUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK THERE, I'M GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF FAMILY GOING TO THE GAME.

AND, MY SON, THEY'RE FLYING IN FOR THANKSGIVING.

SO IT'LL BE COOL.

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S WE GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE ON THE STAFF TO HAVE, AND I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT, I THINK TJ IS GOING TO BE FIRED UP.

READY TO GO, MAN?

I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COME TO NEBRASKA TO PLAY IN THESE GAMES.

AND SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF GAMES THAT YOU LOOK FORWARD TO.

I WAS JUST TALKING WITH DYLAN OUT THERE AT PRACTICE AND, YOU KNOW, HE IT'S IT'S KILLING HIM.

YOU KNOW, HE'S ONCE AGAIN IN THE MEETINGS TAKING NOTES.

YOU KNOW, GREAT SOUNDING BOARD.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID TO ME OUT THERE WAS, IS, MAN, THIS WAS A GAME THAT I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO.

SO PEOPLE COME HERE TO PLAY AND TYPES OF GAMES LIKE THESE, WE WERE CONCERNED WITH, THE NUMBER OF SNAPS AND THE NUMBER OF TOUCHES EARLY.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH GAME ONE TOO MUCH AND THEN GAME FOUR TOO MUCH.

WELL, IS IT?

BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT IS TO ME?

I MEAN, THE DUDE JUST KEEPS GETTING STRONGER AND WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO TO GET THE BALL TO HIM.

ONE WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, BUT TWO, HE CAN HANDLE THAT, YOU KNOW?

AND SO IT'S PRETTY COOL TO SEE A YOUNG MAN THAT'S WORKED SO HARD.

THAT IS GETTING THE CREDIT THAT HE DESERVES.

YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.

THE NUMBERS ARE AS GOOD AS ANYBODY IN THE COUNTRY.

>> LOVE THAT HOODIE.

LAST WEEK TRIVIA QUESTION EMMETT JOHNSON'S OVER 1000 YARDS THIS SEASON.

THAT'S AN EASY QUESTION?

WHO OWNS THE SINGLE SEASON HUSKER RECORD AND HOW MANY YARDS DID HE RUSH FOR THAT SEASON?

THE ANSWER, OF COURSE.

MIKE ROZIER IN 1983, 2148 ON HIS WAY TO WINNING THE HEISMAN TROPHY.

I WINNERS, JEFF GILBERTSON FROM GRAND ISLAND.

HE WINS A COPY OF OUR OWN, SEAN CALLAHAN'S NEW BOOK ABOUT THE HUSKERS.

THE PROGRAM NEBRASKA CURATED HISTORY OF THE CORNHUSKERS.

THIS WEEK'S WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON NEXT WEEK'S SHOW.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION GOING INTO THE WEEKEND'S GAME IN HAPPY VALLEY, WHERE DO PENN STATE AND NEBRASKA RANK ON THE ALL TIME WINS LIST?

REMEMBER, PENN STATE LOST SOME OF THOSE WINS AFTER THE SANDUSKY SCANDAL?

OUR HUSKER HISTORY FLASHES BACK TO ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL DAYS IN ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY.

IN 2011, THE HUSKERS WERE AT PENN STATE, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1950 WITHOUT JOE PATERNO ON THE SIDELINE.

HE WAS FIRED THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE GAME.

THAT WAS A CRAZY NIGHT.

THE GAME ITSELF WAS CONTROLLED PRETTY MUCH BY NEBRASKA, AND REX BURKHEAD RAN ALL OVER PENN STATE'S DEFENSE FOR 121 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN.

AND ON DEFENSE, LAVONTE DAVID HAD NINE TACKLES AND A HUGE STOP ON FOURTH DOWN AS THE HUSKERS WON 17-14.

JOINING US NOW FORMER HUSKER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN THAT WAS ACTUALLY OUT FOR THAT GAME BRENT QVALE JOINING US HERE ON BIG RED WRAP-UP.

THAT'S THE ONE GAME YOU MISSED THE WHOLE YEAR.

>> THAT WAS, YEAH.

GOT A CONCUSSION THE WEEK BEFORE.

SO I MISSED THAT GAME.

BUT WHAT EVERYONE SAID ABOUT IT WAS JUST THAT IT WAS JUST AN EERIE FEELING.

RIGHT?

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST GAME WITHOUT JOE PATERNO THERE.

IT WAS EERIE.

IT WAS QUIET.

IT WAS JUST KIND OF A SURREAL VENUE AS WHAT I WAS TOLD FROM MISSING THAT GAME.

BUT, I MEAN, WE WENT IN THERE, WE GOT THE WIN.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

>> COACH BROWN GETTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER FOR THE PRAYER.

JUST WATCHING THAT ON TV, MAN, I HAD CHILL BUMPS.

>> OH, YEAH, COACH BROWN, COACH BROWN'S ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS JUST HOW HE CAN BRING A WHOLE GROUP OF GUYS TOGETHER IS SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERY TIME I SEE HIM, IT'S STILL JUST LIKE IT'S LIKE, OH, IT'S COACH BROWN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

LIKE, YOU SEE HIM, YOU GIVE HIM A HUG.

AND IT'S JUST IT'S JUST ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE COACH BROWN LIKE THAT.

>> YOU LOOK FANTASTIC.

SUPER GOOD NATURED.

YOU'RE GIVING ME THESE LOWRY GOLF VIBES WITH THE LITTLE >> HE DOES.

>> MUCH BETTER TEMPERAMENT THAT LOWRY.

SO I'LL GIVE YOU THAT.

BUT I MEAN YOU'RE WATCHING THESE GUYS PLAY AND WE WERE JUST HAVING THE INTERIOR LINEMEN VERSUS THE YOU KNOW, THE TACKLE TALK.

YOUR SWING GUY SUPER YOU KNOW, SUPER VERSATILE.

YOU COULD PLAY A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

WHAT DO WE MISS WHEN WE'RE SO EASILY SO EASY TO CRITIQUE WHAT HAPPENS ON THE EDGES.

AND ALL THE TACKLES DIDN'T DO THIS OR THEY'RE THAT.

WHAT ARE WE MISSING SOMETIMES WHEN WE DUMB IT DOWN THE WAY WE DO.

>> YEAH, I THINK LIKE ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, I THINK THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TACKLES WHO HAVE BEEN IN THERE.

THEY'VE ROTATED.

I THINK WE WERE YOU GUYS WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT HOW MANY DIFFERENT GUYS HAVE PLAYED, AND NOW GUYS ARE KIND OF FINDING THEIR ROLE.

WE'VE HAD SOME SOME INJURIES THIS YEAR.

BUT ON THE TACKLE POSITION, YOU'RE KIND OF EXPECTING LIKE YOU EXPECT THE QUARTERBACK TO BE IN A CERTAIN SPOT, BUT THINGS BREAK DOWN.

AT THE END OF THE DAY.

YOU GOT TO JUST KEEP FIGHTING TO GET THERE.

AND SOMETIMES I THINK GUYS, MAYBE THEY FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE AT THE PLACE THEY NEED TO BE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S LIKE THE PLAY IS BREAKING DOWN.

THINGS ARE, THINGS ARE CHANGING AND EVERY PLAY IS DIFFERENT.

AND THAT'S THE HARDEST PART, RIGHT, IS THAT EVERY SINGLE PLAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

YOU THINK YOU'RE TAKING A GOOD SET, YOU THINK SOMETHING AND SOMETIMES YOU JUST GET PLAIN BEAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE ONE ON ONE ON THE EDGE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A HORRIBLE FEELING TO BEAT ON THAT.

NUMBER ONE, IT'S HORRIBLE TO GET BEAT ON THE EDGE, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, MAYBE THE PLAY, MAYBE THERE WAS A CERTAIN ROUTE THAT WAS CALLED, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO THROW ON THREE STEPS THIS TIME, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, OH, CRAP, YOU DIDN'T THROW IT.

SO HERE I THINK LIKE SOMETIMES YES.

TACKLES DO JUST GET BEAT.

AND IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE PART OF THE GAME.

SOMETIMES IT'S SCHEMATIC.

SOMETIMES YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.

SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE YEAH IT'S QUICK TO JUDGE LIKE MAN THIS GUY JUST GOT BEAT AGAIN.

AND IT'S ANOTHER PART WHERE IT'S LIKE MAYBE THERE WAS A CERTAIN PLAY CALL.

THERE'S A GUY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP AND HE WASN'T.

PLAY BREAKS DOWN AND IT LEADS TO A SACK.

AND IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE PART OF THE GAME, ESPECIALLY PLAYING TACKLE ON THE O LINE.

>> I'M CURIOUS YOUR THOUGHTS ON ELIJAH PRITCHETT.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU WERE HERE, YOU HAD A UNIQUE TACKLE BATTLE YOURSELF.

YOU BEAT OUT TYLER MOORE, WHO WAS A HIGHLY TOUTED STARTER AND ENDED UP YOU END UP WINNING THE JOB.

AND YOU KNOW, PRITCHETT COMES IN AS THIS HIGHLY TOUTED TRANSFER DOESN'T INITIALLY WIN THE JOB BUT HAS GOT BACK IN THERE WITH OPPORTUNITY.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HIS UPSIDE AND HIS POTENTIAL IF HE PLAYS TO HIS LEVEL?

>> YEAH, LIKE YOU SAID, I THINK OVER THESE LAST FEW GAMES HE'S REALLY SETTLED IN.

IS BEING THE LEFT TACKLE NOW.

YEAH.

IT'S TOUGH.

IT'S TOUGH TOO, YOU KNOW, YOU COME OUT, YOU COME OUT THINKING YOU'RE THE GUY.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT WAS THE CASE.

I DON'T I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS IN THE LOCKER ROOM IN THE, IN THE MEETINGS AND EVERYTHING.

BUT YOU COME OUT, YOU'RE TRANSFERRING IN AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE GUY AND YOU DON'T WIN IT RIGHT AWAY.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

IT SEEMS LIKE FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE LOOKING IN IT SEEMS LIKE HE JUST KEPT BATTLING.

AND NOW NOW HE'S SETTLED IN AND HE'S DONE.

HE'S DONE SOME GOOD THINGS.

YOU CAN TELL THAT PRITCHETT IS VERY ATHLETIC.

HE'S MOVING REALLY WELL.

SO I HOPE HE CAN JUST CONTINUE TO SETTLE IN THESE LAST TWO REGULAR SEASON GAMES.

YOU KNOW, HE GOT A BOWL GAME COMING UP TOO.

SO IT'S LIKE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THESE LAST FEW REGULAR SEASON.

BOWL PREP WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A MINI TRAINING CAMP.

AGAIN, FOR THESE GUYS TO GET EVEN MORE REPS AND THEN WHATEVER, WHEREVER THE BOWL GAME IS, YOU KNOW, SO THESE LAST, LAST MONTH OF THE SEASON OR SO REALLY JUST HONE IN AND GET READY TO FINISH THE SEASON STRONG.

NOW YOU BUILD THAT OFF INTO THE OFF-SEASON.

>> I TRY TO PREACH TO PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE FOOTBALL, HOW MUCH YOU WATCH IT, YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE, RIGHT?

YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHERE THAT GUY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE?

UNLESS YOU'RE IN THE MEETING ROOM, UNLESS YOU'RE WATCHING TAPE.

HOW HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR THE AVERAGE FOOTBALL FAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING?

PLAY TO PLAY ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE.

>> THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT IS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES IT'LL BE A DM JUST RUNNING FREE AND HE'S AND HE KILLS THE QUARTERBACK, RIGHT?

LIKE WHAT IS THIS TACKLE DOING?

WELL, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.

LIKE THE PRESSURE LOOKS RIGHT.

SO ARE YOU.

ARE YOU HOT IS THE RUNNING BACK OUT ON A ROUTE IS THE TIGHT END IN ON THAT PLAY.

AND THEN THEY CAN'T YOU CAN CANCEL THAT OUT.

SO NOW YOU'RE STILL YOU'RE STILL SLIDING DOWN.

SOMETIMES THE QUARTERBACK WILL LEAVE AN AUDIBLE AND DO A FULL LINE SLIDE ONE WAY.

AND THE BALL IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT.

WELL THAT GUY'S COVERED.

AND THEN YOU'RE IN THE BACK.

AND THEN IT'S LIKE WHAT IN THE TACKLE BLOCKING?

WELL THE TACKLE IS TOLD TYPICALLY IT'S THE QUARTERBACK'S MAKING THE THE QUARTERBACK'S NUMBER ONE ALWAYS QUARTERBACK'S MAKING THE CALL.

THEN THE CENTER'S ECHOING IT.

SOME TEAMS DO A DIFFERENT SOME TEAMS DO IT WHERE THE CENTER IS IS MAKING EVERY CALL, EVEN FOR THE QUARTERBACK, ESPECIALLY THE OLDER CENTER, YOUNGER QUARTERBACK, SOMETIMES THE CENTER.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST SOMETIMES WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE WHY DID NO ONE BLOCK HIM?

WELL, THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THE READ OF THE PLAY, THE PLAY TAKING 2 TO 3 SECONDS.

IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, SOMEONE'S GETTING KILLED.

AND YEAH, YOU'RE LOOKING BAD.

BUT THEN IN THE MEETING ROOM, YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE, WELL, NOW MAYBE THAT WAS ON HIM THIS TIME.

MAYBE HE'S ON THIS.

WE GOT TO FIX THIS.

AND THAT'S ONCE AGAIN ON, I'M TRYING.

SO ON SUNDAYS NOW PLAYING SATURDAYS ON SUNDAYS, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET IN THE MEETING ROOM AND YOU, YOU DISSECT.

>> RUN IT OVER AND OVER.

>> YEAH.

RUNNING BACK.

>> ONE RIGHT HERE.

>> THE CLICKER JUST GOES BACK AND FORTH.

YEAH.

SITS THERE AND GOES BACK.

BUT YEAH, THERE'S SO MUCH THERE'S SO MANY YOU KNOW THE COMPLEXITY OF IT.

LIKE EVEN I'M LIKE WHY DID, WHY WAS THAT A FIVE YARD PASS.

BUT THE AMOUNT OF CALLS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN OR THE AMOUNT OF AUDIBLES THAT HAD TO HAPPEN.

TO GET A FIVE YARD PASS, EVERYONE'S HAPPY.

COACH WAS LIKE, THAT WAS GREAT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THE DEFENSE IS GOING TO DO.

YOU CAN READ IT, YOU MAKE YOUR ADJUSTMENTS AND YOU GO, AND YOU GOT 40 SECONDS.

PLAY GETS CALLED, NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO 20 SECONDS.

YOU GOTTA MAKE YOUR CALLS, MAKE YOUR AUDIBLES AND GO.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT TO DO.

YOU GOT TO EVERYONE'S GOT TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

EVERYONE'S GOT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

YOU SAY SET HUT!

AND YOU KNOW YOU.

YOU LET IT HAPPEN.

>> I GET WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY TEN YEARS, BUT THE GAME HAS CHANGED A TON, RIGHT?

THE SCREEN GAME, THE SLOT RECEIVERS GETTING THE BALL OUT QUICK.

YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD ATHLETE, RIGHT?

YOU LOOK LIKE A HOOPER.

I KNOW THAT'S YOUR BROTHER.

YOU CAN GOLF REALLY GOOD ATHLETE WHEN YOU PLAYED OFFENSIVE LINE WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PLAY OFFENSIVE LINE.

WE JOKE, THE FLOZELL ADAMS, THE ORLANDO ACES THOSE GUYS WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME.

IN MY OPINION, HARD TIME PLAYING NOW WITH THE WAY THE GAME IS MOVING.

WHAT'S AN IDEAL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN NOW LOOK LIKE WHEN ALL THESE GUYS ARE SO INTERESTED IN MEASURABLES?

>> YEAH, I THINK.

>> DOES IT LOOK LIKE PRITCHETT?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN.

>> WITH THOSE LONG ARMS DOWN TO HIS KNEES.

>> YEAH.

LONG ARMS >> MR.

BASKETBALL, BY THE WAY.

HE WAS MR.

BASKETBALL.

>> THE WHOLE FAMILY.

>> YOU KNOW LONG ARMS.

I THINK THE GUYS WHO REALLY SEEM TO BE DOING THE BEST ARE GUYS WHO IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE THE LIKE THE 230, 240.

>> AND YOU GROW INTO IT.

>> AND YOU GROW INTO IT AND IT TAKES TIME.

IN TODAY'S COLLEGE WORLD, THERE'S NO TIME ANYMORE.

YOU'RE GETTING PAID.

YOU'RE GETTING YOU'RE GETTING A BONUS TO COME, COME IN AND PLAY.

YOU'RE GETTING ALL THIS STUFF.

SO WE'RE NOW GUYS NOW YOU SEE LIKE I JUST COME ACROSS THESE RECRUITS ARE SIX FOOT SIX, 330 IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I'M LIKE, THAT'S >> WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

>> YOU'RE ALMOST GOING TO HAVE TO COME DOWN RIGHT.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

BECAUSE THE SPEED IS SO LIKE, YOU SAID, THE SCREEN GAME, THE BEING ABLE TO YOU GOT TO RUN LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE.

THERE'S NO THERE'S LESS AND LESS LIKE LINE UP ON THE BALL.

FULLBACK OUTSIDE ZONE.

TRY TO THERE'S STILL LIKE THE MASHING AND MAULING OF GUYS.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S SO MANY CHECKS TO THESE SCREENS YOU BETTER BE ABLE TO RUN.

YOU BETTER BE ABLE TO MOVE IN SPACE.

CUT.

YOU GOTTA BLOCK A 200 POUND DEFENSIVE BACK WHO'S PROBABLY DIVING AT YOUR KNEES ANYWAY.

SO YOU GOT TO DO ALL OF THAT, >> AT LEAST TO CLEAN THE RULES.

>> YEAH, IT IS.

>> WHERE THEY CAN'T CUT IT.

>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

>> BRENT, WHEN YOU WERE AT NEBRASKA, YOU GUYS DEALT WITH SOME QUARTERBACK INJURY STUFF WHERE YOU HAD TO PLAY A LOT OF DIFFERENT GUYS.

RON KELLOGG HAD TO COME IN AND PLAY.

OBVIOUSLY, TOMMY ARMSTRONG.

I FORGET IF YOU WERE ON THE TEAM WITH ZACH LEE THAT YEAR WHERE CODY GREEN, I MEAN, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

>> YEAH.

>> HOW DO YOU THINK NEBRASKA MANAGED IT THIS PAST WEEK WITH T.J.

LATEEF, AND HOW HARD IS THAT TO GET A YOUNG QUARTERBACK READY?

>> YEAH, I THINK THEY I THINK LATEEF CAME IN I FROM JUST YOU KNOW ONCE AGAIN WATCHING ON TV IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE A SIMPLER GAME PLAN A LOT MORE RUNNING.

JUST LETTING HIM GET OUT IN SPACE, USE HIS ATHLETICISM TO MAKE THESE PLAYS.

AND HE DID A GREAT JOB.

THERE'S NO I MEAN HE CAME IN WITH HIS FIRST YOU KNOW HIS FIRST START.

HE CAME OUT HE WHERE YOU HAD LIKE TWO INCOMPLETIONS ALL GAME.

SO I'M LIKE THAT TO WHERE LIKE I MEAN IT'S FANTAS... YOU AND THAT'S LIKE A OC LIKE HOLGORSEN WHO'S BEEN IN THE GAME FOREVER.

HE CAN MAKE A GAME PLAN TO WHERE YOU KNOW HE'S LETTING THESE GUYS PLAY UP TO THEIR ABILITIES.

AND YOU SAW LAST WEEK AT UCLA.

>> DO YOU FEEL DO YOU LIKE HAVING THAT MOBILE QUARTERBACK BEHIND YOU.

OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE THE GUY STANDING IN ONE SPOT.

>> THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?

IT'S TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS.

IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW MORE OF A POCKET PASSERS BACK THERE, RIGHT, YOU'RE GETTING TO YOUR DEPTH.

YOU'RE SETTING, YOU'RE KEEPING THE WIDTH OF THE POCKET RIGHT, THE FRONT, THE INTERIOR THREE'S YOUR DEPTH.

THE TACKLES ARE YOUR WIDTH.

THAT'S YOUR WE CALL IT THE DISH.

RIGHT.

LIKE YOU MAKE A DISH LIKE THAT.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE A MOBILE GUY, THAT DISH DOESN'T REALLY.

THEY GET YOU OUT OF A LOT OF STUFF, BUT SOMETIMES THEY GIVE YOU A RUNNING AND A GUY BREAKS OFF.

THEN YOU'RE, WHERE YOU GOING?

YOU'RE HOLDING RIGHT THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO.

BUT THEY ALSO GET YOU OUT OF A LOT OF SPOTS TOO.

IF YOU, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU GET BEAT OR SOMETHING OR YOU LET A GUY RUN THE EDGE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY A MOBILE QUARTERBACK CAN GET AROUND.

LIKE WHEN I WAS PLAYING LIKE TAYLOR MARTINEZ.

HE COULD, RIGHT?

HE COULD MAKE A LOT OF GUYS MISS AND MAKE YOU LOOK REALLY GOOD, EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE NOT HAD THE BEST BLOCK.

>> ARE YOU A CHECK WITH ME GUY?

SOME LINEMEN ARE DIFFERENT, RIGHT?

IT'S GONE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT VERSUS RUN TO PAST.

NOW.

RIGHT, LEFT.

CHECK WITH MAYS OR A PASS, RIGHT?

LIKE.

IT'S HARD TO SETTLE IN.

DO YOU LIKE FREEDOM OR WOULD YOU LIKE IT A LITTLE MORE?

>> YEAH.

IT DEPENDS.

LIKE WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE.

WE ALWAYS HAVE PROBABLY TWO PLAYS CALLED ANYWAY, SO YOU COULD GO, LIKE, YOU'D HAVE ALERTS AND KILLS AND.

RIGHT.

BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, THE GAME PLAN WELL ENOUGH TO WHERE YOU WALK UP THE AS YOU'RE TURNING AROUND, YOU SEE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO START LINING UP.

YOU BETTER KNOW WHICH WAY IT'S GOING.

RIGHT.

LIKE YOU SEE A NOSE GUARD THIS WAY.

WE'RE IN THIS PLAY.

WE WANT TO RUN AT THE NOSE OR THIS PLAY.

WE WANT TO RUN AT THE THREE TACK, THE D TACKLE.

SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE.

THEN THEY SHOW PRESSURE.

YOU GOT TO GET OUT AND GET TO A PASS ANYWAY.

SO IT'S LIKE YOU GOT TO GET THE SCREEN OR SOMETHING.

SO YOU KIND OF JUST KNOW ARE YOU BETTER.

YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT'S COMING.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT DO YOU I LIKE IT, I LIKE BECAUSE YOU GET TO THE BEST PLAY AND THEN YOU GET THE RIGHT.

YOU GET TO GO DO YOUR BEST BLOCKS.

>> I'M CURIOUS.

YOU PLAYED WITH A LOT OF GOOD RUNNING BACKS AT NEBRASKA.

HOW SURPRISED ARE YOU THAT AMEER ABDULLAH IS STILL PLAYING IN THE NFL?

>> OH IT'S FANTASTIC.

OH I MEAN LOOK LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE.

HE'S NOW HE'S PLAYING.

HE'S STILL I THINK YEAR 11 NOW.

>> YEAH.

>> SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO, NO.

SUPER PROUD OF AMEER.

LIKE TO KEEP GOING.

YOU KNOW REX PLAYED FOREVER ROY HAD A GREAT CAREER TILL HE HAD SOME INJURY ISSUES.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE LIKE YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE AND OR YOU KNOW THEY'RE SPECIAL IN COLLEGE.

AND YOU GO SEE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS IN THE NFL.

>> IT'S A HECK >> IT'S REALLY COOL.

IT'S REALLY COOL TO BE THAT I WAS ABLE TO JUST BE A. PART OF THAT.

>> AND BY THE WAY, ROY IS STILL PLAYING WITH THOSE EIGHT KIDS AT HOME, HE'S YEAH, HE'S GOT A LOT GOING.

>> HE'S BUSY.

>> HE'S DEFINITELY BUSY.

>> WE APPRECIATE IT MAN.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

>> APPRECIATE IT.

>> WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'RE GOING TO TALK SOME RECRUITING.

AND SEAN FITZ OVER AT STATE COLLEGE WILL TALK ABOUT THE GAME ON SATURDAY.

BACK AFTER THIS.

(BAND MUSIC) >> WELCOME BACK TO BIG RED WRAP-UP.

LAST FRIDAY NIGHT WAS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS MILLARD SOUTH AT OMAHA, WEST SIDE.

IT WAS ALL ABOUT ALABAMA RECRUIT JETT THOMALLA, MILLARD SOUTH'S QUARTERBACK.

HE THREW FOR OVER 450 YARDS WITH SEVEN TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN THE 62-21 WIN, AND THE PATRIOTS WILL TAKE ON PAPILLION LA VISTA, WHO KNOCKED OFF CREIGHTON PREP ON TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE FINALS AT MEMORIAL STADIUM.

YOU, OF COURSE, CAN SEE THAT GAME ALONG WITH ALL THE FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES RIGHT HERE ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA STARTING AT 10 A.M.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

ALL SIX GAMES BE LIVE FOR YOU, ALONG WITH THE AWARDS AND ALL THE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE THAT COMES AT NEBRASKA STATE FINALS.

HERE WITH US, OF COURSE, JOHN CALLAHAN TO TALK RECRUITING.

LET'S FIRST TALK ABOUT THE D COMMIT EDNA KARR OUT OF NEW ORLEANS.

>> YEAH, LEON NOIL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN HAD BEEN COMMITTED FOR A WHILE TO NEBRASKA OVER THE SUMMER.

HAD BEEN FLIRTING THOUGH WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE.

HAD VISITED MISSISSIPPI STATE IN JUNE.

WENT BACK THERE FOR THE TRIP IN NOVEMBER.

OFFICIALLY PARTED WAYS.

AND LOOK, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT FOR ANYONE THAT COVERS HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING NOW WILL TELL YOU IT'S SO MUCH DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, EVEN MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, JUST WITH HOW TEAMS ARE MANAGING COMMITS AND SPOTS AND THE MONEY AND EVERYTHING ELSE INVOLVED.

SO I DON'T GET THE SENSE THAT NEBRASKA IS TO BEAT UP ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN GET THIS FIGURED OUT NOW.

>> LOUISIANA KIDS LIKE TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME.

I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THAT'S THE REASON.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT COACH RHULE HAD TO DO TO IN THE BYE WEEK.

>> YEAH.

COACH RHULE, WENT OUT ON THE ROAD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.

HE WAS IN FLORIDA.

HE WAS IN GEORGIA.

GOT OUT SAW SOME OF THE RECEIVER COMMITS.

WAS AT DAYTON RAILOA'S GAME AS WELL IN GEORGIA.

SO THEY DID GET OUT THERE AND SEE A FEW THINGS.

OVER THE BYE WEEKEND FOR NEBRASKA.

SO THAT WAS GOOD.

AND THOSE WILL BE THE FINAL DAYS THAT NEBRASKA WILL BE OUT ON THE ROAD UNTIL JANUARY, I MEAN, SO THE THE DEAD PERIOD.

WILL HE BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT?

SIGNING DAY IS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN DECEMBER.

>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

AND THEN KEIAN KAISER FROM SIDNEY.

>> YEAH.

LOOKING AT OUR IN-STATE SPOTLIGHT TONIGHT WE'VE GOT KEIAN KAISER AN IOWA STATE COMMIT.

>> I NEVER WOULD HAVE SPELLED THAT CORRECTLY.

>> AND HE PLAY THEY PLAYED AGAINST COLUMBUS LAKEVIEW ON THE ROAD.

>> YEAH.

>> UNDEFEATED MATCHUP.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE CONSIDER LAKEVIEW THE FAVORITE IN THAT GAME.

WELL SIDNEY WENT IN THERE AND WON.

I WATCHED THAT ENTIRE GAME AND HE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE ON DEFENSE.

MADE SOME BIG PLAYS DOWN THE FIELD.

WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO SEE KEIAN KAISER, THE IOWA STATE COMMIT FROM SIDNEY IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING TO GET TO EVEN A BETTER TEAM THAN WAHOO.

WHO HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE RANKED TEAM ALL YEAR IN CLASS C1?

>> YEAH, THEY WERE ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE STATE AS WELL.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN STANDINGS.

NOW OF COURSE INDIANA SITTING THERE AT SEVEN.

AT EIGHT, NO, OHIO STATE AT 7-0.

IN CONFERENCE OREGON, USC, MICHIGAN.

THERE'S NEBRASKA SITTING THERE REMINDING YOU AGAIN THEY ARE 7-3 ON THE SEASON.

ALL YOU PEOPLE KEEP TALKING STUFF.

THERE'S STILL 7-3 ON THE SEASON.

AROUND THE BIG TEN THIS WEEK.

CONFERENCE HEADS INTO WEEK GAMES FOR TEN TEAMS ALREADY BOWL ELIGIBLE FOR OTHER TEAMS STILL WITH A CHANCE TO MAKE IT.

THE BIGGEST GAME THIS WEEK AS USC HEADING TO EUGENE TO TAKE ON OREGON TO KEEP THEIR PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE.

ANOTHER GAME OF SURVIVAL SEES MICHIGAN VISITING MARYLAND BOTH THOSE GAMES IN THE AFTERNOON WINDOW.

EARLIER, WE ASKED YOU TODAY'S SIDELINE SURVEY HOW MANY BIG TEN TEAMS YOU THINK WILL MAKE THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF?

50% OF YOU SAY THREE, GOING WITH THE SAFE NUMBER RIGHT IN BETWEEN THAT WEIRD TWO AND WHAT COULD BE A FOUR IF OHIO STATE LOSES TO MICHIGAN AGAIN.

AND NOW TURNING OUR ATTENTION BACK TO THIS WEEK'S GAME NEBRASKA GAME, OF COURSE, HEADING TO PENN STATE.

WE'RE JOINED VIA ZOOM BY SEAN FITZ FROM BLUE WHITE ILLUSTRATED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE NITTANY LIONS.

SEAN, I WANT TO START ABOUT THE PASS RUSH THE LAST 3 OR 4 WEEKS FOR THE NITTANY LIONS.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY GOTTEN BETTER.

WHAT'S THE CHANGE BEEN?

>> YEAH, I THINK JIM KNOWLES, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE AT PENN STATE THIS YEAR TOO.

FIRST OFF, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

I FORGOT THE PLEASANTRIES.

MY APOLOGIES.

>> SORRY.

>> BUT YOU TALK ABOUT THE DEFENSE THAT PENN STATE'S HAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND JIM KNOWLES WAS THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR OHIO STATE, WHO WON A NATIONAL TITLE LAST YEAR.

AND YOU THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THESE TWO THINGS COULD MARRY AND PRODUCE SOMETHING SPECIAL.

THEY HAVEN'T.

FRANKLY, THEY THEY DON'T HAVE THE PHYSICALITY UP FRONT TO, TO GET IT DONE.

IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THEY'VE RESORTED TO A LITTLE BIT MORE EXOTIC BLITZING, BRINGING THINGS OFF THE EDGE, A LOT OF CORNER BLITZING, THEY'VE, I THINK FORCED 2 OR 3 FUMBLES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

BOTH.

OR ALL OF THEM VIA CORNER BLITZ.

SO IT'S PRESSURE COMING FROM ALL OVER, WHICH IS INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE AND PENN STATE, WHEN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THEIR SIX GAME LOSING STREAK, THEY WERE REALLY STRUGGLING AGAINST MOBILE QUARTERBACKS THE LAST THREE WEEKS.

REALLY HAVEN'T FACED THAT.

THEY FACE SOME REALLY DARN GOOD QUARTERBACKS.

BUT GUYS THAT AREN'T GOING TO TEAR YOU UP, RUNNING THE FOOTBALL.

SO WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT AGAINST, UCLA, AGAINST NORTHWESTERN IS, IS GUYS GETTING UP FIELD.

DANI DENNIS-SUTTON, NUMBER 33 IS PENN STATE'S BEST PASS RUSHER.

GETTING UP FIELD AND THEN JUST GETTING LOOPED UNDERNEATH BY THE RUNNING QUARTERBACK.

AND REALLY THAT'S BEEN WHAT'S TEARING THEM UP.

SO I THINK JIM KNOWLES MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.

I DON'T WANT TO SAY SIMPLIFIED SOME THINGS BUT BROUGHT PRESSURE FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES.

AND IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

YOU KNOW, PENN STATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO GET AFTER THE QUARTERBACK, USUALLY WITH FOUR.

THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT SORT OF A DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT SET UP, A DIFFERENT, STRUCTURE THAN WE SAW THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN THAT LOSING STREAK.

AND IT'S BEEN A POSITIVE ONE.

IT'S BEEN A LOT MORE FUN TO WATCH DEFENSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

>> SEAN, I'M CURIOUS, JUST KIND OF GETTING INSIDE THE NUMBERS.

I WATCHED, YOU KNOW, FIU EARLY AND AND THEN I LOOK AT MICHIGAN STATE LATER.

VERY SIMILAR STYLE GAMES IN TERMS OF PULLING AWAY LATE.

KIND OF BLUDGEON YOUR TEAMS WORE THEM DOWN.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW PENN STATE WAS WHEN THEY WERE HEALTHY, POST ALLAR'S INJURY VERSUS NOW WITH GRUNKEMEYER, THE STYLE SEEMS SIMILAR OFFENSIVELY.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE AND IN SPITE OF THE RECORD IN THE TALENT, IS THIS KIND OF JUST WHO PENN STATE IS OFFENSIVELY?

>> YEAH, I THINK SO.

THEY'VE HAD SOME STRUGGLES AT RECEIVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND THEY TRIED TO FIX THAT BY BRINGING IN SOME GUYS THAT WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE OR PRETTY PRODUCTIVE AT THEIR LAST STOPS.

DEVONTE ROSS AT TROY WAS VERY GOOD.

TREBOR PENA AT SYRACUSE WAS A VOLUME GUY.

I THINK HE CAUGHT 80 PASSES LAST YEAR.

SO YOU WERE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM A PENN STATE PERSPECTIVE THAT PRODUCTION WOULD CARRY OVER?

IT REALLY HASN'T.

PENN STATE, AT ITS HEART, HAS BEEN A RUNNING TEAM THEY'RE, I MEAN, THEY'RE ALWAYS A RUNNING TEAM, BUT THEY THEY'VE BEEN A TEAM THAT CAN YOU COULD SORT OF PLACE THEIR FLOOR AROUND.

KAYTRON ALLEN, NICK SINGLETON, THE TWO BACKS.

ALLEN'S REALLY SORT OF SEPARATED HIMSELF IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS.

HE'S GOT MORE CARRIES.

THEY WERE 50/50 FOR A WHILE, BUT ALLEN HAS REALLY SEPARATED HIMSELF AND HAS BEEN.

I MEAN, HE JUST KNOCKED OUT MICHIGAN STATE 181 YARDS THIS WEEK.

SO YEAH I THINK YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING SIMILAR PRESSURE PROTECTING A YOUNG QUARTERBACK ETHAN GRUNKEMEYERS IS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN.

HE'LL START HIS FIFTH GAME THIS WEEK AND HE'LL, YOU KNOW, DO SOME SOME GOOD THINGS.

AND THEN HE'LL LOOK LIKE A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN QUARTERBACK WAS MAKING HIS FIFTH START.

THIS THIS PAST WEEK AT MICHIGAN STATE.

YOU EXPECTED HIM TO MAYBE OPEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.

PENN STATE'S BEEN THROWING THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD A LITTLE BIT MORE, WHICH HAS BEEN A REALLY BIG POINT OF CONTENTION IN HAPPY VALLEY.

HE HAD A 75 YARD TOUCHDOWN TO DEVONTE ROSS.

BUT ALSO YOU KNOW FEELING PRESSURE IS VERY DIFFERENT ON THE PRACTICE FIELD THAN IT IS, ON THE GAME FIELD.

AND YOU'VE SEEN THAT WITH GRUNKEMEYER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I THINK HE'S DONE SOME NICE THINGS.

BUT IT'S NOT A BREAKOUT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

HE'S BEEN ABLE TO KEEP HIS HEAD ABOVE WATER AND DO SOME VERY GOOD THINGS.

BUT HE'S ALSO BUOYED BY THAT RUN GAME.

THAT RUN GAME IS GOING TO OPEN THINGS UP IN THE PLAY ACTION PASS.

IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THAT SAFETY A COUPLE STEPS FURTHER, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE ABLE TO GO OVER THE TOP.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT PENN STATE HAS LEANED ON THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DOWNFIELD THROWS, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH WELCOMED.

AND IT ALL STARTS WITH THE RUNNING GAME.

LAST YEAR DURING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF, THEY RAN THE HECK OUT OF THE BALL.

REGARDLESS OF THE POSTSEASON TEAM THAT THEY PLAYED AGAINST.

AND OF COURSE, THEY BEAT SMU AND BOISE.

SO PEOPLE DON'T COUNT THOSE AS WINS.

BUT, THEY PLAYED IN THE BIG TEN TITLE GAME AGAINST OREGON, RAN THE BALL VERY WELL THERE, RAN THE BALL AGAINST NOTRE DAME.

SO AT ITS PEAK PENN STATE DNA.

YES.

THEY WANT TO RUN THE FOOTBALL.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT'S KIND OF GET THEM THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN A COLD NIGHT GAME WHERE YOU KIND OF EXPECT BOTH TEAMS TO TRY AND HAMMER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

>> SEAN, QUICKLY AS WE WRAP IT UP HERE.

HOW HAVE THEY KEPT THIS LOCKER ROOM TOGETHER AND WHAT IS YOUR FEEL ON WHAT THE ATMOSPHERE IS GOING TO BE LIKE FOR A NIGHT GAME WITH STUDENTS GOING ON BREAK IN STATE COLLEGE?

>> YEAH, THAT'S TERRY SMITH RIGHT THERE.

THE INTERIM HEAD COACH, HE'S BEEN THE CORNERBACKS COACH HERE.

ACTUALLY ARRIVED WITH, NOT WITH JAMES FRANKLIN, BUT JOINED HIS FIRST STAFF AS AN OUTSIDER, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW OUTSIDERS THAT CAME IN, BACK THEN, BACK IN THAT DAY, THEY ONLY HAD, NINE ASSISTANTS AT THAT POINT.

SO FOR NINE FULL-TIME ASSISTANTS AT THAT POINT.

BUT HE'S BEEN THE GUY THAT'S PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER.

IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO WATCH BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT SIX STRAIGHT LOSSES AND YOU THINK, THIS IS A THIS IS A BIT OF A MESS.

BUT IF YOU WATCH IOWA, IF YOU WATCHED, EXCUSE ME, AT IOWA, AT OHIO STATE AND AT HOME AGAINST, INDIANA, PENN STATE ACTUALLY PLAYED PRETTY WELL IN THOSE GAMES.

IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE SAW IN THE NORTHWESTERN GAMES, IN THE UCLA GAME.

SO, CREDIT TO TERRY SMITH, CREDIT TO I THINK THE THE, YOU KNOW, HOLDING ON TO SORT OF THE CULTURE THAT'S BEEN BUILT OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS BECAUSE THOSE GUYS ARE ARE HERE FOR A REASON.

THE REASONS A LOT OF THAT REASON IS GONE NOW, WITH JAMES FRANKLIN GOING TO VIRGINIA TECH.

BUT, TERRY SMITH HAS BEEN A GUY THAT HAS KEPT THINGS UNDER CONTROL.

AND AGAIN, THE LOSSES WERE THERE.

BUT IF YOU WATCH THIS TEAM PLAY, THEY DIDN'T QUIT.

AND THAT INCLUDES GUYS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE PACKED IT IN AND OPTED OUT, YOU KNOW, WENT TO THE DRAFT OR WHATEVER.

SO I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, CREDIT TO BE DUE TO TERRY SMITH AND TO THAT COACHING STAFF FOR, FOR KEEPING THESE GUYS UP.

>> SEAN, WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US.

ENJOY THE GAME ON SATURDAY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

THANKS GUYS.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANKS, SEAN.

>> IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL.

FLAG FOOTBALL IN THE OLYMPICS IN '28.

NFL GAMES IN ENGLAND, GERMANY, SPAIN, MEXICO, IRELAND WHERE OF COURSE THE HUSKERS PLAYED AS WELL.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT A WOMEN'S FULL PAD LEAGUE HERE IN THE STATES.

AND YES, THERE'S A TEAM RIGHT HERE IN NEBRASKA.

PRIDE COACH NANCY JAVAUX-MAJOR HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN BUILDING THE WOMEN'S GAME.

>> OKAY, LAST REGULAR SEASON, GAME OF THE YEAR.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD CROWD AND WE'RE GOING TO.

GO OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN.

>> ONE STEP BACK.

>> IT'S FOOTBALL.

YOU KNOW, WE PLAY NCAA RULES.

IF YOU LOVE FOOTBALL YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS.

AND I THINK THAT WE WOULD IMPRESS YOU IF YOU GAVE US A CHANCE.

WE'RE IN THE WOMEN'S FOOTBALL ALLIANCE.

IT IS THE LARGEST WOMEN'S TACKLE FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN THE WORLD.

LAST YEAR WE WERE IN OUR SECOND SEASON.

WE WON THE DIVISION TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

SO THERE'S THREE TIERS.

KIND OF LIKE NCAA SETUP.

YOU GOT YOUR DIVISION THREE OR YOUR SMALLER TEAMS.

THE ONES THAT ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.

GOT YOUR DIVISION TWO WHICH IS FOR YOUR INTERMEDIATES, YOUR ONES THAT HAVE FIGURED IT OUT BUT AREN'T QUITE THERE YET, BUILDING WISE.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR PRO DIVISION.

THERE'S 12 TEAMS IN THE PRO DIVISION.

SO IN OUR SECOND YEAR AS A TEAM, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE WON DIVISION TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

THAT PUSHED US UP TO THE PRO DIVISION.

SO WE'RE NOW IN THE TOP LEVEL.

>> NANCY JAVAUX-MAJOR IS THE HEAD COACH, GM, PRESIDENT AND PR DIRECTOR, AND ALL THINGS NEBRASKA PRIDE OF THE WOMEN'S FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.

OVER 20 YEARS AGO, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH FOOTBALL.

DRIVING HER TO MAKE IT HER LIFELONG PURSUIT.

>> AS SOON AS I GOT DONE WITH COLLEGE, I WAS KIND OF BORED AND I HAD SOME FRIENDS THAT WERE LIKE, DUDE YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO?

AND SO THEY FOUND WOMEN'S FOOTBALL FOR ME, AND I STARTED PLAYING WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING WHEN I WENT OUT ON THE FIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME.

KIND OF SELF-TAUGHT, BECAUSE I STARTED OUT PLAYING FOR A TEAM IN IOWA THAT WAS REALLY SMALL.

IT WASN'T DEVELOPED.

SO I KIND OF SELF-TAUGHT MYSELF EVERYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL THROUGH MY 16 YEARS PLAYING.

KIND OF GREW A LOVE FOR THE GAME, VAST KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME AND JUST KIND OF NATURALLY WENT INTO COACHING.

>> AS A FORMER COLLEGE SOCCER PLAYER TURNED FOOTBALL VET.

SHE UNDERSTANDS THE NEED TO FIND PLAYERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND ALL SPORTS TO FIND HER NEXT STAR PLAYER.

>> ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX.

>> HUSBAND ALWAYS HAD GREAT STORIES OF WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL PLAYING, AND SO I WAS LIKE, MAYBE I SHOULD TRY THIS.

I DIDN'T HAVE THE EDUCATION BEHIND IT FOR THE FOOTBALL, BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE CHALLENGE, WAS LEARNING THE SPORT.

NO ONE HANDED ME A FOOTBALL WHEN I WAS LITTLE.

THEY HANDED ME A SOCCER BALL, HAND ME A BASKETBALL.

I TOLD MYSELF IF I DON'T GO, THEN I DON'T HAVE A STORY TO TELL.

AND I WENT TO IT AND MADE THE TEAM, TRIED OUT WITH ALL THE GIRLS AND I THOUGHT, THIS IS AWESOME.

SO I WENT AND GOT MY STORY STARTED.

>> I HAD STARTED IN THIRD GRADE WITH LIKE A LITTLE JUNIOR FOOTBALL TEAM, AND I JUST KEPT GOING.

AND I GOT UP TO HIGH SCHOOL, AND BY THE TIME I HIT HIGH SCHOOL, ALL THE COACHES HAVE KNOWN ME BECAUSE I HAD DONE ALL THE FOOTBALL CAMPS GROWING UP.

SO THEY WERE THEY WERE FULLY BOUGHT IN.

IT WAS JUST REALLY FUN EXPERIENCE.

I HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT.

>> SO ERIN'S ACTUALLY THE, FIRST PLAYER THAT I'VE HAD COME AND THAT HAS PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL.

I HAD SOME PLAYERS THAT PLAYED LIKE JUNIOR FOOTBALL WHEN THEY WERE LIKE 8 TO 10, 12 YEARS OLD.

BUT ERIN'S THE FIRST PLAYER THAT I'VE HAD THAT'S PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL.

AND JUST HAVING THAT BASE KNOWLEDGE IS HUGE.

>> ERIN MARTY'S BASE FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM PLAYING FOR A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM IN 2023 AT OMAHA WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT FOR MOST WOMEN, PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL IS A WHOLE NEW WORLD.

>> FOOTBALL IS JUST A WHOLE DIFFERENT BREED.

>> DEFINITELY TERRIFIED TO GET HIT.

I MEAN, A LOT OF INTERCEPTIONS IN THE FIRST COUPLE GAMES THAT I THROWN WERE PANICKED ONES.

>> IT'S MORE FUN TO HIT THAN BE HIT FOR SURE.

>> I LIKE THE CONTACT OF IT.

IT CHALLENGES YOU PHYSICALLY, AND THEN THERE'S A MENTAL CHALLENGE TO IT, TOO.

AND IT'S JUST LIKE AN ULTIMATE TEAM SPORT.

SO I LOVE THAT.

AND I LOVE SHOWING UP THE NEXT DAY WITH BRUISES AT WORK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, YEAH, I DID THAT.

AND JUST TO CHALLENGE AND PUSH YOUR BODY.

>> NICOLE SKOLNICK IS ONE OF MANY PLAYERS WHO GOES BOTH WAYS.

IRON WOMEN'S FOOTBALL, PRIDE STAR BRITT PETERSON, ONE OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE WFA, WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

I LOVE PLAYING BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL.

>> I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT HARD.

I THINK WHAT TRAVIS HUNTER DID WAS LAST YEAR WAS INCREDIBLE.

HIS SNAP COUNT IS INSANE.

I'M SURE OUR SNAP COUNTS.

IF PEOPLE TRACKED THEM, WOULD BE UP THERE TOO.

>> WE JUST NEED MORE.

LINEMEN.

TO CHANGE ON THE SIDELINE.

ALL RIGHT.

>> COMING OFF THE SIDELINE TO SUIT UP AND PLAY.

>> I ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY RETIRED FROM PLAYING IN 2020.

I HAD MY KNEE REPLACED, SO I TOSSED AROUND THE IDEA BEFORE SEASON LEADING UP TO THIS YEAR AND WAS LIKE, NO, LIKE, THE TEAM NEEDS A COACH AND THAT'S WHERE I SHOULD BE.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO NEEDING THE PERSONNEL ON THE FIELD, I'M READY TO JUMP OUT THERE AND HELP THE TEAM OUT.

>> AND AFTER SOME OFFENSIVE LINE INJURIES, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT COACH JAVAUX-MAYOR DID.

PUT IT ON THE PADS IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

(CROWD HOLLERING) >> SO YOU'RE GOING TO PICK UP THAT LINEBACKER THAT'S COMING THROUGH.

YOU JUST DRIVE THEM AND YOU'LL GET THE YARDS.

>> YEP.

>> THAT WILL HELP.

>> IT WAS A GAUNTLET BUT FUTILE EFFORT.

AS THE PRIDE DROPPED THEIR SEASON FINALE MINNESOTA VIXEN 35-0.

BUT IN THEIR FIRST YEAR IN THE PRO LEAGUE, IT DID MAKE THE PLAYOFFS A 4-2 LOSS IN THE FIRST ROUND.

BUT THE CAMARADERIE AND THE JOY OF THE GAME FOR THESE WOMEN IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.

>> VIXEN, THANKS FOR COMING DOWN.

GREAT GAME.

>> IT'S HARD TAKING 20 PEOPLE AGAINST WHAT, 80?

>> LET'S KEEP ON DOWN THE MIDWEST AND SHOWING THEM THAT THAT'S WHERE THE BEST FOOTBALL IS.

(TEAM CHATTING) >> YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A CHANCE TO COACH A GIRL PLAYER AT WESTSIDE.

>> YEAH, ERIN IS SHE.

THAT'S HOW SHE WAS THE WHOLE TIME RIGHT.

ALWAYS A GO GETTER.

ALWAYS WANTED TO GET AFTER IT.

AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE HER HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.

SO EVERYBODY HAS SOME SORT OF GOAL THAT THEY CAN GO GET WHEN THAT'S THEIR DREAM.

>> EXACTLY.

LET ME ASK SEAN.

GOOD.

GO TO OUR VIEWER QUESTIONS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BEST CHANCE FOR THE EIGHTH WIN IS PENN STATE OR IOWA?

>> IT'S IOWA.

I JUST THINK A BETTER MATCHUP.

I JUST LIKE THE MATCHUP.

I THE MOBILITY OF IOWA AT QUARTERBACK WORRIES YOU.

BUT I JUST THINK THE EMOTIONS AND THE FANS AND THE CROWD, IT'S GOING TO BE AN EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE.

>> DAMON THIS IS FROM STEVE AND MIKE'L SEVERE ON X. WE NEED THE TITANS MORE INVOLVED MAN.

>> WELL THE LAST TWO GAMES ARE TIGHT END GAMES.

>> YEAH.

>> SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO IF WE WIN AT STATE COLLEGE, THE RECEIVING CORPS WILL BE LED BY THE TIGHT ENDS.

>> GOOD.

>> WRITE IT DOWN.

>> I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT.

HOW DO YOU.

WHY DO YOU THINK NEBRASKA IS A TEN POINT UNDERDOG?

>> I JUST THINK IT'S IN-STATE COLLEGE.

AND, I MEAN, THIS POINT SPREAD WAS SET A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.

AND OBVIOUSLY THEY ADJUST THE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

BUT I JUST THINK AT HOME ON A LOT OF TEAMS WOULD BE UNDERDOGS IN STATE COLLEGE.

I MEAN, WHAT WAS INDIANA'S NUMBER OUT THERE?

I MEAN THEY'RE FAVORED.

>> THEY'RE FAVORED BY SEVEN.

>> BUT IT'S NOT AN EASY PLACE TO GO WIN, YOU KNOW, NEBRASKA, WHEN THEY WERE, PLAYED OUT THERE IN THE PAST YEARS, IF THEY WERE FAVORED, IT WAS ALWAYS BY MAYBE A FIELD GOAL.

I MEAN, IT WAS NEVER BY MUCH.

>> RIGHT.

I KNOW WHAT RECORD PENN STATE HAS, BUT THIS COULD BE KIND OF A SIGNATURE WIN, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BECAUSE YOU'RE IT'S LIKE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED UNDER THIS COACHING TENURE YOU'RE FIGHTING AGAINST MYSTIQUE.

RIGHT.

YEAH.

THAT'S WHAT I ASKED.

OUR PENN STATE GUY.

YOU KNOW YOU LOOK A LOT LIKE YOU DID AGAINST FSU LIKE YOU DID AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE.

BUT YOU'RE STILL PENN STATE.

SO WHAT IS IT.

>> YEAH.

>> IT'S THE MYSTIQUE OF OF STATE COLLEGE.

HAPPY VALLEY AND NEBRASKA GOT A CHANCE TO FIGHT SOME DEMONS.

>> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

WHAT'S YOU'RE BURNING QUESTION SEAN.

>> MY BURNING QUESTION IS CAN NEBRASKA FIGURE IT OUT ON THE ROAD AGAIN?

AND ANOTHER TOUGH ROAD ENVIRONMENT.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, CAN THEIR DEFENSE SHOW UP AND PLAY AT THE LEVEL NEEDED?

>> CAN THEY WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE?

I SELDOM DUMB IT DOWN TO TURNOVERS, BUT IF NEBRASKA WINS THE TURNOVER BATTLE, MARK MY WORDS, THEY'LL WIN THE GAME.

>> CAN T.J.

LATEEF HAVE A BIG GAME LIKE SOME RUNNING QUARTERBACKS HAVE HAD AGAINST PENN STATE?

IF HE GETS 75 AND IT'S ENOUGH TO KEEP THE GAME CLOSE.

FOR OUR PICKS FOR THE PENN STATE GAME SATURDAY NIGHT, CHECK THE PREDICTION ON FACEBOOK, X, AND BIG RED WRAP-UP PAGE.

AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT GAME ON TV WILL BE SATURDAY NIGHT AGAINST PENN STATE AT 6:00 ON NBC.

AND NEXT WEEK, BIG RED WRAP-UP WILL AIR ON WEDNESDAY, A SPECIAL NIGHT RIGHT HERE ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

A RECAP OF THE PENN STATE GAME WILL PREVIEW THE IOWA GAME.

THE SPECIAL GUEST, STEVE SIPPLE BACK FOR TWO.

THAT'S AWESOME.

ON BIG RED WRAP-UP AT 7 P.M.

ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

YOU CAN ALSO TUNE IN ON FACEBOOK LIVE, YOUTUBE LIVE, AND OUR WEBSITE, NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG.

OUR SPECIAL THANKS TO BRENT QVALE, SEAN FITZ FOR DAMON BENNING, AND SEAN CALLAHAN.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON BIG RED WRAP-UP.

(BAND MUSIC) (UPBEAT MUSIC)