♪ >> IT WAS A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS SATURDAY AS NEBRASKA LOST A HEARTBREAKER TO MICHIGAN STAFTER DOMINATING THE SPARTANS IN THE SECOND HALF.

SPECIAL TEAMS ISSUES AND O-LINE PLAY CONTINUE TO HAUNT THE HUSKERS.

WE'LL RECAP THE GAME FROM SATURDAY.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AHEAD WITH OUR SPECIAL GUEST, MATT VRZAL.

SEAN CALLAHAN IS HERE AND HE'LL HELP US BREAK DOWN THE LATEST IN BIG RED RECRUITING.

ALL THAT AND MORE NEXT ON "BIG RED WRAP-UP."

♪ >> HI, EVERYONE, I'M MIKE'L SEVERE TO WELCOME YOU TO "BIG RED WRAP-UP" ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

IT WAS, AS YOGI SAID, DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A DÉJÀ VU OF DOMINATION.

JOINING US, FORMER HUSKER DAMON BENNING AND SEAN CALLAHAN.

YES, WE'VE SEEN IT BEFORE BUT NOT QUITE LIKE THIS.

NOT WHEN NEBRASKA DEFENSE PLAYS THAT WELL AND STILL LOSES.

>> YEAH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

I COULDN'T REMEMBER - I GAVE IT A LOT OF THOUGHT.

I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN A TEAM HELD TO 14 RDS IN A HALF WITHOUT A FIRST DOWN, RIGHT?

THAT IS - THAT IS AS DOMINANT AS DOMINANT COULD GET AND NEBRASKA FOUND THEMSELVES FOUND THEMSELVES RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT DOWN THE STRETCH, AND I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AS THAT GAME PLAYED OUT AND, OF COURSE, UNTIL THE END.

>> UNTIL THE END, OF COURSE.

>> YEAH, YOU LOOK AT JUST HOW THINGS PLAYED OUT FOR NEBRASKA IN THAT GAME AND, I MEAN, EVERYTHING -- BUT IT STILL JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT BECAUSE YOU KNEW THIS TEAM DIDN'N'HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO FINISH OFF A GAME LIKE THIS.

I MEAN, SCOTT FROST HAS NEVER HAD A WIN AGAINST A RANKED OPPONENT AND YOU'RE LIKE, "MAN, THIS IS ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE," THE WAY THE SOND HALF IS GOING.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST TELLS YOU THE MARGIN FOR ERROR IN THIS CONFERENCE AND W WTALK ABOUT IT EACH WEEK, IS SO THIN, AND WHEN YOU HAVE GAMES THAT ONLY HAVE EIGHT, MAYBE TEN POSSESSIONS -- >> YEAH.

>> ONE BIG MISTAKE -- FIELD POSITION AND LITTLE THINGS MATTER, AND THAT CONTINUED.

THERE'S ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE LITTLE THINGS, AS TREV ALBERTS HINTED AT BACK AT BIG TEN MEDIA DAYS, THAT NEBRASKA NEEDS TO CORRECT THAT SEEMS TO HAUNT NEBRASKA EVERY WEEK.

>> WELL, WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT, OF COURSE, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP.

ONE WAY YOU CAN DO IT TO GET THE CONVERSATION GOING IS TO CONTACT US.

OUR PHONES ARE OPEN AND THE GUYS FROM PHI CAPPA THETA ARE HERE READY TO ANSWER YOUR CALLS.

WHILE THEY WAIT, THEY WILL ENJOY SOME VALENTINO'S PIZZA.

YOU CAN ALSO REACH US BY EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE, BIGRED@NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

ALSO, OUR EYES ARE PEELED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

CONTACT US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND YOU'LL ADD TO THE CONVERSATIONS, AS WELL.

HERE'S OUR ALL NEW "SIDELINE SURVEY" FOR THIS WEEK: "WHICH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF ON THE OFFENSE SIDE OF THE BALL?

DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE RUN GAME FROM THE OFFENSE?

MORE OF THE OPTION THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE SEASON SO FAR?

OR, WOULD YOU JUST LIKE TO SEE MORE SCORING FROM THE OFFENSE?"

I BELIEVE IT WAS BO WHO SAID IT'S ABOUT POINTS, MA'AM, NOT YARDS.

HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE NOW TO VOTE AND HEAD BACK EACH WEEK FOR A BRAND NEW SURVEY.

LET'S START WITH OUR PLAYERS OF THE GAME FROM THE MICHIGAN STATE MATCHUP.

ON OFFENSE, ADRIAN MARTINEZ, AND ON DEFENSE, GARRETT NELSON.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> YEAH, ADRIAN MARTINEZ CONTINUING TO ELEVATE HIS PLAY.

OBVOUSLY, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THROWS THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BACK BUT GIVEN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS IN TERMS OF THE PRESSURES THAT HE'S FACED AND THE AMOUNT OF DROP-BACKS, THE DECISIONS HE'S MADE, AND WHERE NEBRASKA WOULD BE WITHOUT HIM, HE'S BEEN NOTHING SORT OF FANTASTIC.

AND, GARRETT NELSON, THIS GAME WAS TAILOR-MADE FOR HIM.

MICHIGAN STATE PLAYS DOWNHILL.

HE GOT A CHANCE TO GET VERTICAL IN A HURRY AND JUST BE VIOLENT.

HE'S AN ENERGY GUY THAT ENJOYS PLAYING FOURTH QUARTERS.

HE MAY MAKE THE CASE FOR ONE OF NEBRASKA'S MOST IMPROVED DEFENSIVELY.

>> YEAH.

>> AND TEAMS ARE PLAYING TO HIS STRENGTHS.

>> SEAN, WE COULD HAVE ALSO SAID LUKE REIMER, JOJO DOMANN, DAMION DANIELS -- >> HEINRICH PLAYED A GREAT GAME.

>> NICK HEINRICH DID.

I MEAN, IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR THE DEFENSE, OVERALL.

>> YEAH, THE FRONT SEVEN -- OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THE SECONDARY HAD A COUPLE OF EARLY MOMENTS IN THE FIRST HALF BUT YEAH, YOU LOOK AT THAT FRONT SEVEN AND THE LINEBACKERS, THE INSIDE GUYS, HAD A ROUGH GAME AT OU, AND I FELT LIKE THAT THEY CAME IN, DIALED IN, KNOWING THE CHALLENGE THEY HAD WITH KENNETH WALKER AND THE -- LOOK, THIS GUY'S AVERAGING 8.9 YARDS PER CARRY.

>> YEAH.

>> AND, THEY TOOK THAT TO HEART THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ELITE WEEK OF PRACTICE.

>> THEY BROUGHT IT UP, TOO.

GARRETT NELSON BROUGHT IT UP.

>> YEAH, I THINK JUST GIVEN THE SHEER DESIGN OF THE TWO OFFENSES, WHEN YOU HAVE A QUARTERBACK THAT ISN'T AS MOBILE VERSUS A QUARTERBACK THAT, LIKE RATTLER, WHO YOU WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO KEEP IN THE POCKET.

IT REALLY CHANGES THE WAY YOU CAN FIT IN THE RUN GAME.

NEBRASKA COULD FIT IN A HURRY WITHOUT NECESSARILY WORRYING ABOUT LOSING CONTAINMENT -- >> RIGHT.

>> BACKSIDE BOOT, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND, THEY REALLY GOT A LOT OF HATS TO THE BALL.

IT WAS IMPRESSIVE.

>> YEAH, YOU WENT OVER A BUNCH OF NUMBERS.

ONE OF 11 IN THIRD DOWN, AS WELL.

I MEAN, THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN, AND YOU WIN N E GAME -- 188 MORE YARDS OVERALL.

WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY DID IN THE RUNNING GAME, WE TALKED ABOUT STEPHEN -- THE ONLY THING DIFFERENT WAS THEY SACKED ADRIAN MARTINEZ SEVEN TIMES.

>> YEAH.

>> AND, THE OTHER STAT THAT REALLY JUMPED OUT TO ME, MIKE'L WAS AVERAGE STARTING FIELD POSITION.

>> YES.

>> MICHIGAN STATE WAS AT A 37, NEBRASKA WAS AT A 26, AND THAT, PLUS-11 DIFFERENCE FOR MICHIGAN STATE -- I MEAN, THAT'S HUGE WHEN NEBRASKA'S DEFENSE IS PLAYING LIKE THAT -- JUST THAT EARLY FIELD POSITION AND SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DID, THAT WAS - THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE.

>> YOU KNOW, FOR TEN -- TEN POSSESSIONS, IT'S 90 YARDS.

>> YEAH.

>> THAT'S AT LEAST ONE SCORE - AT LEAST ONE SCORE.

>> NET PUNTING, RIGHT?

I MEAN, THERE'S A 189-YARD DIFFERENCE IN NETUNTING ALONE AND YOU'VE CAUGHT A LOT OF PUNTS IN YOUR LIFE -- YOU CAN'T LET THE BALL HIT LIKE THEY DID OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

>> IT WAS UNCANNY, RIGHT?

I, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME, MAYBE - TWICE, OKAY WE'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME SPEAKS -- THE THIRD TIME YOU'RE TRENDING.

IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THIS IS INEXPLICABLE.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER 70 YARDS EN MASSE AND LOST FIELD POSITION ONCE THAT BALL HIT THE GROUND ON THOSE PUNTS.

THAT WAS -- THAT WAS TOUGH TO WATCH.

>> SPEAKING OF SPECIAL TEAMS, I APOLOGIZE, BUT OUR PLAY OF THE GAME, IT'S HEARD TO WATCH - 62-YARD PUNT RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN FOR MICHIGAN STATE.

OF COURSE, IT HAPPENS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.

NEBRASKA IN COMMAND, UP 20-13, AND PUNTS TO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FIELD, AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL NEBRASKA PLAYERS PRETTY MUCH ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE - IT GOES TO THE LEFT AND THE TOUCHDOWN RUN RIGHT PAST THE NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, TREV ALBERTS, AND MANY OTHERS AS THEY STARE ON AND WATCH.

DAMON, WHAT HAPPENED?

>> I TELL YA.

LISTEN, YOUR TWO GUNNERS ARE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT HASH.

THAT BALL IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE RIGHT HASH.

THAT'S WHERE YOUR COVERAGE IS SET, YOU'VE GOT TWO PLUS A SAFETY VALVE HEADING TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD FOR ANYTHING KIND OF CRAZY - BUT TO GO FROM LEFT HALF TO LEFT HASH, WHICH IS VIRTUALLY A STRAIGHT PUNT BECAUSE, REMEMBER, HE KIND OF ROLLED INTO IT.

HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO KICK TO THE FAR HASH.

IT WAS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.

YOU'RE OUTNUMBERED, MICHIGAN STATE JUST NEEDED THE THREE BLOCKERS, AND IT WAS TO THE HOUSE.

>> YOU KNOW MAYBE, SINCE HE IS A RUGBY PUNTER, MAYBE YOU TRY TO PUNT IT TO THE LEFT.

THAT'S JUST HIS NATURAL -- LIKE IF YOU'RE PLAYING GOLF, OR ATEVER, THAT'S KIND OF HIS NATURAL FLOW.

>> YEAH, THE PROBLEM IS IS WHEN HE'S ROLLING RIGHT HIS LEG COMES -- IT'S -- SWEEPS BACK ACROSS HIS BODY SO IT YANKS IT BACK LEFT.

HE'S GOT TO LEAVE HIS LEG OUT THERE - KIND OF LEAVING YOUR CLUB FACED OPEN -- >> SO, INSTEAD OF HAVING -- >> GOING THAT WAY.

>> DIRECTING IT AS BEING A RIGHT RETURN, MAYBE YOU DIRECT IT AS A LEFT RETURN SINCE YOU ALREADY KNOW HE'S GOING TO KICK THAT WAY NATURALLY.

>> AND, YOU WERE JUST INSIDE THE LEFT HASH, SO MAYBE YOU TRY TO PIN HIM ON THAT SIDE OF THE FIELD.

>> RIGHT.

>> I WONDER HOW HEALTHY HE IS, TOO.

I MEAN HE DIDN'T PUNT AT OU BECAUSE HE WAS INJURED.

>> RIGHT.

>> AND, HIS KNEE HAS BEEN SORE THIS WHOLE YEAR FROM THE SURGERY HE HAD THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SO, WAS HE OUT THERE PUNTING NOT 100% AND JUST NOT ALL THERE?

>> JUST BECAUSE PRZYSTUP HAD THE SEVEN-YARD PUNT AND HE WAS STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT -- MAYBE THAT'S WHY.

>> YEAH.

>> NOT CERTAIN HE'S BACK YET.

>> YEAH WELL, THEY WERE DOING TWO DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.

THE PIN-EM DEEP PUNT WAS -- THEY HAD TWO DIFFERENT GUYS, A SHORT GUY AND A LONG GUY - PRZYSTUP WAS A LONG GUY AND AS WE KNOW, THEY WEREN'T GOING LONG.

>> HE HAD A SEVEN -- >> AND, THE SHORT GUY WASN'T GOING TO BE -- IT WAS A DISASTER AND ONE OF THE WORST PUNTING GAMES I THINK WE'VE EVER SEEN AT NEBRASKA.

>>O, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

HOW DO YOU FIX, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON, EITHER PUNT RETURN, KICK RETURN, OR YOUR PUNT GAME IN THE MIDDLE THE SEASON?

>> WELL, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

THERE'S -- THERE'S TACTICAL AND THERE'S TECHNICAL.

TACTICAL IS JUST YOUR STRATEGY - YOUR IDEOLOGY.

THAT MAY BE SOMETHING LIKE RIGHT HASH VERSUS LEFT HASH -- THAT'S THE TACTIC.

THE TECHNICAL IS THE EXECUTION PART.

IF YOU START WITH JUST THE PUNT RETURNS, IT'S SIMPLY DECISION-MAKING.

THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE IN GOOD CONTROL OVER, RIGHT?

YOU'RE -- THE GOAL IS -- THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CATCH ALL PUNTS.

IT'S TO NOT GIVE UP YARDAGE.

YOU EITHER DO, OR YOU DON'T.

IF THEY DON'T, THEN YOU FIND SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WILL.

YOU CAN - YOU CAN LOSE YARDS BY PUTTING NO ONE BACK THERE, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

>> SO, THERE'S NOTHING HURT BY TRYING THE NEXT MAN UP.

AS A PUNTER, THAT'S A LITTLE MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL.

WE WATCHED PRZYSTUP ALMOST MISS THE BALL CLEAN, RIGHT?

ON THE SEVEN-YARD PUNT.

THAT'S JUST SIMPLE FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S S T TO BE - IT'S GOT TO BE ABOUT MUSCLE MEMORY AND YOU HAVE TO SENSE THE MOMENT, THE OCCASION.

THE LIGHTS CAN'T BE TOO BIG.

THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS YOU OFTEN DON'T FIGURE THAT OUT UNTIL IT'S REAL GAME TIME SITUATIONS.

PRACTICE IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN GAMES, SO THE JOB IS, IS TO RECREATE THAT KIND OF STRESS AND THAT OUTCOME, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE OUTCOMES MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

>> YOU COVERED THESE GUYS AS RECRUITS.

SAMORI TOURE IS ONE OF THE FEW GUYS THAT HADN'T RETURNED PUNTS MOST OF HIS CAREER.

THERE'S A LOT OF GUYS THAT HAVE.

WHY CAN'T THEY FIND SOMEONE TO DO IT?

>> YEAH, YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE AT.

CAM TAYLOR-BRITT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GUY.

>> RIGHT.

>> THEY KIND OF PULLED OFF OF HIM WITH HIS MISTAKES.

OLIVER MARTIN REALLY WAS NOW SUPPOSED TO BE THE GUY.

HE'S BEEN HURT.

SO, YEAH, THEN WILL NIXON IS THE OTHER GUY.

HE DIDN'T TRAVEL.

AND, YOU KNOW, TODAY I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING SEAN BECKTON SAID AFTER PRACTICE - HE GOES, "IF WILL NIXON WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THIS TRIP, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PUT HIM OUT THERE."

AND, IT WAS -- HE SAID SAMORI GOT SPOOKED ON THAT FIRST ONE THAT WENT OVER HIS HEAD -- >> THE ONE THAT 67 -- >> YEAH, AND THEN FROM THAT POINT, JUST HIS DEPTH AND ABILITY TO READ, HE STRUGGLED WITH IT AND HE WAS - THEN, HE WAS GETTING TOO DEEP, NOT UP CLOSE ENOUGH AND, I MEAN, IT - IT - IT WAS - THAT WAS TOUGH BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIELD THE PUNT CLEANLY THE ENTIRE NIGHT.

>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH PUNT RETURNING IS ABOUT YOUR - IT'S ABOUT YOUR PSYCHE.

>> IT'S ABOUT FEEL.

>> IT'S - IT'S A MINDSET.

YOU EITHER ARE OR YOU AREN'T.

IT'S HARD TO TURN INTO A PUNT RETURNER.

>> YEAH, AND SAMORI HADN'T DONE IT HIS WHOLE CAREER.

SO, LET'S TALK, WHATEVER REASON, NEBRASKA HASN'T SCORED A POINT IN OVERTIME, AND SINCE BO'S LAST GAME WHEN THEY BEAT IOWA IN OVERTIME.

IT WAS THE LAST TIME THEY SCORED A POINT.

WHAT'S UP WITH NEBRASKA AND OVERTIME?

>> IT'S - IT'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL THING.

I THINK - THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN OVERTIME WHERE YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO GENERATE POINTS, SO SOMETIMES I THINK COACHES FIGHT THEMSELVES.

IS IT SETTLING FOR THREE?

OR, DO I TRY TO GET THE SIX AND HOLD MY OPPONENT TO THREE?

SO, SEQUENTIALLY, YOU HAVE TO CALL PLAYS ALMOST LIKE YOU WOULD IN THE RED ZONE.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT THE MOMENT IN TIME, IT'S ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND WHAT YOUR PET PLAYS ARE ONCE YOU GET INSIDE THE 20.

IT'S NO COINCIDENCE, NEBRASKA'S FINISHING DRIVE RATE HAS BEEN POOR, ESPECIALLY ONCE THEY ENTER THE RED ZONE.

IT'S NO REAL COINCIDENCE THAT IF YOU STRUGGLE IN THE RED ZONE DURING GAMES THAT OVERTIME WOULD BE A MICROCOSM OF THOSE STRUGGLES.

>> I'M ASSUMING YOU WERE DOWN ON THE FIELD THE LAST DRIVE OF THE GAME.

WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT NEBRASKA DIDN'T CALL A TIMEOUT AFTER THE SACK TO TRY TO CONTINUE THAT DRIVE?

>> YES AND NO.

I MEAN, WITH THE WAY THE OFFENSIVE LINE WAS PLAYING, I THINK SCOTT FROST'S WORST NIGHTMARE WAS TAKING A SACK AND A FUMBLE, OR A TURNOVER, AND THEN ALLOWING THEM TO WIN IN THAT SITUATION.

>> OR EVEN HAVING TO PUNT AGAIN.

>> OR, PUNT AGAIN AFTER WHAT JUST HAD HAPPENED WITH HIS PUNTERS.

SO, I THINK BOTH THE SITUATIONS THERE WERE REALLY ON HIS MIND THAT, LIKE, "YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S GO TO OVERTIME AND TAKE OUR CHANCES THERE.

I LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING ON OFFENSE.

I LIKE, OBVIOUSLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING ON DEFENSE RIGHT NOW.

LET'S WIN THIS FROM THE 25-YARD LINE" AND, THEY CALLED A GREAT PLAY ON THE FIRST DOWN OF OVERTIME.

IT WAS WIDE OPEN.

IT WAS A TOUCHDOWN.

AND, ADRIAN WAS GETTING PRESSURED AND DIDN'T SEE THE THROWER - DIDN'T SEE THE GUY DOWN THE FIELD.

>> AND IT WOULD BE A TIGHT THROW.

YOU HAVE THE LINEBACKER UNDERNEATH -- >> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE WIDE-OPEN TOUCHDOWN.

>> HE'S GOT - HE'S GOT TO FIT IT IN THERE, OBVIOUSLY.

>> IT WAS THERE, THOUGH.

>> HE'S GOT TO MAKE - HE'S GOT TO MAKE A THROW RIGHT AWAY.

>> YEAH, I'VE KIND OF GONE OVER THIS A THOUSAND TIMES BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU EITHER MAKE THE THROW RIGHT NOW AFTER HE WINS CLEAN, SO THEY RUN THE WHEEL BEHIND LEVI FALCK AND IT'S -- YOU PUT IT ON HIM RIGHT NOW.

IF NOT, YOU'VE GOT TO -- LEVI'S GOT TO KNOW -- HE'S GOT TO SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE NUMBERS IN THE HASH.

THE CLOSER HE GETS TO THE HASH, THE LESS APT IT IS FOR MAYBE A TOUCHDOWN BECAUSE ONCE THE MOTION GOES AWAY, WHICH WAS OMAR MANNING, THE BACKSIDE CORNER IS BAILING TO DEEP HALF.

>> NUMBER NINE.

>> NUMBER NINE, SO YOU'RE BRINGING HIM TO PLAY WITH ANY SORT OF AIR ON THE THROW THAT'S NOT OUTSIDE THE NEAR HASH.

SO, IT'S EASY TO JUST STOP THE PICTURE AND SAY, "HEY, LISTEN, IT'S WIDE OPEN," BUT UNLESS HE THROWS THAT BALL RIGHT NOW, THE VERTICAL GAME IS PREDICATED ON THE WIDE RECEIVER.

HE'S GOT TO STAY SKINNY AND GET UP THE HASH.

HE CAN'T BRING IT BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD.

>> AND, OF COURSE, SCOTT FROST REFERENCES IT AND SAYS THAT IT WAS OPEN.

>> IT'S OPEN EARLY.

>> YEP, SO THAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IT -- >> SO, IF THEY KEEP THEIR RIGHT-NOW THROW, WHICH I AGREE, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

>> BUT, YOU PUT HIM ON HIM NOW, YOU TAKE YOUR CHANCES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I SAW - WHAT I THINK MARTINEZ SAW FROM HISIS VANTAGE POINT.

NUMBER ONE, HE SEES THE FRONT-SIDE SAFETY FACING LEVI FALCK.

SO, HE'S GOT -- HE'S GOT TO HOPE -- AND, HE CHECKED THE WHEEL FIRST.

>> YES, OMAR.

>> HE LOOKS AT OMAR FIRST AND WANTS TO COME BACK TO LEVI AND HE SEES THE SAFETY ALMOST FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION.

HE'S LOOKING AT THE WIDE RECEIVER, SO I THINK HE GOT -- IT SPOOKED HIM A LITTLE BIT THAT HE COULDN'T FIT IT IN RIGHT NOW.

>> THEN THE PRESSSURE CAME.

>> THEN THE PRESSURE COMES IMMEDIATELY IN THAT WINDOW SO, AGAIN, I KNOW WHAT THE STILLS SAY, BUT UNLESS THAT'S YOUR FIRST READ OFF THE WHEEL CONCEPT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT BALL IN.

>> YEAH, THAT WAS PETER'S QUESTION FROM FACEBOOK.

SEAN, SLOW STARTS, TOO.

BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE DEFENSE STARTED FAST.

IT'S ONLY 10-9 TOTAL THROUGH FIVE GAMES.

NEBRASKA HAS SCORED 10 -- THEY'VE GIVEN UP NINE.

HOW DOES NEBRASKA GET OFF TO FASTER STARTS?

>> THEY'VE GOT TO RUN THE BALL BETTER OUT OF THE GATES.

I THINK THEY - THEY REALLY TRY TO ESTABLISH THE RUN EVERY WEEK IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND IT HASN'T BEEN ESTABLISHED.

I MEAN, EVEN AGAINST FORDHAM, THEY'VE STRUGGLED TO RUN THE BALL EFFECTIVELY AND, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT TO SEE SOME CHANGES THIS WEEK ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE.

IT'LL BE INTERESTING WHAT DIRECTION THEY GO, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE AT LEAST TWO NEW STARTERS ON THE LINE THIS WEEK, BASED ON WHAT SCOTT SAID ON MONDAY - THE RIGHT TACKLE AND THE LEFT GUARD POSITIONS.

IT'LL BE INTERESTING HOW THEY SHAKE THIS UP BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RUN THE BALL ALL YEAR AND IT JUST HASN'T BEEN THERE.

>> MONITORED TWITTER ABOUT 5:20, WHEN PEOPLE ARE UP THERE IN THE STANDS AND THEY'RE LOOKING DOWN AND THEY'RE SEEING WHO'S THE FIRST TEAM ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE AND PEOPLE ARE TWEETIN' IT OUT - THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL KNOW.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO TO THE HIGHLIGHTS, NEBRASKA AND MICHIGAN STATE.

( WHOOSH ) >> FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S PRODUCTIVE HIGHLIGHTS.

THERE'S ADRIAN MARTINEZ STARTING OFF THE GAME.

WE START OFF, THOUGH, WITH PAYTON THORNE AND A GREAT DEFENSIVE PLAY.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HAVOC -- HAVOC IS CREATING TURNOVERS AND MARQUEL DISMUKE DOES EXACTLY THAT -- FADING BACK AND MAKING THE PLAY.

>> YEAH, THAT'S A BACKSIDE SAFETY.

A LITTLE TOO MUCH AIR UNDER THAT ONE.

DISMUKE MAKES THE PLAY.

>> NEBRASKA'S FORCED TO PUNT HERE BUT BESIDES THAT, ADRIAN MARTINEZ TAKES A SHOT IN HIS CHIN - END UP HAVING TO GO IN AND GET X-RAYS ON THAT CHIN.

COMES BACK.

THEY RUN OPTION RIGHT AWAY SO YOU KNEW HE WAS OKAY.

HERE'S PAYTON THORNE MAKING ONE OF THE PLAYS -- ONE OF THE BIGGER PLAYS OFFENSIVELY, COMING OFF THE FLEA-FLICKER.

WHAT HAPPENS HERE, DO YOU THINK?

IS THIS JUST SIMPLY SAFETY KIND OF STUMBLES A LITTLE BIT?

>> YEAH -- A LITTLE OF EYE DISCIPLINE AND THEN, AGAIN, YOU GOT TO KEEP YOUR FOOTWORK.

WHERE'S YOUR LEVERAGE?

YOU'VE GOT TO LEVERAGE THE BALL AND, LISTEN, YOU LET HIM OUTSIDE OF THAT HIGH SHOULDER, IT'S TOUGH.

>> DO WE CALL IT "MARTINEZ MAGIC," SEAN?

I MEAN, THIS IS -- HOW MANY TIMES NOW HAS HE TRIPPED, BROKEN A TACKLE, AND DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

>> THREE TIMES.

BUFFALO, ILLINOIS, AND NOW THIS GAME.

THAT'S WHERE OKLAHOMA REALLY DID A GOOD JOB A WEEK AGO.

THEY PREVENTED THAT PLAY, RIGHT THERE.

>> YEAH, THAT IS VERY TRUE.

THEY HAD A SPY ON HIM.

>> HE'S FORTUNATE TO GET UP FROM THIS TACKLE ON THE SIDELINES.

HE'S GIVEN HIMSELF UP AND IT WAS LATE.

IT'S A GOOD THING HIS FOOT GAVE.

IF HIS LEGS LOCKED, THAT'S A LOT WORSE.

>> PERSONAL FOUL - EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT, COULD HAVE BEEN A GUY GETTING KICKED OUT OF THE GAME.

NOW, NEBRASKA DOES SETTLE FOR THE FIELD GOAL HERE, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.

CONNOR CULP HAS KIND OF GOTTEN THINGS STRAIGHTENED OUT, REALLY, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> HIS BODY LANGUAGE WAS POSTIVE ALL NIGHT LONG.

HE'S THE LEAST OF THE GUYS THAT I WORRY ABOUT ON SPECIAL TEAMS.

>> HE WAS ON OUR SHOW YESTERDAY -- CULP -- AND SAW A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST LAST WEEK AND SAID IT'S REALLY HELPED HIM KIND OF GET HIS MENTAL FOCUS BACK.

>> AND THE TEAM SUPPORTED HIM, TOO.

THEY WERE RIGHT THERE WITH HIM.

HERE'S A BIG PLAY BY GARRETT NELSON - WE MENTIONED HIM EARLIER.

INSIDE THE RED ZONE, GETTING THE STOP, FORCING ANOTHER FIELD GOAL RIGHT HERE FROM MICHIGAN STATE.

GETTING THAT FIELD GOAL RIGHT THERE MAKES IT 10-3.

ADRIAN MARTINEZ HAD A BIG GAME ALL GAME LONG.

THIS IS A GUY THAT'S AVERAGING 325 YARDS A GAME - ONE OF THE TOP TEN.

AGAIN, GETS AWAY HERE, MAKES A GREAT THROW FOR THE FIRST DOWN.

>> THAT IS A BIG BOY THROW AGAINST CRAZY, IMMEDIATE PRESSURE.

>> ZAVIER BETTS, FIVE CATCHES FOR 62 YARDS.

YOU LIKE THIS OPTION?

IT'S KIND OF CLEAN.

>> I - I DO.

THEY - THEY ARE REALLY BECOMING WELL-VERSED AND, UNFORTUNATELY, I SAY THAT AND THEN THERE'S THE OMINOUS PLAY ON A POTENTIAL GAME CAPPING DRIVE.

>> NO DOUBT.

AND THAT'S - THIS A BROKEN PLAY?

>> YEAH, IT IS.

AND, MARTINEZ MAKES THE MOST OF IT.

HE KNOWS WHERE THE HOLE IS SUPPOSED TO GO -- IT'S JUST A SAVVY VETERAN BEING THAT GUY.

>> TWELVE-YARD TOUCHDOWN.

THEY WERE ALL EVEN AT 10-10, AND THEN HERE'S COMES CONNOR HEYWARD, A GUY THAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT.

ONLY A COUPLE TIMES EVEN THE BALL THROWN TO HIM, BUT HERE TWO OF ONLY SIX BROKEN TACKLES THAT I COUNTED ALL GAME WERE ON THAT PLAY.

>> YEAH, THE FIRST ONE WAS TOUGH, RIGHT - YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT INITIALLY BUT AFTER THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE BIG FELLA TO THE GROUND.

>> HE'S A BIG GUY.

ANOTHER FIELD GOAL -- YARDS THERE.

13-10 MICHIGAN STATE, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE HALF.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLPLOF SOMETHING THAT SCOTT FROST WAS PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT.

MADE THE SEVEN-YARD PUNT THAT LED TO THIS FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT.

IT GETS BLOCKED, BUT I'M SURE THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING HE'S THINKING ABOUT AT THE END OF THE GAME.

>> YEAH.

HE'S -- HE'S SEEING -- WHEN HE'S SAID A LOT OF -- A LOT MORE BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN THAN GOOD, I THINK HE'S SHOOTING YOU STRAIGHT.

>> THAT COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY, TOO -- >> YEAH - OH, YEAH, ONE BOUNCE.

>> I MEAN, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE ONES THAT YOU COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY WITH IT.

>> HERE'S A FOURTH DOWN PLAY, OR EXCUSE ME -- A THIRD-DOWN PLAY, SAMORI TOURE TO GET THE FIRST DOWN THERE.

HE HAD FOUR CATCHES FOR 40 YARDS, AND THEN NEBRASKA'S, THIS IS A NICE CATCH BY A 6'5" GUY THAT STRETCHED OUT FOR EVERYTHING HE HAD.

>> YEAH, HE REALLY PUT THAT ONE ON THE MONEY, TOO, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

THE MECHANICS WEREN'T GREAT, GOT IT WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE, NO PROBLEM.

>> AGAIN, STALL IN THE RED ZONE, NOT FINISHING THE DRIVE, BUT THEY GET THE FIELD G GL.

CONNOR CULP, AGAIN, 13-13 AT THAT POINT.

AND THEN, ADRIAN MARTINEZ GOES TO HIS ROOMMATE HERE -- WE SAW SOME BRODY BELT LAST WEEK.

WE SAW A LITTLE BIT IN THE RED ZONE EARLIER IN THIS GAME AND THEN THIS CATCH - ONE OF - THE BIGGEST PASS PLAY FOR NEBRASKA, YARDS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AND THEN, ADRIAN MARTINEZ AGAIN.

TIME FOR A FOURTH-DOWN PLAY, ADRIAN DOES IT WITH HIS FEET.

GETS THE FIRST DOWN -- SIX YARDS RIGHT THERE, AND THEN THIS IS A PERFECTLY-CALLED PLAY.

>> YEAH, FANTASTIC.

WELL-DESIGNED.

COULD HAVE WALKED IN.

HE BASICALLY DID.

KUDOS ON THE DESIGN -- WELL EXECUTED.

>> NEBRASKA UP 20-13 - 7:20 OR SO LEFT ON THE CLOCK, BUT THEN THIS PLAY.

WE SHOWED IT EARLIER FOR OUR BIG PLAY.

DANIEL CERNI KICKS THE BALL TO THE LEFT INSTEAD OF TO THE RIGHT AND THEN IT'S RETURNED FOR A TOUCHDOWN BY REED - 62 YARDS TO TIE IT UP.

>> CULP TO WATCH - THE ONLY GUY THAT COULD HAVE MADE THE TACKLE THERE.

>> YEAH, IT'S FUNNY, YOU LOOK AT IT - THE ONLY TWO GUYS THAT REALLY KNEW WHAT HAPPENING WAS THE LONG SNAPPER AND THE PUNTER.

THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT REALLY SAW THE BALL GO THAT WAY AND THEN NICK HEINRICH RUNS OVER AND TRIES TO MAKE THE PLAY, TOO, BUT OF COURSE IT WAS TOO LATE, AND THEN HERE'S THE INTERCEPTION.

JUST, WHO'S FAULT IS THIS GETTING ACROSS TO FACE?

THE WIDE RECEIVER?

>> YOU HAVE TO WIN.

AS A WIDE RECEIVER, YOU HAVE TO WIN.

YOU - YOU RUN THE SLANT WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET INSIDE BECAUSE THE QUARTERBACK IS THROWING TO A SPOT.

HE'S GOT TO KEEP COMING, YOU KNOW -- >> YEAH.

>> AND YOU GET -- AT WORST CASE, IT'S PASS INTERFERENCE.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

AND THEN, THE FIELD GOAL TO WIN THE GAME.

NEBRASKA LOSES AGAIN, DROPPING TO 2-3, 23-20.

LOOK AT THESE STATS.

THESE ARE DOMINATING STATS BY NEBRASKA.

YOU DON'T WIN THE GAME ON THE STAT PAGE BUT LOOK AT THAT - 188 YARDS DIFFERENCE IN TOTAL YARDS.

YOU SEE THE PASSING NUMBERS, TIME OF POSSESSION.

I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF TEN ON THIRD DOWN FOR MICHIGAN STATE -- IT WAS NEBRASKA DOMINATING, ESPECIALLY DEFENSIVELY, AND PUT UP GOOD OFFENSIVE NUMBERS, AS WELL, BUT SOMEHOW GOT AN "L." >> YEAH, IT'S HARD NOT TO FLUSH THE FILM AFTER THIS ONE, BUT THIS ONE WASN'T ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON PHYSICALLY.

THIS ONE WAS ALL ABOUT BETWEEN THE EARS, SO IT WILL BE A TOUGH FILM GRADE TO WATCH, AND NEBRASKA'S GOT TO BOUNCE BACK.

AND THE KEY IS, YOU CAN'T LET MICHIGAN STATE BEAT YOU TWICE.

>> YEAH.

THEY'VE HAD TWO GAMES WHERE THEY'VE PLAYED WELL AND LOST IN A ROW.

CAN THEY PLAY A THIRD ONE?

THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT STILL COMPLAIN ABOUT ADRIAN MARTINEZ.

LET ME TELL YOU, HE'S FOR 16TH IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF POINTS ACCOUNTED FOR AND HE IS SEVENTH IN THE COUNTRY IN YARDS A GAME -- 324.6 YARDS A GAME.

HE IS HAVING A GREAT SEASON.

>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

WHO IN THE BIG TEN RIGHT NOW AT QUARTERBACK IS -- >> WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE?

>> AT A HIGHER LEVEL?

>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

>> I MEAN, IT'S A REALLY DOWN YEAR IN THE LEAGUE AT QUARTERBACK.

>> WE THOUGHT MAYBE TANNER MORGAN WOULD BE UP THERE.

HE STRUGGLED MIGHTILY AGAINST BOWLING GREEN.

WE FIGURED THE OHIO STATE QUARTERBACK WOULD BE GOOD, WHOEVER IT WAS - GRAHAM MERTZ IS PLAYING HORRIBLY.

>> YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO MAKE IT ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE.

JUST ASK YOURSELF.

JUST LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND SAY, "SELF, WHERE WOULD NEBRASKA BE IF ADRIAN MARTINEZ DOESN'T PLAY?"

>> RIGHT.

>> LIKE, WHERE IS THIS FOOTBALL TEAM?

>> PROBABLY 1-4.

>> HE IS CLEARLY YOUR BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER.

>> NO DOUBT.

BE BACK ON "BIG RED WRAP-UP" - WE'LL BE JOINED BY FORMER NEBRASKA CENTER, MATT VRZAL, WHO CAN HELP US DIAGNOSE SOME OF THE OFFENSIVE LINE ISSUES PLAGUING THE HUSTERS.

BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK, THOUGH, SOME MORE IMAGES FROM SATURDAY'S GAME IN EAST LANSING, COURTESY OF "HAIL, VARSITY."

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪ >> ALL RIGHT, GOT SOME FUN -- SOCIAL MEDIA WAS SOME OF THE BEST IN THIS PAST WEEKEND.

DAMON BENNING'S FORMER HUSKER TEAMMATE AND MATT VRZAL AS WELL, TROY DUMAS, CHANNELING HIS INNER ARTHUR AS HE WATCHED SPECIAL TEAMS COLLAPSE LATE IN SATURDAY'S GAME.

WE'RE ALL RIGHT THERE WITH YOU, TROY.

WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN.

>> OH - HE'S - HE'S GREAT.

>> AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OF OUR GUYS, RAVI, SAYING THAT LOSING THE GAME IN WHICH YOU DON'T GET THE FIRST DOWN IN THE SECOND HALF FEELS LIKE WE MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL FOR THE '90S TO HAPPEN, AND HE'S COME TO COLLECT.

>> REALLY NOT A GOOD WAY TO COME TO TERMS WITH MICHIGAN STATE.

>> NO, NOT AT ALL.

LET'S TAKE A JUMP NOW IN THE BIG RED TIME MACHINE AND REMEMBER THE FORGOTTEN JV FOOTBALL PROGRAM AT NEBRASKA.

♪ >> AS YOUNG PLAYERS SOAK UP AS MANY REPS AS THEY CAN DURING PRACTICES, GAME ACTION IS ALWAYS SEEN AS MOST VALUABLE TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

BEFORE SCHOLARSHIP REDUCTIONS AND RULE CHANGES, THOSE YOUNG PLAYERS HAD AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO GET THOSE COVETED GAME REPS. FOR OVER 35 YEARS, NEBRASKA'S YOUTH HONED THEIR SKILLS ON THE FIELD ON THE HUSKERS' JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE BIG EIGHT, TEAMS MATCHED UP THEIR YOUNG PLAYERS, MORE THAN OFTEN FRESHMEN, FOR IN-GAME EXPERIENCE.

AS THE YEARS PROGRESSED AND PROGRAMS INCLUDED NON-FRESHMEN ON THEIR JV TEAMS, NEBRASKA KEPT FRESHMEN THE FOCUS OF THESE SQUADS FOR MUCH OF ITS EXISTENCE.

THINGS CHANGED IN 1972, WITH THE NCAA'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT FRESHMEN COULD PLAY VARSITY AND RED-SHIRT THEIR FIRST YEAR.

IT MEANT THAT PROGRAMS HAD FEWER PLAYERS TO FIELD ON THESE TEAMS.

NEBRASKA CONTINUED ON THROUGH THIS CHANGE -- ONE OF A SELECT FEW ALLOWING THEIR YOUNGER PLAYERS THE CHANCE FOR REAL GAME ACTION WITH THEIR POSITION COACHES.

THE TEAMS PLAYED A FIVE-GAME SCHEDULE EACH SEASON AND BY 1985, NEBRASKA'S JV TEAM WOULD GO FROM PLAYING BIG EIGHT OPPONENTS TO SCHOOLS LIKE AIR FORCE, AND OMAHA, AND SMALL JUNIOR COLLEGES AS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY BEGAN TO DISBAND THEIR JUNIOR VARSITY SQUADS.

NEBRASKA WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE THE LAST FULL-TIME JV TEAM OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICE ACADEMIES IN 1990 AND THAT YEAR, PLAYED ITS LAST REGULAR SEASON GAMES.

A ONE-OFF MATCHUP AGAINST AIR FORCE IN 1993 WOULD BE THE PROGRAM'S LAST AND THEIR JV TEAM DISBANDED WITH A RECORD OF 121-17-1.

THE FRESHMAN PROGRAM GAVE NEBRASKA'S YOUNG PLAYERS EXPERIENCE AND CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CARRIED ON TO THE VARSITY FIELD.

IN TURN, LEADING TO A WINNING TRADITION.

♪ >> I'M PLEASED TO WELCOME OUR GUEST NOW, FORMER HUSKER, MATT VRZAL.

WHAT WAS YOUR RECORD IN THE JV GAMES, MATT?

>> WE WON IT ALL.

>> 1-0.

THAT'S RIGHT.

>> WE BEAT AIR FORCE.

>> SEE THE T-SHIRT.

>> BRIAN PRUITT ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED A KID -- A GUARD OUT OF ILLINOIS.

>> FROM AIR FORCE?

>> AND, HE SMOKED HIM.

(LAUGHTER) I MEAN, HE HIT HIM HARD.

>> YOU GET A SHIRT THAT SAYS 1-0 JV SQUAD, I'LL WEAR IT.

>> I THINK WE SHOULD.

>> I THINK YOU SHOULD -- MAKE SOME MONEY.

>> YOU'RE KING OF THE T-SHIRTS.

>> I DO -- I'VE GOT -- HEY, YOU ALMOST SAW ONE OF THEM TODAY.

I HAD IT DOWN HERE - I FORGOT A SHIRT.

THE ONLY ONE I HAD WAS IT'S A PIECE OF PIZZA - IT SAYS "TACO TUESDAY" ON IT.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A STEVE PETERSON ONE.

>> NO, DIDN'T WEAR THAT ONE.

>> MATT, IT SAYS RIGHT HERE AT THE TOP - "OFFENSIVE LINE ISSUES: ASK" -- THAT GUY OVER THERE.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE.

>> I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR THE OFFENSIVE LINE IS THAT, AT TIMES, THEY THINK TOO MUCH.

AND, I THINK GOING BACK AND RE-ASSESSING WHAT YOU'RE RUNNING, HOW YOU'RE RUNNING IT, AND TRYING TO SIMPLIFY EVERY BLOCKING SCHEME YOU HAVE.

I'VE BEEN A BIG PROPONENT ON HUSKER HANGOVER, WHICH IS EVERY SUNDAY, TO JUST SIMPLIFY DOWN TO SIX TO EIGHT PLAYS THAT WE CAN RUN REALLY WELL --- WE CAN RUN 'EM AGAINST ANYTHING, WE CAN MASTER WHATEVER DEFENSE THEY COME OUT IN -- IT'S SIMPLE TECHNIQUES AND THEN YOU CAN LET THE ATHLETES BE ATHLETES BECAUSE NEBRASKA RIGHT NOW IS THE MOST ATHLETIC THAT'S BEEN ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE FOR A LONG TIME BUT THERE'S LITTLE TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWNS, THERE'S JUMPING OFFSIDES -- THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAPPEN.

IT'S JUST TOO MUCH THOUGHT IN THE BRAIN.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE CALM OF MIND WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU JUST UNLEASH.

THE LESS YOU THINK ABOUT ACTUALLY BLOCKING, THE MORE YOU JUST PLAY THE GAME -- A LOT MORE FUN.

>> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS OUT THERE -- YOU CAN'T ALWAYS DO IT ALL, RIGHT?

SOME ARE -- ITS' SOME ZONE -- >> YEAH.

>> SOME STAY BIG-ON-BIG, YOU KNOW.

SOME -.

>> CUT BLOCK A LOT.

>> YEAH, SOME CUT, YOU KNOW -- SOME ARE PRIMARILY PIN AND PULLERS, ALMOST ANY CHANCE THEY GET.

SOME LIKE G-SCHEME OR GAP, LIKE, IT'S NOT ALL THE SAME BUT YOU KIND OF, SOMETIMES, SEE NEBRASKA DABBLING A LITTLE OF A LOT.

>> CORRECT.

I WOULD -- WHEN WE WERE THERE, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF COMPLEXITY TO IT.

FOR INSIDE ZONE YOU HAD TWO SIMPLE RULES, "AM I COVERED?

IF I AM COVERED, I STRETCH BASE.

IF I AM UNCOVERED, I STRETCH DOUBLE."

IT'S SIMPLE.

I KNOW WHO MY PARTNER IS BECAUSE HE'S WITH ME ON MY BACKSIDE SIDE -- WE'RE GOING TO GO THIS WAY -- ALL WORKS GREAT.

IF WE'RE IN AN OUTSIDE ZONE, IF I'M COVERED, MEANING I HAVE A GUY ON ME, I'M GOING TO RIP-REACH -- IF I'M UNCOVERED, I'M GOING TO PULL AN OVERTAKE, AND THEN ANY TIME YOU WANT TO RUN A PLAY TO THE OUTSIDE WHERE WE HAD A PIN-AND-PULL SITUATION, I HAVE TO KNOW I'M PINNING TO THE RIGHT.

THERE'S MY GUY TO MY RIGHT -- HE'S GOT TO TAKE MY -- MY DEFENDER.

HE'S GOING TO BLOCK AND I'M GOING TO PULL.

SO, THE MORE SIMPLE YOU CAN KEEP THINGS - I KNOW THE GAME HAS EVOLVED, BUT COVERED OR NON-COVERED WILL RING TRUE FOREVER.

HE'S EITHER ON ME OR HE'S NOT ON ME.

IF HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF US, THEN WE'LL JUST FIGURE THAT OUT BETWEEN OURSELVES, BUT THE COMMUNICATION AND THE EASE OF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I THINK.

YOU WANT TO TRY TO KEEP IT SIMPLE AND JUST LET ATHLETES BE ATHLETES.

YOU HAD A MOVED-OVER CENTER HAWK DOWN A CORNER ON AN INTERCEPTION - LIKE, THE EFFORT IS THERE AND THE ATHLETICISM IS THERE -- >> OH, YEAH.

>> IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION, BUT HE MAKES A HUSTLE PLAY.

SO, YOU'VE GOT TO LET THOSE GUYS JUST GO OUT AND BE ATHLETES.

I THINK THE THINKING HAPPENS TOO MUCH - THAT LEADS TO OFFSIDES AND ALL THAT KIND OF BALONEY.

>> I WISH WE HAD AN EXTRA MINUTES WHERE YOU GUYS COULD JUST STAND UP HERE AND DO EACH ONE OF THOSE - YOU KNOW -- >> YOU KNOW, YOU CUT A RUN-COVER -- WE JUST DO EACH ONE OF THOSE AND SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

>> SEE, WE NEED A LIVE SESSION BECAUSE LAST TIME I WAS HER SIPPLE WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO SNAP.

I WAS GOING TO TEACH HIM HOW TO SNAP AND HE NEVER CALLED ME.

>> NOW, WAIT A MINUTE, IT'S ONLY AN HOUR.

( LAUGHTER ) >> WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT.

YOU BRING UP PENALTIES.

>> YEP.

>> YOU OBVIOUSLY COACH AT SCOTT.

YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT OCCASIONALLY.

>> YEP.

>> HOW DO YOU HANDLE - I MEAN, WE'VE HAD EIGHT FALSE START PENALTIES OVER THE COURSE OF TWO WEEKS AND ALMOST EVERYBODY'S BEEN A PART OF IT, INCLUDING THE GUY HOLDING THE FOOTBALL.

>> YEP.

THEY ALL TIE INTO THE SAME THING.

WHEN YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THE SNAP COUNT IS EASY.

BUT, YOU GET UP THERE, SOMEBODY MOVES, YOU START TO THINK, "WHY IS HE GOING THERE?

I HAVE TO NOW CHANGE THIS TECHNIQUE.

THIS HAS TO MOVE FOR ME."

YOU LOSE FOCUS ON WHAT THAT IS.

NOW, IF YOU DO STRUGGLE WITH THAT, SIMPLE BASIC THINGS YOU CAN DO.

IF I'M GOING INTO A PLAY AND IN THE YOUNGER GROUPS THAT I WORK WITH, IF IT'S ON TWO, THEY PUT DOWN TWO FINGERS ON THE GROUND.

IF IT'S ON ONE, YOU PUT DOWN ONE.

>> RIGHT.

>> LIKE, YOU JUST TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING AND -- BUT, YOU'VE GOT TO WORK ON IT AND I'M A FAN IF YOU DO JUMP OFFSIDES, I THINK THE WHOLE TEAM SHOULD BE PENALIZED.

YOU JUMP OFFSIDES IN PRACTICE, STOP EVERYBODY'S DRILL AND EVERYBODY DOES UP/DOWNS.

>> THE WHOLE TEAM -- >> THE WHOLE TEAM - OFFENSE, DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS, EVERYBODY - COACHES - THEY CAN HAVE FUN.

EVERYBODY DO IT UNTIL YOU GET IT FIGURED OUT BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP.

HOLD EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE.

>> YEAH, AND THAT'S TOUGH AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

WHEN THOSE KINDS OF THINGS HAPPEN, IT'S INTERESTING HOW THE GUYS START TO POLICE OTHER GUYS.

COACHES DON'T HAVE TO SAY MUCH.

>> CORRECT.

>> MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

WHAT ABOUT THE RUN GAME?

SEAN MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF THE STRUGGLES IN THE FIRST QUARTER IS, NEBRASKA'S NOT COMING OUT RUNNING THE BALL WELL.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ISSUE WITH THAT?

>> I THINK THE BIG THING FOR THEM IS AGGRESSION, RIGHT?

ANYTIME YOU'RE A LITTLE TENTATIVE ON WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TENTATIVE IN HOW YOU BLOCK.

IF I CAN JUST KNOW, "HEY, I'M DOING THIS," AND I JUST GO.

A LOT OF TIMES, IF YOU WATCH THE GAME REAL TIGHT, THE SECOND STEP DOESN'T ALWAYS GET ON THE GROUND.

THE FIRST STEP'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET YOURSELF IN POSITION - WHEN THE SECOND STEP HITS IS WHEN THE ACTION HAPPENS.

AND - AND, IF THAT SECOND STEP GETS CAUGHT UP IN THE AIR, YOU SEE GUYS GETTIN' BEAT ACROSS THEIR FACE WITH A SLANT, YOU SEE THE DOUBLE TEAMS GETTING THWARTED BY ONE GUY BECAUSE THEY'RE INSIDE.

IT'S TWO QUICK STEPS -- I MEAN, IT'S BAM-BAM, AS QUICK AS YOU CAN GET 'EM DOWN, MY ARMS ARE UNDERNEATH YOU - I'M GOING TO LEVER YOU UP AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THE OTHER WAY.

I'M GOING TO MOVE YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL.

>> THIS IS PERFECT BECAUSE YOU'RE A RUNNING BACK, RIGHT, SO THIS IS ALL HAPPENING IN FRONT OF YOU, SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

>> SO, FOR ME -- LISTEN, I LIKE TO FIND CREASES, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I REALLY LIKE AND YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS -- WE HAD 42-48 COUNTER TRAP, WE HAD 43-47 DIVE, WHICH ARE ONE-BACK, DIRECT FLOW DOWNHILL RUN GAME.

THERE'S NO REAL -- THERE'S NO LATERAL STEP, THERE'S NO SLOW FLOW -- THERE'S DOWNHILL RUN GAME -- >> THERE'S NO FULLBACK.

>> THE ONE -- >> HE DOESN'T WANT ANYBODY BACK THERE WITH HIM.

>> I'M A LITTLE SELFISH.

I'M TOTALLY KIDDING.

I'M JUST SERIOUS.

( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE -- WHEN -- MY POINT IN THAT IS, I COACH A LOT OF DEFENSE, TOO, AND I HAVE -- NOT MORE OFFENSE, BUT ANYWAY, WHEN YOU'RE ONE-BACK GUN, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO HONOR DOWNHILL RUN GAME UNTIL THIS TEAM SHOW YOU.

SO, THERE'S THIS - ALL THIS TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE OFFENSIVELY LINE PLAY AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THESE TEAMS THAT RUN SPREAD, AND DID SEVEN-ON-SEVEN -- >> SEVEN - YEP.

>> EVERYONE RUN-BLOCKING.

WELL -- >> YES.

>> THERE'S ONLY SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO OUT OF ONE-BACK RUN GAME WITHOUT DIRECT FLOW WITHOUT THE FEAR OF EITHER VEER OR TRAP - I KNOW THEY'RE TOO OLD-SCHOOL TERMS - DEFENSES DON'T HAVE TO PLAY YOU HONEST.

YOU SEE MORE SPILLING OR FORCING THINGS TO THE OUTSIDE THAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.

TRY TO SPILL DOWNHILL RUN GAME WHEN IT'S IN YOUR KITCHEN.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY TOUGH.

SO, YOU HAVE TO DIVERSIFY IT A LITTLE BIT.

YOU NEED MORE THINGS THAT HAPPEN BETWEEN THE TACKLES TO KEEP THOSE RUNNER/HITTERS HONEST.

>> HE TALKS ABOUT THE OLD SCHOOL BEING "TRAP," I REMEMBER EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, OHIO STATE, RUNNING THE BALL -- OH, DOBBINS, EXCUSE ME -- RUNNING THE BALL DOWNHILL AGAINST ALABAMA.

>> YES, SIR.

>> BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY AND RAN IT RIGHT IN THEIR -- RIGHT DOWN THEIR KITCHEN.

>> BECAUSE IT'S WHAT THEY'RE NOT USED TO.

THAT, LIKE, EVEN IN THE LATERAL SENSE, YOU CAN MAKE A LATERAL PLAY GO DOWNHILL.

DAMON, YOU KNOW, CLINTON, AHMAN, LAWRENCE, WE'RE ALL GOOD AT READING THAT.

THEY'D GET THREE STEPS AND THE DECISION'S MADE -- I'M EITHER PURSUING THIS TO THIS WAY OR WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT OUTSIDE FOOT IN THE GROUND AND WE'RE GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY.

THAT BECOMES DOWNHILL REALLY QUICK.

AND, THAT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO THE LINE, RIGHT?

BECAUSE WE'RE JUST GOING TO STRING.

IF THAT LINEBACKER NOW FLOWS OVER THE TOP, MY RUNNING BACK SEES IT AND HE CUTS BACK, I GOT GREAT ANGLES NOW.

>> RIGHT, YEAH.

>> I COULD DO SOME DAMAGE.

SO, IT'S -- IT ALL HAS TO MARRY TOGETHER.

>> DO YOU WANT TWO RETURNERS BACK FOR PUNT RETURN?

>> NO.

>>SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ON HERE.

>> AND IT -- AND IT'S -- REMEMBER, I TALKED TACTICAL VERSUS TECHNICAL?

>> SO, WITH TWO RETURNERS, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE NINE GUYS, RIGHT?

>> SURE.

>> LET'S SAY I'M ON THE PUNT TEAM AND I USE TWO GUNNERS.

THAT MEANS YOU CAN ONLY PUT SEVEN - THAT CREATES A FOUR VERSUS THREE KIND OF DEAL.

YOU'RE VERY VULNERABLE, ESPECIALLY WITH RUGBY-STYLE PUNTERS, TO SOFT EDGES.

>> GETTING A BLOCK.

>> LISTEN, YOU DON'T WANT TO -- LISTEN, AND PUNT TEAMS ARE TAUGHT TO COUNT -- HEY, YOU HAVE FOUR OR YOU HAVE THREE?

IS THERE AN OVERLOAD SIDE?

TWO RETURNERS BACK WITH TWO GUNNERS?

YOU'RE REALLY LIMITED WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE BOX.

YOU ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO RUGBY-STYLE PUNTS - GUYS TURNING THE CORNER ON YOU AND THE FATE GAME IS IN PLAY, TOO.

I WOULD EAT UP SEVEN IN THE BOX IF I WAS A GUY THAT DID SPECIAL TEAMS FOR PUNTS, BECAUSE I JUST THINK YOU'RE TOO VULNERABLE.

YOU ONLY NEED ONE GUY BACK.

>> DID YOU GET MY QUESTION WITH NO LINEMAN ON THE PUNT TEAM?

( LAUGHTER ) >> I DID NOT SEE THAT QUESTION.

>> YOU DON'T LIKE THE BIG GUYS COVERING MY -- >> I DID NOT SEE THAT.

>> YOU TALK ABOUT NUMBERS.

>> RIGHT.

>> YEAH -- THREE JUST AIN'T BUILT TO COVER.

>> RIGHT.

>> SO NOW - AND THE PUNTER PROBABLY AIN'T GOING TO DO MUCH, SO NOW YOU'RE DOWN FOUR - YOU'RE PLAYING SEVEN ON 11, LIKE -- >> YEAH.

WHAT ABOUT THIS, SO, IN THE OKLAHOMA GAME WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS THAT WEEK.

NEBRASKA DID A LOT OF PULLING.

A LOT OF IT WAS WITH THE TIGHT ENDS AND THEY HAD A VERY GOOD DAY.

YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT THIS WEEK AGAINST NORTHWESTERN.

>> USED THEM - USED THEM AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE, TOO.

>> RAN A NICE LITTLE THIRD-DOWN PLAY, RIGHT, ABOUT THE -- >> THE LITTLE WHAM TECHNIQUE.

>> IT WAS ALMOST A WHAM.

>> OH, YEAH.

>> WHAMMED INSIDE, GOT THAT, AND ADRIAN WENT UP EASY-BREEZY.

FIRST DOWN, KEEP 'EM MOVING.

>> CHANCELLOR BREWINGTON -- THAT -.

>> SO, THAT'S KIND OF THE PREMISE.

THAT'S THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO THE ONE-BACK LOOK IS THE ADDITION OF A SECOND BACK.

BUT BECAUSE -- AND I TEACH THIS TO LITTLE KIDS -- LISTEN, IF IT'S ONE-BACK, THEY AUTOMATICALLY KNOW -- I'M D-GAPPED -- I'M KIND OF A D-GAP TO D-GAP LINEBACKER.

WITH TWO BACKS, OR SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE BACKFIELD, YOU AT LEAST GIVE ME THE ILLUSION OF POWER.

YOU COULD COME ISO - YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT A LITTLE MORE HONEST.

LIKE, WITHOUT REAL DIRECT FLOW, OR THE ABILITY TO KICK OUT, LIKE ON POWER, OR AT LEAST OLD-SCHOOL TAG, AND BY THAT I JUST MEAN LIKE GUARD, TACKLE, PULL.

THE REASON THAT THAT -- THE REASON COUNTER WAS DEVELOPED WAS TO BLOCK LAWRENCE TAYLOR.

>> YES.

>> THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS RAN COUNTER BETTER THAN ANYBODY IN AMERICA BECAUSE GUYS GOT VERTICAL ON 'EM ALL THE TIME.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP TEAMS HONEST.

>> YEAH.

>> THERE'S A REASON FOR IT - WHAT'S OLD IS WHAT'S NEW.

>> YEAH, CONNOR TREY REALLY HURT A GUY WHO WAS ABOUT 240.

HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT.

>> I MEAN -- >> PIN AND PULL IN ANY INSTANCE WILL HELP AN OFFENSIVE LINE THAT'S STRUGGLING.

>> YEAH.

>> BECAUSE, WHEN YOU'RE DEFENDING, YOU SEE FULL WELL MY LINEMEN ARE OCCUPIED.

ALL THESE.

>> YEAH.

>> I JUST GOT TO GO AND GET UPFIELD QUICK.

NOW, YOU HAVE THE PIN AND PULL ASPECT A COUNTERSTEP FROM YOUR RUNNING BACK AND BACK THE OTHER WAY YOU GO.

IT'S HELPFUL.

>> IF YOU WERE GOING TO PUT TOGETHER A COACHING STAFF, WOULD YOU HAVE A FULL-TIME SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR?

>> 100%.

>> NO QUESTION.

>> IT'S HARD TO HAVE -- TO SHARE IT, RIGHT, TO HAVE ONE PERSON WHO'S TRYING TO MAKE OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JUST AS GOOD AS HE CAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HE'S GOT TO BE THE SPECIAL TEAMS GUY.

>> IT USED TO NOT BE, BUT COACHING THE POSITION NOW HAS BECOME SO MUCH MORE.

COACHES JUGGLE PERSONALITIES A LITTLE BIT.

THE RUNNING BACK ROOM IS PROBABLY THE WORST ROOM TO JUGGLE PERSONALITIES IN.

>> HA-HA-HA, WIDE RECEIVERS -- I KNOW HOW THAT WORKS.

>> IN ANY INSTANCE, BUT NOW YOU'RE JUGGLING A LOT MORE OFF-THE-FIELD STUFF.

ONE PERSON DESIGNATED TO THAT WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME IN PRACTICE TO HANDLE ALL THAT IS ALSO A BIG KEY TO IT.

>> IT'S - YOU KNOW, LISTEN -- AND, NO DISRESPECT TO -- I LOOK AT WHAT COACH DAWSON'S HAVING TO DO.

HE CAN MAKE THE CASE THAT HIS OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS, TO A MAN, ARE THE MOST IMPROVED POSITION ON THE TEAM.

>> AMEN.

>> BETWEEN CALEB TANNOR -- >> GO AHEAD.

>> GARRETT NELSON.

>> YEAH, TELL 'EM.

>> JOJO DOMANN HAS BECOME REALLY COMPLETE.

SO, IT'S NOT COACHING ACUMEN.

HE'S DONE SPECIAL TEAMS IN THE NFL.

THE PROBLEM IS, IS SPECIAL TEAMS HAS BECOME SO COMPLEX TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BECAUSE OF THE RULES.

YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL HAS TO BE EXTRAORDINARY TO EXCEL AT SPECIAL TEAMS - THERE'S JUST NO OTHER WAY AROUND IT.

>> THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IF THERE WAS A COORDINATOR, THEY'D SAW THAT THERE WERE TWO GUYS BACK, BECAUSE ALL GAME THEY'D HAD ONE GUY BACK THERE.

>> AND, I KNOW WHAT COACH DAWSON AND COACH FROST WOULD SAY - "YOU KICK THE BALL WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO --" >> YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.

>> IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY GUYS YOU HAVE BACK THERE.

>> FOOTBALL ACUMEN.

>> THAT THING GOES TO THE RIGHT HASH -- >> YEAH -- >> FOOTBALL -- >> I THINK HE'S GETTING IT ALL HE WANTS TO -- THAT BALL'S COMING TO HIM.

>> FOOTBALL ACUMEN'S GOT TO KICK IN, THOUGH.

THE PROBLEM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT PUNT FORMATION -- I'M GOING TO TAKE A PEEK AND GO, WHY IS NUMBER ONE OVER HERE?

>> SO, THE DIFFICULT THING WITH THAT - EVERYBODY SAYS, "WELL, WHY DON'T GUYS THAT COVER PUNTS JUST LOOK UP?"

>> WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO RUN?

>> TRY THAT AT HOME.

>> YEAH, WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO RUN?

>> HEY, YOU SEE BIG SIRLES AT THE GAME?

LIKE, HE'S ON THE SIDELINE AND HE'S STANDING IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AND HE'S POINTING -- HE'S LIKE -- >> HE SAW IT.

HE SAW IT, YEAH.

LET ME TELL YOU, TREV ALBERTS SAW IT, TOO.

>> YEAH.

>> I SAW THAT RIGHT AWAY.

>> YEAH, YOU COULD SEE BECAUSE THE BIG BOSS - HE WAS GETTING READY TO COME OVER, AND YOU COULD SEE IT, BUT IF YOU'RE WORKING LEFT TO RIGHT, THOSE ARE THE GUYS THAT HAVE GOT TO PEEK - BUT, YOU ONLY HAVE THREE OF THOSE GUYS ON THAT SIDE, TYPICALLY, TO GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE TO COVER IF IT'S PUNTED CORRECTLY.

THEY'RE YOUR SAFETY VALVES.

THOSE GUYS WERE JUST SLOW TO GO.

>> BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THESE LAST TWO GAMES, I KNOW IT'S LOSSES, BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE NEBRASKA HAS A SHOT TO MAKE A LITTLE RUN AT THE END OF THE SEASON?

>> PLAY DESIGN'S BEEN OFF.

LIKE THE BELOVED SWING PASS WE LIKED TO RUN, THEY CHANGED THAT FROM TRYING TO STOP BLOCK TO TWO CUT BLOCKS.

THAT WAS AWESOME -- >> AND, HE'S GOT TO HOUSE THAT.

>> BODIES ON THE GROUND, NOW, THAT SETS YOU UP FOR OTHER THINGS.

I LOVE THE CREATIVITY ON ADRIAN'S PLAY WHEN HE SCORED AND THERE WAS LITERALLY ANYONE AROUND EXCEPT TIM CARPENTER AND MATT HOSKINSON ON THE SIDELINES.

THAT WAS IT.

>> WE'VE GOT TO GET CARP A NEW HAT.

>> TRUE.

THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT TO SEE, BECAUSE NOW YOU SEE THE CREATIVITY OF THE MINDS AT NEBRASKA.

YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, ELIMINATING THE STUPID IS WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN.

YOU CAN'T CONTINUALLY SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT.

IF WE CAN ALL HAVE SHOWS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT AN OFFSIDES, OR A BLOWN RESPONSIBILITY IN SPECIAL TEAMS, I MAY SING.

I'M NOT A GOOD SINGER, BUT I'LL TRY.

IF WE COULD DO THAT, NOW YOU'RE IN POSITION TO GET HOT AND WIN SOME GAMES -- I TRULY BELIEVE THAT.

IF THE OFFENSIVE LINE KICKS IT UP A NOTCH, NOW YOU'RE IN POSITION TO WIN GAMES.

>> YEAH.

AFTER DAMON SAY YOU EITHER DO OR DO NOT, WE COULD TALK START, OR THE ENTIRE THING IF THEY JUST WON GAMES, YOU KNOW?

YOU COULD TALK PIZZA -- I MEAN, WE COULD BE GOOD.

>> IT'D BE FUN.

>> YEAH.

VRZ, THANKS, MAN.

>> YEAH, BOYS, GOOD TO SEE YA.

>> GOOD SEEING YOU, AS WELL.

COMING UP ON THE "WRAP-UP," SEAN CALLAHAN IS BACK AND WE'LL CHECK IN ON THE LATEST ON NEBRASKA'S RECRUITING, BUT FIRST ANOTHER LOOK FROM SATURDAY'S GAME AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE, COURTESY OF "HAIL, VARSITY."

STAY WITH US.

♪ BACK AND WE'LL CHECK IN ON THE LATEST ON NEBRASKA RECRUITING.

>>> BE SURE TO VOTE ON THIS ♪ >> BE SURE TO VOTE ON THIS WEEK'S "SIDELINE SURVEY" QUESTION, "WHICH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL?

CURRENT NUMBERS "MORE OPTION FOOTBALL," GETTING 14%.

"MORE RUNNING GAME," GETTING 16%.

AND, HONESTLY, "MORE SCORING" IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL - 70% OF THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU VISIT THE "WRAP-UP" WEBSITE AND CAST YOUR VOTE.

WELCOME BACK AND THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE "WRAP-UP."

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE, JOINED BY SEAN CALLAHAN.

OFFICIAL VISITORS THIS WEEK, SEAN?

>> NO.

I MEAN, OFFICIAL VISITORS STILL UP IN THE AIR, BUT A LOT OF UNOFFICIALS.

I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE 2023S, 2024S -- YOU KNOW, DYLON RIOLA I THINK WILL BE ONE OF THE MORE HIGH-PROFILE GUYS.

HE'LL BE IN LINCOLN THIS WEEKEND -- WAS AT TEXAS.

HE'S THE 2024 QUARTERBACK, THE SON OF DOMINIC RIOLA, WAS JUST OFFERED BY TEXAS THIS PAST WEEKEND WHEN HE WAS IN TOWN FOR THEIR GAME AND, YOU KNOW, THAT LIST WILL COME TOGETHER ON HUSKER ONLINE HERE AS THE WEEK COMES TO AN END.

BUT, TWO STRAIGHT NIGHT GAMES AT HOME.

I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE GUYS COMNG TO TOWN FOR THESE GAMES.

>> SOUNDS GOOD.

TALK IN-STATE NOW - 2023 CLASS, HUSKER COMMIT BEN BRAHMER JOINING US HERE FROM PIERCE, NEBRASKA.

BEN, HOW YOU DOING TODAY?

>> GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?

>> WE'RE DOING WELL, MAN.

NEBRASKA'S STARTING TO BUILD QUITE THE TIGHT END ROOM AND TIGHT END REPUTATION AROUND THE COUNTRY.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THAT NEBRASKA WAS THE PLACE FOR YOU?

I LOVE THE COACHING STAFF THERE AND COACH BECKTON IS REALLY A GOOD GUY AND, ON AND OFF THE FIELD, SO HE'S A GREAT COACH FOR TIGHT ENDS AND I KNOW THEY USE THE TIGHT ENDS REALLY WELL.

>> BEN, HOW FAST DID IT ALL HAPPEN WITH NEBRASKA?

IT JUST FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU WEREN'T ON THE RADAR NECESSARILY AND THEN, BOOM, THEY SAW YOU AND YOU GOT THAT OFFER.

I MEAN, IT MOVED EXTREMELY QUICK FOR YOU THIS PAST SUMMER.

>> YEAH, EVERYTHING WENT REALLY FAST.

IT WAS LIKE A SNAP OF THE FINGER WHEN THEY OFFERED ME, AND THEN I COMMITTED PRETTY EARLY, TOO, SO IT WAS ALL PRETTY FAST, BUT IT WAS AN EASY DECISION FOR MY FAMILY AND I.

>> WHAT'S THE SEASON BEEN LIKE FOR YOU GUYS AND HOW HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING?

>> IT WAS EASY, SO, YEAH.

>> HOW HAS YOUR SEASON BEEN, IN TERMS OF PLAYING THIS SEASON SO FAR WITH PIERCE?

>> GOOD SO FAR.

WE ARE 4-1.

WE HAD A TOUGH LOSS THIS WEEK, BUT WE'RE COMING BACK AND HOPEFULLY ROLL OFF THE REST OF THE REGULAR SEASON WITH NO LOSSES LOST.

>> BEN, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS TIME, BUT MATT HERIAN WAS THE LAST DIVISION I PLAYER AND TIGHT END TO COME OUT OF PIERCE.

YOUR DAD COACHED HIM.

HOW MUCH DO YOU TALK TO MATT?

HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE TRY TO COMPARE YOU TWO JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIMILAR POSITIONS AND THINGS AND THE PATH THAT YOU GUYS'LL BE TRAVELING?

>> YEAH, IT'S OBVIOUS, SO WE'RE SIMILAR AND I'M TRYING TO BEAT ALL OF HIS RECORDS RIGHT NOW, BUT, I DON'T TALK TO HIM A WHOLE BUNCH, BUT HE LIVES DOWN THE ROAD SO I SEE HIM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AND SAY "HI" TO HIM.

BUT, YEAH.

>> SO, ABOUT 6'6", 200 LBS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE COACHES KIND OF ENVISION YOU IN TERMS OF WEIGHT-WISE WHEN YOU'RE AT NEBRASKA.

>> I THINK I CAN GET UP TO ABOUT 235 OR 240 WHEN I'M DOWN THERE AND THEY'LL USE ME MORE AS A CATCHING TIGHT END, BUT I CAN GO DOWN AND BLOCK, TOO, IF THEY NEED ME TO DO THAT.

>> BEN, THERE'S ALREADY TWO IN-STATE GUYS COMMITTED IN THIS CLASS, YOU AND GUNNAR GOTTULA.

I'VE SEEN YOU DOWN THERE WITH TEITUM TUIOTI -- MAVERICK NOONAN AT ELKHORN SOUTH HAS ALSO BEEN AROUND.

I MEAN, HOW MUCH DO YOU GUYS COMMUNICATE AS A CORE GROUP OF IN-STATE RECRUITS RIGHT NOW?

>> WE COMMUNICATE A LITTLE BIT.

ME AND GUNNAR TALK QUITE A BIT WHENEVER WE'RE AT THE GAMES WITH EACH OTHER, OR AT A CAMP, OR SOMETHING.

WE SEE EACH OTHER QUITE A BIT AND WE'VE BUILT A RELATIONSHIP ALREADY.

AND, IT JUST KIND OF SHOWS THE LEADERSHIP ALREADY THAT ME AND HIM ARE THE FIRST TWO COMMITS FROM NEBRASKA, SO WE'LL BE LEADERS ON THE TEAM WHEN WE GET THERE.

>> BEN, WE APPRECIATE IT.

HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR SEASON.

>> YOU, TOO.

THANK YOU.

>> OTHER IN-STATE RECRUIT, DEVON JACKSON, PURE SPEED AND ATHLETICISM.

THIS KID IS A TRUE ATHLETE.

>> YEAH, HE WON THE 100 METERS THIS PAST YEAR.

>> AT 220, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.

>> YEAH, IT WAS -- >> HE'S A BIG KID.

>>IT WAS A LEAD AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY HIS FINAL THREE, OREGON, MIAMI, AND ARIZONA STATE.

YOU KNOW, HE'S SAID FROM THE GIT-GO HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT -- GET OUT OF THE REGION, GET OUT OF THE BIG TEN.

HIS MOM AND DAD WERE BOTH ATHLETES AT ILLINOIS, SO HE DIDN'T REALLY GROW UP A NEBRASKA KID, AS FAR AS A HUSKER FAN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND NEBRASKA WAS HIS FIRST OFFER, THOUGH.

THEY CAME IN - BARRETT RUUD AND SCOTT FROST, OFFERED HIM RIGHT AWAY IN THE PROCESS, AND IN FACT, I REMEMBER BEING AT BURKE DURING JANUARY, THOUGH, WHEN THE COACHES WERE ON THE ROAD BEFORE HIT TWO MONTHS LATER, AND WE SAW SCOTT FROST IN THE HALLWAY AT BURKE, SO NEBRASKA WAS ON DEVON BUT I THINK DEVON MADE IT FAIRLY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, HE WANTED TO DO HIS OWN THING -- GET OUT OF OMAHA AND GO SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY AND HE'S GOT SOME GOOD CHOICES.

YOU COULD ARGUE HE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROSPECT RIGHT NOW IN NEBRASKA.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DESHAWN WOODS, BUT YOU JUST LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS THERE - HE'S GOT A USC OFFER, AS WELL.

I MEAN, HE'S GOT ABOUT EVERY MAJOR OFFER YOU COULD HAVE.

>> AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE.

ALL OF THESE STORIES ARE DIFFERENT.

EVERY ONE OF THESE KIDS WHO'S NOT GOING TO NEBRASKA OUT OF THE CLASSES THAT ARE IN THE METRO AREA, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN STORY, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, OMAHA IS SUCH A UNIQUE COMMUNITY NOW.

IT'S DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS YEARS AGO AND NEBRASKA FOOTBALL'S DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS YEARS AGO.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND YOU FLIP IT NOW TO THE NEXT YEAR.

WE JUST TALKED 2023, NEBRASKA, IF YOU WERE PROJECTING ODDS, GOOD CHANCE THEY'LL GO FOUR FOR FOUR.

>> RIGHT.

>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ONCE IN THE 20-YEAR CYCLES WHERE THE TOP FOUR GUYS, AT LEAST IN OUR RANKINGS AT "RIVALS," ALL HAD THEIR OWN REASONS.

THERE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A BUNCH OF REALLY GOOD TIGHT ENDS IN NEBRASKA THIS YEAR AND NEBRASKA TOOK THREE TIGHT ENDS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SO RECRUITING IS NUMBERS, IT'S LUCK HERE AND THERE, AND THIS HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THOSE YEARS WHERE THE BALL DIDN'T BOUNCE RIGHT FOR NEBRASKA WITH SOME OF THE IN-STATE KIDS.

>> THANKS, SEAN.

( WHOOSH ) >> HAD A LONG TALK WITH THE TEAM THIS MORNING AND I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE GUYS THAT ARE DOING SO MANY THINGS RIGHT AND PLAYING AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL AND A COUPLE LITTLE PIECES AND A COUPLE DECISIONS ARE COSTING US, AND PROBABLY COST US TWO OR THREE GAMES THIS YEAR.

( WHOOSH ) >> WE'RE PUSHING EACH OTHER.

WE'RE FINDING NEW WAYS TO GET IT DONE, BUT ULTIMATELY, IT'S JUST ABOUT US PREPARING AS BEST AS WE CAN, IMPROVING OUR PROCESSES TO GET PREPARED, AND THEN SHOWING UP ON SATURDAY AND BEING READY TO PLAY.

( WHOOSH ) >> WE HAVE TO BE HARD ON OURSELVES, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO GIVE OURSELVES GRACE, LIKE, WE'RE HUMAN, WE PLAY THIS GAME, WE WIN OR LOSE - WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE AND A GROWTH MINDSET.

( WHOOSH ) >> POINTING THE FINGER IS NOT SOLVING ANY ISSUES.

HELPING OTHERS IS SOLVING A LOT OF ISSUES AND SO I THINK THOSE KIDS HAVE GOT TO TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO, YOU KNOW, HELP SPREAD WHAT THEY'RE - WHAT THEY'RE CREATING IN THAT ROOM AND CONTINUE TO GET BETTER ON THEIR END.

( WHOOSH ) >> IT'S EASY TO PRACTICE WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A WIN.

IT JUST GIVES YOU MORE ENERGY.

WHEN YOU REALLY FIND OUT ABOUT SOMEBODY - HOW MENTALLY TOUGH THEY ARE WHEN THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL, OR YOU DON'T GET THE RESULTS THAT YOU WANTED.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RESPONDE?

( WHOOSH ) >> WE'RE SO CLOSE.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN A BAD TEAM THAT WON A FEW GAMES, THEN A PRETTY GOOD TEAM THAT WON SOME AND LOST SOME - RIGHT NOW WE'RE A GOOD TEAM THAT'S LOST SOME GAMES AND WE'VE GOT TO GET OVER THAT HURDLE AND THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WE GET, THE BETTER.

SO, I LOVE THIS TEAM.

I LOVE BEING AROUND THEM EVERY DAY AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO GET ANOTHER CHANCE.

>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AROUND THE BIG TEN.

MICHIGAN OUTLASTED A VERY GOOD DEFENSIVELY RUTGERS TEAM AT HOME, WINNING 20-13.

BOWLING GREEN TOPPLED, SUNK THE BOAT -- HOWEVER, YOU WANT TO SAY IT -- UPSET MINNESOTA 14-10, AND NORTHWESTERN RAN OVER OHIO 36-6 AT HOME.

( WHOOSH ) >> AND STICK THERE WITH NORTHWESTERN.

THEY HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT RUNNING BACKS.

THEY PLAYED SEVERAL DIFFERENT QUARTERBACKS.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THIS WILDCATS TEAM?

>> IT DEPENDS ON THE HEALTH OF THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE.

THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME BLOCKING PEOPLE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, I THINK, THAT I CAN REMEMBER FOR COACH FITZ THAT CONCEPTUALLY, THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A NORTHWESTERN OFFENSE AND SOME PEOPLE SAY, "AH, WELL WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ANYWAY?"

VERY DISJOINTED, NOT A TON OF CONTINUITY.

HE'S STRUGGLED IN SOME FACETS BEFORE OFFENSIVELY, BUT THEY CAN'T GET MUCH RIGHT AT ALL AND I THINK IT STARTS UP FRONT FOR THEM, SO I EXPECT NEBRASKA TO BE ABLE TO GET AFTER THEM A LITTLE BIT.

BUT, DEFENSIVELY, NORTHWESTERN IS PRETTY SOUND.

YOU'RE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM A LONG-TIME GREAT DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR RETIRING.

YOU LOST THE LAW FIRM AT THE LINEBACKING CORE.

THEY HAD TO REPLACE A TON DEFENSIVELY, BUT IT'S STILL A COACH FITZ-COACHED BUNCH.

>> HUNTER JOHNSON, TWO GAMES AGO - THEY LOSE.

DON'T PLAY WELL AGAINST DUKE.

YESTERDAY, OR LAST WEEK, IT WAS RYAN HILINSKI - WHAT DO YOU THINK DO YOU SEE FROM QUARTERBACK FOR THEM?

>> HOW UNIQUE IS THAT THEY GET A CLEMSON TRANSFER QUARTERBACK AND A SOUTH CAROLINA TRANSFER QUARTRBACK.

YOU KNOW, TWO HIGHLY-RATED GUYS.

HUNTER JOHNSON WAS A FIVE-STAR AND HILINSKI WAS A FOUR-STAR, SO YOU KNOW, THESE WERE LEGIT PLAYERS.

I THINK THE GOOD THING IS THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MOBILITY.

I THINK ERIK CHINANDER CAN REALLY PUT UP A GOOD SCHEME TO SLOW THEM DOWN.

THEIR SEASON CHANGED, MIKE'L AND DAMON, WHEN CAM PORTER GOT HURT.

>> YEAH, THE RUNNING BACK.

>> YEAH, SO MUCH OF WHAT THEY DID WAS BUILT AROUND HIM, AND I MEAN, HE CAUSED LIKE THREE RUNNING BACKS TO GO ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL AND THEN HE GOT HURT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY GET PEYTON RAMSEY DECIDED TO COME BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND CAM PORTER IS PLAYING.

I MEAN, THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLCLUB AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY PEYTON RAMSEY DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY ONE MORE YEAR OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

WE'RE GOING TO DO BREAKDOWNS WE ALWAYS DO ON OUR SHOW.

THIS RUNNING BACK - I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T GIVE HIM THE BALL MORE.

HE'S A BIG, LONG KID, 11:51 THE OTHER DAY.

HE HAD A REALLY BIG RUN AGAINST DUKE.

THEY RUN HULL A LOT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T PLAY HIM MORE BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE, YOU EXPECT TO SEE A LOT OF RUNNING GAME AGAINST NEBRASKA, RIGHT, AND NEBRASKA'S DEFENSE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD UP.

>> YEAH, I THINK NEBRASKA WILL BE ABLE TO FIND NORTHWESTERN OFFENSIVELY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR RUN FITS.

I DON'T KNOW IF NEBRASKA WILL NECESSARILY FEAR NORTHWESTERN WITH GUYS GOING BY THEM, SO THE KEY FOR NEBRASKA WILL BE WHEN YOU ARRIVE, GET GUYS TO THE GROUND.

STAY AWAY FROM THE LEAKY YARDAGE.

I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ON NORTHWESTERN BETWEEN A SECOND AND SEVEN, AND A SECOND AND FIVE.

TWO YARDS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH BUT UNTIL THAT PASSING GAME STARTS TO GEL A LITTLE BIT, DON'T LET THEM GET HEALTHY WITH THE LITTLE HIDDEN LEAKY RUNNING YARDS, BY FALLING FORWARD, AND SLIDING OFF TACKLES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> WHAT ABOUT THEIR DEFENSE?

THEY GAVE UP 30 STRAIGHT POINTS TO DUKE - DID WELL LAST WEEK, BUT AGAINST A BAD OHIO TEAM.

>> I MEAN, IT'S A REBUILDING YEAR.

THEIR DEFENSE OBVIOUSLY HAS A CULTURE WITH PAT FITZGERALD AND WHAT THEY DO BUT AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS, I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT THEY LOST AND, I MEAN, THEY HAD THE BEST PLAYER ON THE BACK END IN JOSEPH, IN THE CONFERENCE.

AND, HE HAD HIS FIRST INTERCEPTION LAST WEEK OF THE YEAR, BUT HE WAS ARGUABLY THE PRE-SEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE ON DEFENSE AND HE'S REALLY THE GUY.

I MEAN, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF NEW FACES.

I MEAN, THEY LOST AS MANY STARTERS AS ANY TEAM IN THE POWER FIVE RANKS.

I MEAN, THE SUPER SENIOR RULE -- VERY FEW PEOPLE LOST THAT MANY GUYS AND, I MEAN -- AND IT'S BENEFITED PROGRAMS.

I MEAN, LOOK AT ARKANSAS AND THE AMOUNT OF SUPER SENIORS THEY HAVE AND WHAT IT'S DONE FOR THEM AND NORTHWESTERN, UNFORTUNATELY, DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY OF THOSE GUYS DECIDE TO COME BACK.

>> BASICALLY, NORTHWESTERN, STANFORD, AND THE SERVICE ACADEMIES - THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF GUYS COMING BACK.

I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A KOOL-AID GUY, BUT YOU MOVE IOWA AND YOU SAY EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WEST, THERE'S NO REASON WHY NEBRASKA SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BEAT ANYBODY THEY PLAY IN THAT WEST BECAUSE NOBODY'S PLAYING THAT WELL.

>> NO, I AGREE.

I AGREE, AND WITHOUT DYNAMIC QUARTERBACK PLAY, IT REALLY ELEVATES THE WAY THAT YOUR DEFENSE IS PLAYING BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING THIS SOUND DEFENSIVELY, A BIG PLAY BY A QUALITY QUARTERBACK CAN OFTEN BE THE DIFFERENCE.

NEBRASKA'S NOT GOING TO SEE THAT, SO THAT DEFENSE CAN KEEP GAMES CLOSE.

YOU NEED THE SPECIAL TEAMS TO COME AROUND.

IF TWO OF THOSE THREE PHASES START TO ELEVATE, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE THEMSELVES A CHANCE TO MAKE A RUN.

>> IOWA DOESN'T LOOK REALLY GOOD DEFENSIVELY, BUT THEY'RE OFFENSE IS PRETTY ANEMIC, AS WELL.

>> AND, WISCONSIN LOOKS GOOD DEFENSIVELY, TOO.

YOU LOOK AT PETRAS, AND HE'S ARGUABLY AS BAD OF A QUARTERBACK AS IOWA'S HAD SINCE VANDENBERG, AND THAT'S WHEN NEBRASKA HAD THEIR -- >> A WHILE, YEAH.

>> THAT'S WHEN NEBRASKA HAD THEIR SUCCESS AGAINST IOWA.

I MEAN, THEY HAD NFL GUYS AFTER THAT AND KIRK FERENCE WON A LOT OF GAMES.

I MEAN, THIS OFFENSE HASN'T LOOKED -- I MEAN, 24 POINTS -- KEAGAN JOHNSON, BY THE WAY -- HECK OF A GAME HE HAD.

>> HE DID.

HE LOOKED GREAT.

>> HE'S GOING TO BE A GOOD PLAYER.

>> AND, WE ALL KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CASE.

HOW DO YOU FEEL AGAINST NORTHWESTERN?

FEEL GOOD FOR NEBRASKA?

>> I DO.

I THINK THE OFFENSE IS -- HAS STILL GOT TO FIND THEIR WAY.

I'M NOT SO MUCH INTERESTED IN THE - YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL POINTS OUTPUT FOR THIS OFFENSE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME RHYTHM AND LET ME KNOW WHO I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD.

I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO SETTLE IN ON JUST A COUPLE OF RUNNING BACKS.

WE'LL SEE WHICH TWO THOSE ARE.

I THINK ONE OF THEM IS RAHMIR JOHNSON.

>> YEP.

>> SEVION MORRISON GOT A TON OF SNAPS.

HE DOESN'T STRIKE ME AS THE TYPE OF BACK THAT IS "I'M READY TO GO WHENEVER," HE'S A RHYTHM GUY.

SO, IF HE'S GOING TO BE YOUR NEXT GUY, REALLY FOCUS ON GETTING HIM READY AND THEN DEFENSIVELY YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

CONNOR CULP WILL COME AROUND.

SHORE UP THE PUNTING GAME.

YOU'RE BACK AT HOME IN SOME FRIENDLY CONFINES -- SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

>> YOU LIKE NEBRASKA AGAINST NORTHWESTERN?

>> YEAH - I MEAN, I JUST THINK NEBRASKA IS DESPERATE RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE HOME.

I LIKE THE FACT NEBRASKA'S HOME FOR THE NEXT FIVE GAMES -- KIND OF SETTLE IN, GET COMFORTABLE, GET A RHYTHM GOING AT HOME.

I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD THREE OUT OF FIVE -- TWO IN A ROW.

I MEAN, THINK ABOUT THAT -- THREE OUT OF FIVE ROAD GAMES AND WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO OCTOBER YET.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENED VERY OFTEN, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'VE LEARNED FROM THAT TOUGH ROAD STRETCH AND BEING AT HOME WITH TWO NIGHT GAMES, TWO GOOD ATMOSPHERES IN A ROW - THAT'S GOING TO HELP.

>> GIVE US YOUR BURNING QUESTION.

>> MY BURNING QUESTION IS CAN NEBRASKA, IN THE OFFENSIVE LINE, WHAT'S IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE ON SATURDAY?

HOW WILL THEY -- WHAT KIND OF CHANGES ARE WE GOING TO SEE UP FRONT WITH THIS OFFENSIVE LINE UNIT?

>> EASY FOR ME.

CAN YOU GO FROM KICKING GAME TO ACTUALLY CALLING IT SPECIAL TEAMS?

MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

I'M NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT KICKOFF AND KICKOFF RETURN -- PUNT, PUNT RETURN -- CAN WE GET BACK TO GRAVITATING AT LEAST TOWARDS SPECIAL TEAMS?

>>I'M STAYING WITH EVERY WEEK THE SAME THING, FINISHING DRIVE RATE.

THEY'RE HAVING SUCCESSFUL DRIVES TO GET ACROSS THE 40 BUT KICKING TOO MANY FIELD GOALS.

GET TOUCHDOWNS INSTEAD OF FIELD GOALS AND I THINK YOU RUN AWAY WITH THE GAME AGAINST NORTHWESTERN.

DON'T FORGET TO HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE TO CLICK ON "THE PREDICTION."

DAMON AND I WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT ON SATURDAY.

NEBRASKA RETURNS HOME THIS WEEKEND AND WILL TAKE ON THE NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS.

THE HOMECOMING GAME IS SCHEULED FOR 6:30 TO KICK OFF ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK.

NEXT TUESDAY WE'LL BE BACK TO RECAP THE GAME WITH BRANDON VOGEL FROM "HAIL, VARSITY."

OUR THANKS TO MATT VRZAL AND BRAD BRAHMER, ER, BEN BRAHMER, EXCUSE ME -- AND JOINING THIS EVENING, FOR DAMON BENNING AND SEAN CALLAHAN, I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA'S "BIG RED WRAP-UP."

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY CAPTION SOLUTIONS, LLC WWW.CAPTIONSOLUTIONS.COM RAHMER.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA "BIG RED WRAP UP."

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