Quick hits from Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule in Michigan State week
Summary
Injury: Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and the Huskers will hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on Michigan State.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and the Huskers will hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on Michigan State.
Here's a quick rundown of Matt Rhule's comments from his media session on Monday:
>>> Rhule said Monday that tight end Carter Nelson won't play this weekend against Michigan. Nelson limped off the field late in the win over North Dakota. Rhule said Nelson's status beyond the Michigan State game is unknown, but said it wasn't an ACL-related injury.
>>> Rhule said Nelson is the only significant injury Nebraska is dealing with heading into Big Ten play.
>>> Nebraska will get to travel 80 players on the road this week — an increase of six players from previous rule. The extra spots, plus redshirts no longer being a discussion, has made decisions easier than they've been previously.
Rhule said the last few spots are determined by who can help during the game, but also who has been practicing better in the week leading up to the game.
"I'm talking deliberate practice, 'I need to work on this, I need to work on that,'" Rhule said.
>>> Rhule on Nebraska's special teams: "We've had too many penalties on special teams…we have to continue to be cleaner and be ready to go Saturday vs. a good unit," Rhule said.
>>> Rhule said Nebraska expects Michigan State's corners to "press all day" and Nebraska's wide receivers will have to win off the line of scrimmage Saturday.
>>> Rhule said Nebraska will need to execute a high level Saturday. "This won't be a schematic game," Rhule said. "This will be an execution game."
>>> Playing three teams with varying styles during non-conference play should help Nebraska as they get into Big Ten play, Rhule said.
"Some of the things they did really challenged us to playing our responsibilities," Rhule said.
>>> Rhule says he feels confident in his team that they'll be ready to go against Michigan State in a road environment.
Asked about the newness of going on the road, Rhule said Nebraska can lean on veteran players who have been through a lot. He said having a veteran like Anthony Colandrea at quarterback is particularly helpful.
"I don't think there's any doubt that older, more mature teams typically win," Rhule said.
>>> Rhule is close with Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald, but this will be the first time in his career he has coached against Fitzgerald. Rhule and Fitzgerald got to know one another when Fitzgerald was at Northwestern and Rhule was at Temple when both schools were Under Armour-sponsored schools.
>>> Rhule said Michigan State linebacker Jordan Hall is among the top players Nebraska will see in Big Ten play.
>>> Rhule was asked about the need to switch to a four-man front and when it solidified for him. He said there wasn't just one particular moment, but that a more frequent four-man front matched personnel and gave credit to defensive coordinator Rob Aurich for mixing things up.
"He doesn't just sit in four-down, quarters," Rhule said. "He's going to bring some pressures. He's a savant in football…he's not just sitting in that world. It matched our players."
>>> Rhule called the decision to schedule Notre Dame a "forward-thinking" move from athletic director Troy Dannen, especially as the College Football Playoff considers expanding to 24 teams.
>>> Rhule said Nebraska has been intentional about not "over-running" freshman Jamal Rule early in the season. Rhule said having a three-man rotation has been helpful through the start of the season as Nebraska turns its attention to Big Ten play.
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