LINCOLN — Big-picture views. Daily coaching routines. Personnel shuffling.
Nebraska coach Mike Riley and his staff thought they had defined opinions on all three topics a few weeks ago. But after a 1-2 start — lowlighted by a 21-17 home loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday — anything and everything is up for discussion.
With the Huskers a quarter of the way through their regular-season schedule, coaches would prefer to focus only on in-game schemes and strategy. Riley said during his Monday press conference inside Memorial Stadium that conversations among themselves went much deeper over the last two days as NU braces for the start of Big Ten play this weekend against Rutgers.
Reasons for Nebraska’s struggle against a Mid-American Conference school were evident Saturday, Riley said. Three turnovers (two returned for touchdowns), 85 total rushing yards (2.4 per carry) and untimely penalties. All those quarterback sacks and pressures along with an improving defense that couldn’t hold a lead in the fourth quarter.
“You wouldn’t be human if doubt didn’t creep in after something like that,” Riley said, adding later: “It’s a process of looking at the plays we want to run, putting them together, finding the best way to prepare our team for practice. We always think we do that, but when something doesn’t work, and it was as bad as it was the other day, it is worth re-examining how you’re doing it.”
So where do the Huskers go from here with a full slate of league games in front of them? Riley said it starts with coaches helping players by giving them “concrete stuff” and information on how to get better. As with an academic lesson plan, he added, the quality of learning depends on how the teacher prepares in advance.
During coaches’ meetings Sunday and Monday morning, Nebraska’s head man said he explored the idea of “condensing” the offense for players. Building up a few go-to run plays for the Huskers to fall back on can lead to better blocking and ground production.
Whatever NU does, Riley said, it needs to do well. But there aren’t any easy fixes.
“Part of it is going to be mental, building the kids’ confidence back up,” he said. “We’ve got to help, obviously, the people that are blocking.”
The offensive line endured a rough showing Saturday, giving up three sacks and many more hits on quarterback Tanner Lee. On his second pick-six in the first quarter, both left tackle Nick Gates and tight end Tyler Hoppes missed a rusher who reached Lee to force the critical turnover.
Riley said technique and assignment have been the culprits for the line — whose starting five in the opener were all upperclassmen. He added that it’s both surprising and disappointing that such issues have persisted.
Coaches have discussed all options, including moving center Cole Conrad to right tackle and inserting Michael Decker at center. The normal starter at right tackle, David Knevel (ankle), remains questionable for Saturday’s game at Rutgers, and redshirt freshman Matt Farniok — who made his first two career starts the last two weeks in Knevel’s stead — also won’t be a full-time option against Rutgers after breaking a bone in his wrist and getting a pin in it.
Other possibilities at the tackle spot, Riley said, are true freshman Brenden Jaimes of Austin, Texas, and sophomore Christian Gaylord.
“The bottom line and summary is everybody has to obviously be really, really tough here,” Riley said. “Mentally tough, physically tough. Our adults have to be the teachers and they have to be at their best right now in arming our players with a way to get better. The big battle, as everybody knows, is getting the mind in the right place.
“We’ve got a great group of kids that have the best of intentions. We just have to help them in how they’re doing and give them concrete stuff to get better. I think the most important part in the coaching right now will be really, really good teaching on: ‘This is how we can get better.’ ”
Only four players spoke at Monday morning’s press conference, but all said they were eager to return to practice.
Senior linebacker Chris Weber, a captain, recalled the turmoil of his first seasons in Lincoln in 2013 and 2014 and his admiration for older players who didn’t let circumstances change how they acted or prepared. Running back Mikale Wilbon said the Huskers need to “start over” by forgetting about the past and competing in the moment. Kicker Drew Brown said the key is for the Huskers to better adapt to the unexpected during games.
“I feel like fall camp and even spring camp, we were playing pretty sharp, pretty consistent,” Wilbon said. “But this game against NIU — offensively, I can only speak offensively — we looked kind of out of sync, not in rhythm. That’s not like us. I’m really not sure (why), but we need to fix it and I think we will.”
After a day to reflect, linebacker Mo Barry said the best way to handle Saturday’s disappointment is with self-examination rather than playing the “blame game.”
“We’ve got to focus every practice,” Barry said. “Every person has to just do their part, do their job, and every individual has to ask themselves, ‘How do we get better?’ And as for me, it is the same thing: Just got to focus on my job, my assignment, executing it the best I can to help this team. And the same for everyone. If we all do that, then pieces come together and we are going to see a much better team.”
Mikale Wilbon, Devine Ozigbo draw praise
LINCOLN – Nebraska running backs coach Reggie Davis said junior back Mikale Wilbon played well in his first career start last Saturday. Yards after contact and punishing defenders downfield are big reasons why.
“A game like that, it’s hard to find a whole lot of good,” Davis said. “But there were some times that he was able to squirt loose and there were some times he got us out of some bad situations also. It was good to see those things.”
The 5-foot-9, 200-pound junior from Chicago churned out 90 yards on 24 carries while adding three catches for 14 yards. Classmate Devine Ozigbo saw the field for the first time this season, netting eight yards on his two totes.
“He was extremely excited; I know he wants to play,” Davis said of Ozigbo. “That’s why guys come here, they want to play. Everybody wants to play. It was nice to see him get in there and push the pile. That was really good to see. We needed something like that, at that time especially. He was happy about it. Obviously he wants some more and if he keeps playing like that, he’ll probably get some.”
Keyan Williams could return Saturday
Keith Williams said it’s been frustrating to watch a chronic leg injury prevent his son from seeing action in a game so far this year. Then the Nebraska wide receivers coach jokingly blamed himself as the reason why it’s happened.
Keyan Williams – a receiver who transferred from Fresno State, sat out 2016 and has yet to make his Husker debut – has been working through a nagging hamstring injury that’s plagued the junior since fall camp.
When asked about his son’s progress, Williams said “I think this week will be the week; that’s my understanding.” He later added “We’ll see (Wednesday).”
Should the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Keyan Williams return against Rutgers, it would add depth to a position group in which four players – Stanley Morgan, JD Spielman, Tyler Hoppes and De’Mornay Pierson-El – have accounted for more than 75 percent of quarterback Tanner Lee’s targets through three games.
“Unfortunately I think (his injury) might be inherited,” Keith Williams said with a smile. “My hamstrings are like guitar strings, they’re not even hamstrings. I got more like guitar strings. So I just said, ‘Son, I apologize.'”
Saturday was ‘surreal’ for Northern Illinois official with ties to Mike Riley, Nebraska
John Cheney cheered Turner Gill and Mike Rozier from his plank in the north end zone. He celebrated the 1997 national championship at 72nd and Dodge Streets in Omaha.
After leaving Nebraska in ’98, he spent 15 years in the Oregon State athletic department. He worked alongside Mike Riley. His neighbor was Dan Van De Riet, Riley’s right-hand man.
Everything about Cheney screams Husker fan, right? Except his current employer: Northern Illinois University.
On Saturday, Cheney found himself in an awkward place — on the opponents’ sideline at Memorial Stadium cheering for an upset. As senior associate athletic director at NIU, his responsibilities include overseeing Huskie football.
“It was a little surreal,” Cheney said.
Cheney grew up in Norfolk. For 50 years, his parents have owned two tickets in the north end zone. John usually attended one game a year.
His passion was athletic training and at Creighton in the mid-1990s, he worked for Dana Altman’s basketball team — yes, he was a Jaysker. In ’98, he arrived in Corvallis just as Riley was turning around Oregon State football. Cheney was a graduate assistant trainer.
When Riley returned to Corvallis in 2003, Cheney had moved into administration. They worked together on the renovation of Reser Stadium. He listened to Riley’s ideas for coaches offices and locker rooms. He saw Riley’s program at its peak.
“I know he’s having his growing pains at Lincoln,” Cheney said, “but I think once he’s able to get his system in place and the players he needs to run that system, I think he can definitely be successful.”
In January 2014, Cheney took a job at Northern Illinois, partly to get closer to family in Nebraska. Almost immediately he noticed the Huskies’ future schedules — four games against the Big Red.
On Friday Cheney’s old Corvallis neighbor, Van De Riet, gave him a tour of Memorial Stadium. By Saturday, though, he was all business.
“Once game time came around,” Cheney said, “you’re with the team that brought you.”
He thought a Northern Illinois upset was possible. The Huskies’ strengths, especially on defense, matched up with Nebraska’s weaknesses, he said. But who could’ve foreseen two pick-six interceptions?
As the game went on and tension mounted, Cheney compared it to a roller coaster.
“When they started coming back, it wasn’t panic by any means,” Cheney said. “We just needed to buckle down and take care of business. It was great to see our guys embrace that.”
When it was over, Cheney high-fived the man standing on the sideline with him — his dad. “I don’t know that he was quite as excited as I was.”
He fulfilled his administrative duties, then returned to the hotel where his kids were already in the swimming pool. He and about 20 family members — all Husker fans — ate Valentino’s pizza and drank cocktails.
His relatives want to do it all again when Northern Illinois returns on Sept. 14, 2019. With one tweak, of course.
“They expect a different outcome,” Cheney said. “I guess we’ll have to see.”
Quick Hits
>> Running back Tre Bryant (knee) didn’t practice Monday. Davis said the approach is “day to day” with the sophomore until he feels well enough to play.
>> Davis said the running backs as a unit need to do a better job in pass protection after the Husker allowed three sacks against Northern Illinois and quarterback Tanner Lee weathered multiple other hits and pressures throughout the game. “(It is) not as good as we’d like,” Davis said. “Tanner’s getting hit too much, so I can’t say that we’ve been great at it. They’re becoming more aware of it, so it’s my job that we become great at it.”
>> Keith Williams described watching the Northern Illinois film as “Rough. Real rough. Not pleasant at all.” He said the drops stood out, as well as details like route sharpness and releases.
