For those naysayers (i'm not naming any names, but i'm pretty sure everyone knows who they are) here is some news about the O-Line
Coaches pleased with progress up front
BY RICH KAIPUST
LINCOLN - Matt Slauson isn't sure why his Nebraska football practice jersey is gray, or grayish, when his offensive teammates are wearing white.
And, really, the 6-foot-5, 335-pound right tackle isn't too worried about it.
"I don't know what the deal is with the gray," Slauson said. "I don't know what they're putting in that wash.
"I was so late coming here last year, they really didn't have any extra shirts for me. In fact, I didn't have a jersey with my number on it until like the third week. They haven't given me a new one since, so I've just been wearing this gross, old thing."
Maybe it's fitting for Slauson, whom offensive line coach Dennis Wagner calls "a grunt" and offensive coordinator Jay Norvell refers to as a "big dog" up front. Nebraska seriously needs a little character, a little nastiness, a little swagger to return to a line that hasn't been up to Husker standards for several seasons now.
Finally, in Wagner's third year, it might have that chance.
"I'm excited about this group," Wagner said. "We certainly have more people. We have guys who fit our system. The challenge for them is they have to get better, and we have to improve at that position to take the next step."
NU has been trying to restock its offensive line since Bill Callahan was hired as head coach three years ago. Some players have worked out, some haven't.
In the meantime, the Huskers have fought a problem with depth, struggled to protect their quarterbacks and lacked the push for a consistent running game.
"The depth is really important now because we can play different guys at different positions," Norvell said. "If a guy goes down, other guys can jump in. We have enough athletic bodies and physical bodies where we can do some things and mix and match. That's been encouraging this spring."
If not something new.
"It's our goal to have 10 guys who can play," Wagner said. "We've never been that fortunate here."
Chris Patrick and Slauson have mostly worked as the No. 1 offensive tackles, with Lydon Murtha and Victory Haines behind them. Andy Christensen and Mike Huff have done the same at guard, backed up by Rodney Picou and Brock Pasteur. None from that bunch will be a senior next season.
With starting center Kurt Mann missing spring practice, offensive guard Greg Austin has moved over to hold that spot. Christensen, Jacob Hickman and Brett Byford also have gotten looks there as Wagner tries to develop five or six centers.
Wagner said the competition has been steady. Callahan, a former offensive line coach, has spent more time with the line in spring practice than ever before.
"We definitely compete in everything we do," Slauson said. "We compete all the time, and I think that's huge."
The NU staff has given Slauson a chance to lead that charge, even though he's only a sophomore-to-be. Slauson was sent out to start the one-on-one "Oklahoma drill" on Monday, Wagner said, "because we knew he'd set the tempo for the rest of the group."
Norvell said Slauson so far has accepted the role, utilizing his big body and finishing practices with that gray jersey soaked in sweat.
"I call him a big dog up there," Norvell said. "He's doing a lot of good things, and we're really proud of his progress. Every day he gets more confident. We need big physical guys like that who we can run behind, and he's becoming one of those guys."
Both Slauson and the 6-7, 315-pound Murtha got tastes of playing time last season. They stick out because of their size - looking like Big 12 offensive linemen - but Wagner would like to see both start to stand out more because of their play.
"Lydon Murtha is right in the mix," Wagner said. "Lydon Murtha is going to fight to find a way to get on the field, and that makes everybody else more competitive. Lydon's doing just what we thought he'd do."