Pelini likes NU's progress after 4 days

[huskernumerouno]

For MuTigerFans enjoyment this was copied and pasted here.

 

 

Pelini likes NU's progress after 4 days

With Day 4 of fall camp in the books, Husker head coach Bo Pelini seemed pleased at the pace of his team’s progress with the opener just more than three weeks away.

 

“I like the attitude and the work,” Pelini said after his team worked out Thursday on the grass in half pads.

 

“Obviously, you get a couple days in, you hope that guys aren’t feeling sorry for themselves. I’m sure they are a little bit, but they don’t show it out on the field. They’re running, they’re hustling. I like where they are right now.”

 

 

 

 

Comments: 0Rated:Asante has bought in

 

He may not be from Nebraska, but junior safety Larry Asante is a Husker who has really bought into the tradition surrounding Big Red football.

 

“We need to have a good football team for this state,” said the Alexandria, Va., native after Thursday’s practice. “So if you don’t buy into tradition and what Coach Osborne and them did years back, I think it’s a foundation and they set high standards. Nothing but perfection is accepted here. We bought in, and we’re going to bring it back this year.” Questions continued to arise about the defensive line, which is looking to build depth after the dismissal from the team of Kevin Dixon. Combine that with Ty Steinkuhler missing his second straight practice because of back issues.

 

Pelini provided an optimistic view of Steinkuhler’s health.

 

“He probably could have practiced today, but we don’t want to rush him back too quick,” the coach said.

 

One potential contributor in the wake of Dixon’s departure is redshirt freshman Terrence Moore.

 

With Steinkuhler sitting out and Dixon gone, is a guy like Moore getting reps with the 1s?

 

“A lot of guys are getting reps with the 1s,” Pelini said. “We just kind of rotate guys through. There are no 1s and 2s yet. We’re all giving everybody reps, but Terrence is making progress. He’s not exactly where we want him to be yet and probably won’t be for a long time, but he’s working hard and getting better.”

 

One newcomer who has made a good early impression is true freshman linebacker Matt Holt, a 6-foot, 200-pound walk-on from Lee’s Summitt, Mo., who made the 105-man fall roster.

 

“He has good ability. He’s kind of what we thought coming in,” Pelini said. “We thought he was a pretty good football player and it’s proven to be so. ... But just like a lot of those young guys, he’s swimming in it mentally.”

 

This and that: Offensive tackle Jaivorio Burkes still hasn’t participated in fall practices due to high blood pressure. ... Linebacker Latravis Washington also was sidelined. He had a wrap around his left knee and a slight limp. ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Austin Stafford is not on the 105-man fall camp roster, Pelini said. Stafford was suspended for most of spring practice but was later reinstated to the team. Guys who aren’t on the 105 join the roster when fall classes begin Aug. 25.

 

Scouting report, TE Mike McNeill: Husker sophomore Mike McNeill said he has been seeing reps with the No. 1 unit when Nebraska is in its one-tight end sets.

 

When the Huskers use two tight ends, he’s been joined with either Ryan Hill, Hunter Teafatiller or Dreu Young.

 

McNeill said tight ends coach Ron Brown has definitely emphasized being a more physical unit.

 

“(He’s) really hammering it in, not letting us off the hook, doing individual drills where we’re hitting non-stop,” McNeill said.

 

“We’ve all gotten a lot better at shedding safeties and linebackers and working with our hands.”

 

Opponent watch, Kansas State: Despite an unimpressive record through two seasons, Kansas State coach Ron Prince signed a new, five-year contract on Thursday afternoon.

 

The Kansas City Star reports that the contract is good through the 2012 season. The salary figures were not immediately made public.

 

Though K-State did twice beat Texas in Prince’s first two seasons, his overall record is just 12-13 and the team went 5-7 last fall. Prince is 0-2 against Nebraska, including a 73-31 loss last year in Lincoln.

 

He earned $760,000 in 2007. He was the lowest-paid football coach in the Big 12.

 

Question of the day: What’s Pelini think about the kicking game he’s inherited at Nebraska?

 

Husker kicker Alex Henery was perfect on all his PAT attempts (45-for-45) and field goals (8-8) last year, and Adi Kunalic showed a big leg as a kickoff man, where he led the nation in percentage of touchbacks, putting 28 of 66 kickoffs into the end zone.

 

“It's good to have proven kickers, guys that have been there in that situation and have done it under the lights,” Pelini said. “That obviously gives us an advantage.”

 

The Huskers also bring back a proven punter in senior Dan Titchener.

 

While that trio of kickers has performed well, Pelini said: “You can always get better. No one on this team is even close to reaching the potential that they have, including the punters and kickers. We want precision, we want them to be perfect, so we want them to keep working.”

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