Huskers Notes

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NU Football Notes:

 

Pelini ribs Osborne

 

LINCOLN - Bo Pelini is bracing for his first Nebraska-Oklahoma game as a head coach, but his boss knows a little something about the series.

 

NU Athletic Director Tom Osborne led the Huskers through 26 games against the Sooners, winning the last seven to finish 13-13 in the rivalry. So Pelini was asked Tuesday if Osborne has shared any NU-OU thoughts with him.

 

"He just told me to win the game," Pelini said. "He told me if I don't win, I'm fired."

 

After laughter subsided, it was pointed out that Osborne lost his first five against OU.

 

"He's been away from coaching long enough, in his mind, he didn't lose any," Pelini said.

 

Every year?

 

Pelini has gotten a steady diet of the usual questions of whether NU-OU should be played every year.

 

Pelini referred to it as a "special rivalry," but again said it's up to the Big 12.

 

"Ultimately, being here at Nebraska, our No. 1 job is to win the Big 12 North if you want to move forward," Pelini said. "If you're playing Oklahoma every year, that's great for us and it's great for the rivalry, but if we're doing that, some of the other teams in the division aren't doing that. Is that the best thing for our program?"

 

Tough impersonation

 

NU offensive lineman Brandon Thompson has an important job this week: Portraying Oklahoma left tackle Phil Loadholt in practice.

 

Loadholt is a 6-foot-8, 337-pound senior leading one of the nation's best lines. Thompson is a 6-6, 295-pound freshman on the Husker scout team.

 

Senior end Zach Potter said the defensive linemen have asked players like Thompson and Derek Meyer on the scout-team offense to give them all they can handle.

 

"It seems like they've stepped it up a lot," Potter said. "You tell them, 'Hey, you've got to bring the wood every play. If you get hurt or you start getting mad at us, then that's our fault,' but it's going to make us better come Saturday."

 

Chatting with Stoops

 

Pelini said Tuesday that he probably would visit with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops after the season about "moving forward and things that he needed to do to move forward." Stoops won a national championship at OU in his second season.

 

"You learn from people," Pelini said. "That's one thing I understand in this profession, that I don't have all the answers."

 

Pelini spent a year as co-defensive coordinator for Stoops at OU in 2004. They spoke at times during Pelini's first six months as Husker head coach.

 

"I remember him calling me after the first month," Pelini said. "He just called and was laughing, saying he didn't even remember his first month it was so hectic."

 

Good one, Marlon

 

Quarterback Joe Ganz referred to Marlon Lucky's one-handed grab of a third-down pass on Saturday in the second half as a "great catch."

 

"They blitzed it, so I had to get it out and Marlon was my hot answer," Ganz said. "I was just hoping that the defensive end didn't bat it down and Marlon would get a or hand or two on it. He did and made a great catch."

 

As a result, Ganz joked he "rewarded" Lucky with a screen pass, good for a 69-yard gain, later in the game.

 

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