Pelini expected some Rocky Times in Opener

[typ3kal]

Pelini expected some rocky times in opener

Posted by: Brian Christopherson on September 6, 2010 at 12:18PM CST

Happy Labor Day. I'm celebrating by laboring. Husker head coach Bo Pelini is too.

 

Pelini just finished answering questions on the weekly Big 12 coaches' teleconference.

 

His team gave up 179 rushing yards Saturday -- more than they gave up to anyone last year -- but Pelini said it wasn't because of the front four getting pushed around. He thought the D-line played pretty well.

 

Pelini said more of the issues dealt with lack of communication and just getting lined up right.

 

"When you kind of lose your quarterback, the guy who was making all the calls on Thursday, it's going to create some issues for you," Pelini said of linebacker Will Compton's injury that pushed newbie Alonzo Whaley into the starting lineup.

 

"I'm not real concerned," Pelini continued. "I know there are some things that are really easily fixable. ... A lot of those things are communication issues, alignment issues, those types of things. I'll put it this way: I knew going in that there were going to be some rocky times in that game just because of where we were and how we had been repping guys. And then all of a sudden that changed on Thursday late in practice. That's part of the deal, but we got to react better than that, I understand that."

 

*****

 

Pelini said last week his reasoning for not announcing a quarterback was to "avoid a circus."

 

You can see why he thought there might be a circus since Taylor Martinez was the starter.

 

"That was part of it, and also I didn't want the guys who weren't going to be named the starter, who played well throughout camp, to go through that either," Pelini said. "I wanted them to be able to concentrate and play well also. I don't know whether it was right or wrong or indifferent. That's just kind of how we thought it was the best way to go about it as a staff."

 

****

 

Cornerback Ciante Evans was one of three true freshman to play on Saturday, joining offensive lineman Andrew Rodriguez and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa.

 

The public didn't hear much about Evans during fall camp, in part because coaches just weren't asked much about him.

 

But Pelini said Monday that Evans has played well and apparently is a very teachable kid.

 

"I think he's a mature kid," Pelini said. "He does things the way we ask him to do them. He works on not making the same mistake twice. He's shown a great deal of maturity and I think he has a really bright future."

[Street Novelist]

How did Ciante Evans do Saturday for anyone that saw the game?

[GoBigRed7228]

How did Ciante Evans do Saturday for anyone that saw the game?

He got flagged for grabing the opening of a WKU player's helment during a tackle, that was really the only time I heard his name though.

[Street Novelist]

How did Ciante Evans do Saturday for anyone that saw the game?

He got flagged for grabing the opening of a WKU player's helment during a tackle, that was really the only time I heard his name though.

 

thanks