Lucky, Glenn share top spot
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 02:31:20 pm CDT
At last, Nebraska football fans received a clear picture of the team’s intense I-back race. Well, sort of.
Sophomores Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn are listed as co-No. 1s on the Huskers’ preseason depth chart released Tuesday. They’re separated by only a “slash” mark.
Junior Brandon Jackson and junior college transfer Kenny Wilson are listed as co-No. 2s on a line below Lucky and Glenn. Jackson and Wilson also have just a “slash” separating them.
Throughout August, Nebraska fans anticipated some form of finality in the I-back race. The wait essentially continues, as Husker head coach Bill Callahan wouldn’t even go so far Tuesday as to say who would trot onto the field for the first snap of Saturday’s season opener against Louisiana Tech in Lincoln.
“I couldn’t fit them all on one line, so I had to put two on one line and two on the other,” Callahan said smiling. “They’re all going to play. I guess you’re going to have to come to the game to see who’s going to get that first call. It’s all based on what that first opening (play) is going to be.”
Callahan said the I-back on the field at any given time “will be based on play selection and personnel groupings.” He also said Husker coaches would use “feel” to determine a certain I-back’s rhythm and how it relates to how the rest of the offense is playing.
“It’s great competition, and all four backs are capable of playing at any time — and they’re outstanding,” Callahan said.
In other depth-chart news:
* Junior Bo Ruud is listed No. 1 at weakside linebacker ahead of classmate Steve Octavien, who missed four days of preseason camp after having his appendix removed. Octavien enjoyed a stellar spring of practices while Ruud was limited by a broken arm.
* Junior Chris Patrick won the starting left tackle job ahead of sophomore Lydon Murtha.
* At one cornerback position, junior college transfer Andre Jones is listed as starter ahead of No. 2 Isaiah Fluellen, a senior who moved from wideout to corner during preseason camp. At the other corner, junior Cortney Grixby is listed ahead of co-No. 2s Tyrell Spain and Titus Brothers. Spain also is a converted wideout.
* True freshmen Major Culbert and Ricky Thenarse cracked the depth chart as top backups at strong safety and free safety, respectively. Culbert is co-No. 2 with junior Ben Eisenhart, and Thenarse co-No. 2 with junior Bryan Wilson.
* True freshman Menelik Holt is listed as a third-string “X” wide receiver.
* Sophomore Dan Titchener, of Cheyenne, Wyo., won the starting punter’s job.
* Wilson and safety Tierre Green are the top kickoff return men.
* Touted juco Maurice Purify is listed co-No. 2 at "X" wide receiver.
As for the I-back race, Callahan emphasized it would be unfair for him to say one runner is better than another.
“I’m not in a comparative mode,” he said. “I think they all bring something different to the table. I can’t wait to watch them play.”
The coach said having four quality I-backs is a “good problem to have.”
“It’s the test for the coach here to try to find a way to get one ball into four guys’ hands and also feature a passing system in which you’re trying to get your quarterback to distribute the ball to your wide receivers,” Callahan said.
Callahan said there’s a tendency to overreact to depth-chart news.
“I think the initial reaction is to overreact and say, ‘Oh, this guy is the one,’ ” the coach said. “In the fans’ minds, everybody thinks there’s a great disparity between one and two, and there’s not.”
For instance, Callahan said, “Both Bo and Steve Octavien are excellent linebackers, and they’re both going to play for us. They bring different attributes to the defense.”
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 02:31:20 pm CDT
At last, Nebraska football fans received a clear picture of the team’s intense I-back race. Well, sort of.
Sophomores Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn are listed as co-No. 1s on the Huskers’ preseason depth chart released Tuesday. They’re separated by only a “slash” mark.
Junior Brandon Jackson and junior college transfer Kenny Wilson are listed as co-No. 2s on a line below Lucky and Glenn. Jackson and Wilson also have just a “slash” separating them.
Throughout August, Nebraska fans anticipated some form of finality in the I-back race. The wait essentially continues, as Husker head coach Bill Callahan wouldn’t even go so far Tuesday as to say who would trot onto the field for the first snap of Saturday’s season opener against Louisiana Tech in Lincoln.
“I couldn’t fit them all on one line, so I had to put two on one line and two on the other,” Callahan said smiling. “They’re all going to play. I guess you’re going to have to come to the game to see who’s going to get that first call. It’s all based on what that first opening (play) is going to be.”
Callahan said the I-back on the field at any given time “will be based on play selection and personnel groupings.” He also said Husker coaches would use “feel” to determine a certain I-back’s rhythm and how it relates to how the rest of the offense is playing.
“It’s great competition, and all four backs are capable of playing at any time — and they’re outstanding,” Callahan said.
In other depth-chart news:
* Junior Bo Ruud is listed No. 1 at weakside linebacker ahead of classmate Steve Octavien, who missed four days of preseason camp after having his appendix removed. Octavien enjoyed a stellar spring of practices while Ruud was limited by a broken arm.
* Junior Chris Patrick won the starting left tackle job ahead of sophomore Lydon Murtha.
* At one cornerback position, junior college transfer Andre Jones is listed as starter ahead of No. 2 Isaiah Fluellen, a senior who moved from wideout to corner during preseason camp. At the other corner, junior Cortney Grixby is listed ahead of co-No. 2s Tyrell Spain and Titus Brothers. Spain also is a converted wideout.
* True freshmen Major Culbert and Ricky Thenarse cracked the depth chart as top backups at strong safety and free safety, respectively. Culbert is co-No. 2 with junior Ben Eisenhart, and Thenarse co-No. 2 with junior Bryan Wilson.
* True freshman Menelik Holt is listed as a third-string “X” wide receiver.
* Sophomore Dan Titchener, of Cheyenne, Wyo., won the starting punter’s job.
* Wilson and safety Tierre Green are the top kickoff return men.
* Touted juco Maurice Purify is listed co-No. 2 at "X" wide receiver.
As for the I-back race, Callahan emphasized it would be unfair for him to say one runner is better than another.
“I’m not in a comparative mode,” he said. “I think they all bring something different to the table. I can’t wait to watch them play.”
The coach said having four quality I-backs is a “good problem to have.”
“It’s the test for the coach here to try to find a way to get one ball into four guys’ hands and also feature a passing system in which you’re trying to get your quarterback to distribute the ball to your wide receivers,” Callahan said.
Callahan said there’s a tendency to overreact to depth-chart news.
“I think the initial reaction is to overreact and say, ‘Oh, this guy is the one,’ ” the coach said. “In the fans’ minds, everybody thinks there’s a great disparity between one and two, and there’s not.”
For instance, Callahan said, “Both Bo and Steve Octavien are excellent linebackers, and they’re both going to play for us. They bring different attributes to the defense.”
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