At today's weekly news conference, Mike Riley announced that senior cornerback Jonathan Rose was suspended for last Saturday's Northwestern game for a violation of team rules, and that the suspension will continue this week for the Purdue game. Cornerback Chris Jones is also suffering from a neck injury, which means depth at cornerback is becoming an issue.
Riley said Chris Jones hurt his neck, Boaz Joseph is questionable, Rose-Ivey re-tweaked groin. Alonzo Moore has stinger (questionable).
— Brian Christopherson (@HuskerExtraBC) October 26, 2015
If Chris Jones is out, and with Rose suspended, that means Trai Mosley and Davie at corners, with Kalu at nickel. #Huskers
— Brian Christopherson (@HuskerExtraBC) October 26, 2015
Fortunately, Daniel Davie seemed to bounce back from his injury and struggles earlier this season to play better this weekend. He'll be needed against Purdue. But the news about Michael Rose-Ivey is not good...not good at all. Nebraska needs it's best linebacker back and healthy.
But about that Northwestern game...
Mike Riley opens with the positives again, starts with kicker and punter. #Huskers pic.twitter.com/NvGroeKqth
— Mike Welch (@RealMikeWelch) October 26, 2015
Sam Foltz and Drew Brown did play well...but you just can't have the kicker and punter being the positives on your team. You just can't.
Riley not pleased with special teams overall.
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
Which tells you just how bad Nebraska's kick return and coverage was on Saturday.
With running game struggling, "We threw way more passes ... than we'd like to," Riley said.
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
I can accept that to the point that Nebraska opened the game with a heavy emphasis on the pass. And at least early on, Terrell Newby was productive on the ground in his limited touches.
"General statement offensively was a lack of consistency," Riley said. #Huskers
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
Mike Riley, "We don't intend to be the 48 pass attempts in a game team." #Huskers
— Mike Welch (@RealMikeWelch) October 26, 2015
It does appear that Riley detected that the Huskers weren't quite ready to play on Saturday.
"General statement offensively was a lack of consistency," Riley said. #Huskers
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
"It didn't feel the same," Riley says when asked about Nebraska effort against Northwestern.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) October 26, 2015
Riley on how different season might be if #Huskers bat down Hail Mary opening week: "Oh, man, I don't want to go there."
— Brian Christopherson (@HuskerExtraBC) October 26, 2015
Riley suggested defense, at times, has been on field too much. It wasn't Saturday, though, with Nebraska's nearly 39-21 TOP edge.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) October 26, 2015
But it does make you wonder if the offensive line was out on the field too much against Northwestern. Mike Cavanaugh's philosophy of not substituting might have been an issue in this game.
Riley says coaches talk often about possibly rotating in offensive linemen. Haven't rotated this year "because of chemistry thing going on."
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
Riley says coaches talk often about possibly rotating in offensive linemen. Haven't rotated this year "because of chemistry thing going on."
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) October 26, 2015
When you are 3-5 and struggling, you almost forget about the opponent. Especially an opponent like Purdue.
30 minutes into his press conference and Mike Riley is finally asked about Purdue. That’s what happens when you’re 3-5, I suppose.
— Robin Washut (@RobinWashut) October 26, 2015
Another Okie look from a defense. Can present problem for NU again. But it also means some possible big runs as well.
— Mike'l Severe (@MikelSevere) October 26, 2015
Jack Gangwish also talked, which he has repeatedly done this season.
Nebraska DE Jack Gangwish, on if he's questioned the effort of teammates: "My unit? No. That’s not something that needs to be addressed."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) October 26, 2015
Jack Gangwish saying good things about Dwayne Johnson on scout team. Good news, he has struggled up to this point.
— Mike'l Severe (@MikelSevere) October 26, 2015
Good to see some effort out there, because frankly, there is still a lot of hope to get to a bowl game this season. The best way is to win out - or at least win 3 of 4 games. (And yes, I know this means an upset of undefeated Michigan State or Iowa.) But even if they fall, there is an opening.
Sam McKewon of the World-Herald reports that Jerry Palm's bowl predictions still include Nebraska with a bowl bid at 5-7. How? Simple: there are 40 bowls and there may not be enough teams with six wins to fill them in. So that means a 5-7 team might become bowl eligible, and the deciding factor is Academic Progress Rate. And the only teams ahead of Nebraska are Northwestern (bowl eligible), Wisconsin (bowl eligible), Duke (bowl eligible), Michigan (needs one more win) and Stanford (bowl eligbile).
So yes, if Nebraska can win the road games at Purdue and Rutgers, the Huskers still could be in excellent shape to make a bowl game in 2015. Argue all you want about whether it would be deserving or not, but the extra weeks of bowl preparation would go a long way towards helping Mike Riley get his schemes implemented better.
Where does Palm see the Huskers? In New York City at the Pinstripe Bowl. I remember the last time a first year Nebraska coach took the Huskers to play a bowl game at Yankee Stadium. That ended up being the start of something good.
Certainly better than "Home for the Holidays," that's for sure...