Here is a full recap of Nebraska's weekly press conference this afternoon here at Memorial Stadium, as the Huskers look to bounce back this week against South Alabama.
Head coach Mike Riley is scheduled to take the podium around 11:30 a.m.
Here is a link to the Huskers.com live stream...
Press Conference Live Stream
***Riley is at the podium.
***Riley said NU is trying to put the BYU game to bed, but the good things was there were a lot of teachable moments for the players and the coaches. A "bitterly disappointing" loss like that is hard to get over, but he's excited to get back to work with the team.
***Riley said they need to run the ball better with the tailback. They're going to add more with the QB run game as well as get the receivers involved, but they have to get better with the RBs.
***Riley said there were at least 10 "easily correctable" penalties NU committed in the game that they need to eliminate.
***Riley said the defense can't give up big plays like they did to BYU. He said they had a good start until they gave up a big pass play that changed the tone of the game.
***Lastly, Riley said NU needed to do a better job of closing out drives defensively. He said they had BYU backed up at times and let them get out of it. "I hate that."
***Riley said South Alabama has a fairly conventional punting game, so they might be able to get more returns.
***Riley said he really likes Drew Brown at kicker, but he was off technically on Saturday and that should be an easy fix.
***Riley said South Alabama is an interesting team because their program is so new. He said they are a very fast and athletic team, and have benefitted from some UAB transfers. They run a 3-4 scheme but will also move to a four-man front and blitz with LBs and DBs. On offense, they're balanced with an accurate QB and good speed at skill positions.
***Riley said Jack Gangwish is out for likely 3 weeks with an elbow injury, and David Sutton is out a number of weeks (likely around 8) with a severely sprained ankle. Sam Foltz is week to week with an ankle sprain.
***Riley said the hit on Sutton was "a low and late play" that they will ask the Big Ten to the a look at for further interpretation on the no call.
***Riley said Gangwish's absence is a blow, but they feel they have capable players behind him that will move in. He said Freedom Akinmoladun will get the start vs South Alabama.
***Riley said everybody but one of the five suspended players would be back this week. He said he would announce the lone suspended player on Thursday.
***Riley said the staff is discussing a better rotation for the running backs. They need a better flow, and it's more than just the RBs. It also comes down to better blocking and play calling.
***Riley said the offense needed to do a better job of managing the play clock at the end of the game, particularly not snapping the ball so early in the play clock. He said they were supposed to be "milking the clock" there and needed to be more aware of when the ball was being snapped.
***Riley said the pass rush needed better lane integrity. When they were only rushing four, the line needed to do a better job of not allowing lanes for the QB to step into and buy more time in the pocket. He said they gave up a touchdown in the game making that very mistake.
***Riley this week is about the coaching staff being "great teachers" for the players and making the right corrections and continuing to improve what they did well on Saturday.
***On using Tommy Armstrong as a runner, he said the QB needs to use his natural ability as a runner but also not take unnecessary hits. He wants Tommy to be more involved in the run game and be willing to take off and scramble when it's there, because that's a huge added element to the offense, especially on third downs.
***Riley said doesn't know how the team is going to bounce back this week, but he gets the sense that they feel like he does. It was disappointing and shouldn't have ended that way, but they know they did a lot of good things and should build up some confidence in what they're doing.
***Riley said despite the outcome, his first game at Nebraska was very special and emotional for him, his staff and their families. He said his favorite part was the Tunnel Walk, which would be a lasting memory for him.
***Riley said Alonzo Moore has been very impressive since spring ball to now. He called Moore "a real warrior" and showed good toughness in camp, and he's really excited about Moore as a player.
***Riley said when he's healthy Taariq Allen has been one of NU's best special teams players.
***Riley said NU is looking for a backup punter should Foltz not be able to play. They may end up holding an open tryout to find one. He said Drew Brown could be an emergency punter, but not someone who they would put in a full-time role.
***Riley said they might explore players on UNL's club rugby team to find a replacement.
***Riley said he was really impressed with how Tyson Broekemeier stepped up in Foltz's place on Saturday. For a guy who is new to the role, Broekemeier has embraced the challenge.
***Riley said they haven't discussed pulling any freshmen defensive linemen out of redshirts because of the injuries, but they haven't completely ruled it out either.
***That's all for Riley.
***Brandon Reilly is now up.
***Reilly said it's been tough bouncing back from that loss, but the message in the locker room has been they have to move forward and can't let one game ruin a whole season.
***Reilly said he felt a little out of shape at first during the game, but he adjusted fine once the game got going.
***Reilly said he saw Moore's big game coming because of the way he'd been playing all offseason.
***Reilly said he felt the wide receivers graded out "very well" and had a lot of guys perform the way they thought they would.
***Reilly said he thought he was going to score on his late catch vs BYU. "I think I'm cursed," he joked. "I don't think I'm ever going to score."
***That's all for Reilly.
***Jordan Westerkamp is now up.
***Westerkamp said it was definitely "crazy" to be involved on both sides of a Hail Mary play. As hard as the loss was, he said NU still has "fire" and momentum and is ready to bounce back vs. South Alabama.
***Westerkamp said some of the positives for the offense were Armstrong's play and how they battled back in the second half. He said Moore had a great game.
***Westerkamp said the block Armstrong threw on his touchdown was a perfect example of Tommy's competitiveness and will to win. He said Armstrong took out three defenders with that one block.
***Westerkamp he was battling some cramps on Saturday but would be fine.
***That's all for Westerkamp.
***Dylan Utter is now up.
***Utter said the offensive line "definitely could have played better" on Saturday. He said there was't anything that BYU did they NU couldn't handle, but they need to do a better job of "bringing it" next week.
***Utter said it really helped the o-line not rotating. In fact, he said the starting five played every snap of the game.
***Utter said one of the things the offensive line did well was pass protection, but they had to do a better job run blocking, especially on those crucial third down plays that could have changed the game.
***Utter said getting his first start "was pretty cool" but it definitely lost some luster with the way it ended.
***That's all for Utter.
And that wraps up the up-front portion of today's press conference. We'll have much more up later on this afternoon and then even more updates following the Huskers' practice this evening.
Head coach Mike Riley is scheduled to take the podium around 11:30 a.m.
Here is a link to the Huskers.com live stream...
Press Conference Live Stream
***Riley is at the podium.
***Riley said NU is trying to put the BYU game to bed, but the good things was there were a lot of teachable moments for the players and the coaches. A "bitterly disappointing" loss like that is hard to get over, but he's excited to get back to work with the team.
***Riley said they need to run the ball better with the tailback. They're going to add more with the QB run game as well as get the receivers involved, but they have to get better with the RBs.
***Riley said there were at least 10 "easily correctable" penalties NU committed in the game that they need to eliminate.
***Riley said the defense can't give up big plays like they did to BYU. He said they had a good start until they gave up a big pass play that changed the tone of the game.
***Lastly, Riley said NU needed to do a better job of closing out drives defensively. He said they had BYU backed up at times and let them get out of it. "I hate that."
***Riley said South Alabama has a fairly conventional punting game, so they might be able to get more returns.
***Riley said he really likes Drew Brown at kicker, but he was off technically on Saturday and that should be an easy fix.
***Riley said South Alabama is an interesting team because their program is so new. He said they are a very fast and athletic team, and have benefitted from some UAB transfers. They run a 3-4 scheme but will also move to a four-man front and blitz with LBs and DBs. On offense, they're balanced with an accurate QB and good speed at skill positions.
***Riley said Jack Gangwish is out for likely 3 weeks with an elbow injury, and David Sutton is out a number of weeks (likely around 8) with a severely sprained ankle. Sam Foltz is week to week with an ankle sprain.
***Riley said the hit on Sutton was "a low and late play" that they will ask the Big Ten to the a look at for further interpretation on the no call.
***Riley said Gangwish's absence is a blow, but they feel they have capable players behind him that will move in. He said Freedom Akinmoladun will get the start vs South Alabama.
***Riley said everybody but one of the five suspended players would be back this week. He said he would announce the lone suspended player on Thursday.
***Riley said the staff is discussing a better rotation for the running backs. They need a better flow, and it's more than just the RBs. It also comes down to better blocking and play calling.
***Riley said the offense needed to do a better job of managing the play clock at the end of the game, particularly not snapping the ball so early in the play clock. He said they were supposed to be "milking the clock" there and needed to be more aware of when the ball was being snapped.
***Riley said the pass rush needed better lane integrity. When they were only rushing four, the line needed to do a better job of not allowing lanes for the QB to step into and buy more time in the pocket. He said they gave up a touchdown in the game making that very mistake.
***Riley this week is about the coaching staff being "great teachers" for the players and making the right corrections and continuing to improve what they did well on Saturday.
***On using Tommy Armstrong as a runner, he said the QB needs to use his natural ability as a runner but also not take unnecessary hits. He wants Tommy to be more involved in the run game and be willing to take off and scramble when it's there, because that's a huge added element to the offense, especially on third downs.
***Riley said doesn't know how the team is going to bounce back this week, but he gets the sense that they feel like he does. It was disappointing and shouldn't have ended that way, but they know they did a lot of good things and should build up some confidence in what they're doing.
***Riley said despite the outcome, his first game at Nebraska was very special and emotional for him, his staff and their families. He said his favorite part was the Tunnel Walk, which would be a lasting memory for him.
***Riley said Alonzo Moore has been very impressive since spring ball to now. He called Moore "a real warrior" and showed good toughness in camp, and he's really excited about Moore as a player.
***Riley said when he's healthy Taariq Allen has been one of NU's best special teams players.
***Riley said NU is looking for a backup punter should Foltz not be able to play. They may end up holding an open tryout to find one. He said Drew Brown could be an emergency punter, but not someone who they would put in a full-time role.
***Riley said they might explore players on UNL's club rugby team to find a replacement.
***Riley said he was really impressed with how Tyson Broekemeier stepped up in Foltz's place on Saturday. For a guy who is new to the role, Broekemeier has embraced the challenge.
***Riley said they haven't discussed pulling any freshmen defensive linemen out of redshirts because of the injuries, but they haven't completely ruled it out either.
***That's all for Riley.
***Brandon Reilly is now up.
***Reilly said it's been tough bouncing back from that loss, but the message in the locker room has been they have to move forward and can't let one game ruin a whole season.
***Reilly said he felt a little out of shape at first during the game, but he adjusted fine once the game got going.
***Reilly said he saw Moore's big game coming because of the way he'd been playing all offseason.
***Reilly said he felt the wide receivers graded out "very well" and had a lot of guys perform the way they thought they would.
***Reilly said he thought he was going to score on his late catch vs BYU. "I think I'm cursed," he joked. "I don't think I'm ever going to score."
***That's all for Reilly.
***Jordan Westerkamp is now up.
***Westerkamp said it was definitely "crazy" to be involved on both sides of a Hail Mary play. As hard as the loss was, he said NU still has "fire" and momentum and is ready to bounce back vs. South Alabama.
***Westerkamp said some of the positives for the offense were Armstrong's play and how they battled back in the second half. He said Moore had a great game.
***Westerkamp said the block Armstrong threw on his touchdown was a perfect example of Tommy's competitiveness and will to win. He said Armstrong took out three defenders with that one block.
***Westerkamp he was battling some cramps on Saturday but would be fine.
***That's all for Westerkamp.
***Dylan Utter is now up.
***Utter said the offensive line "definitely could have played better" on Saturday. He said there was't anything that BYU did they NU couldn't handle, but they need to do a better job of "bringing it" next week.
***Utter said it really helped the o-line not rotating. In fact, he said the starting five played every snap of the game.
***Utter said one of the things the offensive line did well was pass protection, but they had to do a better job run blocking, especially on those crucial third down plays that could have changed the game.
***Utter said getting his first start "was pretty cool" but it definitely lost some luster with the way it ended.
***That's all for Utter.
And that wraps up the up-front portion of today's press conference. We'll have much more up later on this afternoon and then even more updates following the Huskers' practice this evening.
Last edited:
