Check here for live updates from Nebraska's weekly press conference here at Memorial Stadium, as the Huskers get ready to travel to Penn State this week.
Head coach Mike Riley is set to meet with reporters around 11:30 a.m.
***Riley is up.
***Riley said it was obviously a very disappointing day at Minnesota and he fully understands the reaction from the fanbase recently. The coaches are going to continue to prepare the team and recruit like they always have, as they know there's another big challenge this week at Penn State.
***Riley said linebacker Luke Gifford (hip) will have surgery this week and is out for the rest of the season.
***Quarterback Tanner Lee is in the concussion protocol at this time and it will be a day-to-day process through the week. Lee won’t practice early in the week, and if cleared a decision on his status later in the week. Riley said no decision has been made on Lee’s status at this point.
**Today Patrick O’Brien will work as the starter to open the week, and Andrew Bunch will be the No. 2 for now.
***Safety Aaron Williams (neck) will practice this week and they will monitor him through the week.
***Cornerback Eric Lee is still in concussion protocol and is questionable.
***Tight end Connor Keter (back) is questionable after missing the Minnesota game.
***Receiver Connor Young (ankle) is questionable.
***Running back Jaylin Bradley (ankle) will be more ready to go today than he was last week. Bradley did travel to Minnesota and “probably could’ve played” but did not see the field.
***Nose tackle Mick Stoltenberg (knee) is expected to be ready to go for Penn State.
***Linebacker Chris Weber (neck) should be OK this week.
***Linebacker Dedrick Young (lower back) will hopefully be ready to go this week.
***Riley said the problems on defense vs. Minnesota were partly due to players not making plays on the ball and partly guys being out of position to make plays, especially on the option runs.
***Riley said he never thinks of his team in the way that there would ever be a lack of effort in a game, but he also said he can’t “be blind to that either.” He said sometimes it’s more about nerves than it is effort, and he still believes in the players.
***Riley said the coaching staff was responsible for getting the most out of the players every day and to prepare them as best as possible to succeed. When that doesn’t happen in the games, “I just hate that for everybody.”
***Riley said explosive plays were a huge issue against Minnesota, and that becomes an ever bigger factor this week vs. an offense like Penn State’s. Riley said so much of football comes down to winning one-on-one battles, and when you lose those that’s when big plays happen.
***Riley said the decision to call timeouts on the final drive of the game was to give O’Brien a chance to take some shots at the end zone. He realizes it wasn’t a popular decision, but that was his thinking behind it.
***Riley said O’Brien has continued to work since he’s been here and his improving at the natural growth rate of a young quarterback. Riley was proud of the way O’Brien played on Saturday.
***Riley said the emergency No. 3 quarterback for Penn State if Lee can’t play has yet to be determined.
***Riley said the fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter still “haunts me” that they didn’t pick it up. He said that was a play that changed the entire complexion of the game.
***Riley said times like this kind of makes him wonder why he's kept the quarterback room as small as it's been this year.
***Riley said they're looking into playing David Knevel more "somewhere" on the offensive line going forward.
***Riley said “less maybe more” in a game like as far as the offensive game plan vs. Penn State is O’Brien is the quarterback.
***Asked if PSU running back Saquon Barkley was the best player in college football this season, Riley said he didn’t know for sure but Barkley was definitely in the discussion. Considering what happened to NU last week, this will obviously be a tall task for the defense.
***Riley said there was nothing about the offense that has progressed to where he expected it to be at this point in the season. He said first and foremost the Huskers have to score more, no matter what they do.
***On the defense not creating pressure on the QB or forcing turnovers, Riley said they are looking at some strategic things "that we know are missing" from the defensive game plan.
***Riley said using Boe Wilson as a fullback on the goal line was a new wrinkle, and looking back they probably should have used that more this season.
***Riley said all the staff can do over these final two weeks of the season is continue to take it one day at a time and handle whatever happens as it comes. He's not worried about things like traveling to Penn State and then playing Iowa on a short week.
***Riley said his message to fans who might be losing interest in the program was Nebraska has always supported their athletic programs, and he knows they'll continue to do so. He said the Huskers haven't had any issues "outside of the games" and hopes the fans continue to rally behind them.
***As for keeping the players motivated, he said it would be important for each position coach to stay close to their group and make sure spirits stay as high as possible.
***That's all for Riley.
***Mohamed Barry is up.
***Barry said Penn State's offense was full of playmakers who weren't afraid to take shots on big plays.
***Barry said
the Huskers just needed to continue to “believe in the process” and make the most of the opportunities they have left.
***Barry said the message has been clear from the coaches the past few days: As disappointing as that game was, the team had to stay together and work for each other.
***Barry said he's learned so much this season from the negatives and positives they've experienced this year. He said that knowledge will help younger guys like him build a confidence they didn't have before being thrown into it this year.
***Barry said the team's approach going into a game where they're three-touchdown underdogs at Penn State was to make sure they gained something from this game one way or another. He said good things are going to happen to certain players at some point in the game, and they have to learn and build upon those plays to get better.
***Barry said he gained even further respect for Weber after Weber told the coaches that Barry should start vs. Minnesota because Weber had missed so much practice time with his injury.
***That's all for Barry.
***Jerald Foster is now up.
***Foster said he's not sure how the team has responded from the Minnesota loss yet, but thinks everyone still understands they have two more opportunities to play a game this year and they're going to work hard to win.
***Foster said these next two games aren't just about improving their record or going to a bowl, but also about letting the seniors go out on a high note.
***Foster said if you don't believe in yourself and your team as a player, you have to ask yourself why you're even playing the game.
***Foster said O'Brien is a guy who is motivated to do all he can to help the team just like Lee is. Foster said he was surprised with how well O'Brien was able to run it. He said he's comfortable with either one of those quarterbacks.
***That's all for Foster.
That wraps up the up-front portion of today's press conference. We'll have much more later on this afternoon and also full coverage from tonight's practice.
Head coach Mike Riley is set to meet with reporters around 11:30 a.m.
***Riley is up.
***Riley said it was obviously a very disappointing day at Minnesota and he fully understands the reaction from the fanbase recently. The coaches are going to continue to prepare the team and recruit like they always have, as they know there's another big challenge this week at Penn State.
***Riley said linebacker Luke Gifford (hip) will have surgery this week and is out for the rest of the season.
***Quarterback Tanner Lee is in the concussion protocol at this time and it will be a day-to-day process through the week. Lee won’t practice early in the week, and if cleared a decision on his status later in the week. Riley said no decision has been made on Lee’s status at this point.
**Today Patrick O’Brien will work as the starter to open the week, and Andrew Bunch will be the No. 2 for now.
***Safety Aaron Williams (neck) will practice this week and they will monitor him through the week.
***Cornerback Eric Lee is still in concussion protocol and is questionable.
***Tight end Connor Keter (back) is questionable after missing the Minnesota game.
***Receiver Connor Young (ankle) is questionable.
***Running back Jaylin Bradley (ankle) will be more ready to go today than he was last week. Bradley did travel to Minnesota and “probably could’ve played” but did not see the field.
***Nose tackle Mick Stoltenberg (knee) is expected to be ready to go for Penn State.
***Linebacker Chris Weber (neck) should be OK this week.
***Linebacker Dedrick Young (lower back) will hopefully be ready to go this week.
***Riley said the problems on defense vs. Minnesota were partly due to players not making plays on the ball and partly guys being out of position to make plays, especially on the option runs.
***Riley said he never thinks of his team in the way that there would ever be a lack of effort in a game, but he also said he can’t “be blind to that either.” He said sometimes it’s more about nerves than it is effort, and he still believes in the players.
***Riley said the coaching staff was responsible for getting the most out of the players every day and to prepare them as best as possible to succeed. When that doesn’t happen in the games, “I just hate that for everybody.”
***Riley said explosive plays were a huge issue against Minnesota, and that becomes an ever bigger factor this week vs. an offense like Penn State’s. Riley said so much of football comes down to winning one-on-one battles, and when you lose those that’s when big plays happen.
***Riley said the decision to call timeouts on the final drive of the game was to give O’Brien a chance to take some shots at the end zone. He realizes it wasn’t a popular decision, but that was his thinking behind it.
***Riley said O’Brien has continued to work since he’s been here and his improving at the natural growth rate of a young quarterback. Riley was proud of the way O’Brien played on Saturday.
***Riley said the emergency No. 3 quarterback for Penn State if Lee can’t play has yet to be determined.
***Riley said the fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter still “haunts me” that they didn’t pick it up. He said that was a play that changed the entire complexion of the game.
***Riley said times like this kind of makes him wonder why he's kept the quarterback room as small as it's been this year.
***Riley said they're looking into playing David Knevel more "somewhere" on the offensive line going forward.
***Riley said “less maybe more” in a game like as far as the offensive game plan vs. Penn State is O’Brien is the quarterback.
***Asked if PSU running back Saquon Barkley was the best player in college football this season, Riley said he didn’t know for sure but Barkley was definitely in the discussion. Considering what happened to NU last week, this will obviously be a tall task for the defense.
***Riley said there was nothing about the offense that has progressed to where he expected it to be at this point in the season. He said first and foremost the Huskers have to score more, no matter what they do.
***On the defense not creating pressure on the QB or forcing turnovers, Riley said they are looking at some strategic things "that we know are missing" from the defensive game plan.
***Riley said using Boe Wilson as a fullback on the goal line was a new wrinkle, and looking back they probably should have used that more this season.
***Riley said all the staff can do over these final two weeks of the season is continue to take it one day at a time and handle whatever happens as it comes. He's not worried about things like traveling to Penn State and then playing Iowa on a short week.
***Riley said his message to fans who might be losing interest in the program was Nebraska has always supported their athletic programs, and he knows they'll continue to do so. He said the Huskers haven't had any issues "outside of the games" and hopes the fans continue to rally behind them.
***As for keeping the players motivated, he said it would be important for each position coach to stay close to their group and make sure spirits stay as high as possible.
***That's all for Riley.
***Mohamed Barry is up.
***Barry said Penn State's offense was full of playmakers who weren't afraid to take shots on big plays.
***Barry said
the Huskers just needed to continue to “believe in the process” and make the most of the opportunities they have left.
***Barry said the message has been clear from the coaches the past few days: As disappointing as that game was, the team had to stay together and work for each other.
***Barry said he's learned so much this season from the negatives and positives they've experienced this year. He said that knowledge will help younger guys like him build a confidence they didn't have before being thrown into it this year.
***Barry said the team's approach going into a game where they're three-touchdown underdogs at Penn State was to make sure they gained something from this game one way or another. He said good things are going to happen to certain players at some point in the game, and they have to learn and build upon those plays to get better.
***Barry said he gained even further respect for Weber after Weber told the coaches that Barry should start vs. Minnesota because Weber had missed so much practice time with his injury.
***That's all for Barry.
***Jerald Foster is now up.
***Foster said he's not sure how the team has responded from the Minnesota loss yet, but thinks everyone still understands they have two more opportunities to play a game this year and they're going to work hard to win.
***Foster said these next two games aren't just about improving their record or going to a bowl, but also about letting the seniors go out on a high note.
***Foster said if you don't believe in yourself and your team as a player, you have to ask yourself why you're even playing the game.
***Foster said O'Brien is a guy who is motivated to do all he can to help the team just like Lee is. Foster said he was surprised with how well O'Brien was able to run it. He said he's comfortable with either one of those quarterbacks.
***That's all for Foster.
That wraps up the up-front portion of today's press conference. We'll have much more later on this afternoon and also full coverage from tonight's practice.
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