(NO AUDIO) (BAND MUSIC) (NO AUDIO) (INTENSE MUSIC) (BAND MUSIC) HI, EVERYONE.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

WELCOME TO BIG RED WRAP-UP ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

IT IS SEASON 127 FOR THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS.

WITH ME TONIGHT, BRAND NEW COLOR VOICE OF THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS, FORMER HUSKER JAY MOORE AND SEAN CALLAHAN.

HEY, MAN.

WE'VE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR THIS.

IT'S GONNA FLY BY.

LET'S ENJOY IT.

YOUR FEELINGS AS WE ARE JUST DAYS AWAY FROM THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON.

YEAH.

I'M NOT AS PESSIMISTIC AS I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE.

I'M MORE OPTIMISTIC.

LIKE MY SON ASKED ME THE QUESTION, ARE ARE WE DYING OR ARE WE LIVING?

AND I'M LIKE, WELL, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT.

YOU YOU KNOW?

SURE.

AND I'M LIKE, NO.

WE'RE, YOU'RE LIVING.

RIGHT?

YOU COULD... ALL THE WAY TO THE END.

ALL THE WAY TO THE END, 100%.

NO.

I'M SO EXCITED JUST BECAUSE TEAMS CAN CHANGE A LOT FROM YEAR TO YEAR NOW JUST WITH THE CHANGES YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THROUGH THE TRANSFER PORTAL, OBVIOUSLY RECRUITING, COACHING CHANGES.

I THINK NEBRASKA IS A LOT BETTER ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE, THE DEFENSIVE LINE.

I THINK THEY HAD A QUARTERBACK THAT THEY COULD UTILIZE ATHLETICALLY TO PUT STRESS ON THE DEFENSE.

IT'S NOT 10 ON 11 FOOTBALL.

IT'S 11 ON 11 FOOTBALL.

AND YOU KIND OF BRING IN A COORDINATOR.

HIS MAIN M.O.

IS STOPPING THE RUN.

AND THAT'S WHAT NEBRASKA STRUGGLED HEAVILY AT LAST YEAR, STOPPING THE RUN.

SO YOU KIND OF TIE ALL THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

I KNOW IT'S ONLY THE FIRST GAME, BUT I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS TEAM GET AN IDENTITY AND JUST GET BETTER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THE SCHEDULE'S HARD.

WE ALL KNOW THE SCHEDULE'S HARD.

YEAH.

BUT I THINK THEY CAN PROVE SOME PEOPLE WRONG.

TOGETHER, WE'VE COVERED THIS TEAM ABOUT FIFTY YEARS.

THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN OFF SEASON LIKE THIS.

RIGHT?

YEAH.

I THINK IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO HOW EARLY SPRING BALL STARTED.

FEBRUARY 20 WAS THE FIRST PRACTICE OF THE SPRING.

THE SPRING GAME WAS MARCH 28, THE SAME WEEKEND AS THE SWEET SIXTEEN.

SO SPRING WAS VERY MUCH IN THE BACKDROP OF THE BEST BASKETBALL SEASON IN THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM.

AND THEN YOU GO INTO THE SUMMER, AND IT JUST WAS A QUIET SUMMER.

THERE JUST WASN'T A LOT OF HEADLINES, A LOT OF NEWS.

THE EXPECTATIONS, OBVIOUSLY, ON THE OUTSIDE WERE NOT HIGH.

RIGHT.

AND MATT RHULE HAS BEEN VERY, I THINK, MEASURED WITH HOW HE'S COME OUT AND TALK.

WE'RE NOT SEEING THE PODCAST ANYMORE, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON A YEAR AGO.

SO I JUST THINK THAT THE OFF SEASON ITSELF LED TO THIS.

BUT HERE WE ARE, A LOT OF NEW OFFENSIVE LINE COACH, NEW DEFENSIVE LINE COACH, NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, NEW SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR, NEW QUARTERBACK.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE ALL JUST WANT TO SEE NOW AS THING WILL START ON SATURDAY.

YEAH, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO GET STARTED.

AND WE HAVE LOTS TO GET TO TONIGHT.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, OF COURSE.

OUR PHONES ARE STANDING BY, READY FOR YOUR CALLS.

YOU CAN ALSO TEXT OR EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO BIGRED@NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG.

WE ALSO MONITOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA'S SPORTS FACEBOOK PAGE OR BIG RED WRAP UP X ACCOUNT, AND WE'LL ANSWER AS MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS WE CAN TONIGHT.

DON'T FORGET TO HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE 2026 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE POSTER.

YOU CAN PRINT THESE OFF FOR YOUR HOME OR YOUR OFFICE.

USE IT TO KEEP UP TO DATE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON ON YOUR HUSKER FOOTBALL SCORES.

AND OUR SIDELINE SURVEY IS BACK AND READY FOR YOUR VOTE TONIGHT AS WELL.

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THE 2026 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SEASON?

YOU DRANK THE RHULE-AID.

LET'S GO.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC AND NOT EXCITED.

NEED MORE RESULTS ON THE FIELD, AND THAT'S WHAT'S LEADING RIGHT NOW AT 50%.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE TO VOTE AND HEAD BACK EACH WEEK FOR A BRAND NEW SURVEY.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THERE IS THIS APPREHENSION FROM PEOPLE.

BUT IF THERE'S ONE REASON TO BE EXCITED, ONE REASON, ANTHONY COLANDREA IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

NOW SOMETIMES THEY MAY BE BAD, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, HE'S GONNA MAKE EXCITEMENT HAPPEN.

YEAH, WITHOUT A DOUBT.

YOU SAW WHAT HE'S ABLE TO DO AT UNLV.

YEP.

AND BE THE CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR OVER THERE.

HIS ABILITY NOT ONLY WITH HIS FEET, AND HE JUST HAS THAT.

I MEAN, WE JUST LOOK AT QUARTERBACKS LIKE HIM FROM PAST, YOU KNOW, YOUR JOHNNY MANZIELS, YOU KNOW, THOSE QUARTERBACKS WHO JUST CREATE.

RIGHT?

THEY OFF, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN AD LIB SO WELL.

AND I JUST THINK THAT ABILITY TO PUT FINALLY A STRESS ON THE DEFENSE.

LISTEN, DYLAN WAS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD QUARTERBACK.

YEAH.

BUT HIS IMMOBILITY REALLY MADE DEFENSES BETTER BECAUSE THEY DON'T, HE WAS NO THREAT IN THE RUN GAME.

THEY CAN GET DOWNHILL.

THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD PASS RUSH.

THEY COULD DO ANYTHING THEY WANT AND REALLY NOT WORRY ABOUT HIM GETTING OUT OF THE POCKET.

THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE CASE WITH ANTHONY.

HE'S LIKE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CONTAINED.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE THOSE MESH POINTS ON THOSE INSIDE OUTSIDE ZONE READS BECAUSE IF HE PULLS IT DOWN AND YOUR SHOULDERS RETURN AND YOU'RE NOT YOU DON'T SEE THAT BALL GETTING PULLED OUT, BOOM, HE'S GONE.

SO IT'S JUST AND THEN THAT NEXT TIME THAT THAT, DEFENSIVE ENDS A LITTLE SLOWER, BOOM, IT'S HANDED OFF.

RIGHT?

IT JUST CREATES SO MUCH MORE FOR THOSE OFFENSE.

NOT ONLY THE LINE THAT THEY'VE ACQUIRED IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

SO HAVING HIM MORE PROTECTION AND THEN FACTORING IN HIS ATHLETICISM AND HIS ABILITY TO CREATE IS JUST GOING TO BE REALLY FUN TO WATCH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

BEFORE WE GET TO THE LINE, TWO THINGS THAT HE DOES THAT WE DIDN'T SEE UNDER RAIOLA, AVERAGE DEPTH OF TARGET, ONE OF THE TOP FIVE IN THE COUNTRY LAST YEAR.

AND HE WAS THE FOURTH MOST PRODUCTIVE QUARTERBACK IN BIG PLAYS, PLAYS OVER 20 YARDS LAST YEAR.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EXCITEMENT.

AND YOU SAW LAST YEAR, NEBRASKA'S OFFENSE REALLY LOST THE BIG PLAY.

THEY COULD NOT GET THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD LATE IN THE YEAR.

THEY WERE 0 OF NINE IN THE IOWA GAME ON PASSES THAT TRAVELED 10 OR MORE YARDS DOWN THE FIELD.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REAL KEY STAT BECAUSE EMMETT JOHNSON PLAYED SO WELL, BUT WHEN YOU CAN'T PUSH IT DOWN THE FIELD, IT JUST KIND OF NEUTRALIZE WHAT EMMETT WAS GIVING THEM ON THE GROUND.

SO IF YOU CAN GET THAT BIG PLAY, MAYBE THOSE OFF SCHEDULE PLAYS, WHICH NEBRASKA HAD BEEN WORKING ON ALL THROUGH THE SPRING.

THEY WATCHED DIEGO PAVIA FILM AT ONE POINT.

YOU SHOULD TO LEARN JUST SOME OF THE OFF SCRIPT THINGS.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS TO SEE A FEW OF THOSE OFF SCRIPT MOMENTS WITH COLANDREA FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IF THERE'S ONE THING HE CAN TAKE FROM DIEGO, HE DIDN'T TURN THE BALL OVER.

DESPITE ALL THAT STUFF, HE DIDN'T TURN THE BALL OVER.

LOOK AT THIS.

A 110 STARTS, AND THEY'RE ALL POWER FOUR STARTS FOR THE OFFENSIVE LINE.

6,500 SNAPS.

THIS IS AS EXPERIENCED AS AN OFFENSIVE LINE YOU'VE SEEN IN TWENTY YEARS HERE AT NEBRASKA.

I THINK IT'S THE SECOND HIGHEST OF THE BIG TEN.

SO, YOU GET ADDITION OF OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW PRITCHETT, WE KNOW EVANS, WE KNOW GOTTULA.

YEP.

WE GET THE ADDITION OF BLACK, MUBENGA, AND BABALADE.

SO AND YOU HAVE SOME DEPTH.

RIGHT?

THERE'S OTHER GUYS BEHIND THERE.

WITH SLEDGE AND A LOT OF KNAAK AND SOME OTHER PLACES THAT PLAYED A LOT OF GOOD FOOTBALL.

SO, BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE EXPERIENCE THAT'S, THAT NEBRASKA HAS BUILT, AND I LOVE BRINGING IN A COACH LIKE GEEP WADE.

OH, YEAH.

AND BEING AT GEORGIA TECH WHERE A REALLY DOWNHILL STYLE RUNNING ATTACK, AND YOU JUST KIND OF GET A FRESH VOICE IN THERE, BUT THOSE STARTS MEAN SO MUCH.

YOU CAN'T RECREATE THAT EXPERIENCE.

THAT MEANS SOMETHING.

BUT I ALWAYS SAY LIVE BULLET REPS.

YOU CAN GET AS MANY REPS IN PRACTICE AS YOU WANT, BUT UNTIL YOU'RE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE AND, GET THOSE GAME REPS, THAT'S WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

THAT'S HOW YOU EVENTUALLY LEARN TO BECOME A BETTER PLAYER AS THOSE LIVE GAME REPS.

SO THAT'S VERY, VERY KEY FOR THIS OFFENSIVE LINE.

ONE OF THE CONSISTENT, THE CONSISTENT THINGS IN THE BIG TEN IS VETERAN CENTERS, LEADERS IN CENTER POSITION.

NEBRASKA'S GOT ONE OF THE BEST.

YEAH, JUSTIN EVANS COMING INTO THE YEAR IS THE HIGHEST GRADED CENTER ON PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS.

THE ATHLETIC HAD HIM AS A SECOND TEAM ALL AMERICAN.

NEBRASKA HAS NOT HAD A FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN... JUST TONY.

IN OVER TWENTY FIVE YEARS.

TONY TUIOTI.

YEAH.

SO YOU THINK ABOUT JUST THAT AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO EVEN HAVE AN ALL AMERICAN CENTER.

CAM JURGENS HAD THAT KIND OF ABILITY, JUST NEVER CAME TOGETHER FOR NEBRASKA.

IT'S COMING TOGETHER NOW ON SUNDAYS.

EAGLES.

YEAH.

BUT I THINK JUSTIN EVANS IS A DRAFT PICK TYPE PLAYER AT CENTER.

AND IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN WITH HIM, BRENDAN BLACK COULD ALSO PLAY CENTER.

I THINK THAT'S THEIR PLAN FOR DOWN THE ROAD IS HE COULD BE THE CENTER A YEAR FROM NOW POTENTIALLY.

BUT THEY'VE GOT GUYS LIKE SLEDGE, OTHER PLAYERS.

I THINK THE VERSATILITY IS WHAT REALLY JUMPS OUT TO ME WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SPOTS GUYS IN THIS LINE CAN PLAY.

OFFENSIVE IDENTITY, YOU FEEL IT'S GOING TO BE A PASS FIRST BASED OFF WHAT WE KNOW FROM COLANDREA, OR DO YOU SEE THEM LINING UP AND TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR THREE BACKS?

YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE I'M IN KIND OF WAIT AND SEE MODE RIGHT NOW.

I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW MUCH COLANDREA KIND OF FACTORS INTO THE RUN GAME WITH THE QB RUN GAME.

I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE INSIDE OUTSIDE ZONES, YOU KNOW, WORKING OUT OF THE PISTOL OR OUT OF THE SHOTGUN, THE RPO SITUATION.

THE NEBRASKA UTILIZED THAT QUITE A BIT WITH WITH RAIOLA.

YEP.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM BE BALANCED.

I KNOW YOU CAN'T ALWAYS DO THAT.

YOU GET BEHIND IN SOME GAMES.

YOU GOTTA START THROWING A LITTLE BIT TO CATCH UP.

BUT EARLY IN THE SEASON, I THINK THEY WANNA RUN IT.

I THINK THEY WANNA BE AGGRESSIVE IN THE RUN GAME.

YOU GOT MEKHI NELSON, YOU GOT MOZEE, YOU GOT KWINTEN IVES, AND YOU GOT JAMAL RULE.

SO YOU HAVE FOUR REALLY, REALLY GOOD RUNNING BACKS THAT YOU CAN LEAN ON, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD DEPTH THERE.

PLUS WITH ITS OFFENSIVE LINE AND ALL THOSE STARTS YOU HAVE, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

I THINK THEY WANT TO BE A RUN FIRST, BUT WE JUST GOT TO SEE EVERY GAME IS DIFFERENT.

RIGHT?

EVERYTHING'S GOING TO PLAY OUT.

BUT IDEALLY, AND I THINK FOR THE MOST FANS OF THE FAN BASE IS LIKE, LET'S RUN THE FOOTBALL IF WE CAN.

YEAH.

THEY HAVE 35 TRIPS INSIDE THE RED ZONE LAST YEAR.

THEY ONLY SCORED 54% OF THOSE WERE TOUCHDOWNS.

THEY'VE GOT TO SCORE MORE TOUCHDOWNS.

THAT WAS I BELIEVE THE LOWEST RATE.

IT WAS THE LOWEST COUNTRY.

WHICH I THINK THAT GETS YOU BY SURPRISE.

I THINK YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW POOR NEBRASKA WAS AT CONVERTING TOUCHDOWNS IN THE RED ZONE.

I THINK THE MOBILITY THOUGH OF COLANDREA IS GOING TO PLAY A BIG FACTOR BECAUSE YOU NOW HAVE THAT RPO ZONE READ THAT YOU CAN RUN, IN THE RED ZONE.

AND I THINK THIS OFFENSIVE LINE WILL BE BETTER.

I THINK THEY'LL GET A BETTER PUSH UP FRONT.

AND THAT WILL BE WHAT I'LL BE LOOKING AT RIGHT OFF THE BAT IN THIS GAME ON SATURDAY.

WHAT KIND OF DOWNHILL PUSH ARE WE SEEING IN THE FIRST QUARTER FROM THIS OFFENSIVE LINE?

BEFORE WE GET TO THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL, WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A BRAND NEW HOME ON YOUTUBE.

THAT'S RIGHT, DEVIN STEVENS.

YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT FOR YEARS.

FROM LIVE COVERAGE OF THE NSA CHAMPIONSHIPS TO SEGMENTS AND FULL EPISODES OF OUR SHOW AND STATE OF VOLLEYBALL AND SO MUCH MORE, THE NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA SPORTS YOUTUBE CHANNEL IS YOUR HOME FOR SPORTS ACROSS THE STATE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW CHANNEL AT YOUTUBE.COM/@ NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIASPORTS.

AND WITH THE HIRING OF NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ROB AURICH, THE HUSKERS ARE SWITCHING FROM THE 3-3-5 DEFENSE THIS SEASON TO A 4-2-5 DEFENSIVE SCHEME.

OUR BUDDY JAY HAS MORE ON THAT NEW DEFENSIVE LOOK.

ALRIGHT, WELCOME TO JAY'S PLAYS.

I THOUGHT TONIGHT I'D TAKE A QUICK MINUTE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 3-3-5 DEFENSE NEBRASKA RAN LAST YEAR VERSUS THE 4-2-5 THAT THEY'RE GOING BE IMPLEMENTING THIS YEAR WITH AURICH.

SO LAST YEAR, IT'S REALLY IT'S A THREE MAN FRONT.

THAT'S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE.

YOU HAD AN END, A NOSE GUARD WHO COULD PLAY ON ANY SIDE OF THE OF THE CENTER, THEN YOU'D HAVE ANOTHER DEFENSIVE END, MAYBE A DEFENSIVE TACKLE.

RIGHT?

THAT WAS THE DIFFICULTY.

THEY KIND OF PLAY AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT SPOTS.

SO THEN YOU HAVE YOUR LINEBACKERS HERE, SAFETIES UP HERE, CORNER, AND THEN YOU'D HAVE DONOVAN JONES AT THAT NICKEL SPOT THAT CAN KIND OF THAT NICKEL ROVER WE'RE GONNA CALL IT.

HE CAN KIND OF ROLL DOWN HERE AND MAYBE PLAY DOWN THE BOX OR PLAY AGAINST THE SLOT.

NOW THIS YEAR, WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS A FOREMAN FRONT.

AND YOU'LL SEE THESE GUYS PLAY MORE SOLID ACROSS THEIR SPOTS.

THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE HOPPING AROUND.

SO YOU'LL HAVE AN END HERE.

YOU'LL HAVE A NOSE HERE.

HAVE A DEFENSIVE TACKLE HERE AND YOU HAVE ANOTHER END HERE.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT VERY SIMILAR.

YOU'LL HAVE LENHARDT, NWANERI, WHITTINGTON, STOUDMIRE, ANTHONY JONES AT THESE SPOTS.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THESE GUYS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING THESE POSITIONS VERY, VERY CONSISTENTLY.

NOT A LOT OF CHANGE.

SO YOU HAVE YOUR TWO LINEBACKERS.

RIGHT?

AND IT'S ABOUT THE SAME THAN WE HAD AS LAST YEAR.

YOU GOT YOUR YOUR SAFETIES UP HERE, ANOTHER CORNER DOWN HERE.

SO THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THIS FOUR MAN FRONT.

NOW YOU CAN CHANGE.

RIGHT?

YOU CAN HAVE THIS GUY OVER HERE.

THIS GUY COULD BE OVER HERE.

RIGHT?

I KNOW I'M DRAWING A LOT OF CIRCLES ON THIS PAGE FOR YOU, BUT THEY CAN KIND OF PLAY OUT HERE.

SO IT'S JUST THE DIFFERENCE OF THE THREE MAN FRONT, WHICH I THINK WILL HELP AGAINST THE RUN VASTLY BECAUSE NEBRASKA STRUGGLED STOPPING THE RUN.

BUT THESE GUYS ARE GONNA PLAY A CONSISTENT POSITION, NOT ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO I THINK THAT'S JUST GONNA HELP SIMPLIFY NOT ONLY FOR THE DEFENSIVE LINE, BUT ALSO THE GUYS BEHIND THEM TO REALLY KEY ON THE RUN FITS.

SO THINK THAT'S GOING TO HELP NEBRASKA IMPROVE ON THE RUN DEFENSE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

(GENTLE MUSIC) LET'S TALK SOME DEFENSE NOW.

BREAKING DOWN, THAT WAS GREAT.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

ROB AURICH, ONE THING HE'S DONE EVERY PLACE HE'S BEEN WHERE HE'S TAKEN OVER AS A COORDINATOR, THEY'VE INCREASED THEIR SACKS.

THEY WERE SECOND IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST LAST YEAR, 32 SACKS, AND THEY ALLOWED UNDER FOUR YARDS OF RUSH IN A CONFERENCE THAT ACTUALLY COULD RUN THE BALL REALLY WELL.

SO WHICH ONE OF THOSE DO YOU THINK MORE VALUABLE IN THE BIG 10?

THEY NEED TO GET THE SACKS UP, OR DO THEY NEED TO TRY TO LIMIT THAT RUN GAME?

WELL, THAT'S GOSH, YOU'RE ASKING THE FORMER DEFENSE VET.

OBVIOUSLY, THE SACKS ARE WHAT YOU GET PAID ON.

BUT, STOPPING THE RUN IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT IN MY OPINION.

YOU JUST NEBRASKA STRUGGLED HEAVILY AGAINST THE RUN.

THERE'S A LOT OF RUNS INTO THE BOUNDARY.

THEY STRUGGLED AGAINST AND A LOT OF THAT THOSE THAT COUNTERACTION.

THEY HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING THAT LAST YEAR.

THAT WE GET YOU GOTTA BE BETTER AT STOPPING THE RUN.

I MEAN, THAT'S JUST FOOTBALL 101.

YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO RUN THE BALL.

YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO STOP THE RUN.

SO I THINK WITH THEM IMPLEMENTING, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SIMPLE SIMPLIFIED, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR YOUR FRONT FOUR GUYS ARE GONNA BE PLAYING A MUCH MORE CONSISTENT SPOT.

WHICH THEY IT WAS KIND OF THE 3-3-5 WAS A JACK OF ALL TRADES, KIND OF A MASTER OF NONE.

AND IT JUST MADE THE RUN FITS FOR SHAVERS AND THOSE LINEBACKERS AND EVEN THE SAFETIES LAST YEAR BECAUSE IT JUST IT JUST GOT SO MUDDY SOMETIMES.

AND I THINK NOW YOU HAVE THESE GUYS KNOWING THEIR ROLE.

YOU CAN PLAY FASTER.

YOU CAN PLAY MORE DOWNHILL, WHICH ULTIMATELY JUST PLAYS THE BETTER DEFENSE AND GET MORE CONFIDENCE.

BUT NO, I'M ALL ABOUT THE SACKS, BUT YOU GOT TO STOP THE RUN FIRST AND FOREMOST.

I THINK THE TWO DEEP AND THE DEPTH CHART THAT CAME OUT SHOWS WHAT THEY WANT TO BE.

THEY'VE GOT THEIR TWO BEST SETTING THE EDGE DEFENDERS ON THE END, LENHARDT AND HAVING JONES.

AND THEY GOT THEIR TWO MOST EXPERIENCED GUYS INSIDE.

RIGHT?

OLDER GUYS WITH STOUDMIRE AND WHITTINGTON.

IT KIND OF SHOWS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

YEAH, THAT IS AN OLD FRONT.

IT IS.

YOU LOOK AT MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING BASICALLY ALL SENIOR TYPE PLAYERS ON THAT FRONT FOUR, AND THAT'S HOW YOU HAVE TO BE TO WIN IN THIS CONFERENCE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I STILL THINK OFF THE BENCH WHEN YOU CAN BRING PIETRZAK AND NWANERI AND SOME OF THOSE GUYS IN OCHOA.

AND I LIKE THE DEPTH AT THE EDGE POSITION.

THE INTERIOR DEPTH, THOUGH, IS THE QUESTION.

LIKE, CAN TYSON TERRY GIVE THEM A QUALITY 20 SNAPS?

I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG X FACTOR.

AND, YOU KNOW, RILEY VAN POPPEL AS A NUMBER TWO, I THINK, WAS A SURPRISE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUMED HIM AS A LIKE A BLACKSHIRT LEVEL TYPE STARTER.

YEAH.

BUT IT KIND OF TELLS YOU WHERE THEY WERE AT AND WHY THEY HAD TO GO OUT AND GET HELP IN THE PORT.

YEAH, I THINK THEY HAVE THREE STARTERS.

IT'S JUST VAN POPPEL'S BEHIND STOUDMIRE BECAUSE I THINK HE'S GOT MORE POTENTIAL AS A PENETRATOR.

YOU KNOW.

YOU'VE WATCHED THIS DEFENSE.

THEY CAUGHT TOO MUCH LAST VERY RARELY DID YOU SAY, OH, LOOK AT THAT RUNNING BACK HAVING TO MAKE A GUY MISS, RIGHT, IN THE BACKFIELD.

WELL, I THINK IN THAT THREE MAN FRONT, YOU GET, YOU KIND OF GET SOME TWO GAP SCHEME, GET ACTION GOING ON THE DEFENSE.

YOU KIND OF HAVE TO... GOTTA LOOK.

PLAY A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVELY BECAUSE YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, IF HE GOES HERE, HE'LL BE ABLE TO KIND OF WORK BOTH WAYS.

NOW I THINK WITH THIS FOUR MAN FRONT, IT'S MORE OF A GAP SCHEME LIKE, HEY, ANTHONY JONES AT EDGE, GONNA HAVE C GAPS.

STOUDMIRE IS AT THE NOSE, HE HAS THAT PLAY SIDE A GAP.

WHITTINGTON AT THREE TECHNIQUE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT B GAP.

AND THEN NWANERI OR LENHARDT, HEY, YOU GOT THAT OPPOSITE C GAP.

SO IT'S VERY CLEAN-CUT.

NOW YOU GET SOME MOVEMENT, THAT'S A NICE THING, GET MORE MOVEMENT AND THEN JUST CLEANS UP FOR EVERYTHING FROM BEHIND.

RIGHT?

SO THOSE GUYS CAN PLAY DOWNHILL.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHAMBLISS, SHAVERS, FOSTER.

SO THOSE GUYS CAN GET DOWNHILL.

RIGHT.

BUT, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS MORE ATTACKING.

BUT ULTIMATELY, IT'S JUST GONNA HAVING A MORE SIMPLIFIED APPROACH JUST MAKES IT A CLEANER PICTURE FOR EVERYONE BEHIND THE BEHIND THOSE FRONT FOUR.

ONE MORE THING FROM AURICH'S DEFENSES LAST YEAR.

THEY HAD MORE INTERCEPTIONS THAN THEY ALLOWED TOUCHDOWN PASSES.

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

SEASON OUTLOOK.

WE'VE TALKED WAY TOO MUCH, IN MY OPINION, ABOUT THE SCHEDULE.

THAT'S LAST YEAR'S TEAMS.

MAYBE THEY'LL BE GOOD AGAIN THIS YEAR.

YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW.

BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AGAINST THE BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY.

ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

NO MATTER WHAT NEBRASKA WOULD BE, IF NEBRASKA WAS, LIKE, RANKED TWENTIETH GOING TO THIS YEAR, WE'D STILL BE SAYING THIS IS A TOUGH SCHEDULE.

YEAH.

AND I COMPARE IT A LITTLE BIT TO 2021 WHEN NEBRASKA PLAYED EIGHT TEAMS AT ONE NINE OR MORE GAMES THAT YEAR.

THEY WENT 3-9, BUT A LOT OF CLOSE GAMES.

I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO GET SCHEDULED LIKE THIS IN THE BIG TEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE WEST COAST TEAMS NOW IN THERE AS WELL.

YEAH.

SO IT IS WHAT IT IS.

I MEAN, ALMOST EVERY TEAM IN THE BIG TEN HAS TO PLAY FOUR OR FIVE RANKED OPPONENTS NOW, AT LEAST ON THE PRESEASON RANKS.

AND, WE'LL WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.

AND YOU CAN'T MAKE EXCUSES ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHY YOU'RE IN THE BIG TEN.

IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HAVE THOSE FIRST THREE GAMES?

WITHOUT A DOUBT.

PLAYING AGAINST TEAMS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH TALENT AS YOU DO.

YEAH.

I MADE THE COMMENT, YOU KNOW, CONFIDENCE IS LIKE MONEY.

MHMM.

I DON'T HAVE ANY.

IT'S HARD NO.

IT'S HARD TO GET AND EASY TO LOSE.

OH, THAT'S VERY TRUE.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE YOU GOTTA GET GAIN SOME CONFIDENCE.

RIGHT?

THERE'S A LOT OF NEW FACES ON THIS TEAM.

SO I DON'T CARE WHO YOU PLAY.

AND I ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE GAME REPS, YOU CAN'T RECREATE THAT IN PRACTICE.

I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE.

YOU CAN'T RECREATE PLAYING IN FRONT OF 90,000 FANS.

YOU CAN'T RECREATE PLAYING AGAINST ANOTHER TEAM THAT YOU JUST THAT HAS A DIFFERENT COLOR UNIFORM ON.

GETTING THAT CONFIDENCE, GETTING THEM BUILT UP.

I MEAN, WE LOOK AT THAT SCHEDULE.

SHOULD BE 3-0.

5-0 IS DEFINITELY DOABLE.

SURE.

THAT MICHIGAN STATE GAME IS GONNA BE A TOUGH TEST UP THERE IN EAST LANSING.

BUT THOSE I KNOW PEOPLE PROBABLY LIKE TO SEE SOME TOUGHER COMPETITION.

BUT NOWADAYS WITH THE NINE GAMES CONFERENCE SCHEDULE.

YOU'RE JUST NOT GOING TO SEE AS MUCH OF THOSE EARLY POWERFUL NONCONFERENCE GAMES.

YEAH.

MAYBE TOUGH TO SELL OUT SOME OF THOSE GAMES BECAUSE OF THAT, BUT THE SEASON OPENER JUST DAYS AWAY.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK BACK AT FALL CAMP PREPARATION FROM THE HUSKERS.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST AND LEANEST TEAM WE'VE HAD.

GREAT JOB BY THE PLAYERS IN THE OFFSEASON.

THEY'VE BEEN GREAT IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, GREAT IN TRAINING TABLE, GREAT IN THAT CLASSROOM.

NOW THEY'VE GOT TAKE THAT MINDSET AND TRANSFER OVER TO FOOTBALL FIELD.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) GOOD COACHES SAY TO THEMSELVES WHAT'S THE BEST SCHEME FIT FOR THE PLAYERS WE HAVE, NOT HEY, I WANT TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I DO.

AND SO THE GUYS HAVE PICKED UP AND RUN WITH IT.

ALL THE QUARTERBACKS HAVE DONE A NICE JOB.

ANTHONY, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS HE'S VERY COMPETITIVE, VERY FIERY.

HE EXPECTS EVERY TO WIN EVERY PLAY.

AND HE'S PRETTY HE'S DONE A NICE JOB OF DISCIPLINING HIMSELF TO ALSO TAKE WHAT'S THERE.

MAKES NICE CHECKS IN THE RUN PASS GAME, CAN THROW THE BALL DEEP, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS HE EXTENDS A TON OF PLAYS WITH HIS LEGS.

WHEN YOU TOOK THIS JOB, OBVIOUSLY, I'M FROM THE MIDWEST.

I UNDERSTAND THE TRADITION OF THE BLACKSHIRTS IN THIS PROGRAM AND THE LEVELS IT'S BEEN AT.

I WANT ALUMNI TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE PLAY AND BE REALLY PROUD.

EXTREMELY HONORED BY IT.

THE BIGGEST COMMITMENT WE HAVE IS THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS THAT HAVE PLAYED IN THAT HAVE A STANDARD FOR WHICH THIS LOGO PLAYS.

AND I WANNA SEE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT NEBRASKA THE WAY THEY SHOULD.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) I THINK THE MENTALITY, I THINK THEY HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE, WHICH I WANT THEM TO HAVE CONFIDENCE.

BUT I JUST THINK THE WORK ETHIC AND THE MENTALITY OF, LISTEN, IF IT'S NOT PERFECT AND I STRAIN AND I COMPETE.

YEAH.

THOSE GUYS ARE STUDS.

I'M EXCITED.

QUINN, KWAZI, JACORY, ZAY, ALL THOSE GUYS CAN GO MAKE PLAYS.

YEAH.

THEY'RE ELITE.

THOSE GUYS ARE THE REAL DEAL.

I'M EXCITED.

I THINK IT'S THE BEST FIGHT I'VE EVER BEEN BEHIND OF SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO PLAY WITH THEM.

THE BIGGEST THING IS THEY PLAY TOGETHER.

RIGHT?

THEY PLAY TOGETHER IN THE PASS GAME AND THE RUN GAME.

LIKE, YOU WATCH THE TAPE, YOU'RE LIKE, DANG.

LIKE, THESE DUDES, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR YEARS, BUT ALL OF THEM ARE NEW.

SO IT'S A COOL DEAL.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) THAT'S A HEALTHY QUARTERBACK ROOM.

WHAT OTHER ROOM IN THE COUNTRY HAS THREE KIDS THAT HAVE HAVE POWER FOUR STARTING EXPERIENCE?

YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A VERY HEALTHY QUARTERBACK ROOM.

I THINK COLANDREA KIND OF BRINGS THE BEST OUT OF THE GROUP SOMETIMES WITH HIS YOU KNOW, HE'S KIND OF THAT DUDE MENTALITY OF EVERY DAY HE'S THE SAME GUY, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF FEED OFF HIM AT TIMES.

THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TALENT EVERYWHERE HERE.

LIKE, WE HAVE A LOADED GROUP AND SHOOT, WE'RE EXCITED TO GO PLAY.

SO THIS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY ARE STILL OUR TEAM'S DEVELOPMENT.

THEN THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, THE MOCK GAME IS KIND OF A HEAD START ON THE FIRST OPPONENT.

(INDISTINCT TALKING) IRON SHARPENING IRON, YOU KNOW, HOLDING EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.

THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO BROTHER THAT WE FEEL LIKE ARE IMPORTANT ON THE TEAM.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE INTRODUCING A NEW SEGMENT THIS YEAR TO HELP US INTERACT WITH YOU AT HOME.

IT'S CALLED WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR HOT TAKES.

SO IT'S A HOT TAKES SEGMENT.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA VIA EMAIL OR FROM YOUR PHONE AND SHARE YOUR HOTTEST TAKES.

WE'LL SHOWCASE THE BEST AND THEN WE'LL AGREE OR NOT AGREE WITH YOUR HOT TAKES.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TAKE, SEAN, COMES FROM RED RILES ON X. HE SAYS HE BELIEVES KWINTEN IVES WILL LEAD THE TEAM IN RUSHING TDS THIS SEASON.

THAT WOULD BE A BIG SURPRISE JUST BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, JAMAL RULE AND I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER BACKS THAT ARE GOING TO GET THOSE CARRIES.

RIGHT.

I THINK KWINTEN IVES COULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COUPLE RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE HIM BEING THE GUY THAT LEADS THE WAY.

YOU KNOW, VINCENT GENATONE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT COULD EVEN TAKE SOME OF THOSE SHORT YARDAGE CARRIES.

YEAH, THAT'S A IT'S A FUN HOT TAKE, BUT NO ONE REALLY AGREES WITH THAT HOT TAKE.

KEEP SENDING US THE HOT TAKES FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF THE PROGRAM WRITTEN BY NO OTHER THAN SEAN CALLAHAN.

NEXT UP ON THE SHOW, WE'LL SIT DOWN WITH THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, ROB AURICH, GET AND AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE 2026 BLACKSHIRT DEFENSE.

AS WE GO TO BREAK IMAGES, NEBRASKA'S FALL CAMP COURTESY OF HURRDAT SPORTS, WE'RE BACK IN TWO.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) HI, WELCOME BACK TO BIG RED WRAP-UP ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

WE ARE JOINED BY FIRST YEAR DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, ROB AURICH.

COACH, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

I MOVED A LOT AS A KID, SO I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT CAN THAT BE.

YOUR WIFE SARAH, YOUR THREE KIDS, HOW ARE THINGS GOING?

YOU ALL SETTLED IN?

YEAH, I THINK ANY TIME YOU MOVE, THERE'S A RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD, BUT THE LINCOLN COMMUNITY HAS BEEN GREAT TO US.

SO KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL, THEY'RE IN SOFTBALL, GYMNASTICS, AND MY WIFE'S FOUND A GREAT NETWORK OF FRIENDS AMONGST OUR COACHING WIVES.

AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE SORORITY THAT GETS TOGETHER A LOT.

AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE COMPANY.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.

THAT'S AWESOME.

HOW DID IT WORK IN TERMS OF THE FIRST TIME COACH RHULE REACHED OUT TO YOU?

WAS IT THROUGH AGENTS?

DID HE SLIP INTO YOUR DMS?

HOW DID THEY FIRST REACH OUT?

WELL, HE REACHED OUT TO OUR HEAD COACH AT SAN DIEGO STATE FIRST AND ASKED IF IT'D BE OKAY IF HE TALKED WITH ME.

AND THEN WE HAD A DIRECT CONVERSATION ABOUT KIND OF THE PATH OF THE PROGRAM HE WANTED TO SEE IT TAKE AND KIND OF HIS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

AND AFTER HEARING THAT AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TO LINCOLN, IT WAS SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T SAY NO TO.

TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR MATT AND WHAT HE'S BUILT THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, BUT I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THAT PHONE CALL AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

YEAH.

SO WHEN YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THE JOB, YOU START THINKING ABOUT STAFF.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

DOES IT HAVE TO BE SOMEBODY THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH BEFORE?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD YOUR DEFENSIVE STAFF?

WELL, I THINK THERE IS A LEVEL OF COMFORT WHEN YOU HIRE PEOPLE YOU'VE WORKED WITH BEFORE.

THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

BUT I WANTED TO BRING PEOPLE IN WHO ARE GREAT TEACHERS AND GREAT MOTIVATORS AND PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THE RESPECT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE IN THIS ROLE.

SO WHEN I HIRED ROY MANNING AND COREY BROWN AND TYLER TO JOIN ME AND ROB DVORACEK AS THE POSITION COACHES AND COACH ADDISON WILLIAMS, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS BRINGING GUYS THAT KNEW MISSION.

YOU MENTIONED TYLER YELK.

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS SO FAR THAT'S HAPPENED DURING THE OFF SEASON IS WHEN YOU GUYS ARE BOTH INTERVIEWED AND THEY'RE ASKING YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT HIM HAVING THE TACKLE RECORD AND YOU TRYING TO GET IN AND STUFF.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO PLAYING DAYS?

WELL, WAS A PLAYER THAT I REALLY ADMIRED WHEN I WAS A YOUNG PLAYER.

HE WAS TWO OR THREE YEARS OLDER THAN ME.

JUST WATCHING HOW HE WENT ABOUT HIS CRAFT REALLY KIND OF TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO IT AS A PLAYER AS WELL.

AND SO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS SECOND AND THIRD CHAPTER TOGETHER IN OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN REALLY FUN TO SEE HOW HE'S GROWN IN HIS TIME WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.

BUT I'M REALLY THANKFUL HE'S HERE BECAUSE HE BRINGS A WEALTH OF FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE AND FROM A FAMILY PERSON, AS A INDIVIDUAL OF THE HIGHEST CHARACTER.

PRETTY MUCH EVERY JOB YOU'VE TAKEN OVER, THE POSITION GROUP YOU HAD OR YOUR ACTUAL DEFENSE, HAVE GOTTEN MUCH BETTER.

IS THERE A REASON, YOU THINK, WHY YOU'VE MADE SUCH A BIG JUMP EVEN IN THE FIRST YEAR?

WELL, I THINK WE KNOW WHO WE ARE.

I THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOOD AT.

I THINK WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT DIAGNOSING WHAT THE TEAM AND PLAYERS DO AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND WE LEAN INTO THOSE CHARACTERISTICS.

AND WE TRY NOT TO BE EVERYTHING.

WE TRY TO DO OUR BRAND OF FOOTBALL TO THE ABSOLUTE BEST THAT WE CAN, AND THROUGH THE LAST PREVIOUS STOPS, IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAY, WHAT IS IT, FAST, VIOLENT, WHAT IS IT?

SIMPLE, FAST, AND VIOLENT.

SIMPLE, FAST, AND VIOLENT.

SO I WENT BACK AND I WATCHED A BUNCH OF THE GAMES AND IT DOESN'T LOOK SIMPLE JUST TO THE LAYMAN WATCHING IT AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN TOO HIGH, YOU'RE DROPPING DOWN, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO CONFUSE THE QUARTERBACK.

PUTTING THAT IN, HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT WITH A BRAND NEW GROUP OF GUYS TRYING TO GET THAT PUT IN?

WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST MEASUREMENTS TO SUCCESS IS HOW WELL YOU GO THROUGH YOUR INSTALL PROCESS.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SIMPLE, FAST, AND VIOLENT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIELD.

IT'S TALKING ABOUT OUR TEACHING AND COACHING PROGRESSIONS.

AND SIMPLE REALLY SPEAKS TO US AS A STAFF.

HOW DO WE PRESENT INFORMATION TO OUR PLAYERS SO IT'S DIGESTIBLE?

AND THEN FAST AND VIOLENT IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE WAY THAT WE ACCEPT OUR PLAYERS TO PLAY.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT I'VE SEEN AT PRACTICE AND WHAT I SEE GOING INTO TO THIS 2026 SEASON, I'M EXTREMELY ENCOURAGED AND EXTREMELY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE LOOK LIKE AT MEMORIAL.

DURING THAT INSTALLATION, HOW HELPFUL WAS IT HAVING DWAYNE MCDOUGLE WHOS BEEN WITH YOU, KNOWS THE SYSTEM HAVING HIM THERE?

YEAH, DWAYNE HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR TWO STOPS AND REALLY SAVVY FOOTBALL PLAYER.

I THINK ANYTIME YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR BACK POCKET AND HAVE PLAYERS LIKE DWAYNE MCDOUGLE AND OWEN CHAMBLISS HELPING THE OTHER GUYS COME ALONG AT AN EXPEDITED RATE, I THINK IS REALLY GOOD FOR THE PROGRAM.

AND I THINK IT JUST ADDS A COUPLE MORE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM THAT UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

LAST YEAR, YOU GUYS WERE UNDER FOUR YARDS OF CARRY YOU GAVE UP.

YOU HAD MORE INTERCEPTIONS, YOU GAVE UP TOUCHDOWNS, AND YOU WERE SECOND IN THE CONFERENCE IN SACKS.

IF YOU COULD PICK ONE OF THOSE, I CAN TELL YOU NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT INTO THE YEAR HERE.

YEAH.

WHICH ONE WOULD YOU TAKE THAT LEADS MORE TO WINS?

KILL THE RUN.

WE WANNA KILL THE RUN.

GREAT DEFENSES KILL THE RUN.

BIG TEN FOOTBALL IS ABOUT ESTABLISHING THE RUN GAME, WHO CAN ESTABLISH DOMINANCE WITH NOT ONLY PHYSICALITY BUT SCHEMATIC APPROACH.

WE WANT TO BE THE BEST TWO HIGH RUN FIT TEAM IN THE COUNTRY.

THAT GOES BACK TO A QUESTION THAT A LOT OF FANS WONDER ABOUT.

ARE YOU BIG ENOUGH ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE TO GO AGAINST THESE BIG TEN OFFENSIVE LINES?

DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE SIZE IN THAT FOUR MAN FRONT?

YEAH, WE HAVE GREAT TOOLS.

AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE TOOLS, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PLAYERS.

EACH PLAYER IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY IN THE CUPBOARD TO GO TO WORK.

YEAH.

AND THE RUSH ENDS, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THAT GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK.

DO YOU FEEL GOOD ON THE DEPTH THERE IN TERMS OF THOSE GUYS?

YEAH.

THE RUSH ENDS IS A UNIQUE POSITION BECAUSE THEY DO A LITTLE DROPPING.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOUR OLD 3-4 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NFL IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF FOOTBALL.

THOSE GUYS HAVE A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY ON THEM TO BE GREAT AT EDGE SETTING AND GREAT AT RUNNING OUR RUN STUNT SYSTEM.

FROM THE LOOKS OF IT SO FAR THROUGH PRACTICE 18, WE'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE HAVE.

SETTING THE EDGE, ANTHONY JONES LOOKS LIKE HE'S BUILT FOR DOING THAT.

HE SURE IS.

IS HE KIND OF THE LEADER IN THAT DEPARTMENT?

YEAH, THINK THERE'S COMPETITION IN THAT ROOM FOR WHO'S PLAYING THE MOST VIOLENT.

CAM LENDHARDT, WILLIAMS NWANERI.

THERE'S A BUNCH OF GUYS THAT ARE PLAYING WITH THE PHYSICALITY WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

WHAT ANTHONY BRINGS TO THE TABLE IS HIS FOOTBALL SAVVINESS.

NOT ONLY IS HE PHYSICAL AT THE POINT OF ATTACK, HE HAS A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF LEVERAGES, TIMING, THAT HIS FOUR OTHER YEARS OF PLAYING COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVE REALLY SERVICED HIM WELL.

SO BACK IN THE DAY WHEN YOU WERE DOING THIS RECRUITING THING, YOU RECRUITED A GUY FOR A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF MAYBE.

THEN YOU GO IN THE PORTAL SITUATION.

HOW DO YOU KNOW A GUY LIKE JAHSEAR WHITTINGTON WHO ONLY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF GAMES HE'S PLAYED?

HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S GOING TO FIT?

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR TO KNOW THAT GUY'S GOING TO WORK IN YOUR SYSTEM?

WELL, THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS WHAT'S ON TAPE.

WHAT TYPE OF STYLE DOES HE BRING TO THE TABLE AND WHAT ARE HIS REDEEMING TRAITS?

WITH JAHSEAR, IT WAS HIS TWITCH.

HE WAS DISRUPTIVE.

HE HAS THE ABILITY TO CAUSE A TON OF HAVOC FOR THE OFFENSE.

AND THEN WE MEET THEM.

AND I THINK ONCE YOU MEET THAT PLAYER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A 24 TO 48 HOUR VISIT, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT GUY.

AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT GUY.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT HAVING THE BEST GUY, IT'S ABOUT HAVING THE RIGHT GUY FOR YOUR PROGRAM.

AND HE WAS, AND ANTHONY WAS, AND OWEN, AND DWAYNE, THOSE GUYS HAVE BROUGHT THE RIGHT MENTALITY TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD.

YOU HAVE DAVE TOLLEFSON IN THERE, FORMER NFL PLAYER.

HE COMES IN DURING THE BOWL WEEK LAST YEAR AND HE'S BEEN IN THERE.

CAN YOU TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE AND THE WAY HE TEACHES?

YEAH, DAVE'S HANDS ON.

YOU KNOW, HE WAS A SEVEN OR EIGHT YEAR NFL GUY.

HE'S HILARIOUS.

I LOVE DAVE.

HE BRINGS THAT EXCITEMENT ABOUT FOOTBALL TO THE STAFF ROOM THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE.

AND WHEN HE'S THERE WITH THE PLAYERS, FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING COACHED BY NOT ONLY A COACH, BUT SOMEONE WHO'S TRULY INVESTED IN THEIR SUCCESS.

WHEN YOUR PASS RUSH IS WORKING RIGHT, WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FOR?

IS IT JUST SIMPLY SACKS?

IS IT GETTING THE QUARTERBACK OFF HIS SPOT?

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HURRIES?

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR ON THAT SUNDAY WHEN YOU'RE GOING BACK TO THE SATURDAY TAPE?

WELL, WE OBVIOUSLY LOVE TFLS, LOVE SACKS, WE LOVE MAKING GOOD PLAYS, BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE GOAL OF THE RUSH.

HOW CAN WE IMPACT THE QUARTERBACK FROM HAVING A LESS SUCCESSFUL DAY THAN HE NORMALLY DOES?

SO FOR US, WE WANT TO SEE US IMPACTING THE QUARTERBACK WITHIN THREE SECONDS, GETTING HIM OFF THE SPOT, AND FORCING HIM TO PLAY SECOND LEVEL OR PLAN B FOOTBALL.

THERE WAS A QUOTE FROM COACH RHULE THAT SAYS, "YOU HAVE HIGH STANDARDS AND YOU'LL DEMAND A LOT OF YOUR DEFENSE."

IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU AND HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

YEAH, I GOT TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR THE GAME OF FOOTBALL.

IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD TO ME AND WHEN I'VE SEEN IT DONE AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD.

AND I THINK IF YOU HOLD YOUR TEAM AND YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT GREAT WORK LOOKS LIKE, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.

AND AS SOON AS YOU LET LOOSE OF THOSE STANDARDS, I THINK SOMETIMES PLAY THAT'S BELOW THE LINE CAN SHOW UP.

SO I THINK IT'S MY JOB AS THE COORDINATOR TO MAKE SURE THAT STANDARD IS MET, AND WHEN IT'S NOT, TO MAKE SURE IT'S CHECKED.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY FUN WATCHING YOU GUYS LAST YEAR AT SAN DIEGO STATE WAS WATCHING OWENS WATCHING OWEN CHAMBLISS AND HIS INSTINCTS AND THE WAY HE WAS SIDELINED TO SIDELINED.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HAVING HIM KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT DEFENSE AND WHAT HE DOES TO BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE EXPLOSIVE PLAYS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF FIELD?

YEAH.

OWEN HAS TREMENDOUS PHYSICAL TOOLS.

RUNS FAST, HE'S 230, 6'3" HE CAN DO ALL THOSE THINGS.

BUT HIS MIND MAKES HIM A GREAT PLAYER.

HIS MIND MAKES HIM A GREAT PLAYER.

AND I THINK HIS ELITE TRAIT IS HIS ABILITY TO LOOK AT FORMATIONS, BACKFIELD AND TENDENCIES AND HAVE AN IDEA OF THE TWO OR THREE PLAYS I'M GETTING AND NOW I'M SITTING ON THOSE TENDENCIES ALLOWING ME TO PLAY FAST.

AND IT DOESN'T JUST COME BY HAPPENSTANCE.

YEAH, SURE.

I MEAN, HIS FILM STUDY IS ELITE.

I THINK IT'S KIND OF SET THE TONE FOR WHAT THE LINEBACKERS IN THE ROOM, "LIKE HOLY COW."

THERE'S A LOT OF FILM STUDY THAT GOES INTO THIS.

AND IT'S BEEN FUN TO WATCH HIM EVEN GROW HERE, NOT ONLY IN THAT ASPECT, BUT PHYSICALLY.

KNOW, HE WAS A G5 PLAYER AT SAN DIEGO STATE.

YOU KNOW, HE'S GOTTEN SOME BIG TEN RESOURCES HERE AT NEBRASKA.

HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE SAME PLAYER.

YOU'RE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT COACHING THE LINEBACKERS, HELPING TO COACH THE LINEBACKERS.

TALK ABOUT THE REST OF THAT ROOM BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD DEPTH WITH YOUNGER AND EXPERIENCED.

YEAH, I THINK WE'VE BEEN REALLY BLESSED WITH WHO WE BROUGHT IN, WHO WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP.

VINCENT SHAVERS IS A RETURNING STARTER HERE.

I THINK HE'S GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN HIS FOOTBALL UNDERSTANDING AND THE WAY HE PLAYS, BEEN REALLY PLEASED.

AND THEN THE OTHER PLAYER WE ADDED WAS DEXTER FOSTER.

AND DEXTER FOSTER IS AN ELITE TACKLER, ELITE TACKLER.

AND WHAT HE'S BROUGHT TO THE TABLE IS THE ABILITY FOR SHAVERS, OWEN AND DEXTER TO COMPETE EVERY DAY.

BECAUSE IN EACH OF THEIR MIND, THEY THINK THEY'RE THE PLAYER IN THE ROOM.

SURE.

AND YOU WANT THAT.

YOU WANT THAT ALPHA DOG MENTALITY.

I HAVE A FOOTBALL CRUSH ON DAWSON MERRITT FROM WHEN I WAS WATCHING HIM.

OH, YEAH.

HIS HIGH SCHOOL FILM.

AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST GAME HE WAS IN, HE ADJUSTED WHERE THE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN WAS IN FRONT OF HIM LIKE THAT KID, IT'S INTO A TAPE ROOM.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HIM AS A YOUNG PLAYER COMING ALONG?

DAWSON GOING BE A GREAT PLAYER FOR US.

SO DAWSON HAS THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR ATTACKING FOOTBALL FROM THE LINEBACKER POSITION.

OBVIOUSLY, HIS FATHER'S AN NFL COACH, SO HE'S BEEN AROUND THE GAME.

DAWSON'S TAKEN A STEP FROM I'M THE YOUNG GUY WHO'S SHOWING SOME FLASHES TO A GUY WE CAN REALLY DEPEND ON, BE REALLY PLEASED WITH HIM.

THE DAY WE'RE TAPING THIS, YOU GUYS ARE STARTING OHIO PREP.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR STARTING 11 CURRENTLY, OR IS THERE STILL BATTLES GOING ON, ESPECIALLY AT THAT CORNERBACK YEAH, WE'RE MOSTLY SET.

WE'RE MOSTLY SET.

YOU KNOW, THAT SECOND CORNERBACK SPOT HAS BEEN REALLY FUN.

PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, LIKE WHO'S IT GOING TO BE?

REALLY THE COMPETITION HAS BEEN TO A LEVEL WHERE IT'S HARD TO CHOOSE.

IT'S HARD TO CHOOSE.

AND SO I THINK THAT WE'LL SEE A BUNCH OF PLAYERS AT THAT POSITION OR A HANDFUL, BUT THAT DECISION IS NOT BEING MADE OFF WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT GUY, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION.

WHO TRULY HAS EARNED THAT SPOT?

HOW'D YOU GUYS KNOW THAT VIC EVANS WOULD BE THE GUY THAT WOULD FIT THAT?

YEAH, COACH ADDISON WILLIAMS.

YOU KNOW, COACH ADDISON WILLIAMS STUDIED HIS TAPE, NOT JUST HIS HIGHLIGHTS, NOT JUST ANY OF THAT, REALLY DOVE DEEP INTO WHAT HE DOES WELL AS A PLAYER.

AND BRINGING HIM IN, WAS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR LESS TOUTED TRANSFERS, BUT HE KIND OF COMES IN WITH A CHIP ON THE SHOULDER A LITTLE BIT.

HE WANTS TO PROVE WHAT HE CAN AND HE HAD A RELATIONSHIP PREVIOUSLY WITH VINCENT SHAVERS.

THEY KNEW EACH OTHER GROWING UP.

AND IF YOU KNOW VINCENT THE WAY I KNOW VINCENT, MAN, YOU'RE GOING BE A COMPETITIVE GUY.

YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED IN THIS STATE FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION.

IN TERMS OF THE BLACKSHIRTS, YEAH.

HAVE YOU DECIDED HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THE SELECTION, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAND THEM OUT?

WILL IT ONLY BE 11?

ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A COUPLE OF EXTRA?

DO YOU KNOW HOW IT'S GOING WORK YET?

WELL, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT AS A STAFF.

NOT A LITTLE BIT, A LOT OF IT.

WE ARE GOING TO HAND THEM OUT WHEN WE FEEL THEY'VE KIND OF CROSSED THE THRESHOLD FOR WHAT OUR EXPECTATION ARE.

I'M EXCITED THIS ACT TO GIVE THEM OUT, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE TRADITIONS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO OVERSEE THAT IS ONE OF THE TRUE HONORS THAT I'VE HAD IN MY COACHING CAREER.

YEAH.

JAY FOREMAN'S AROUND A LOT.

HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THE BLACKSHIRTS?

I KNOW HE LOVES TALKING ABOUT IT.

YEAH.

I SPENT A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME WITH JAY.

WE PLAYED 18 HOLES OF GOLF.

HE DESTROYED ME.

GOOD GOLFER.

YEAH.

BUT HE BRINGS WHAT'S REALLY NICE ABOUT HAVING JAY HERE IS, YOU KNOW, HE KNOWS WHAT THE STANDARD LOOKS LIKE.

SURE.

AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN TIMES I'VE GONE UP AND TALKED TO HIM DURING PRACTICE JUST TO GET HIS THOUGHTS ON A FEW THINGS.

BUT I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR HIM BEING AROUND, AND HE'S BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE FOR US.

TALK ABOUT THE FACILITIES BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU'RE COMING FROM A REALLY, REALLY GOOD UNIVERSITY.

YOU COME HERE AND YOU LOOK AROUND AND MOST OF THE STUFF IS NEW OR IT'S BEING BUILT TO BE NEW.

WHAT'S THAT LIKE FOR YOU?

WELL, I THINK LIKE WE'RE LOOKING OUT THIS WINDOW RIGHT NOW AND THERE'S NOT A BETTER SCENE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

SO COMING HERE AND UNDERSTANDING JUST TRULY WHAT THE INVESTMENT IS HERE AT NEBRASKA AND WHAT THEY PUT INTO THE FACILITIES, NOT ONLY NIL, WHATEVER IT IS, THEIR COMMITMENT TO BEING A GREAT PROGRAM IS UNDENIABLE.

YEAH.

FOOD WISE, WHAT HAVE YOU HAD THAT YOU HAVE REALLY LIKE IN NEBRASKA, SO FAR, YOU HAD A RUNZA?

THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO KNOW.

I'VE HAD A RUNZA.

I'VE HAD A RUNZA.

RUNZA'S DELIGHTFUL.

NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ON RUNZA.

DELICIOUS.

BUT I THINK WHAT'S BEEN REALLY FUN IS THE TRAINING TABLE HERE IS LIKE GOING TO A FIVE STAR RESTAURANT.

AND I HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS WHEN I WALKED IN AND OUR NUTRITION STAFF AND OUR CHEFS HAVE GONE FAR BEYOND.

IT'S BEEN FUN.

I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS THAT I DIDN'T GET THIS EXPERIENCE AS A PLAYER.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE TALK ABOUT THE SCHEDULE?

BECAUSE AMONG THE FAN BASE, IT'S PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE TALK DURING THE OFF SEASON BECAUSE YOU'RE PLAYING THREE TEAMS THAT WERE IN THE TOURNAMENT LAST YEAR AND ALL OF THAT.

HOW DO YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT THAT OR DO YOU EVEN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION?

WEEK ONE'S OHIO.

YEAH.

WEEK ONE'S OHIO.

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

THAT'S WE'RE GETTING READY TO PLAY OHIO.

SO I THINK WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING, THINGS CAN GET SCARY.

AND SO AS MUCH AS WE THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM SUCCESS OF THE SEASON AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND OUR PLAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT'S DAY BY DAY, IT'S STEP BY STEP, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE BOBCATS.

LAST QUESTION.

SOMEBODY WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED, A PLAYER THAT MAYBE YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU DURING THIS FALL CAMP.

YEAH.

PLAYER NAMED WILLIAMS NWANERI.

OH, SURE.

OBVIOUSLY VERY TALENTED, VERY HIGHLY TOUTED.

I THINK FOR ME WHAT I'VE BEEN REALLY PLEASED WITH IS WHEN HE'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRULY PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL ON THE FIELD IN THOSE WINNING MOMENT SITUATIONS, HE'S BEEN A HANDFUL.

AND I THINK WHEN HE LINES UP THE STARS FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE, HE HAS A CHANCE TO REALLY HELP THE TEAM.

AND AS A PERSON, KNOW, HE MEANS A LOT TO ME.

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HE DOES.

LOOKS GOOD COMING OFF THE BUS TOO.

YEAH, HELL YEAH.

COACH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MY PLEASURE.

WELCOME TO NEBRASKA.

THANK YOU, SO MUCH.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

APPRECIATE IT.

WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL HAVE MORE BIG RED WRAP-UP.

(UPBEAT MUSIC) (SWOOSH) YEAH.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN TALK ABOUT A NEBRASKA OHIO FOOTBALL GAME WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT COACH SOLICH.

I THINK IT WAS MY FIRST SPRING HERE, KNOW, TREV AND I TALKED TO COACH AND GOT HIM BACK INTO THE MEMORIAL STADIUM, INTO THE FOLD.

JULIE AND I HAD A CHANCE TO GO UPSTAIRS WHEN, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION HALL OF FAME.

COACH ALVAREZ WAS THERE, COACH OSBORNE, SO MANY FORMER PLAYERS, LANCE LEOPOLD, AND HAD A WONDERFUL NIGHT WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY.

SO COACH HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE TO ME.

SO I THINK IN THE FIRST GAMES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO REALLY FOCUS YOURSELF MORE ON YOURSELF THAN THE OPPONENT AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING THE THINGS.

I THINK WE ALL, IF YOU GUYS WATCH COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND, KNOW, FIRST GAMES ARE USUALLY WON OR LOST REALLY IN FOUR AREAS, USUALLY IN, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL TEAMS BLUNDERS, USUALLY IN, PENALTIES AND TURNOVERS, AND YOU SEE A LOT OF BAD TACKLING.

(SWOOSH) (NO AUDIO) YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE BACKS THAT WE FEEL LIKE ARE ALL IN THAT UPPER REALM OF PLAYING, AND SO WE'LL PLAY ALL OF THEM.

A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS WEEK.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHICH ONE'S GOING OUT THERE FIRST YET.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE IS NO RB1.

I MEAN, EMMETT WAS RB1.

WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.

WE GOT THREE OF THEM THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, ARE ALL GOING TO PLAY, AND THEN WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

(SWOOSH) (NO AUDIO) IS THIS BLACKSHIRT DAY?

ARE YOU GETTING THOSE OUT TODAY?

I BELIEVE SO.

I BELIEVE SO.

WHAT ARE YOU FILLED WITH AS YOU PREPARE TO GET INTO THAT TRADITION?

ONE, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEST TRADITIONS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE TO PUT THOSE JERSEYS ON PEOPLE'S BACKS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T WE DON'T CARRY LIGHTLY, MAN.

IT'S A HEATED HEATED CONVERSATION IN THE STAFF ROOM ON WHO'S EARNED IT, UP TO THIS PART.

NOW I THINK THE HARDEST PART WITH THAT IS WE HAVE CERTAIN GUYS THAT HAVE MET THAT CRITERIA, AND THEN WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF GUYS THAT ARE RIGHT AT THAT LINE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY STEP OUT THERE MAYBE IN A RED JERSEY TODAY FOR PRACTICE.

WE DON'T TREAT THEM ANY DIFFERENTLY.

I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE GUYS WHO GET THE BLACKSHIRT TODAY.

(SWOOSH) (NO AUDIO) (SOFT BIRD SOUNDS) HI.

WELCOME BACK TO BIG RED WRAP-UP.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

SEAN CALLAHAN TO TALK RECRUITING.

USUALLY, YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL OVER TO GET AS MANY RECRUITS AS YOU GOT IN ONE PLACE AT BUELL STADIUM WITH MILLER NORTH AND MILLER SOUTH.

IT'S PRETTY NICE.

YEAH, IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE SETTING ON FRIDAY NIGHT LAST WEEK.

10,000 PLUS PEOPLE AT BUELL STADIUM.

BUT FOUR HUSKER COMMITS, HIGHLIGHTED BY QUARTERBACK TRAE TAYLOR.

BUT YOU HAD TAY ELLIS, HIS TEAMMATE, AND TORY PITTMAN ON THE MILLER NORTH SIDE ALONG WITH MATT ERICKSON.

SO IT WAS A RARITY TO SEE FOUR IN ONE GAME.

IN FACT, NOBODY COULD REALLY RECALL IF AND WHEN THE LAST TIME THAT HAD HAPPENED.

YEAH, PROBABLY WAS BELLEVUE WEST, BUT YOU THINK ABOUT IT, SOME OF THOSE OTHER GUYS THAT PLAYED AT KYLONN HAYNIE MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE WITH NEBRASKA AS WELL.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT '27 CLASS THAT'S REALLY BEEN THING THAT MATT RHULE HAS SAID, IT'S REALLY PROUD OF WHAT THEY PUT TOGETHER IN THAT '27 CLASS.

YEAH, 22 COMMITS RIGHT NOW FOR NEBRASKA.

THEY'RE RANKED IN THE TOP 20, I BELIEVE, AT NUMBER 18 RIGHT NOW AS WE LOOK AT IT, BUT EIGHT FOUR STARS, FOUR TOP 100 PLAYERS HIGHLIGHTED BY TRAE TAYLOR.

WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HIM.

BUT TORY PITTMAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA PUT HIM RIGHT UP TOP THERE WITH TRAE TAYLOR.

HE WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE PLAYER.

YOU KNOW, REALLY HITTING THE OFFENSIVE LINES AS YOU CAN SEE HERE.

FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN IN THE CLASS.

A LOT OF GEORGIA.

TIMI ALIU, AMIR JONES.

MOVING ON HERE.

BARRETT KITRELL, ANOTHER IN STATE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN, CALEB GREEN, A KANSAS CITY LINEMEN.

SO THEY'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB, I THINK, OF MEETING THE NEEDS.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM LEFT, BUT THEY HIT THE DEFENSIVE LINE AS WELL.

YOU LOOK AT JUST SOME OF THE BODIES THEY'VE ADDED, JAYDEN TRAVERS, ACROSS THE BOARD.

YOU KNOW, I THINK AN EDGE RUSHER MAYBE OR MAYBE A TIGHT END OR PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU'LL SEE THEM GO AFTER HERE LATE.

KYLE GREEN WILL BE HERE WITH LEE SUMMIT PLAYING WESTSIDE THIS WEEK, SO YOU CAN CHECK HIM OUT AS WELL.

LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR FEATURE RECRUIT, WHO IS THE FIVE STAR AND BEST QUARTERBACK IN THE COUNTRY.

YEAH, TRAE TAYLOR, NUMBER ONE RANKED QUARTERBACK IN THE COUNTRY, MOVED FROM CHICAGO TO LINCOLN TO PLAY HIS SENIOR YEAR AT MILLARD SOUTH.

HE'LL ENROLL AT NEBRASKA IN JANUARY, BUT HAD A CHANCE TO WATCH TRAE TAYLOR IN HIS OPENER, PUT UP OVER 400 YARDS OF OFFENSE, FOUR TOUCHDOWNS TOTAL IN THAT GAME, ONE RUSHING, THREE PASSING.

JUST HAS NATURAL ARM TALENT.

I WAS ABLE TO WATCH TRAE AT THE ELITE ELEVEN WHERE HE WON THE MVP, AND HE WAS VOTED TO HAVE THE STRONGEST ARM AT THE EVENT.

HE JUST HE COULD EFFORTLESSLY FLICK A BALL 50 YARDS.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU SAW HIM RUN, PROBABLY RAN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN ANYBODY WANTED HIM TO RUN.

YEAH.

24 CARRIES, IN THAT GAME.

BUT HE'S SUCH A COMPETITOR.

HE WAS GOING TO DO WHAT IT TOOK FOR MILLER SOUTH TO WIN THAT GAME.

WASN'T GONNA LOSE THE GAME.

HE PRONATES HIS WRIST BETTER THAN MANY YOUNG GUYS I'VE EVER SEEN.

THAT'S WHY HIS BALL ALWAYS COMES DOWN AND DOESN'T FLOAT.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IN STATE RECRUIT THIS WEEK OWEN PRICE FROM GRAND ISLAND CENTRAL CATHOLIC.

YEAH, GRAND ISLAND CENTRAL CATHOLIC, A TEAM THAT WE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IN THE CLASS C TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

THEY'RE NUMBER ONE RIGHT NOW GOING INTO THE YEAR BY A WIDE MARGIN.

BUT OWEN PRICE HAS EARLY OFFERS.

HE LOOKS 30.

FROM OREGON, NEBRASKA.

YOU GO DOWN THE LINE, PENN STATE, IOWA.

WHAT REALLY AND YOU'LL APPRECIATE THIS, MIKE'L, AS A DRAFT GURU.

AS A SOPHOMORE GOING TO HIS JUNIOR YEAR WITH LIMITED TRAINING, HAS A TEN, TEN BROAD JUMP.

WOW.

THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

TEN TEN.

YEAH.

THAT'S STANDING STILL AND JUST JUMPING 10 FEET 10 INCHES.

THAT GOT EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO THE POINT EVEN WHERE GEORGIA REACHED OUT.

WOW.

KIND OF LIKE A CARTER NELSON WHERE.

THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO COME TO CAMP.

AND GEORGIA STILL OPERATES THAT MODEL, LIKE YOU HAVE TO GO TO CAMP TO GET AN OFFER.

BUT HE WAS ON EVERYONE'S RADAR, HAS NEBRASKA, HAS OREGON, HAS IOWA, HAS KANSAS STATE, HAS PENN STATE.

SEVERAL MAJOR OFFERS ALL READY.

IMPRESSIVE.

THANK YOU, SEAN.

TIME TO GET TO OUR SIDELINE SURVEY.

LET'S CHECK ON THAT.

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THE 2026 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SEASON?

YOUR CURRENT NUMBERS, OH, IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC NOW LEADING AT 41%.

THEN YOU HAVE NOT EXCITED, NEED BETTER RESULTS ON THE FIELD.

AND THEN AT 29%, DRANK THE RHULE-AID.

LET'S GO.

WHICH ONE WOULD YOU GUYS PICK?

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.

OKAY.

THAT'S SAFE.

THAT'S SAFE.

YEAH.

YEAH.

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

I THINK THE KOOL AID HAS NOT BEEN AS SWEET THIS OFFSEASON.

SURE.

YEAH.

BUT I'M DEFINITELY I'M I'M GIVE ME IF THERE'S ANOTHER ONE.

I'M BETWEEN THE THE RHULE-AID AND THE CAUTION WE HAVE.

YOUR THE FOURTH ONE.

GIVE ME THE FOURTH ONE.

LET'S GET TO OUR GUEST.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

IT'S MY FAULT.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED A QUESTION THERE.

WE'RE JOINED BY CAMERON ROBERTSON, SPORTS EDITOR AT THE ATHENS MESSENGER, TO HELP US PREVIEW THE OHIO GAME ON SATURDAY.

CAMERON, WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME.

HAVE YOU LEARNED ALL THE NEW PLAYERS YET WITH ALL THE GUYS THAT JOINED THIS TEAM AFTER LAST YEAR?

(RUSTLING) YES.

SLOWLY BUT SURELY, YOU'RE RIGHT.

THERE'S A LOT OF NEW FACES IN ATHENS THIS YEAR.

SO STILL KINDA LEARNING SOME OF THE NEW GUYS, BUT FOR ALL THOSE THAT'LL BE OUT THERE ON SATURDAY, THINK I'VE GOT THEM DOWN PAT PRETTY QUICKLY.

CAMERON, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THOSE SOME OF THOSE NEW FACES AND A GUY THAT OHIO FANS HAD FAMILIARITY WITH LAST YEAR RUNNING BACK DUNCAN BRUNE.

HE'S GONNA GET A LOT OF CARRIES HERE ON SATURDAY AGAINST NEBRASKA.

JUST KINDA TELL US ABOUT WHAT KIND OF RUNNING BACK HE IS AND WHAT CAN NEBRASKA FANS EXPECT WHEN HE TOUCHES THE FIELD ON SATURDAY?

(NO AUDIO) YEAH.

DUNCAN'S JUST KIND OF THAT GRITTY HARD NOSED RUNNING BACK THAT DOES THE DIRTY WORK THAT HE NEEDS TO.

IF YOU NEED HIM TO TAKE A TWO YARD CARRY UP THE MIDDLE FOR A FIRST DOWN ON A THIRD AND SHORT, THAT'S THE TYPE OF GUY THAT HE CAN BE.

AND THEN IF YOU NEED HIM IN THOSE OUTSIDE ZONE CONCEPTS, STRETCH THE FIELD SIDELINE TO SIDELINE, HE CAN DO THE SAME THING.

VOTED AS A CAPTAIN THIS PAST WEEK BY THE REST OF HIS TEAMMATES.

I THINK HE'S KINDA READY TO SHED THAT ONE B ROLL THAT HE HAD BEHIND CA BENGARO LAST YEAR AND REALLY STEP UP INTO THAT ONE A ALPHA RUNNING BACK ROLE THIS YEAR FOR THE BOBCATS.

I'M CURIOUS JUST ON THE FEEL GOING INTO THIS YEAR WITH THE WAY THE COACHING CHANGE HAPPENED AT OHIO.

I MEAN, JUST AND SOME OF THE ATTRITION, BUT THEN THEY OBVIOUSLY ELEVATED THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR IN THE HEAD COACH ROLE.

I MEAN, GIVE US AN IDEA OF JUST THE FEEL FOR THIS YEAR AND KIND OF THE EXPECTATION LEVEL.

(NO AUDIO) YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONFIDENCE.

I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAID, OBVIOUSLY NOT AN IDEAL WAY TO TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME COACHING TURNOVER THIS PAST OFFSEASON.

BUT THE GUYS REALLY RALLIED AROUND COACH HAUSER AFTER THE BOWL GAME WIN BACK IN DECEMBER.

YOU COULD KIND OF FEEL THE ENERGY.

IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS POINTING THAT WAY THE ENTIRE TIME.

THEN HE GETS THE HEAD JOB AND IT'S KIND OF BEEN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIMES YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS MUCH CONTINUITY WHEN YOU HAVE A HEAD COACHING CHANGE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH ON THIS STAFF DOWN FROM THE COORDINATORS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOME OF YOUR POSITION COACHES.

SO I THINK IT'S BEEN BUSINESS AS USUAL IN ATHENS.

THEY EXPECT TO BE CONTENDERS WITHIN THE MID AMERICA CONFERENCE EVERY YEAR.

THEY'RE IN A BIT OF A GOLDEN AGE WITH 40 WINS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND I THINK THEY EXPECT TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION COMING FORWARD THIS YEAR.

AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY SHYING AWAY FROM ANYTHING EVEN DESPITE HAVING A NEW GUY PATROLLING THE SIDELINES.

CAMERON, HOW CLOSE WAS THAT KIND OF THREE WAY BATTLE AT QUARTERBACK?

AND WHY DO YOU THINK POULOS ENDED UP WINNING THE JOB?

(NO AUDIO) > YEAH.

I THINK IT WAS A LEGITIMATE COMPETITION.

I THINK THEY REALLY LIKED WHAT THEY GOT FROM MATT VEZZA COMING IN FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.

I THINK THEY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE THAT HE HAD AND THE ABILITY THAT HE CAN HAVE TO STEP IN AND COMMAND AN OFFENSE.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, LEVI DAVIS' TALENT AS A TRUE FRESHMAN SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

BUT I THINK IT WAS KIND OF NICK POULOS' JOB ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND IT WAS KIND OF A MONTHS LONG AUDITION LIKE, HEY, THESE GUYS BEHIND YOU ARE TALENTED.

CAN YOU PROVE YOU'RE THE GUY?

AND I THINK HE DID JUST THAT.

THEY REALLY LIKE HIS SIZE.

HE'S A 6'6" QUARTERBACK.

HE'S A VETERAN THAT'S BEEN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR A WHILE, BACKED UP PARKER NAVARRO THESE PAST TWO YEARS AND HAS GOT SOME GAME ACTION TIME TO TIME.

STARTED AT KENTUCKY TWO YEARS AGO, APPEARED AT OHIO STATE LAST YEAR.

HE'S A GUY WITH A BIG ARM.

HE CAN BE MOBILE EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.

HE'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF SNEAKY SPEED OUT THERE THAT TEAMS AND DEFENSES ARE GOING HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.

AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THEY JUST LIKE THE WAY HE CAN COMMAND THE OFFENSE, COMMAND THE ROOM.

HE'S SEEN AS ONE OF THE KEY LEADERS IN THAT LOCKER ROOM AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GUYS BOTH, YOU KNOW, ON THE OFFENSE, IN HIS SKILL POSITIONS AND WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINE, I THINK ULTIMATELY WAS A REALLY BIG KEY FOR THE COACHING STAFF.

CAMERON, WE'D BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T ASK YOU ABOUT FRANK SOLICH.

THEY'RE GOING TO INDUCT HIM IN THIS GAME INTO THE NEBRASKA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.

BUT JUST WHAT DID HE MEAN TO OHIO?

HE HAD JIMMY BURROW THERE WHO JOE BURROW WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ATHENS NATIVE AS WELL.

I MEAN, HE BROUGHT SO MUCH TO THAT COMMUNITY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT FRANK SOLICH HAS HAD.

(NO AUDIO) YEAH, I MEAN, HE'S A CERTIFIED OHIO FOOTBALL LEGEND.

MEAN, THE STADIUM IS NAMED PEDEN STADIUM, BUT IT'S FRANK SOLICH FIELD AT PEDEN STADIUM.

WHEN THE BOBCATS TALK ABOUT DEFENDING THEIR HOME TURF, THEY SAY, PROTECT THE FRANK.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FRANK SOLICH HERE.

HE'S SEEN AS THE LEGEND OF THIS PROGRAM.

AND JOHN HAUSER AND HIS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TALKED ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH FRANK SOLICH.

HE SAID IT WAS PRETTY NEAT THAT HIS FIRST TRUE GAME AS THE FULL TIME HEAD COACH HERE AT OHIO IS GOING TO BE BACK IN NEBRASKA WHERE FRANK SOLICH OBVIOUSLY SPENT TIME AS WELL.

HE TALKED ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND HOW COACH SOLICH HAS BEEN A RESOURCE TO HIM.

HE'S BEEN A GUY WHO'S BEEN A HEAD COACH IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

HE'S AROUND, ABLE TO YOU KNOW, KIND OF PICK HIS BRAIN AS HE KIND OF GOES THROUGH THINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE.

AND HE JUST SAID IT WAS GONNA BE A PRETTY NEAT THING FOR HIM TO BE THERE FOR THE FIRST GAME AND AND OBVIOUSLY, BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS WHERE HE'S GOT SO MUCH HISTORY.

CAMERON, WE APPRECIATE IT.

WE'LL SEE YOU ON SATURDAY.

(NO AUDIO) THANKS, GUYS.

APPRECIATE IT.

AS VOLLEYBALL CONTINUES TO TAKE OVER THE SPORTING WORLD, NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA IS PUTTING IT FRONT AND CENTER AS WE EXPAND OUR STATE OF VOLLEYBALL SERIES AND COVERING THE SPORT EACH MONTH.

JOIN US AS WE DIG AND COVERING THE SPORT EACH MONTH.

JOIN US AS WE DIG INTO THE STORIES, ATHLETES, AND COMMUNITIES THAT FUEL THE GAME.

WATCH STATE OF VOLLEYBALL ON OUR NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA SPORTS YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW AND CATCH NEW EPISODES EACH MONTH RIGHT HERE ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

QUARTERBACK WHO WON THE JOB, 6'6", 240.

THAT RUNNING BACK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FROM COLOGNE, GERMANY, THEY ARE A UNIQUE THEY GOT KIDS FROM SACRED HEART.

THEY GOT KIDS FROM ALL THESE SMALL SCHOOLS.

THIS IS GOING BE A REALLY INTERESTING GAME.

WE DON'T KNOW A TON ABOUT WHAT THIS TEAM IS GOING IN.

YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE GOING PLAY WITH A CHIP ON THE SHOULDER.

YEP.

>> AND NO ONE EXPECT THEM TO WIN.

THEY'RE COMING HERE AND BATTLE.

THOSE LISTEN.

I MEAN, THOSE MAC SCHOOLS, THERE'S A LOT OF THEM IN OHIO.

THEY TAKE A BACKSEAT TO OHIO STATE.

AND THEY WANNA GO THEY WANNA PUT A GOOD PRODUCT ON THE FIELD.

SO IT'S GONNA BE IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY EARLY ON FOR NEBRASKA.

THEY'RE COMING OUT.

THEY'RE GONNA FIGHT.

LISTEN.

THEY HAD SUCCESS.

I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ROSTER TURNOVER FROM LAST YEAR.

THIS TEAM WON 10 FOOTBALL GAMES LAST YEAR.

SO AND SOME FAMILIARITY PLAYING COLANDREA AS WELL.

SO THEY'RE GONNA BE VERY AGGRESSIVE.

THEY'RE GONNA PLAY HARD.

AND IT'S JUST CAN THEY, WITH THE ROSTER TURNOVER, CAN THEY PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN THIS FIRST GAME?

THAT'S JUST THE BIGGEST QUESTION.

THERE'S SO MANY NEW FACES.

WE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE YEAR THREE BUMP THAT WE EXPECTED.

NOW YEAR FOUR.

HOW MUCH PRESSURE DO YOU THINK?

I KNOW THE CONTRACT IS THERE, BUT HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS THERE TO PROVE IT THIS YEAR FROM THAT ROLE?

I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF PRESSURE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FINANCIAL COMPONENTS WITH A BUYOUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S OVER $60,000,000, A STADIUM PROJECT THAT'S $600,000,000.

SO YOU JUST LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS, THE SCHEDULE, AS YOU LOOK AT THIS FOR NEBRASKA HEADING INTO THE SEASON.

BUT I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS PRESSURE ON NEBRASKA.

THAT'S THE THING.

LIKE, AND I LIKE THE WAY THE SCHEDULE SETS UP WHERE YOU WILL HAVE FIVE GAMES WHERE THEORETICALLY YOU'LL BE THE FAVORITE GOING IN.

OH, YEAH.

AND YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND FIGURE YOUR TEAM OUT BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING.

AND IN TERMS OF PRESSURE, EVEN THOUGH THAT CONTRACT IS THERE, I THINK JUST A FAN BASE AND THEN WORRYING ABOUT THINGS LIKE SELLING OUT THE STADIUM, THAT'S IT REALLY COMES BACK TO YOU'VE GOT TO WIN GAMES NOW.

YEAH, WELL, WITHOUT A DOUBT, PATIENCE IS IT'S HARD.

NEBRASKA HAS BEEN, WE'VE BEEN PATIENT FOR, TO KIND OF GET BACK TO WHAT WE'VE KNOWN FOR SO LONG.

BUT THE HARD PART IS, IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO.

AND IT TAKES THE RIGHT GUY, I TRULY BELIEVE MATT IS STILL THE RIGHT GUY FOR THIS JOB.

I LOVE HIS ENERGY, HIS ENTHUSIASM, HIS JUST ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGES.

IT'S NOT HARD TO LISTEN, NO ONE WANTS TO LET GO COACHES, BUT IF IT'S WILLING TO GET BETTER COACHES TO MAKE HIS TEAM BETTER, HE'S GOING DO THOSE THINGS.

HE HAD MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS.

SO I THINK THAT GETS KIND OF UNDERVALUED A LITTLE BIT.

CURT CIGNETTI'S MADE IT HARD FOR EVERYBODY.

YES.

RIGHT.

BY DOING THE WAY HE DID IT, MADE IT HARD FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY OUT THERE.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT, WHY CAN'T YOU BE CURT CIGNETTI?

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AT NEBRASKA WITH ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES.

WHY CAN'T YOU BE YEAH, JUST GOOGLE HIM, RIGHT?

JUST GOOGLE HIM, RIGHT?

GOOGLE HIM, HE WINS.

YEAH, THAT'S YOU'RE WITHOUT A DOUBT, THAT WAS SUCH AN ANOMALY.

JUST HAVING THAT QUICK TURNAROUND.

MEAN, THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE TO TAKE INDIANA TO BECOME A NATIONAL CHAMPION IN TWO YEARS.

THAT WAS THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

THAT'S CRAZY.

BURNING QUESTION, SEAN.

MY BURNING QUESTION HEADING INTO WEEK ONE, WHAT WILL THE IDENTITY BE OF THIS NEBRASKA FOOTBALL TEAM?

WHAT WILL WE BE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT'S OVER HERE NEXT WEEK?

GOOD ONE.

MINE IS, CAN COLANDREA IN THIS FIRST GAME AT HOME PLAY WITHIN HIMSELF?

DON'T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH.

DON'T TRY TO MAKE THAT EX THAT BIG PLAY.

JUST GET A LOT OF TALENT AROUND YOU, UTILIZE IT, PLAY WITHIN YOURSELF, GET OFF TO A 1-0 START.

MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY?

RIGHT?

YOU GET OFF TO THE BIG LEAD AND MAYBE PLAY 109 GUYS.

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO GET A LOT OF THEM PLAYING THIS WEEK AFTER YOU GET OFF TO A BIG LEAD IN THIS GAME AGAINST OHIO.

DON'T FORGET TO HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, AND CHECK OUT THE PREDICTION.

JAY, SEAN, AND MYSELF WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT ON SATURDAY.

NEBRASKA KICKS OFF THE 2026 SEASON AGAINST THE OHIO BOBCATS.

YOU CAN CATCH THE GAME ON FS1.

KICKOFF SCHEDULED FOR 11AM CENTRAL.

NEXT TUESDAY, WE'RE BACK TO BREAK DOWN THE GAME.

WE'RE GONNA RECAP IT.

OUR SPECIAL GUEST, FORMER HUSKER ADAM CARRIKER, WILL JOIN US.

OUR THANKS TO ROB AURICH, CAMERON ROBETSON FOR JOINING US.

FOR JAY MOORE, SEAN CALLAHAN.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON BIG RED WRAP-UP.

(BAND MUSIC) (UPBEAT MUSIC)