Huskers Continue Plans for Cyclones

Lincoln - The Nebraska football team continued its on-field preparations for Saturday's upcoming Big 12 Conference North Division showdown with Iowa State during a two-and-half hour practice on the Memorial Stadium FieldTurf Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan met with members of the media to discuss the Huskers' upcoming battle with the Cyclones.  After practice, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Jay Norvell and Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Kevin Cosgrove visited with the media.

A complete transcript of those sessions follows, beginning with Coach Norvell, followed on page 2 with Coach Cosgrove.

The Huskers will continue their preparations for Iowa State with practice on Wednesday.  Nebraska's game with the Cyclones is set for a 2:36 p.m. kickoff on ABC regional television.

Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005
Post-Practice
Media Gathering

On Nebraska's offensive progress
"We are making steady improvement and are zeroing in on the things we want to accomplish for this game with these guys.  We had a great week last week.  We are just really zeroing on Iowa State and things we need to accomplish with these guys on the run and the pass."

On Nebraska's offensive struggles
"The problems that we've had are on isolation plays like leads, and outside zone plays, and on basic in-curl flat plays that they run in police athletic league - those types of plays.  The point that I'm making is that the problems that we've had are on base plays that everybody runs. It is just base fundamental and techniques.  It is what everybody is working on."

On executing in practice and executing in games
"We try to practice certain things that work against the schemes of the team we are playing against.  When we execute them well in practice, then we use them in the game.  If we don't execute them in practice, then we don't usually use them in the game."

On establishing offensive playmakers
"You keep developing and put guys in position to make plays.  We need to make big plays and make chunks of yardage in the run and the pass. That's a goal of ours every week. You've got to have explosive plays. It's too hard to drive 80 yards on 14- or 15-play drives. You've got to get a chunk along the way, so that is what we are working on. We've got to find ways to get that in the passing game and the running game, whether it's nakeds or screens or specials or whatever. We've got to break a long run or break a long pass, whether its a run or an extra effort block down field.  Those are the kind of things we need to get done."

On running more than passing in the first three games
"We've been ahead in the last couple games and we've tried to run it in the fourth quarter to try to run the clock out, so that has probably tilted our hand on the running side of things. When you have a lead and you are getting good field position you do that some. That's not to say that it will always be that way, but it has been the first couple of games."

On whether Nebraska is trying to run more than last season
"I wouldn't say that at all. Going into the year, that's where are experience was with our running backs and offensive line, and we had young receivers and a new quarterback. So that is where are strengths were.  We are going to rely on the strengths of our personnel, so that is what we have done so far."

On Lydon Murtha's playing time at offensive tackle
"Lydon is going to play quite a bit. He and Neal (Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas) are both doing a good job and they will both play in this game. Lydon is a young guy and he gets better every time he is in the ballgame. He's learning. He's a big pass protector.  He's a young kid that has got a lot of talent, so we will just keep getting him ready with game experience.

"I know he'll play, and we'll just kind of play it out by series and see how it works. He's getting stronger all the time by the way he is practicing.  He's proven that he is capable. We are going to keep giving him an opportunity to play and give Neal a little blow."

On Iowa State Defensive End Jason Berryman
"He's a talented, talented guy.  He's very athletic and an excellent pass rusher. He's a very active player and we've got to do a great job accounting for him. The line's got to do a great a job blocking him, and our backs have to pick him up and chip him a little bit. We've got to do a great job protecting against him because he is really a big time pass rusher. Most of the time he is an open end, and they try to free him up.  They will probably try to do some special things to help him get off. He's a good player.  He's like a lot of the defensive ends we are going to see in the Big 12 now.  They are excellent athletes and good pass rushers. He's been awfully disruptive in the first couple games."