Huskers Prepare for Mock Game Saturday

Lincoln? The Nebraska football team worked the kinks out in their fourth practice of the week on Friday with a two-hour half-pad practice inside the HawksChampionshipCenter as they prepare for the team’s mock game Saturday.

 

Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove detailed what the team has called a “bridge week” as they continue to work on fundamentals while also preparing for the first game against Louisiana Tech.

 

 “We did a little bit of both this week,” Cosgrove said. “We prepared for our opponent, and also worked out the kinks like fundamentals.”

 

Cosgrove additionally discussed the mock game the team will go through Saturday as they hit the one-week mark until the season opener.

 

“It is a game-day atmosphere, except for the crowd,” Cosgrove said. “We’ll put them through the whole timeline, show everybody where they need to be on the field, put them in different situations that might happen during the game. Basically we’ll treat it like a game.”

 

Cosgrove also discussed the anticipation for the distribution of Blackshirts on Monday, a tradition to mark the top defensive players.

 

 “We’ll give out Blackshirts this Monday,” Cosgrove said. “I’m sure there is anticipation for that. I get excited because it’s such a big tradition and it’s good for these kids. On the other hand though we have to be careful we’re not just giving them away, and that the right guys have them. There’s been a lot of thought put into this process, and we’ll give them out on Monday.”

 

Cosgrove also disccused the progress of junior linebacker Steve Octavien as he continues to progress in practice.

 

“Steve (Octavien) is 100 percent now,” Cosgrove said. “In fact, his last two practices may have been his best two so far. He’s made some very good strides and he’s ready to go. He’s just gotten everything down, and he’s made strides in his focus and is just where he needs to be. He’s had good concentration, and his reactions to the football have been very good.”

 

After enduring a fall training camp where every player loses weight due to the intense conditioning they go through, Octavien has reached his ideal weight.

 

“He’s right where he wants to be,” Cosgrove said. “He’s at 235 right now, and he’ll eventually lose a little bit more, but he’s good to go with his weight. The whole key has been conditioning, and he’s in excellent condition and has been watching what he’s eating, so he’s really good to go.”

The Huskers will hold a two-hour mock game in Memorial Stadium Saturday before taking a break on Sunday as they head into their first game week.