Huskers Ready for Cyclones

Lincoln ? The Nebraska football team finished its game-week practice schedule Thursday with a two hour workout in half pads inside Memorial Stadium.

 

The Huskers are currently in the middle portion of an 11-week period without a bye that stretches from early September (Sept. 2 vs. Louisiana Tech) through mid-November (Nov. 11 at Texas A&M). This season marks the first time since 1989 that NU does not benefit from an off week in the first half of its schedule. Head Coach Bill Callahan said that he would prefer to have an early-season bye, and he believes one will eventually be added under the NCAA’s new 12-game scheduling format.

 

“I would prefer a bye, and I think in the future there will be a bye with the 12-game schedule,” Callahan said. “I just think there is a good point in time where you can take a break in the early portion of your schedule, whether it’s after your third or fourth game. I think it is good to let the kids catch their breath, catch up on school a little bit and enjoy life somewhat before getting back to conference play. I’m all for having a bye.”

 

Callahan said the long stretch without a bye has changed his approach in regards to overworking his team during practice.

 

“It has this week, in terms of how you keep your team fresh and how you gauge the health of your team and injuries,” Callahan said. “I think that it’s important that you keep them fresh, more so mentally these days, because we are going straight through the season. It’s important that you allow these kids to get regenerated and fresh and hopefully not tax them so much that they just wear out.”

 

Nebraska will hold a brief walkthrough workout in Lincoln Friday morning before departing for Iowa during the mid-afternoon. The Huskers are expected to take a 70-man travel roster to Ames, which is the maximum allowed by the Big 12 Conference.