Huskers Concentrate on Special Teams With Outdoor Practice

Lincoln ? The 20th-ranked Husker football squad braved the frigid temperatures outside with a two-hour, half-pad practice in Memorial Stadium in preparation for Big 12 opponent OklahomaState at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Saturday’s match marks the third road contest in four games and the Huskers’ fifth straight Big 12 match-up, as well as the first time the team has faced OklahomaState in Stillwater since the 2002 season.

 

Head Coach Bill Callahan admitted his decision to take the team outside was an easy one as the squad spotlighted its efforts on special teams in preparation for a talented OklahomaState force.

“It was a very easy call to go outside today,” Callahan said. “It’s a beautiful day to be outside in Memorial Stadium. We wanted to get outdoors because of the kicking game, and I think it’s a good thing we did get acclimated to some of the conditions. We don’t know if it’s going to be breezy down there, but we just wanted to prepare ourselves, and we like to get outside at least once a week anyway. We just want to reiterate the focus. Just reviewing the game plan and going back over the films, and just concentrating on what we’ve got to get accomplished down in Stillwater, because this is going to be a real challenge. We’ve got a lot of respect for OklahomaState. They’re a good football team.”

With the importance of field position to game momentum, the squad concentrated on the less-than ideal kicks and punts that occur in game situations with the focus on being aggressive with the ball.

“We practice fielding bad kicks and punts every day,” Callahan said. “We make fielding decisions like that in our practice plan throughout the course of the season, beginning in training camp. So that’s all reviewed, it’s just a matter of making the decision, and being decisive about attacking the ball, securing the ball and getting good field position.”

Callahan also confirmed that the squad’s quality depth at the kick returning position allows the staff to look to a variety of options for Saturday’s game.

“I think we’ll look at that closely, like we do every week,” Callahan said. “We’ve got a lot of good competition at that position among all those returnees. (Junior cornerback Cortney) Grixby, (sophomore wide receiver Nate) Swift, (junior defensive back) Andre Jones ? they all can return. So we’re going to look at everybody.”

Callahan additionally commented on the ability of OklahomaState’s talented freshman punt and kick returner Perrish Cox, who has averaged 31.4 yards on 11 kick returns, including one touchdown, and 13.9 yards on 20 punt returns in his freshman campaign.

“He’s dynamic,” Callahan said. “He’s like dynamite coming off for their return game. You watch him on punt returns and kickoff returns, and he has a very good feel for the walls and his blocking. He knows how to set up his returns, and then he’s got the explosion to set up the big play. In a nutshell, he’s just a quality player and knows how to make a quality play with his ability. He’s a great kid and a quality athlete, and to have him come out this early in his career and make the statements he has is a real credit to his character and everything he’s done.”

The Huskers will hold a team walk-through in Memorial Stadium Friday afternoon before meeting OSU at Boone Pickens Stadium in an ABC regional broadcast on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.