Huskers Don Full Pads to Prepare for Ball State

The Husker football team took the intensity of gameday onto the practice field for a 2 1/2-hour workout in full pads inside the HawksChampionshipsCenter on Tuesday afternoon. It was the first time Nebraska had donned full pads in practice since fall camp and the Huskers enjoyed the full-contact as they work toward increasing their physicality for this weekend’s contest against BallState.

 

“From what I saw today,” Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “I saw a defense that wants to get better.”

 

Cosgrove said he’s pleased with that attitude because he feels there are a number of improvements the defense can make after Saturday’s loss to USC.

 

“I think it’s obvious, we did have a lot of missed tackles,” said Cosgrove. “We had some breakdowns. You’ve got to improve your fundamental techniques.”

 

The team is now focusing on their upcoming opponent, BallState, who is coming off a 34-31 overtime victory over Navy last Saturday. Cosgrove said the defense’s focus is to “improve and correct on mistakes” for this Saturday’s game, again noting the increased intensity of the team’s practice in full pads, especially from the defense.

 

The Huskers will return to the practice fields tomorrow afternoon inside Memorial Stadium, weather permitting.