Huskers Focus on Texas

Lincoln--- The Nebraska football team practiced in full pads for two hours Tuesday on the Ed and Joyanne Gass grass practice fields and in the Hawks Championship Center.  The Huskers are gearing up for a matchup with Texas in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson discussed the Texas defense, which boasts strong athletes and a sound system.

"They are really good," Watson said. "They are as advertised; they are a really good unit. They have a lot of speed, a lot of really good players and they have a nice scheme. They do an excellent job."

Watson noted that having both Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead back at running back has helped the Huskers add another dimension to their offensive game plan the last few weeks.

"It's good to have both of those guys back because that helps us roll those two kids in there and run the football the way we'd like to," Watson said. "Having both of those guys back is a big boost for us. Both of them are healthy, that is really good."

Watson said he's been impressed with the way the team has progressed over the course of the season. He was encouraged by the Huskers' ability to stick to the foundation of their game plan and win games despite being hit with injuries.

"Just because of where we are at in developing, it's huge," Watson said. "We won five games because we played a conservative game. We played field position, used special teams, our defense. (We) set up field position and rushed the football. I think we've been doing things really well."

With a powerful offense such as the one Texas has, Watson said that it will be important to maintain the time of possession battle and come out on top.

"It is always big when you have an offense like theirs that is explosive," Watson said. "That is a huge advantage in keeping our defense off the field; that will be big." 

The Huskers will return to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon. The game Saturday is set to kick off shortly after 7 p.m. with the contest nationally televised on ABC. Check back to Huskers.com for more updates on the Nebraska football team throughout the week.