Senior I-back Rex Burkhead

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Monday, Oct. 1, 2012
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Pre-Ohio State

Rex Burkhead
Senior, I-Back
On how close he is to 100 percent
"I'm getting there. I'm really close. I've got some things I have to improve upon and get stable, but it's feeling good."

On the fumble on Saturday
"There's no excuse. I should have the ball high and tighter and more secure. I just fumbled."

On what happened to cause the fumble
"I bumped into Spencer (Long), but there's no excuse for fumbling."

On sophomore Ameer Abdullah rotating with Burkhead at I-back
"It was fun. It was fun just competing back with one another seeing who's going to make the big play next. That's what we do every day in practice. Every time we get our opportunities we want to make the most of them."

On if Abullah's big plays motivate him
"Yes, absolutely. As a competitor you want to do that. It's a healthy competition. We're not being selfish out there thinking that one of us needs more carries or plays than the other. We're trying to do whatever we can to help the team win the ball game. At the same time, you do have position competition and we love having that."

On Ohio State's win against Michigan State Saturday
"I've watched a little bit of the film, but I haven't seen the whole game. I just know that Ohio State has a great defense. (Le'Veon) Bell is a great back. I enjoyed watching him this past off season on some film. We're going to have to be ready. We knew last year that Ohio State had a good defense. With more experience and under Coach (Urban) Meyer this year, I'm sure they'll be ready to roll."

On if anything Ohio State did Saturday stood out
"They were playing physical. I saw they were getting a big push on the offensive line. They were making it tough to make reads in the backfield and have lanes open up. I think penetration was the key thing they were getting."

On if this game means more to Coach Bo Pelini since he went to Ohio State
"I'm sure. Probably deep down it does. He doesn't want to show that, but being his alma mater and growing up there I'm sure it has a different meaning to him."

On if they want to win this game for Coach Pelini
"Yes, absolutely. He grew up there and it'd be a special win for him. It was a big win for him last year, but, at the same time, we have to approach it like another game and be ready for them."

On the commitment to the run Saturday despite being down 17 points
"We were positive we couldn't get down. We knew if we wanted to get back in the game we'd have to stay focused on our adjustments we made at halftime and in our game plan. We made some mistakes early on and we bounced back from them."

On what he remembers from the Ohio State game last year
"A lot of things - it was a great game. We had to battle some adversity early on kind of similar to our game this past weekend. They were a great defense. We got after them the second half. I think this week we have to get a jumpstart. We have to match their intensity early on. It's a night game at their stadium and the energy level is going to be high."

On playing Ohio State after a big comeback
"That's the Big Ten Conference. You're going to have a challenge each and every week. You have to be ready. We enjoyed our win Saturday night, but starting yesterday and today we're already game planning. We have to refocus ourselves on this week."

On using things from the first trip to UCLA to help with this road trip
"I guess the focus factor. Not getting caught up in the distractions being away. Staying focused on what we need to do as a team and not get caught up in distractions and everything else outside the game. Focus on what is between the lines."

On how he spends his Saturday before night games
"I just try to relax and watch a little bit of other football games that are on TV. Everybody is chomping at the bit. I couldn't sit still in my hotel room all day. It's a big anticipation just waiting that long, but when game time comes you're just ready to unleash. You have to take your mind away from everything and limit that energy and save it for the game."

On what he expects the atmosphere to be like at Ohio State
"It's another great venue. I've heard great things about the place about the environment and the atmosphere, the loudness of the arena. It's going to be like we did at Penn State and Michigan last year. We're going to have lots of noise. The crowd is going to be filled with energy, and we'll have to be keen on making our adjustments through the game, making sure everyone knows what's going on with plays or the audible."