Camp Notes: Versatility Key for O-Line

The more positions you can play, the more valuable you are to Nebraska offensive line coach Greg Austin.

In fact, Austin said he “moved some guys around” in Wednesday’s practice, but smiled when reminding reporters he couldn’t divulge details.

Austin did, however, say he’s confident that Tanner Farmer, Jerald Foster, Matt Farniok and Matt Sichterman are capable of playing multiples positions, whether it be center/guard, guard/tackle, etc.

Bottom line: Austin is about playing the best five playerd up front, regardless of position.

“It’s not ‘next man up’ in that spot,” Austin said. “It’s the best five.”

In terms of depth, Austin said his first-unit players are solid, and his second-unit players are becoming more solid. Depth, of course, is key in this face-paced, no-huddle offense; while it wears down defenders, Austin is also cognizant of the fact it can wear on his players, too.

Overall, his lineman have grasped the playbook and schemes; they know the offense, know the calls they’re supposed to make. Generally speaking, mental busts have been minimum.

Now, Austin said, linemen must work on more of the “how” and the physicality involved behind it.

“Most of our guys are physical, but they have to have that mindset; they have to have it on all the time,” Austin said.

“Every time you put your hand in the dirt, it’s an opportunity for you to go and kick somebody’s ass. That’s just how it is. They have to get that mindset. It can’t be sometimes, or when I feel good. It has to be in your DNA. That’s what we talk about.”

Austin said the offensive linemen “did OK” in Sunday’s first major scrimmage of preseason camp, but that he expects more.

He always expects more.

“They saw their grades, and they weren’t happy.” Austin said. “I told them, I said, ‘You guys did what would result in a 6-6 season.’ We need to have a lot more than that if we want to get to where we want to get to.”

Austin had kind words for Farmer, the senior guard who gave a heartfelt speech at Nebraska’s preseason news conference.

“Tanner is awesome. I wish I had many more of him, to be honest with you,” Austin said. “He’s just a consistent guy. He takes guys under his wing. He’s a selfless player. He’s serving. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’ll do anything for his team.”

Narrowing the QBs

Offensive coordinator Troy Walters said after Wednesday morning’s practice that coaches will closely evaluate the quarterbacks this week, and next week make some decisions as head coach Scott Frost and his offensive staff aim to name a starter no later than a week before the Sept. 1 opener against Akron.

Quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco said he's narrowing the race to two candidates – redshirt freshman Tristan Gebbia and true freshman Adrian Martinez – who will be seeing the bulk of practice snaps.

“I think what will happen as we move forward is Gebs and Adrian will take ahold of more of the ones and the twos and will switch off every other day,” Verduzco said, “but we'll still make sure Andrew (Bunch) gets in there.”

Of note: A true freshman quarterback has never started a season opener at Nebraska.

 

Bell ‘being a dog’

Greg Bell isn’t the first running back in his first season at Nebraska to quickly discover the importance of pass blocking, and he won’t be the last.

What perhaps separates Bell (above) from the many others before him is his immediate willingness to do some grunt work.

“It’s just being a dog,” Bell said after Wednesday’s practice. “At the next level, you’ve got to block, so you go in there and do it.

“It’s more physical. It’s all about coming in there and wanting to block. I used to not want to block, and now I want to block.”

Bell, listed at 6-foot, 205 pounds, credits strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval for his summertime improvements in the weight room. Not only did Bell say he’s blocking better, but he’s doing everything better, including cutting and running.

A first team All-American at Arizona Western Community College, Bell signed in December and participated in spring practices. In his two seasons, Bell rushed for 2,404 yards and led Arizona Western to a 20-2 record, with both losses coming in the national championship game.

“He’s a guy you can see he has the acceleration piece. He can run good routes. He has really good feet,” Nebraska running backs coach Ryan Held said. “His nickname is the Eel, because he can get really skinny in little cracks.

“He has the ability with his feet to press, repress, plant and burst very quickly, which in our offense he can play with those linebackers and it allows him to get some bigger plays maybe some other guys can’t because they don’t have the feet he does.”

Bell is aiming to become part of a rotation that Held said ideally would include 3-4 running backs. It’s highly unlikely any one running back will see the bulk of snaps in any one game.

“We want them rolling in there, so when the defense is tired, my guy is fresh,” Held said. “The more depth I have, the better it’s going to be.”

Securing the football

UCF running backs fumbled a grand total of three times all last season with Held as their position coach, and Nebraska’s running backs – knock on wood, Held said – have been following suit with solid ball security.

Held said the running backs had no fumbles in Sunday’s first major scrimmage of preseason camp, and that fumbles have been few and far between throughout the first 10 practices of August.

“We have to be able to take care of the ball, with all the moving parts. If we can do that, it gives us a chance to really do some special things,” Held said. “With all the stuff we do with zone read and this, that and other, the quarterback, guys touching the ball a lot, the ball could be on the ground.”

Held said he doesn’t over-emphasize ball security, because then “guys will freak out,” but he does stress its importance.

 

Gaining confidence

Redshirt freshman Austin Allen said Nebraska’s young group of tight ends appreciated Walters’ encouraging words of their play in Sunday’s scrimmage.

Of the eight tight ends on the roster – not all in fall camp – five are freshmen (including Cameron Jurgens, above) and two are sophomores (including Jack Stoll, above).

“We can be confident we can go out and get the job done no matter who it is,” Allen said. “We haven’t had any college football experience, so going out against a defense in a real scrimmage setting is kind of giving us confidence.”

The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Allen played at Aurora High School, which also played an up-tempo style, so Allen is adapting well to Nebraska’s new offense.

“We were no-huddle in high school, so I’m used to getting up and getting going,” Allen said. “Last staff, it was kind of slowed down a little bit, and that wasn’t really my style.

“I like this staff. They’ll wide you out, put you in the dirt, and that’s a lot what I did in high school.”

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.