I have to admit to being impressed with the amount of information the Husker’s Athletic Department makes available. All the direct communications from coaches and players is impressive. I suppose it is in part a reasonable response to loyal and rabid fans who hunger and demand such information, but it is still impressive that the Athletic Department was smart enough to go along with it and make sure the football program is on the same page.
How rabid? Well, how many programs have commemorative coins of a 2nd year coach?
Husker pride.
The Athletic Department even provides daily press releases on practices in preparation of the games.
It makes things a little trickier for the local media, though. The fans can choose to bypass them as gatekeepers of information and get closer to the source. This has forced some more creativity in how to repackage the content.
This multi-page release from the Husker athletic department is not just a full transcript of Coach Callahan’s press conference.
On Pittsburgh’s defense
“I think they’re just playing basic coverage, sound coverage. I don’t know that it’s anything that is out of the realm or that’s different in that respect. I think everyone is playing the same type of coverage. You’re going to rotate and try to disrupt them. You’re going to try to do things of that nature that most people do when you play those types of coverage, when you cloud coverage or you play tight ball press with help over the top. That’s a double team in a sense, but it’s basic structure in football coaching.”
It also has player comments, like from Sophomore Linebacker Corey McKeon:
On facing Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko
“I would never actually say I’m anxious to face Palko. He’s a tough guy, a tough kid. Coach (Kevin) Cosgrove always raves about him. He’s a good football player. Good football players make mistakes, too. He’s going to play well against us. Great players arise against great defenses like ours. I know a lot of players are aching to get at the Blackshirts right now, so you just can’t say, ‘well, he’s going to be throwing a lot of picks.’ We’ve got to make him throw a lot of picks.”On getting pressure on Palko
“I know our defensive line got after him big time last year. He took a lot of hits from us, and we hope we’re going to deliver more and see if he can take anymore this year. Our D-line is really anticipating this game. They had a big game against him last year and they expect this year to be no different.”
Given the hits Palko has already had this season, I hope he has his insurance updated. That is unless the O-line pins this on the bulletin board and shows some major pride this week.
McKeon, by the way, has already earned a reputation as a media favorite for quotes.
One of the things the local media is doing is being more transparent. In their online stuff, they basically do a breakdown on parts of the press conference, providing more background for the basis of the questions and facts.
“When you can rotate those big fellas, it really helps you get more positive, quality play. Those guys don’t wear down.” — Bill Callahan
We mentioned in the preseason how more depth in the defensive line will help, and Callahan has been pleased with the early-season results.
No longer are Le Kevin Smith and Titus Adams playing 60-some snaps each game. Ola Dagunduro, Barry Cryer and Ndamukong Suh are rotating inside. On the edge, Ty Steinkuhler and Barry Turner are providing depth for Jay Moore, Adam Carriker and Wali Muhammad.
And the backups aren’t just in for a play or two late in the game, either. Dagunduro and Cryer were playing the second series against Wake Forest. Quality depth is indeed paying dividends.
Nebraska is expecting Pitt to throw more. The most inexperienced and perceived weakest part of the Nebraska Defense is in their secondary. What this means, for Pitt, most likely is a lot of pressure coming off the line to keep Palko from getting set and disrupting the play up front.
