Mickey Joseph shares update on Huskers' QB situation
Interim Nebraska football coach Mickey Joseph made an appearance on “Sports Nightly” Wednesday night. Joseph broke down the status of the Huskers’ quarterback situation, updated the count on those walking for Senior Day and gave his thoughts on Wisconsin.
“Everyone is pulling on the same side of the rope,” Joseph said. “That’s the only way you can stay together in times like this.”
Here is more detail on what the head coach had to say.
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Joseph on Nebraska’s quarterback situation:
***An 11-year-old caller asked Joseph about Nebraska’s quarterback plan for Saturday.
“Right now, it looks like Casey (Thompson) will be ready to go,” Joseph said. “We’ll still go day-by-day with him but today he looked really good.”
He also said that quarterback Logan Smothers also had a good day of practice. Joseph said that the sophomore has been banged up since either Week 4 or 5.
Joseph on the challenges of Wisconsin:
***The Huskers will face 5-5 Wisconsin on Senior Day this weekend.
“I think we match up well with them,” Joseph said. “(Nebraska’s players) go out every game to win the game. Let’s clear that up. Sometimes, we don’t finish. This week we have to finish every drive, every quarter and every half.”
The head coach said the Huskers have to establish the run and stop the run to win. Executing for the full 60 minutes was a key talking point for Joseph throughout the show.
He said Tuesday’s practice was very high energy and the players took it up a notch on Wednesday.
“Most kids these days would have quit already,” Joseph said. “These kids have no quit in them, these coaches have no quit in them, and they’re gonna fight to the end.”
Joseph on Ernest Hausmann’s breakout game:
***Hausmann was one of the few bright spots in the Huskers’ 34-3 loss to Michigan. The true freshman had a career-high 10 tackles last week in addition to his first ever sack.
“He had to learn to play the college game,” Joseph said of Hausmann’s progress. “People don’t understand that when these kids come from high school, they’re the best kid on the field since the age of five. When they get to college, now they’ve got to compete and now the playing field is even for the first time in their life at the age of 18.”
Joseph praised assistant coach Barrett Rudd and linebackers Nick Henrich and Luke Reimer for bringing the Columbus product along.
Joseph on Tom Osborne:
***Joseph meets with Tom Osborne every Monday at 10:30. Joseph said Osborne is a blessing, understands what the program is built on, and enlightens him often on the thing he sees. Joseph said his mom told him to call Osborne as soon as he got the interim job.
“He’s still sharp and still understands what this program needs to start winning again,” Joseph said. “We gotta get back to the trenches. Get big boys in here on the offensive and defensive lines, get some depth in there and get a competitive roster.”
Joseph said Osborne won the battle with Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer for his mom’s approval during the coach’s recruitment.
“Osborne won hands down,” Joseph said. “That’s what you do in recruiting. You win the mom, you win the kid.”
Joseph on holding a staff together through a transition:
***Joseph was asked how he feels his coaching staff has handled uncertainty surrounding their futures in Lincoln. He said he explained to them what he went through at LSU and what he felt he did right or wrong. Joseph emphasized that those assistants are in a tough situation because they have families to provide for and they have no idea what’s going to happen.
“When coaches get let go, usually the head coach is going to leave with a buyout,” Joseph said. “But it’s those assistant coaches that hurt because sometimes they’re on the last year of their deal and they have to find a job to support their family.”
Joseph acknowledged that some people, “probably have to talk to people about jobs,” but said that the assistants have given 100% in the office and have done everything he asked them to do.
Joseph on what he means by competitive depth:
***Joseph said that assistants should always have a plan if they need to serve as a head coach.
“One of the things I wanted to do is bring back the physicality, that we were going to be physical again,” Joseph said. “We were going to run the ball and stop the run.”
One of the keys to reaching that goal is building a competitive roster. That means all 85 athletes on scholarship are able to play.
“The guy behind you has to be able to push you,” Joseph said. “If the No. 1 guy isn’t getting it done, then I’m gonna go to the No. 2 guy. If the No. 2 guy isn’t getting it done, I’m gonna go to the No. 3 guy. The only difference between those guys is that one might be from Nebraska, one guy might be from New Orleans and one might be from Atlanta, but they all can play.”
Joseph on those who will be honored on Senior Day:
***Joseph says there will be between 28-30 guys who will be honored on Saturday including the 12 players who have exhausted their eligibility.
He said that there are some guys who have been in school for four or five years because of the COIVD year and are now ready to go work. Others are deciding if they want to come back to Nebraska or turn professional.
“We’ve got to keep some of these players in the program because we have to get some mature kids back in the program,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to get those fifth-year juniors and sixth-year seniors because that’s where we gotta catch up.”
He added that Nebraska is second to last in the Big Ten as far as retaining those experienced players.
“If a kid can come back and help us next year, I’m going to do my best to sit down with him to get him to come back,” Joseph said. “But if they want to walk (on Senior Day), we’re gonna let them walk.”
