Busch Speaks on Defensive Progress

Football
11/16/2022 11:16:00 AM

NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska Interim Defensive Coordinator Bill Busch spoke with members of the media following Wednesday’s practice. He started with an opening statement on practice today and what he’s looking forward to in this week’s game against Wisconsin.

“We were able to get some work outside today, probably about half our practice,” Busch said. “Kids did a great job for us, per usual. Defense, offense and special teams all three phases we have a bunch of great young men. The workload has been real, and it doesn’t change this week even with the gauntlet we’ve kinda had with Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan. They’ve had a lot of trench games, and this game will be the exact same way. We are working hard to defend them. We know how much they preach toughness, physicality and the ability to run the ball. We’ve got our hands full, but we’ve been preparing extremely well, so we are excited to go on Saturday.”

He was asked about Isaac Gifford’s progress and how he performed after making a position switch last week.

“It’s been a lot. Going from starting nickel to starting safety is a lot,” he said. “He’s handled it extremely well. Isaac (Gifford) is a tremendous player and young man. He’s up here 24/7. That’s why we made that change. Very happy with him, he’s a great young man and love coaching with him. He has the ability to do both again this week.”

He also detailed how Javin Wright has stepped up in the absence of Gifford and what he brings to the table. 

“Javin’s done a great job for us. He went through a lot of injuries that set him back for a long time,” Busch said. “Now he’s back with us. Javin has a very high football IQ. Also in coverage, he was good covering their tight ends, they didn’t have many catches. He’s got great coverage ability and great wingspan. The wingspan against tight ends is a huge plus for him. It was great for him to be a starter at that spot, he got 24-26 snaps during the game and played very well for us, looking forward to him playing more this Saturday.”

He explained how facing three straight 1,000 yard running backs has helped him prepare for Braelon Allen this week.

“I think it helps. There’s some carryover. He’s a little bit different style back, each one has been a little different from what we faced previously. He’s such a physical back. When he breaks out, he has finishing ability downfield, 60-70 yards. He has the ability to turn the four yard runs into six, and six into eight.”

Nebraska plays their last game in Memorial Stadium in the 2022 season when they host Wisconsin on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. (CT) and will be televised nationally on ESPN, with radio coverage provided by the Husker Radio Network.