Huskers Continue Preparations in Ireland

Football
8/25/2022 9:50:00 AM

NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska football team practiced in Ireland for the second straight day Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s season opener against Northwestern in Dublin.
 
Head Coach Scott Frost met with the media following practice, which was held just outside of Aviva Stadium, the site of Saturday’s matchup. Frost touched on the balance between preparing the players for a Big Ten Conference game while also allowing them to enjoy another culture.
 
“I think it’s been a good experience for our players. But they’re dialed in and ready to play,” Frost said. “They’re doing a really good job of enjoying things when they need to enjoy it and then focusing when they need to focus, which is a sign of maturity.
 
“We had a good time last night. They had one of their best practices yesterday. Then we got on a bus and went to dinner and they saw some traditional Irish music and some traditional Irish dancing. They really got into it and enjoyed it. This is a tight-knight group, and I think they’re going to be there for each other all year and it’s going to be fun to watch.”
 
With a new offensive coordinator and four new offensive assistants, Frost was asked what he wanted to see out of the offense on Saturday.
 
“I just want to see efficiency,” he said. “I know I sound like a broken record with that but it really doesn’t matter what offense you’re running, if you run it well it can work. The key to that is just operating with efficiency and speed.
 
“I’ve seen that from these guys. They definitely know what they’re doing. We’ve rehearsed it more times than we would for a normal game and the guys are confident.”
 
On defense, Frost feels confident in a group that returns six starters from a 2021 unit that allowed the fewest points per game by a Husker defense since 2010.
 
“I know what kind of defense we have,” Frost said. “Our defense is dialed in, they know their calls, they know where they’re supposed to be, they communicate well, they play hard. I’m anxious to watch them.”
 
Nebraska will practice for a final time in Ireland on Friday. Kickoff between Nebraska and Northwestern on Saturday is set for 11:30 a.m. (Central) on Saturday, with television coverage on FOX and radio coverage on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers.com.