Nebraska’s bye week arrives at perfect time for banged-up Huskers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Nebraska’s two starting inside linebackers left the locker room in street clothes and on crutches. Other prominent players walked away late Saturday night sporting small limps or big wraps.

A week without a game has arrived just in time for the Huskers.

“Once that adrenaline wears off, the soreness kicks in,” quarterback Casey Thompson said. “I definitely need that bye week.”

Nebraska will try to end a 19-game skid against top-25 teams dating back six years when No. 18 Illinois arrives in Lincoln for an Oct. 29 tilt. Until then, the plan is to rest, recover and reexamine the best ways to attack the final five regular-season dates that mark the most physically demanding portion of the schedule.

The defense — fresh off playing 101 snaps against Purdue that was one shy of the Nebraska opponent record — could especially use the break. Leading tackler and inside ‘backer Luke Reimer was a game-time decision but didn’t suit against the Boilermakers. Co-captain Nick Henrich had to be helped off the field before halftime and didn’t return.

“We’ve got to get healthy,” said NU interim coach Mickey Joseph, who gave the team Sunday off. “We played without our linebackers – we’ve got to get healthy.”

Meanwhile, starting safety Marques Buford saw just 44 snaps and departed after absorbing a big collision. Another game-time decision, cornerback Quinton Newsome, stayed on the field throughout Purdue’s nearly 43 minutes of possession time.

“The bye week’s a really good opportunity to just work on technique, work on things we need to work on,” inside linebacker Chris Kolarevic said. “And for each person to evaluate where they are as a player.”

What can Kolarevic work on? He thought about it for 25 seconds in a media scrum. Being more physical. Playing faster. Reacting quicker.

Other defenders agreed in the aftermath of collectively missing 18 tackles against Purdue according to Pro Football Focus after combining for 17 against Indiana and Rutgers. Nebraska allowed 13 “explosive plays” against the Boilers — that is, passes of 15-plus yards and runs of 10-plus — with many coming after the first man to the ball couldn’t bring down his target in space.

Nickel Isaac Gifford said the break could be as helpful as it was a month ago, when the time off between Oklahoma and Indiana helped defenders simplify their approach and refine their fundamentals.

Reworking the run defense is of particular urgency after Purdue redshirt freshman walk-on Devin Mockobee rolled up a career-best 178 yards on 30 attempts. NU’s next four opponents all feature established star running backs in the top 13 nationally in rushing yards per game: Illinois’ Chase Brown (151), Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim (138.8), Michigan’s Blake Corum (128.7) and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen (108).

“We’ve come a long way,” Gifford said. “You may not always see it out on the field but we’ve come a long way as a team and we’ve grown so close to each other in all the stuff we’ve been through. We’re going to be just fine.”

The rest of the team could use a blow too. Punter Brian Buschini has twice played through in-game injuries this fall. Running back/receiver Rahmir Johnson has been nicked up and Saturday took his first handoff of the year — and his only one thus far — for 17 yards.

Tight end Travis Vokolek could use another two weeks between him and the ankle injury that has shown lingering effects since the opener in late August. Anthony Grant, at 144 carries, has shouldered the seventh-largest workload among FBS running backs to this point.

Perhaps no one is ready for the break more than Thompson, who was under pressure nearly 40% of the time he dropped back to pass Saturday and took four sacks. That number was above 60% the week before at Rutgers across 22 pass attempts that left him writhing on the turf more than once. He said the bye week was a carrot of sorts in the back of his mind as he prepared for Purdue.

“I need it for sure; I need rest,” Thompson said. “We all need it but I know for sure health is the main thing at quarterback. Taking hits and landing on both my shoulders as a throwing quarterback is not ideal. You see guys all around college football — (Alabama’s) Bryce Young, (Purdue’s) Aidan O’Connell played (Saturday) with a rib injury — so guys are banged up.”

The recharge also means more time for self reflection. What, for example, can be done about an offensive line that started an all-new right side Saturday and continues to grade out as one of the 10 worst pass-blocking units at the FBS level? How can the Huskers get off the field on defense, especially against the run?

Now is their last extended chance to figure it out.

“We’ve got to go back as coaches and see what we didn’t do well,” Joseph said. “And then we’re going to fix it because it’s a copycat league — if we don’t’ fix it, we’re going to see it in two weeks against Illinois.”​