Sideline change to pay off for Nebraska football vs. Rutgers

Current weather forecasts show it will be a hot fall afternoon when Nebraska takes on Rutgers, with temperatures peaking at 95 degrees around 4 p.m.

Thanks to an offseason decision by head coach Matt Rhule to move the Huskers from the east to the west sideline, Nebraska will be shaded by the Memorial Stadium facade while Rutgers faces the sun directly for several hours.

“There’s a reason why everywhere in the country the home sideline is on the press box side, so that you’re not having to hide yourself from the opponent and people can’t see your signals,” Rhule said. “… Then the heat’s obviously another factor, and I think we recognized that right away in the first game against UTEP.”

Nebraska’s season opener against UTEP was played in similar conditions with a notable temperature difference on the Huskers’ shaded sideline. While temperatures should tail off slightly around sunset, the warm temperatures will require Nebraska players to stay hydrated and rotate heavily to avoid cramping up.

“Depth, how well you take care of yourself, hydration and all that matters,” Rhule said of playing in warm conditions. “You work all year to get 12 games and you’d hate to have a storyline of the game afterward be like, ‘Man, I wasn’t ready for it because of the heat.’”

* Linebacker Stefon Thompson, who missed Nebraska’s win over Purdue with an injury, is expected to play against Rutgers according to Rhule. However, there is no current timetable for offensive lineman Turner Corcoran’s return from a hamstring injury.

Cornerback Tommi Hill continues to battle a painful foot injury, and the senior is hopeful he’ll be able to feature this Saturday.

“He’s practiced all week, so we’ll see if he’s able to play at the level he’s capable of playing at,” Rhule said of Hill.

* After committing 10 or more penalties in each of its last two games, Nebraska spent much of the week working to clean up that area of its game. Rhule said that NU coaches put together a presentation showing that the defense has rarely allowed scoring drives — but when it has, penalties have almost always helped opponents drive down the field.

Considering Rutgers is a team that commits among the fewest penalties nationally, ranking No. 11 in that area compared to Nebraska’s No. 124 ranking, it’s an area of the game that the Huskers don’t want to hurt them.

“Defensive pass interference, those things happen, and offensive holding, that’s part of the game — but pre-snap penalties and 15-yard penalties have to be eliminated,” Rhule said.