“We’re Better Than We Are a Year Ago” – Frost Projects Confidence at Big 10 Media Days

Nebraska football head coach Scott Frost and the Huskers were a little slow getting to the Hilton Chicago on Thursday afternoon for Frost’s press conference at Big 10 Media days. Severe weather in the Chicago area diverted Frost and the Husker’s flight from getting there on time, so Frost took to the podium 15 minutes later than scheduled.

Frost’s team started last season slow, too. After starting their 2018 campaign with six consecutive losses, NU finished strongly, winning four of their last eight games. Such are the growing pains of year ones in a program trying to rebuild. However, if Frost is to be believed, year two is shaping up to be an exciting one for Nebraska.

“We’re better than we are a year ago,” Frost told reporters assembled in Chicago. “The rest of it, we’re going to have to earn.”

An unofficial poll of 34 Big 10 writers that was conducted by The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland newspaper, had Nebraska in first place in the Big 10 West. Not bad for a team that finished 4-8 last season.

However, the blueprint for a dramatic turnaround is there, in Frost’s own past. The UCF Knights didn’t win a single game in 2015, the year before Frost took over as head coach. In 2016 in Frost’s first year, UCF finished 6-7. The next year, they went undefeated, beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl. For his part though, Frost refused to tout his record at his previous school on Thursday.

“Those two teams have nothing to do with one another and I’m never going to make any comparisons,” Frost said. “I love where I am and I’m the coach of Nebraska.”

Frost won’t be the only person with the weight of Husker fan’s expectations on his shoulders. His quarterback, Adrian Martinez, will be doing plenty of the heavy lifting this season.

Coming fresh off of his true freshman season that saw him throw for 2,617 yards and 17 touchdown passes while adding 629 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, Martinez is been racking up preseason accolades in bunches.

Earlier this week, the 6-foot-2, 220 pound player was named to the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists. Then on Thursday, Martinez was named to the Big 10 Conference’s preseason watch list, along with nine other players.

“I wouldn’t trade our guy for anybody at that position,” Frost said. “On top of being a great player, he’s just a great individual… we’re probably going to go as far as he can take us this year.”

Armed with a quarterback and a coach, Nebraska will head into 2019 trying to take the Big 10 by storm.

In other news & notes from Frost’s press conference:

• “I don’t care where they are. If they’re in Jamaica or Kazakhstan, so be it,” Frost said of his recruiting philosophy.

• “Of all the areas we’ve improved, strength and conditioning across the board on our team, has improved the most.” Frost has always been effusive in his praise of Zach Duval, NU’s strength & conditioning coach and it would appear Duval has continued to ensure the Huskers are excelling in the weight room this offseason.

• “Center (and) left guard, we’re waiting for a few guys to emerge… we still have a few holes but most teams do. We still have depth issues at a few spots but show a team that doesn’t,” there are a fair amount of question marks on Frost’s squad and the offensive line probably has the most of them.

*Fall camp is set to begin on Friday, August 2nd.

(Photo – Kenny Larabee)