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Frost on Husker situation at the bye, Martinez health, other injuries
ByBRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON 118 minutes agoFrost not worried about weight of close losses on Huskers
Husker head coach Scott Frost had a mid-week meeting with the media during the bye.
It was a fairly lengthy discussion compared to some of these get-togethers, with Frost speaking for about 13 minutes about the state of his team, injuries and other matters with Nebraska 3-5 and needing winning jolt to make a bowl game.
"What we talked about the last two days was making the play when it counts, being a guy you can depend on when it matters. We made plenty of good enough plays in several games to have the outcome be different," Frost said. "A lot of guys had the opportunity to make a play somewhere, one more play to get it done. We haven't done it yet. We made some game-winning plays and then had the opportunity to stop the other team and didn't. We stopped the other team and then had chances on offense to go win it. So we need guys to be at their best in those situations – Adrian (Martinez) included."
Frost was asked if he worried about this team losing passion at this point.
"I don't think that's going to happen with this team. In years past I think it might have happened. This team, there's no quit in these guys. They came to work yesterday. They came to work today. That's been improving. Can't tell you how far that's come, just the attitude, culture in the locker room. I'm not worried about that. Guys will come fight."
Frost was also asked about Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck's comments that the Gopher 30-23 win over the Huskers was an example of "culture over skill."
To that, the Husker coach said, "I don't make it a habit of listening to those press conferences. Our culture has come 100 miles. I love where our culture is too. I think they have some skilled players too, so I'm surprised to hear it."
ON ADRIAN MARTINEZ'S HEALTH
"I think there will be a time when I can talk about the things that he's been dealing with. But he came out of the game clean, so he's going to be as healthy as he's been a week from Saturday."Frost said Husker coaches took into account Martinez being beat up in planning for Minnesota.
"Some of the option stuff and quarterback run stuff that we might have added to the game plan, it just wasn't going to be available to us. We got to play better around him … and I've said that a bunch. We're leading the Big Ten in sacks (allowed) right now and that has to be better (and) he has to trust protection a little better. But we talked yesterday and today a lot about this team is so close, it's been so close in every one of these games. And I'm tired of saying we're one play away, two plays away. The kids are tired of that too.”
ON THE SLOW STARTS TO GAMES
"I think we've got to completely let it rip. So a little bit of that is coaches. We have to be ready for the first drive. The first drive matters. It particularly mattered in that (Minnesota) game. We went 3-and-out and they took seven minutes off the clock and went it scored. We just watched the whole game with the offense. The first play, we made a wrong read. The second play had a guy open and protection wasn't great and just missed it. Third play had a guy open again and the corner fell down on a dig route. We probably threw it a little too quick and didn't make the play. And then we punt to them and they go seven minutes and it's 7-0."That's kind of what I'm talking about. When the play's there we've got to make it. Got to be a little better in protection, got to make the right read. It's little details here and there. We're executing a lot of stuff, making a lot of plays, getting a lot of yards. When it really matters we haven't gotten it done."
ON THE BYE WEEK PLAN
"We have a unique bye week because playing Week Zero, we had to have so many days off. We had to have seven extra days off between our first bye week and second, so we're only going to practice twice this week. We practiced yesterday and today. We're going to try to get the guys back early, get some game-planning ready and have pretty much a normal week for Purdue."Frost said the Huskers should get three practices available to them for their second bye week.
WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE FROM COACHES
"Letting it rip a little early. We had a lot of good plays in the game plan, a lot of good schemes in the game plan. We started with one we liked and we didn't execute it. But I do think we can be a touch more aggressive and let the guys go."ON LOOKING AT PERSONNEL DURING THE BYE WEEK
"A lot of guys got reps today, yesterday. There's only so many places we can go with it. Most of the guys that give us the best chance to win are already playing. So there's not too many changes we can make, but there's certainly positions where there's always competition."ON DEONTAI WILLIAMS INJURY
"Deontai had a minor knee injury. He's going to be day-to-day, week-to-week, probably be out for a little bit. But he'll definitely be back this year."Frost said he "just loves the kid first and foremost," and is a leader who can play the run and the pass. "We feel good about our young guys behind him so we'll certainly miss him but I know he'll help the young guys."
Frost expects Myles Farmer is probably next up to play next to Marquel Dismuke. "A lot of guys have a chance to be next."
ON RAHMIR JOHNSON'S INJURY
"Rahmir was in meetings. He's got to pass protocols to get back into play and feel good about it."ON STRUGGLING OR LACKING PASSION AGAINST TEAMS WHERE THE HUSKERS ARE FAVORED?
"I don't think if you can paint it with that broad of a stroke. Saturday I think we came off several games in a row where we spent a lot. The guys spent a lot. They poured a lot into it. They poured a lot into preparation for (Minnesota) and they were ready to go. I didn't notice anything different until I got in the locker room right before the game. It was good. It just wasn't as much juice. We did what we could to try to get them going. It wasn't terrible. I think they just lacked a little of an edge, and probably coming off three night games and playing an 11 o'clock game on the road, I could've done a little more to make sure."I didn't really notice it before the game. They still took the field prepared and ready to go. I think going three-and-out and giving up the first drive hurt a little too. If they weren't ready to play, they wouldn't have responded and come back the way you did. You don't get what you deserve in football, you get what you earn, and you got to be at your absolute best all the time."
ON GUYS LIKE ZAVIER BETTS STILL WORKING TO GET CONSISTENTLY ON THE FIELD
"Yeah, we've got some guys that are really talented that I wish were out there more. Not talking about one specific guy, but some of the guys I wish were out there more just missed too much time. They missed reps. You start playing at a high level, particularly in this league, when you get a lot of repetition, when you get a lot of experience. Then the coaches know, the team knows you can count on those guys in situations. So some of them get their chance and go in and bust an assignment. It's tough to keep guys on the field as much when that happens."But you've got to be practicing. Every time. You got to get the reps. You've got to build up that experience. Zavier has come a long way. He needs more of those reps so we can rely on them. We know that."
