Crowd of Nebraska players nearing return from injury — but maybe not this week
einforcements are on their way for the stretch run of Nebraska’s season. But most of them probably won’t arrive this weekend.
A crowd of Huskers are nearing return from injury and are questionable at best for the Saturday morning game at Michigan State, coach Matt Rhule said Thursday. That includes safety Marques Buford — a 2022 starter who has yet to play this year returning from a knee injury — and receiver Billy Kemp (MCL), both of whom will travel to East Lansing.
Buford won’t start against the Spartans and it’s unclear whether he will see the field, Rhule said. The redshirting junior practiced Tuesday and Wednesday and is “ready to go in there.”
Kemp is making “remarkable progress,” Rhule said, but the senior isn’t fully cleared yet. He will warm up Saturday and be a game-time decision.
“Maybe he’ll have some sort of impact on the game,” Rhule said of Kemp, who is NU’s top punt returner when healthy. “But a lot of that will depend on the next couple days. Probably more next week.”
Meanwhile, right guard Nouri Nouili is “coming along” and “trying to work back in” after missing last week’s game against Purdue with an undisclosed injury. Henry Lutovsky started in his place.
Another previously injured Husker, safety DeShon Singleton, unsuccessfully attempted to return to practice during the week. Nebraska has been mixing Malcolm Hartzog, Omar Brown and Phalen Sanford in the middle of the secondary during the team’s three-game win streak.
“It didn’t go real well, so he’ll be out an extended amount of time still,” Rhule said.
Other notes from Rhule’s 13-minute availability:
Rhule complimented Michigan State, saying its 2-6 record doesn’t show how the Spartans led Iowa and Rutgers in the fourth quarter and was within three points of Minnesota in the final frame. One of the Big Ten’s leading running backs, Nate Carter, is “as good a back as we’ll see all year long,” he said. And “outstanding” defensive personnel is highlighted by 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle Simeon Barrow.
The NU coach also didn’t look too deeply into Michigan State’s 49-0 loss to Michigan, which is being investigated for stealing opponent signs well in advance.
“I think they were told like three days ahead of time, ‘You have to probably change all your signals before the game,’” Rhule said. “I don’t even know how you can count that against them.”
>> On receiver/cornerback Tommi Hill’s willingness to play anywhere, Rhule said the playmaker has “the intensity of lion.” Player and coach had an early in-season conversation about whether he should redshirt — he’s instead gone on to appear in all eight games with a team-best three interceptions.
>> Nebraska coaches created new drills to emphasize ball security this week after fumbling five times (four lost) against Purdue. The staff met Sunday and went through every fumble — the Huskers have put 24 balls on the ground, including a nation-worst 11 lost — to figure out why they’re happening. Most, Rhule said, have come on exchanges between the quarterback and center.
“We do ball security every day but the results weren’t showing that we do ball security every day,” Rhule said. “To me, you don’t change — you do things better. But if you do things better and it’s still not showing up then you have to change something. … Sometimes they don’t show up right away, sometimes it takes a couple weeks. But I feel good about our process this week that we really put our guys in position to be successful.”
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