Some final notes before the Huskers kick it off against UTEP at 2:30 on Saturday.
Brian Christopherson
The Husker true freshman quarterback seems to have a collected way about him answering questions and handling the trumpet sounds around him.
But what about that collected approach in the pocket? Matt Rhule said Dylan Raiola's pocket presence growth served as one of the differences in naming him the main man heading into Saturday's opener against UTEP.
"I wanted to play on platform, be on time with things," said Raiola, whoemphasized how much Rhule and QBs coach Glenn Thomas have been pushing him in that regard.
Rhule had some clips for Raiola that helped with the push. And Thomaslocking in on the QB's footwork has added to that.
"Coach Rhule showed me like a 60-play cutup of Tom Brady and just watching his composure, just watching his drops, his timing of things, was kind of mesmerizing," Raiola said. "He's always on time, he's always on platform.... Once I saw it, it made sense to me."
He's alsoeager to find a way when a play breaks down.
"Guess you got to go make a play when your number's called, right?"
As forsporting that No. 15 as another true freshman starting QB at Nebraska once did, and Malachi Coleman making that switch to No. 80? The QB smiled and said he'd keep that in house.
Expecting some heat
Fortunately we're avoiding one of those 100-degree openers.
But Raiola knows UTEP will try to bring the temperature up with pressure on him.
"I think that's the beauty of football," he said. "You don't wantit to be easy. You don't want them to just hand you touchdowns. I think if you're a competitor at the end of the day you're not going to want them to just sit back and, like, take your shots and let us whup you. I think teams will have their different ways of coming after us, and a young quarterback, which is fine.
"That's part of the game and growing up fast. I'm excited for the challenge of every team and it starts Saturday."
Taking what's there
One of the things Husker teammates have been impressed with Raiola is how he hasn't seemed to force the ball into bad decisions in practices.
Defenders have spoken of trying to bait him sometimes into throws, but it hasn't been easy.
Wide receiver Jahmal Banks said, "Dylan, he throws the checkdowns when the deep ball isn't there. He can extend plays. He has a strong arm. He can get the ball around anywhere. Puts the ball where it needs to be and he plays hard."
The first decision-making test comes Saturday for a team that was dead last in giveaways with 31 a season ago.
How is Haarberg used?
It was suggested by coaches there may be other ways to get Heinrich Haarberg on the field and not just holding the clipboard as a backup QB.
"He's an incredible athlete," Banks said with a laugh. "Him coming downhill, I don't know too many people want to go head on with Heinrich Haarberg. You're going to see that. It's going to be showcased."
A good teammate
Husker tight end Thomas Fidone is impressive in how QB Heinrich Haarberg has handled the wholecompetition.
"I haven't seen any different Heinrich than I've seen the last few years I've been here," Fidone said. "When he's out there he's going to go and do what he's always done. ....You can't have someone like him and not put him on the field. He's too good of a player, too good of an athlete to not be involved. I think you guys are definitely to be able to see that on the field."
Vets proud of Cam
Husker veterans expressed pride in second-year college player Cameron Lenhardt being a young guy with a blackshirt.
Heck, it sounds like they voiced their opinion about him having one too.
"To have four guys on the defensive line to earn blackshirts, with Cam being the 12th guy, it's pretty awesome," Nash Hutmacher said of the sophom*ore. "Cam's obviously a younger guy "but he's come in and he stepped up right away for us last year and played a lot of snaps for us. He's continued to develop and continued do the right things.
The older guys in the D-line all said that we think he deserves to have that blackshirt."
Change in size, change in roles
We're going to see some different versions of the Polar Bear it seems like.
With Hutmacher taking his weight from the 335 range to closer to 310, he's moved around more on the defensive front besides just playing the nose.
"I love it. It just gives me more ability to show my skill sets: Being out in the 3 technique, sometimes being in a 4i ... It's been awesome to not just be in the middle taking double teams all the time."
With that, Hutmacher feels in great condition to be out there as much as needed.
"I'm ready to push the snap count whenever I can. I've tried to develop myself to be able to do that – not just being a real heavy nose. Being able to lighten up and play as many snaps as I'm needed for on gameday."
The growth of Butler
Jimari Butler has done more than just gain size – going from 230 pounds last year to around to 260.
Hutmacher has seen him grow in a wide range of areas.
"He came in when we were freshmen and he was one of those guys that wasn't doing the right things all the time," he said. "And now he's one of our best leaders on the defense. He's doing everything right. He's setting the standard. He's helping the young guys get in the shape. He is such an important piece to this defense now and to this entire team.
"I'm just so proud of Jimari and how he's handled himself the last two, three years."
Why Fidone likes playing for Rhule
He likes that the head coach "keeps it 100" with everyone because he sees the potential in them.
"To me I relate a lot to him in the way that he's just going to tell you how it is," Fidone said. "I respect that. Because sometimes I like being coached hard and a lot of guys kind of don't. I'm not saying guys on our team. But there are guys that don't like to be coached and yelled at and screamed at because they think they're getting picked on. But for me personally, I enjoy it because I know there's always something I can get better at."
A word from Walden
UTEP coach Scotty Walden said his team is excited to come up to Lincoln and take on this challenge.
During his press conference, he gave a shout out to former El Paso native Tony Whiteand said of the Husker defensive coordinator's scheme, "It's by far the most diverse defense that I have gone against in my career – seen on tape."
That said, Walden is embracing coming in as an underdog ready to go win.
"As my time as a head coach, you're never going to see me prepare to lose a game – ever. And we're not going to play to lose a game. We're going to expect to win every game we play."
'He's going to be prepared'
He's highly respectful of young Raiola's potential even in his first start.
Waldenbelieves he has NFL pedigree written all over him and the coach is impressed with his deep ball and how he can extend a play from what his research has shown. He also thinks Nebraska has done a great job adding the offensive pieces around Raiola. He highlighted all the parts including the challenge the size of NU's O-line will present.
He knows that the Huskers this year feel like they can take shots when a team loads the box on them.
"He might be a freshman but he's one of the most talented freshman I've seen ... This guy throws an elite deep ball. Obviously as a coach, you put a freshman out there and there's always some type of learning curve within their system they're going to have to iron out..." Walden said.
"But every thing I've studied about him, he looks like a student of the game, someone who respects the game. I cling to guys like that and respect guys like that. And he respects the game and studies it. He's going to be prepared. He's as talented as any quarterback we'll play all year."
