Here is a full recap of Nebraska’s post-game press conference following Saturday’s 30-23 victory over Penn State…
Head coach Scott Frost
***Frost said there was a lot still to learn and clean up, but “it’s a lot better to learn after a win.”
“The team needed to turn the page” and win a game like that. “It certainly wasn’t the prettiest game, but anytime you win, that’s going to give us a boost.”
***Frost said Luke McCaffrey “did a lot of good things and there’s a lot to build on” in his first start but added that giving him the start over Adrian Martinez was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.”
***Frost said Zavier Betts “has a chance to be a special player for us.” Betts was one player Nebraska made
***Frost said Dedrick Mills “got nicked up. He’s going to be fine.” He noted losing Mills was the main reason why Wan’Dale Robinson played so much running back on Saturday.
“Wan’Dale can do just about anything we ask him to do,” Frost said.
***On what this win meant for Nebraska, Frost said: “The state needed it, the team needed it, I needed it.” He said his team needed to learn how to win. While there were many errors and “the game shouldn’t have been as close as it was,” the fact that NU was able to pull out a win was a big step forward.
***Frost said the two turnovers Nebraska forced in the first half were “huge” and “when you get plays like that in this league, you’ve got to take advantage of them.”
***Frost said Penn State, now 0-4, was “the best team with that record that I’ve ever seen.”
***Frost said Nebraska’s cornerbacks and safeties really played well, especially with how well they defended the fade routes in the end zone.
***Frost said he “maybe got a little too conservative with his play-calling” in the red zone after throwing two interceptions in the end zone last week. He said he challenged his offense to run the ball, manage the game, “and make sure we didn’t give this one away.”
***Frost said he thought McCaffrey handled himself well in his first start, and he made some plays with his legs. However, they needed to be more explosive through the air in the future.
“We’ll keep working to make sure we throw the ball down the field a little more. I think everyone knows that’s something we need to do more of.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke McCaffrey
***McCaffrey said he learned midway through last week that he’d be the starter, calling it “an honor” to earn that role.
***McCaffrey said Martinez was incredibly supportive throughout the past week.
“He’s one of the classiest people I’ve ever met… He’s been right there by my side, and he’s been one of the best role models, best leader, and best people I’ve ever met.”
***McCaffrey gave plenty of praise for the defense’s performance vs. Penn State. He said it provided a lift to the entire team when one side of the ball stepped up like that.
***McCaffrey said, “heck yeah, I was nervous,” going into his first start. “I probably slept like an hour last night.” He said he leaned on his veteran teammates to calm him down and keep him focused.
Sophomore receiver Wan’Dale Robinson
***Robinson said not much changed with McCaffrey this week because “he prepares like he’s the starter for every game.”
***Robinson said it felt good to “finally get over the hump” and win a game like that.
***Robinson said Zavier Betts’ ceiling was “through the roof.” He said Saturday was just the start for the former Bellevue West standout.
***Robinson said he didn’t mind the workload he saw at running back. With the way Penn State was playing on defense, he said he made it easier to get the ball that way.
***Robinson said he knows all of the freshmen that played on offense are going through a learning curve, as he was in the same situation last year. He said he tries to always be there to help the young guys out on the field and between drives.
***Robinson said he “had all the confidence in the world” that the defense was going to make the game-winning stop.
Junior cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt
***Taylor-Britt said playing 91 snaps on defense “started to take a toll on us” toward the end of the game. But “just a sip of water, that’s all we need.”
***Taylor-Britt said the difference today started with a great week of practice, especially for the defense.
***Taylor-Britt said the defensive backs “love the challenge” they had against Penn State. “We had a great week of practice. That’s what’s supposed to happen on game day.”
***Taylor-Britt said the game was on the defense, “and we wanted it on us” at the end.
***Taylor-Britt said he was definitely mad about last week’s loss, and he was tired of losing games like that in his third year here. That helped motivate them on Saturday.
***Taylor-Britt: “When we play together, I don’t think anything can stop us, man.”
***Taylor-Britt said they really focused on PSU receiver Jahan Dotson all week in practice because they knew how good he was. He said Demariyon Houston played Dotson in practice.
Senior defensive end Ben Stille
***Stille said the defense was definitely in some “high-pressure situations” on Saturday, and he was proud of how the unit answered the challenge.
***Stille said finishing a game with everything on the line at the end was a big step for the Huskers. He said Frost joked to the team they “gave him a heart attack.”
***Stille said “there’s been a lot of downs over my career here,” but winning a game like this as a team was a great feeling for him personally.
***Stille said PSU quarterback Will Levis was a “tough, physical runner,” and his designed runs gave Nebraska’s defense a real challenge with his running style and having an extra blocker in the box.
