Thursday notebook: Offense struggles in first pads practice

As Nebraska wrapped up its first full-pads practice of the spring on Thursday morning, the good news was that the defense had one of its better sessions yet since the start of the Scott Frost era.

The bad news, however, was that the offense paid the price as a result.

Offensive coordinator Troy Walters didn’t sugarcoat the fact that his group got off to a slow start as the intensity kicked up a few notches.

“Offensively, we came out sluggish,” Walters said. “Sometimes when you put the pads on, and you put thigh pads and knee pads on, sometimes offensively you have that mentality of ‘I’m putting more weight on.’

“We came out and we didn’t attack today. We didn’t attack. The defense came out and they attacked. We started too slow. I tell the guys all the time: if we start that way in a game, we’re down 14-0.”

Walters noted that the effort and execution improved as the day went on, and part of the reason why the offense struggled was due to working on a new game plan installation for the first time.

That said, Walters added it was pretty clear which players had studied up on the new installation like they were supposed to and those who didn’t.

“You could kind of tell who took it to heart to learn the new installs and who didn’t,” Walters said. “So we’ve got to go back and watch the film and really see what we need to improve on. It’s about the details.”

Walters said another factor was that the defense threw a few new wrinkles at them as well, which only added to the offense’s problems. Quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco said his group threw two bad interceptions during the team portion of practice and had a few more near turnovers that were dropped.

Offensive line coach Greg Austin said the early woes would only help the offense in the long run, claiming that the defense they’re facing right now in practice would be most difficult unit schematically that they’ll face all season.

“Our defense made us better today,” Austin said. “I can tell you right now that our defense came out and they had a lot of energy today. They were flying around, they were active and not only are they good schematically, but those guys get to the football.

“The mark of a good defense is how many hats do you have to the football. Those guys are building an awesome, awesome, awesome culture over there.”

- Robin Washut

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise through three days of spring practice, but the quarterback position remains very much a work in progress.

Verduzco said he likes what he’s seen from this group so far, but there’s still a lot out there they need to work on.

“They are absorbing a lot of information trying to piece it together,” Verduzco said. “They are doing well. They are working hard at it, and we have to make sure as we’ve talked about this before, is what they do in the classroom we have to take to the field. Whether we are in (shorts) or when the pads are on like today, and the bullets are flying, and obviously when there’s a game. All that stuff has to transfer.”

As for Thursday’s first full-padded practice, Verduzco said there were a few things his guys would like to have back.

“They were ok,” Verduzco said of today’s practice. “I didn’t notice any real movement difference from the (shorts workouts). We threw two picks today, which I was irritated about, and had two near misses. Up to this point though, with the number of reps we’ve had, we’ve been pretty good. We can’t let those things happen though.”

- Sean Callahan

Since the end of his junior high school season to the start of his first spring practice at Nebraska, Adrian Martinez’s time on the field competing against an actual defense has been few and far between.

In fact, because of a shoulder injury that sidelined him all of last year, the only live snaps Martinez has taken since 2016 came in the Under Armour All-American Game back on Jan. 4.

But while it would be assumed that the true freshman quarterback would have plenty of rust to knock off during his first spring as a Husker, Verduzco said Martinez wasn’t any further behind than any other early-enrollee would normally be at this point.

“He’s doing really well. You’d never know,” Verduzco said. “You’d never know. You wouldn’t. You’d think he’d just played his senior year and away we go. He’s been fine in the meetings, he’s been fine at practice. You’d never know he hadn’t played for a while.

“I think for most quarterbacks, the position is like riding a bike. They’ve just got to get back on it and let’s go.”

Martinez completed 220-of-366 passes for 2,562 yards and 25 touchdowns (with just four interceptions) and ran for 1,462 yards and 14 scores as a junior at Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West High School.

Despite missing his senior year, the four-star prospect was invited to the Under Armour game and completed 3-of-8 passes for 28 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 18 more yards.

- Robin Washut

One of the first commits in Nebraska’s 2018 recruiting class was Sioux Falls (S.D.) Washington center Will Farniok, the younger brother of current sophomore offensive lineman Matt Farniok.

The younger Farniok stuck to his commitment despite the coaching change and came to Lincoln as a mid-year enrollee. Deciding to come early may prove to be a big deal, as he has developed his body during winter conditioning and is now getting an opportunity at center with Michael Decker and Cole Conrad out with injuries.

“Will is awesome,” Austin said. “He’s an awesome kid and he’s very smart and cerebral. He picks up things well and he has a natural ability to snap the ball.”

According to Austin, another key piece in Will’s early development has been due to his older brother pushing him hard.

“Will’s brother is the one that gets on his ass, now,” Austin said. “If Will doesn’t know something or takes the wrong step or does the wrong thing then I damn near don’t have to say a thing because Matt is in his ass saying, 'You should be doing this!’ I have to be like, ‘Matt calm down now. We’ve got to teach him first. He’s an 18-year-old kid.’”

Austin said the younger Farniok has impressed enough that he has even taken some reps with the first-team offense and has the potential to play early on in his career.

“He’s doing awesome,” Austin said. “In some cases, he’s with the first-team and holding his own. I’m really excited about what he’s going to be and what he is currently. The foundation that he has all the way from high school, it was very, very good to get him as a mid-year and get an extra spring ball under his belt. I could see him, depending on what happens next year, playing early.”

- Nate Clouse

Nebraska’s players have had to adjust how they do things this spring with morning practices, but thus far the change has been well received.

NU’s players show up as early as 5:15 to 5:30 am each day to get ready for practice and have breakfast. They walk off the practice field at 10 am and then have about an hour to make their first class.

“I just love it, because we get up and we get the day going,” running backs coach Ryan Held said. “We just get everything flowing from when I wake up, ‘I’ve got this, this and this.’ We get on that practice field, then I get a little break, and then we are watching the film. We aren’t sitting around all day until 3 o’clock waiting for practice because depending on the day, that can get a little monotonous.

“It’s good. It gets me going. I’m sweating right now. When people are sleeping, we are working, and we are out on the field. I’m telling you, the guys will end up loving it. We as coaches love it. You don’t have class misses like you’d have when you have the afternoon practices. When you have 10 or 11 o’clock classes after practices, that guy is up and ready to go. Plus in the Big Ten, we play a lot of 11 o’clock games, so we are used to getting up and used to that. That’s a big deal in this conference to get that 11 o’clock ESPN kickoff.”

- Sean Callahan

***Walters said wide receiver Stanley Morgan was one of the guys who definitely did take the new offensive installation prep seriously heading into Thursday's practice. “He’s a pro,” Walters said of Morgan.

***Austin said he’s been really impressed with Brenden Jaimes at left tackle. Austin said LT was Jaimes’ natural position, and he looked a little out of place at right tackle on film last season.

***Walters said he remains excited to see what Jaevon McQuitty can do in this offense. Walters said McQuitty is still basically a freshman after missing last year with an injury, but the wideout has already “shown flashes” and “has all the talent and tools” to make an impact this season.

***Walters said freshman Justin McGriff is still working primarily at wide receiver this spring. At 6-6, 220, Walters said McGriff could create some great mismatches on the perimeter. While he’s still learning and adjusting to the college game, Walters said McGriff had “tremendous potential and physical tools.”

***Tight ends coach Sean Beckton said he’s been impressed with Jack Stoll but has also liked what he’s seen from Austin Allen and Kurt Rafdal. Beckton he still wants to see more from David Englehaupt.

***Held said he’s only watched about four plays of last year’s game plan, and that’s by choice. He said he wants to form his own opinions about the group and not have any pre-conceived opinions on any players.

***Verduzco said they continue to divide the quarterback reps up equally.

“Really in my brain, there are no groups,” Verduzco said. “Interestingly enough, let's say a first-team quarterback is working with the third team, moving down the line. You have to learn how to operate when things break down, so that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We have them all pieced together in terms of where they are, and we are rotating guys in terms of who has that ‘first set’ and so forth.”

****Held has been impressed with how well his running backs have been able to catch the football out of the backfield. He specifically pointed out Devine Ozigbo on Thursday after he had a big catch during practice.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s got great hands,” Held said of Ozigbo. “He made a catch today that was last second. It was behind him. All these guys can catch the ball. In this offense, we are going to have one-one match-ups on our play action stuff. That can be a weapon to us.”