With Washington still in limbo, Husker RBs preparing for everything
As the Nebraska football team puts a bow on its final preparations for Saturday’s season opener vs. South Alabama, it remains unclear whether the Huskers’ co-No. 1 running back will be on the field in Week 1.
Head coach Scott Frost said following Thursday’s walk-through practice that Maurice Washington would likely be a game-time decision, as his status remains up in the air while he deals with a legal situation in California.
Frost said the sophomore had been preparing all fall as if he were going to play in the opener, but no official decision had been made yet as to his availability.
“We haven’t decided yet, and a decision’s probably going to be made before kickoff, before the game starts on Saturday,” Frost said. “I guess you guys will know then.”
Washington enters the 2019 season as one of Nebraska’s most explosive offensive playmakers. He played in 11 games as a true freshman last year, making two starts, and finished third on the team with 455 rushing yards and fourth with 221 yards receiving.
Since charges were issued against him back in California this spring, the Huskers have had to balance his workload in practices to get him ready to play while also letting others get more reps in case he had to miss any game action.
Frost credited Washington for taking the situation in stride, saying that if the Stockton, Calif., native does play on Saturday, he would be ready to hit the field running.
“Maurice has been doing a good job of practicing with the intention that he’s going to play,” Frost said. “The ball’s not in his court, it’s in our court as a university and football program to decide. But he’s been doing a great job and doing everything we’ve asked him to in fall camp, so he’ll be ready if that’s the decision that’s made.”
Should Washington be held out against South Alabama, junior college transfer Dedrick Mills – who is listed as the other co-No. 1 running back – would take on an even heavier load in the run game.
It would also open the door for other backs like senior Wyatt Mazour and freshman Rahmir Johnson, listed as the co-No. 2 running backs on the depth chart, to see bigger roles.
Running backs coach Ryan Held said the rotation with his group would all depend on how the game flowed on Saturday. He also noted that versatile players like Wan’Dale Robinson and Miles Jones could also see snaps in the backfield.
“It’ll be kind of feel for the game - seeing how it’s going, who’s executing, who’s doing what they’re supposed to do,” Held said. “But we want to be in a position where three or four guys are ready to go. Wan’Dale will obviously play receiver but then he’ll play in the backfield as well. Miles Jones could potentially, too. So we’ll have some guys that give us some different options back there.”
Washington’s absence would obviously push Mills to the forefront of Nebraska’s offense, but Mills said he’d already developed a close relationship with Washington since arriving to Lincoln this summer.
While getting more touches would be great, Mills said he rather have his running back “brother” out there with him on Saturday.
“Since I’ve been here Maurice and I have clicked like brothers,” Mills said. “Maurice and I have a personal relationship because he helps me and I help him. I help keep him straight and he helps keep me straight. We just go everyday like that.
“We go over plays and he teaches me stuff that I don’t know because he’s already been there and then I teach him how to run certain ways that he doesn’t know how to run, so we click like that.”