Notes From Wednesday’s Practice.

After being involved in a hit and run accident this weekend, junior defensive end Eric Martin did practice on Wednesday. The Moreno Valley, California native did not comment on his status for Nebraska’s Capital One Bowl appearance.

“I don’t even want to talk about that,” Martin said of his incident. “That’s just something that happened and it is what it is. We got to focus on our game.”

Martin’s hit-and-run accident happened in a  Wal-Mart parking in Lincoln.

Martin wasn’t the only Husker that had legal trouble the weekend. Senior center Mike Caputo was cited for DUI. There has been no announcement on either Marint or Caputo’s status for the Holiday Bowl, but Caputo was not seen at practice on Wednesday.  Head coach Bo Pelini will address the media on Friday.

If  Caputo is suspended for the bowl game, starting right tackle Spencer Long is rumored to be the next in line to snap for Nebraska. “I’ve had some experience with it,” Long said.

Offensive line coach Barney Cotton didn’t comment on Caputo’s status, but did say Long was an option if Caputo was not available. Long was a center when he first got to Nebraska in 2010, and moved to right guard this seaosn.

“We maybe could, but we haven’t,” Cotton said in regards to moving Long to center. “He’s our starting right guard. Any options we have there, and I’m not even talking about right now, but in the spring as we move forward, we’ve yet to even think about that.”

The option behind Long would be Cole Pensick.  “Cole’s a great guy, a hard worker,” Long said. “He brings it every play. He’s a good center, and he will be.” Pensick had been the number two option behind Caputo since the start of fall camp on the depth chart.

The SEC Speed

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck enters his first bowl game as a play caller against South Carolina. In watching film on Nebraska’s opponent on Jan 2. he said the thing that jumps off film to him is the speed of the Game Cocks.  “There’s all kinds of speed all over the place,” Beck said. “I think their trainers can run. They’re fast.”

Beck said the most important thing going forward is that the Huskers have a solid month of practice. The Huskers will start game plan preparation on Friday according to Beck.

The Huskers will use Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday’s practices to put in their game plan and head coach Bo Pelini will send the team home for a five day break after Tuesday’s workout. The Huskers will then use their practice time in Orlando to review the game plan for a second week. Pelini is still on the road making in home visits to recruits till Friday.

“We’ve got to practice,” Beck said. “We’ve got to be ready to play. We’ve got to continue to improve. Bo will probably tell you and I will too that I don’t know if we’ve played our best game yet or a complete game. That’s the goal. You’re going to have to. This is a good football team. We’ve got to be able to go down there and do that.”

Injury Front 

*Beck said that running back Rex Burkhead practiced Wednesday, but was limited. Burkhead has been bothered by an ankle injury for the past couple weeks.

“We did a little bit with him,” Beck said of Burkhead. “We are just getting him loose running around.”

*Sophomore offensive linemen Andrew Rodriguez has been battling a foot injury since November. He hasn’t played in a game since sustaining the injury. It is still a question mark if he can play in the Capital One Bowl.

“I’m not sure yet,” Beck said when asked if  Rodriguez could play in the bowl game. “He’s working out.”

-By Jimmie Allen