Nebraska Cornhuskers defense battling injuries, illness prior to Homecoming
After Nebraska’s Thursday walk thru, coach Mike Riley talked to the media about the Cornhuskers preparation for Southern Mississippi. Unfortunately, the Nebraska Cornhuskers defense won’t be at full strength for the fourth straight game. It’s another obstacle to overcome for the (1-2) Huskers, entering their final non conference game.
For the second straight game, Vincent Valentine will likely be on the sideline due to a bad foot. According to Nebraska.247Sports.com, Valentine has been severely limited during this week of practice, but he wasn’t sporting a boot on his foot during the walk thru. However, Valentine had the brace on earlier in the week. Without Valentine at defensive tackle, Miami’s Joseph Yearby ran for 125 yards. The Nebraska Cornhuskers defense will be facing another tough challenge at running back. Jalen Richard exploded for 230 yards, and four touchdowns on 27 carries last week. Therefore, the Huskers have to be prepared for a physical battle up front.
Linebacker Josh Banderas is also in peril of missing his second game of the season. Banderas is suffering from a groin injury, and he has battling this for a couple of weeks. With Michael Rose-Ivey already out, the Huskers linebacker unit is already shorthanded.
More from Husker Corner
- Former Nebraska football star returns to the program in new role
- Travis Hunter injury uproar has some Nebraska football fans reminding Colorado about Adrian Martinez
- Nebraska Football: Freshman RB in line for big playing time
- Nebraska Cornhuskers News: Heinrich Haarberg has believer in Rhule, more
- Nebraska Football: Matt Rhule faces tough decision between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims
In addition, the Cornhuskers have a couple of illness related situations to deal with. Linebacker Luke Gifford, and safety Nate Gerry have been slowed by a stomach bug. “I think the guys who have been battling illnesses will be good to play,” Riley said.
Despite the defensive deficiencies this week, Riley was happy about their preparation for the game with Southern Miss. The Huskers are in a must-win situation, so the coaching staff expects the back up players to step up. There won’t be any excuses on Saturday.
During the week, the Huskers also had competition for the starting cornerback positions. The staff is planning to use multiple packages, but changes needed to be made. The Huskers’ secondary has been decimated by big plays. They’ve already given up 14 plays of 20 or more yards. Routinely, opposing receivers have beaten Nebraska’s defense deep. If the Huskers were able to contain those plays, the defense could turn into a strength.
