If there was any though about Bo Pelini going anywhere else to be a head coach, Pelini shot down those rumors after practice on Tuesday. He talked about the him leaving Nebraska and how he felt about it.
Early Tuesday morning there were reports flying around that Pelini had been interviewed for the Penn State head coaching job. At the end of last season he had also reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job at Miami Fl.
“Alright guys first of all, the irresponsible reports that are going on out there are not true,” Pelini said to the media on Tuesday. “I have not interviewed for Penn State and I’m not saying any more on that.”
Pelini doesn’t often open up his meetings with the press, but he made sure he addressed this matter before any other on Tuesday.
“There’s all kinds of speculation all the time,” Pelini said. “I don’t address all those rumors and irresponsible reports that are going on. If I addressed every coaching job and opening going on around the country I wouldn’t do anything else.”
Pelini was asked if he wanted to address his firm commitment to Nebraska, and no other school at this time. Pelini said he feels like he shouldn’t have to do that, and wasn’t going to address that.
Bo was then asked if he was flattered by being recognized and speculated by so many open coaching jobs.
“If people mention me, that’s their right.”
A Senior Center Could Be a Possibility For Bowl Game
After being cited for a DUI on Dec. 11, senior center Mike Caputo’s status has been up in the air for Nebraska’s Jan. 2 date with South Carolina. Since then Caputo has still not been with anything from the Lincoln City Attorneys office.
“Hopefully I’ll make a decision on Caputo in the next couple of days,” Pelini said. “As things become a little bit more clear. I have a pretty decent idea of what I’m going to do, but I’m going to let things play out a little bit more in the next couple of days, so I have all the information needed to make the right decision.”
According to the police report Caputo was seen sleeping at street light with his car running and under the influence of alcohol.
Pelini did say that Caputo and junior defensive end Eric Martin both have been practicing with the team. Martin was involved in a hit and run accident in a Lincoln Wal-Mart parking lot.
“Eric Martin will play in the game,” Pelini said. “He’s being disciplined internally. His situation wasn’t a big deal. It’s a situation where I think he learned from it. It was kind of a fender bender in the parking lot. He was grocery shopping.
“Because of the situation that came up, he will be disciplined for it and he’ll lose some time at the bowl game as far as some extracurricular activities and things that are going on and events and that type of thing. Other than that, he’ll be fully ready to go play in the game.”
Pelini is giving his team a 5 day break, and most players will be going home for the holidays. The Huskers will meet back in Lincoln on Dec. 25. They will depart for Orlando on Dec. 26 to begin bowl preparation.
“We gave them some workouts and they’ll be back on Christmas Day,” Pelini said. “I said be careful, enjoy your family, enjoy your time off, make sure you get your workouts in and come back with the right mind set and be ready to go.””We gave them some workouts and they’ll be back on Christmas Day,” Pelini said. “I said be careful, enjoy your family, enjoy your time off, make sure you get your workouts in and come back with the right mind set and be ready to go.
Injury Report
Offensive linemen Andrew Rodriguez is nursing a foot injury. Pelini said he should be healthy and ready to play against South Carolina.
“He should be ok,” Pelini said. “I would think (he should be able to play). We’ll see how it plays out over the next couple of days, but we think so.”
Junior tight end, Ben Cotton has suffered a shoulder injury against Penn Sate. Pelini said Cotton is getting closer to being healthy, and could be ready by the bowl game.
“He is ahead of schedule and we think we’ll have him practicing down there as long as he keeps progressing and rehabbing like he’s done the past few days,” Pelini said. “We’ll see where he is from there.”
Eric Martin was dinged up in the Penn State game with a foot injury, but Pelini said he is 100 percent and doing well.
By Jimmie Allen