Huskers’ Michael Rose-Ivey, Jonathan Rose leave defense depleted
Earlier in the summer, Omaha.com reported coach Mike Riley revealed there were five suspensions for the season opener against BYU. However, he didn’t release the names until Thursday’s post practice press conference via Huskers.com. Two defensive starters, linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey and cornerback Jonathan Rose are out for the game, along with defensive end Joe Keels. Tight End Cethan Carter and guard Robby Painter are missing for the new look offense.
Defensively, Luke Gifford will start in place of Rose-Ivey, and Riley does not expect to see a drop-off in production from the redshirt freshman. Gifford is a much taller linebacker than Rose-Ivey, but at 215 pounds, he’s also the lightest player Nebraska has at the position. His ability to stand up to BYU’s physical running game will be the biggest unanswered question. The weather will be unseasonably hot, so conditioning is likely to come into play for the entire defense.
Having Rose-Ivey miss the season opener is not an ideal situation for the Huskers. Coming into the season, he was expected to be the best linebacker on the team, and his junior leadership will sorely be missed against BYU. In addition, Nebraska will have two linebackers playing their first college game. Freshman Dedric Young will also get the start for the Huskers.
Here’s an excerpt of Riley’s Interview via 247Sports.com– “There’s no doubt this is not helpful,” Riley said after Thursday’s practice. “Those guys, there are obviously some good players in the group and guys who have been right in the mix. There is no question that it is not helpful. What it is, we have been able to plan for it for awhile and prepare the other people.”
Joshua Kalu is relishing the opportunity to get the start in place of Rose at cornerback. With a great performance, Kalu could become a leader of the Huskers’ secondary. Like Gifford, Kalu has known about the opportunity to start throughout fall camp, so he’s been preparing for this moment all summer. He will be teamed up with Daniel Davie at the other cornerback position.
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If Gifford and Kalu struggle early, the suspensions will loom large. However, Riley has the utmost confidence in both players for Saturday’s opener.
Offensively, Carter is the only missing piece of the puzzle. However, the addition of Trey Foster into the lineup should work wonders for the Huskers’ offense. Despite Carter’s suspension, Nebraska will still be able to use multiple TE formations against the Cougars. Only time will tell if the Huskers can get big plays in the passing game. As stated previously, Tommy Armstrong’s success depends on a plan for the entire unit.