With the Halloween showdown between Nebraska and Washington just days away, the week’s first Big Ten availability report had a little bit of everything. There were treats, like the possible return of Riley Van Poppel; scares, like two Huskies offensive linemen listed as doubtful; and possible tricks, like Washington coach Jedd Fisch listing quarterback Demond Williams as questionable.
Wednesday night marks the first official release of the availability reports, and unsurprisingly, both teams have quite a few names on the list. The biggest news for the Huskers is that after missing the games against Indiana and Oregon, NU will likely get back one of its best defensive linemen for the October 31 showdown.
Van Poppel and running back Isaiah Mozee are both listed as probable. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said on Tuesday that Mozee returned to practice for Nebraska on Monday, which was a bit of a surprise, since after the Oregon game head coach Matt Rhule said Mozee would be out “for a while.” Mozee obviously isn’t fully back and isn’t guaranteed to play on Saturday, but the odds suggest he has a strong shot.
The bad news for the Huskers is that safety Jamir Conn is still definitely out. One of NU's best defensive backs, he missed the game against Oregon. The good news is that his replacement, Caleb Benning, had a fantastic first career start, logging 12 tackles and forcing a fumble.
The rest of the Huskers ruled out are players who have been out a while or have already been ruled out for the year.
Nebraska football players ruled out against Washington
- Jamir Conn (DB)
- Anthony Jones Jr. (DL)
- Larry Miles (WR)
- Kahmir Prescott (DB)
- Vincent Genatone (RB)
- Jase Reynolds (LB)
- Jacob Bower (LB)]
- Gabe Moore (DL)
For Washington, Williams is listed as questionable alongside linebacker Xe'ree Alexander and running backs Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley. Cooley and Limar are the Huskies’ 2nd- and 3rd-leading rushers among their running backs.
Washington listed running back Ansu Sanoe and offensive linemen Justin Hylkema and
Jake Flores are both doubtful. Running back Jordan Washington, wide receiver Christian Moss, EDGE Ramzak Fruean, running back Quaid Carr, offensive lineman Landen Hatchett, and safety CJ Christian are all listed as out.
Earlier this week, Washington head coach Jedd Fisch said that he wouldn’t announce a starting quarterback until Saturday. While Williams is definitely banged up, it sounded like he would compete with Elijah Brown for playing time against Nebraska. This report could hint that Brown will be the guy, or it could be a misdirect until the weekend.
The biggest Halloween treat for Nebraska on this availability report is that running back Jamal Rule is not listed at all. After missing part of all of the last four games, it appears he's ready to go.
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