Nunn, Grixby spark special teams

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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

As Terrence Nunn returned a punt 62 yards Saturday night, setting up Nebraska’s only offensive touchdown, you probably weren’t the only one to ask yourself this question. Where was Nunn last year? Or, for that matter, Cortney Grixby?

Both players gave life to Nebraska’s punt return game in a 25-7 victory over Maine.

Last season, Nebraska averaged a meager 5.8 yards per punt return. Regular punt returner Santino Panico had no returns longer than 9 yards.

Against Maine, Nunn and Grixby combined for 10 returns and 198 yards, an average of 19.8 yards.

Did coaches consider using Nunn and Grixby last season?

“We are where we are right now,” Nebraska assistant coach Bill Busch said, “and we’re happy with the direction we’re at.”

Busch said Nunn and Grixby, both true freshmen last season, “had their plates full” in other areas of the game. Nunn was learning the West Coast offense as a receiver, and Grixby was becoming a regular in the secondary.

Now, Busch said both players are more mature.

“They’re confident,” Busch said. “They were freshmen, and now they’re sophomores. That’s why we had no problem putting both those guys back there. They both made some really big plays for us.”

Panico, also a true freshman last season, has since left the team.

“It was a heavy, heavy, heavy stress for us, obviously, to create excitement, create field position, create first downs,” Busch said. “We treat that as if it’s an offensive play.”

Busch credited the gunner play of Tierre Green and Zac Bowman for opening up holes for the punt returners.

“They had space to catch the ball,” he said. “And our guys holding up their techniques were fabulous. I’m really excited about what they got down.”

Not everything went perfectly. Nunn’s long return, which gave NU possession at the Maine 1-yard line in the second quarter, nearly ended in a fumble. Maine thought it had recovered Nunn’s loose ball in the end zone, but replay showed Nunn’s knee was down.

“I didn’t believe I fumbled it,” Nunn said. “I thought my knee was already down.”

Still, the near disaster caught the attention of coaches.

“He gave us a great spark,” Nebraska receivers coach Ted Gilmore said of Nunn, who also had a return for 45 yards. “That was huge to have someone back there who can catch it and do something with it. Now, we have to work on his ball security. We’ve got to clean that up. That made me a little nervous.”

Ball security in fall camp is what won playing time for both Nunn and Grixby, said Busch.

“I think they caught almost 2,000 balls in camp, and we charted every one,” he said. “To stand back there and be a punt returner, you’ve got to be a tough guy, because you’re head’s up in the air, your chin’s up in the air, and you’ve got guys running full speed at you. There’s no halo rule.”

Nunn credited his teammates’ blocking for the long returns.

“Everyone picked up good blocks,” Nunn said. “It was just take your hole and go.”

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.