Progress needs to come fast for a receiving corps that most would acknowledge as the biggest question mark on the offense going into this season.
BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, August 2, 2008 7:00 pm
Big Mo is gone, skeptics are here. The way Ted Gilmore sees it, there’s no time for dragging feet.
“I want to hit the ground running,” the Nebraska receivers coach said. “I don’t want to spend time talking and coaching the same things I did in the spring. We’re going to have a sense of urgency.”
Never mind that today is the first day of fall practice.
Progress needs to come fast for a receiving corps that most would acknowledge as the biggest question mark on the offense going into this season.
There’s a positive feeling about Nebraska’s quarterback, running back appears stacked with talent, the offensive line has been said to be a potential strength of the team.
This looks like a pretty good offense on paper. But what about the receivers? What about a group that lost Maurice Purify, now pursuing a career in the NFL?
The questions from the offseason finally give way to the answers of the fall. And Gilmore is optimistic his guys will have some good answers.
“I don’t know if people realize that or not, but Maurice Purify was as talented a receiver as there was in the conference,” Gilmore said. “We’re sure going to miss his physical size, but man for man, I think my early observation of this group is that they have a chance to be maybe my most complete group.”
It’s not a group without some talent. Nate Swift has 103 career receptions and very well could leave Nebraska with the most catches in school history. He’s 40 behind Johnny Rodgers. And fellow senior Todd Peterson has showed up in big moments before, tallying 46 career catches.
But even when it comes to those two, Gilmore has challenged them to reach another level, to be every-down players.
“As much experience as Todd and Nate bring to the table, they still weren’t every-down players the last couple years. Now I need them to be,” Gilmore said.
As much as anything, Gilmore is looking for those two to be guides to the younger guys — players such as juniors Menelik Holt and Chris Brooks, sophomore Niles Paul and redshirt freshman Curenski Gilleylen.
“Both of the young men have done a tremendous job of taking on that leadership role, being more vocal, asking questions. showing the younger guys the way,” Gilmore said. “That is what they need to do if we’re going to have the group we need to have.”
It won’t be easy for any one person to just replace Purify, who caught 16 touchdown passes in his two seasons at NU and had a knack for big plays.
As offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said, Purify was one of those receivers who just always wanted the ball. It’s a mentality every player wants to say they have, but only some do.
But spring ball has given Gilmore a good vibe about what he still has in the cupboard. Among other things, he believes this is the toughest receiving group he’s had at Nebraska.
“Not only do I think we can be effective in the pass game, but I think we will really be making an impact in the run game,” Gilmore said. “I think this group will not only take to the challenge of blocking, but have a certain mentality with its blocking.”
Gilmore points out Paul as a shining example of that.
“Niles is hands-down our toughest kid in the run game, a very physical kid. He does not shy away from it,” the coach said. “He needs to hone his technique, but the effort, the toughness, all that’s there. I hope that part of his game is contagious.”
As catching passes goes, Husker senior quarterback Joe Ganz has already said Swift and Peterson will be his go-to guys.
“They’re two guys I know I can trust, I know I can count on to be in the right spot at the right time,” Ganz said in the spring. “Those two guys are going to be my security blanket this year.”
But the emergence of the likes of Paul, Gilleylen and Holt is probably needed for this offense to really be special.
Gilleylen caught the notice of Husker fans when he hauled in a 77-yard touchdown catch in the Spring Game.
Lest the receiver get a big head, Gilmore reminds that Gilleylen also dropped two easy passes during that game. Such inconsistencies need to be erased for this group to flourish.
“Ability-wise, that’s unlimited. He’s a young man who’s going to get better and better,” Gilmore said of Gilleylen. “He’s the perfect example of a guy trying to put himself in position to be an every-down player.”
Then there’s the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Holt, who has four catches in his career. His frame is similar to Purify’s. Now, he just needs to learn how to use that big body to make plays, Gilmore said.
The Huskers need the light-hearted Holt to become a serious threat on the field.
Though talking about Holt, Gilmore could have been speaking about any of his receivers when he said: “It’s his time. Time to show what he can do.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or at 473-7439.