BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON and BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 6:00 pm
Apparently, 70-year-old Tom Osborne still relates pretty well to athletes.
Such was the impression gained from talking to some Huskers about what it’s like having Osborne around as interim athletic director.
Senior safety Bryan Wilson said he got emotional after Saturday’s 76-39 loss to Kansas when Osborne approached him one-on-one in the locker room, telling him to keep his head up.
“I couldn’t even look him in the eye when he said that,” Wilson said. “I looked up at him and I just broke down into tears after I looked at him, just because the way we lost and the way we’ve been playing the past five weeks, it's just tough on everybody.”
Wilson said it’s been a thrill to see Osborne around all the time.
“It’s always great seeing legends,” he said. “I can tell my kids 10, 15 years from now, I interacted with a legend on a daily basis.
“He’s an open person. He’s a fun-loving person. He’ll always greet you with a smile and a handshake and he’s not one of those intimidating guys where you see him standing there and he’s like the eye in the sky. He’s just a guy who loves football, being around people. There’s something genuine about him that you just feel. You can’t explain it, but it’s just there.”
ODD, BUT EFFECTIVE: Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson described Kansas State’s 3-4 defense the Huskers will see Saturday as an “odd front.”
The Wildcats leave two guards uncovered, Watson said. There are two outside linebackers — Ian Campbell and Eric Childs — and two inside linebackers — Reggie Walker and Justin Roland.
“It’s a little different,” Watson said. “There’s two big bubbles in the defense. It’s a balanced defense, and it causes you some problems, or some issues, in terms of just structuring it. It stays balanced when you’re unbalanced.
“I can see why the NFL people … run it. Because it adapts well to formations and also personnel, depending on how you’re structured in personnel.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 5. Number of times Nebraska has been an underdog this season. The latest line has Kansas State favored by 7½ points.
Southern Cal, Missouri, Texas and Kansas also entered as favorites against the Huskers.
SCOUTING REPORT: RB Cody Glenn
What’s up with Cody Glenn?
That seems to be one of many head-scratching questions this season among Nebraska football fans.
The junior running back has played in only five games. He has carried the ball one time — for 1 yard — in Nebraska’s last four games. The carry came at Texas, when Glenn was utilized in some two-back sets.
Glenn battled foot and leg injuries throughout fall camp and into the early part of the season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Glenn is healthy enough to play, but that those injuries have set him back.
In the meantime, true freshmen Quentin Castille and Roy Helu have seen more time. They both have more carries than Glenn, who’s carried the ball just 27 times for 78 yards.
How has Glenn’s attitude been?
“It’s been great,” Watson said. “Cody’s been really good. Cody’s always helpful with the young guys. He had a real good practice (Tuesday).
“You can tell he’s getting better, but the young guys have played well. Especially Roy. Roy’s just elevated his game.”
Opponent watch: Colorado
CU officials are worried about there being a lot of empty seats when Nebraska plays the Buffs in Boulder in a nationally televised game on Nov. 23.
According to the Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado students began receiving the entire Thanksgiving week off last year when the Buffs played in Lincoln. In previous years, classes went through Wednesday, so many students chose to stay for the game.
It doesn’t help that both teams are unranked and struggling to become bowl-eligible.
According to the Daily Camera, as of Tuesday, CU reported at least 4,500 tickets remain for the game, and that didn’t count the number of tickets that will be made available by students not sticking around.
CU sports information director Dave Plati told the Daily Camera the school is expecting only between 6,000 and 7,000 of its 12,000 student-season-ticket holders to claim tickets.