LINCOLN — Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Thursday that quarterback Taylor Martinez hasn't showed any lingering effects from his play against South Dakota State.
“He's done a great job,” Watson said. “He puts things behind him real fast.”
Martinez threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the 17-3 win over the Jackrabbits. NU replaced him with Cody Green in the fourth quarter.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Watson said, the staff didn't back off at all from what it has been asking of the redshirt freshman.
“We put him in a lot of situations to help him to iron those things out,” Watson said. “He's had two good days of practice.”
Nebraska has started preparations for next Thursday's game at Kansas State, which will be the first Big 12 start for Martinez.
“Obviously the ante's up because it's conference play, the ante's up because it's a program that we obviously have a lot of respect for,” Watson said. “Those are all things that have Taylor's attention. He understands the importance of what we're getting ready to get into.”
Assistant praises Wildcat defense
Kansas State ranks No. 11 in rushing defense (195.5 yards per game) and No. 8 in total defense (349.2) in the Big 12, but Watson said NU has a lot of respect for the Wildcats.
“The thing you really notice about them is you feel them on film, because they're physical,” Watson said. “They don't get out of sorts. They play real assignment football and they pursue to the ball real well. They're a good defense.”
In its Big 12 opener against Iowa State, K-State held the Cyclones to 293 total yards. The week before, however, the Wildcats gave up 447 yards and 24 points to Division I-AA Missouri State.
Wrinkles expected from K-State offense
Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said he expects a few new wrinkles from the Kansas State offense next week in Manhattan.
“You don’t know what they’re going to come up with,” said Pelini, a former graduate assistant under K-State coach Bill Snyder.
The Wildcats, like Nebraska, will have had nearly two weeks since their last game by the Thursday night kickoff. Snyder will probably take advantage of the extra days, Pelini said.
“I think he’s a good coach on a normal week,” Pelini said, “and he’s probably a better coach with 10 days preparation. So you try to get better yourself and prepare your guys as well as you know he’s preparing his offense.”
NU expects Kansas State to use some of the Wildcat offense, which it showed last year against Nebraska and in other games. Star running back Daniel Thomas is a former quarterback, making him more dangerous if he takes a direct snap.
“That’s always something that’s a wild card for us,” Pelini said, “because you really don’t know what form you’re going to see it in. You’ve got to hope your guys understand the concepts.”
Compton shows plenty of progress
Sophomore linebacker Will Compton continues to progress from the injury that has caused him to miss the first four games of the season. Compton, out with a broken bone in his foot, has started to run, but his timetable for a return to practice remains uncertain.
“He’s running, but he’s not running at full body weight,” Carl Pelini said. “It’s just a process for him.
“It’s still kind of a guess when he’ll be back, but he’s getting closer.”
Marlowe stays behind McNeill
Tim Marlowe played extensively against South Dakota State on Saturday, but the sophomore receiver didn’t necessarily impact the game the way he would have liked.
Marlowe, playing in place of the injured Mike McNeill, was called for holding and false-start penalties. He also muffed a punt in the fourth quarter.
But those mistakes don’t change the coaching staff’s opinion of Marlowe, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said.
The speedy slot receiver will continue to work behind McNeill. But Watson expects Marlowe to keep improving.
“The thing he needs to keep doing is he needs to keep developing,” Watson said. “He just has to learn his position.”
Kunalic a candidate
Nebraska senior Adi Kunalic is one of 121 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the nation's top scholar-athlete each year.
— Jon Nyatawa, Mitch Sherman, Rich Kaipust
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