LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini didn't opt for the politically correct answer when asked about his comments during the taping of his TV show, which aired Sunday, that the crowd at Memorial Stadium lacked energy as the Huskers played Kansas.
“I thought it was dead,” Pelini said Monday after NU returned to practice. “I thought it was disappointing. I felt like I was at a scrimmage.”
NU beat the Jayhawks 20-3 Saturday night, limiting KU to 87 yards, the fewest gained by a Nebraska opponent since 2000.
The game did lack drama, though, as Kansas never drove across midfield after the opening possession, which began with a kickoff return to the 45-yard line.
Pelini asked the assembled reporters for their thoughts on the crowd of 85,587, the NCAA-record 310th straight sellout at Nebraska.
“You guys would know better than I would,” the third-year coach said. “Maybe they expect ... I don't know what the deal was.”
Pelini says he knows Newton acquaintance
Pelini has known Kenny Rogers, the Alabama man who solicited payment last year from Mississippi State on behalf of Cameron Newton, since the coach's time in the NFL a decade ago.
Rogers' son, Justin Rogers, attended Nebraska out of Birmingham, Ala., in 2008. Pelini said Kenny Rogers never approached NU about anything that would violate NCAA rules.
“I don't know him well enough to call him a friend, and I know he never solicited anything here,” Pelini said. “I don't know about all that stuff they're saying about him representing people. I never knew him to do anything like that.”
Kenny Rogers is at the center of the controversy that surrounds Newton, the Auburn quarterback and a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Newton is under NCAA investigation after Rogers admitted he and Newton's father requested a six-figure payment from Mississippi State to deliver the QB to Mississippi State out of junior college.
Pelini, who coached in pro football from 1994 to 2002, said he knew Rogers through mutual friends and remembers him as working in NFL circles.
Justin Rogers, a running back, and high school teammate Mason Wald signed with Nebraska two months after Pelini was hired in Lincoln as late addition to his first recruiting class. Neither player returned to NU after one season in 2009.
“Let me tell you,” Pelini said, “we do everything above board here.”
Martin's move goes well
Eric Martin's shift from linebacker to defensive end has progressed well, Pelini said.
“He's picked it up well,” Pelini said. “He just keeps getting bigger. He's explosive. We just feel like he's a guy that we're going to want to get on the field.”
Martin, a sophomore who stars on special teams, has played a limited defensive role in two years. Pelini said Martin could debut at the new position soon.
“We're getting him prepared,” Pelini said. “He can do a lot for us. He's powerful. He has burst. He can do a lot of things for us.”
Sherman praises Pelini's work
Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman has kept an eye on the career of Nebraska's head coach ever since he hired Bo Pelini as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers more than 10 years ago.
Pelini, responsible for the Green Bay linebackers, coached under Sherman from 2000 to 2002. Sherman said he was always impressed that Pelini's defensive knowledge wasn't limited to the specific position he coached.
“I considered him to be very smart, intelligent coach,” Sherman said during the Big 12 teleconference Monday morning. “He always saw the big picture, so I always appreciated that (because) sometimes a position coach doesn't always see the big picture. Bo always saw the big picture.”
Pelini said he and Sherman haven't spoken this year, but the two maintain a good relationship.
“It was a good experience,” Pelini said. “I learned a lot from him.”
Thenarse recalls victory over Aggies
Senior Rickey Thenarse is the only player on the NU roster who has played a game at Kyle Field during his Husker career. He won't ever forget that trip.
Nebraska clinched the Big 12 North title the last time it played at Texas A&M, earning a 28-27 win with a Maurice Purify touchdown catch in the final minute. That was in 2006, Thenarse's freshman year.
The crowd was especially hostile that day. Thenarse is expecting the atmosphere to be similar Saturday night.
“It's just a unique place,” said Thenarse, who contributed on special teams during the 2006 season. “You go there, you don't think much of it. But at game time, it gets real loud. It kind of surprises you, how loud they get. And they're loud all game, throughout the game.”
Other current fifth-year seniors — like receiver Mike McNeill, kicker Alex Henery, defensive linemen Pierre Allen and offensive guard Keith Williams — were redshirting that season.
— Mitch Sherman and Jon Nyatawa
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