LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he'll wait "a couple" more days before determining the playing status of senior center Mike Caputo, who was arrested Dec. 11 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Caputo did practice Tuesday, though it's unclear if he'll suit up for Nebraska's Jan. 2 Capital One Bowl appearance against South Carolina. Pelini is apparently undecided about what type of disciplinary action is appropriate.
"I have a pretty decent idea of what I'm going to do, but I want to let things play out a little bit here over the next couple days," Pelini said, "so I have all the information needed to make the right decision."
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Lincoln City Attorney's Office had not filed charges against Caputo, whose first court appearance has been set for Jan. 17.
Caputo has started Nebraska's last 26 games at center.
Martin ready to go for bowl game
Defensive end Eric Martin is healthy and will play in the Capital One Bowl — though the junior will be disciplined internally after being ticketed by police in a Dec. 10 accident.
Martin was cited on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident in a Walmart parking lot last week. He'll miss out on certain team events in Orlando, Fla., because of that incident, Pelini said.
Pelini said, however, that Martin will be available in the bowl game. The part-time starter missed the Iowa game with a foot injury, but Pelini said Martin has recovered in the weeks since.
Bo: Film tells the story on Dennard
Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, injured to start his senior season, didn't receive as much national recognition as he probably deserved, Pelini said.
But that's OK, Pelini said. The positive reviews from NFL scouts in the coming months will make up for that.
"I think he'll get his due come the draft," Pelini said. "Me personally, I think he's a first-team All-American, but obviously I don't do the voting."
Dennard was named the Big Ten's defensive back of the year. He didn't record an interception and finished third on the team with six pass breakups.
Film study tells the true story, though, Pelini said.
"I promise you, the coaches that have played against him and have watched him play on tape have a tremendous amount of respect for him and the type of player he is," Pelini said.
Odds and ends
The Huskers won't practice again until Tuesday. The players have specific workouts to follow until Sunday, when they're next scheduled to meet as a team. NU flies to Orlando on Monday night. ... Sophomore offensive guard Andrew Rodriguez (foot), who hasn't played since the Northwestern game, should be healthy enough to play against South Carolina, Pelini said. ... Junior tight end Ben Cotton (shoulder) is expected to be available to practice when Nebraska arrives in Orlando next week. ... Pelini said he coached against South Carolina's Steve Spurrier once in the NFL — they met in 2002, when Pelini was the linebackers coach at Green Bay and Spurrier was Washington's head coach. The two also faced off in 2007 while Pelini was the defensive coordinator at LSU. Pelini's teams won both matchups.
— Jon Nyatawa
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