Nebraska special teams coordinator Ed Foley and defensive backs coach Evan Cooper met with the media following the Huskers’ spring practice on Tuesday. 

Foley spoke to the importance of maintaining a level of consistency on special teams and the drive from long snapper Camden Witucki.

“I was just talking about this with Camden Witucki, where we try to get that level of consistency where the laces are perfect. Perfection is perfection. We’re always striving for it, but we don’t always get it. So sometimes, Amie (Just), we’re looking at like 85% or 90% when it’s all said and done. You’ve got to go in reps. So today, he said ‘coach, I shot that thing back the same today.’ It was a half turn, meaning Brian (Buschini) had to turn the ball. And next time, it was perfect. He has to have the feel for the velocity of the snap and literally count the rotations of the ball coming back. It’s that amount of detail. So he’s working with making sure that velocity and making sure how the ball feels coming off his hand is the same every time.  Because he’s that kind of kid. He said to me – last practice, he had put a couple of snaps inside and he said, ‘coach look at my feet’ – one of his feet was staggered. I had to look at it real close. It was like two inches but it’s really like a golf swing. It’s the same thing over and over and over again with the perfect technique, the perfect hand motion, the feet placed the right way.”

Foley also talked about new players and new enrollees visiting his office throughout the spring season. 

“There’s some that are and some that aren’t. The ones that do are a little ahead. But the team – there’s so much leadership and maturity in regards to special teams on our team. With the new enrollees, even if they are really good, a lot of those defensive players and those linemen are  coming in. I tell the new guys, if you’re coming in for about five minutes, maybe six, I’m not going to give you a lecture on life. I am going to come in and say ‘here’s your reps and what you did in practice today. Here's what you can do better.’ And I say ‘that’s five minutes, that’s it.’ I don’t want them coming in and saying. ‘I’m going into Coach Foley’s office. He's going to give me a lecture. He’s going to beat me down.’ I’m not. I’m saying, here’s what we need to do. The older guys are so helpful. There’s so many veteran players that are helping with that now. You can learn from that.”

Cooper discussed his observations and confidence in the cornerback position. 

“I try not to project too far out. I think the corners are doing a good job right now. And we’ll just keep working at it.  It’s more of a reflection of my trust in Malcolm (Hartzog) to hold that position  doing what he has to do. You know the corners will be fine. You know at this point last year, I had the same amount of questions. We just want to attack it day to day. I do see a difference in the knowledge and comfortability and playmaking ability outside. So it’s been good to watch.”

The Huskers will continue with spring practice on Thursday. The annual Red-White Spring game presented by FNBO is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 at 11 a.m. (CT). Tickets can be purchased on huskers.com or by calling the ticket office at 800-8-BIG RED.

BRETT SEARS NAMED NCBWA NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Senior Brett Sears was named the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy National Pitcher of the Week, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Tuesday afternoon.

Sears improved to 6-0 this season with a two-hit complete-game shutout vs. Ohio State on Friday night. The complete-game shutout was the first by a Husker since Will Walsh in the Big Ten Tournament last season. Sears held the Buckeyes to just two hits, the fewest in a complete game by a Nebraska pitcher since Matt Waldron against Michigan State in 2019.

It also marked Sears’ seventh consecutive quality start, which is the longest streak by a Husker hurler since Aaron Marsden recorded seven straight in 2002. The right-hander punched out a career-high 10 batters without issuing a free pass, his fourth outing this season with seven-plus strikeouts and zero walks.

Sears retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced on Friday night after working around a one-out single in the top of the fifth. The Buckeyes nearly had consecutive hits in the fifth frame until Cole Evans' diving, full-extension catch prevented OSU from recording its third hit of the night. He retired the next 14 Buckeyes after the one-out single in the fifth to preserve the complete-game shutout.

HUSKER WOMEN RANKED FOURTH NATIONALLY

Nebraska track and field moved up seven spots in the USTFCCCA week three women's rankings, coming in at fourth. That marks the highest team ranking for the women's program since being No. 4 in the 2006 final poll.

The NU women have posted eight marks inside the top-20 nationally, while adding nine Nebraska all-time marks.

Rhema Otabor threw an NCAA-leading 191-10 (58.47m) in her javelin season debut last weekend, while Mirta Kulisic is ranked 12th (175-3, 53.41m) and Emanuela Casadei (175-0, 53.35m) is at 13th in the event. Adding to the throws success, reigning national champion Axelina Johansson has the second-best shot put mark of the season 60-11 1/4 (18.57m), Mine De Klerk is 10th in the shot put (57-4 3/4, 17.49m) and Hillevi Carlsson is 18th in the hammer throw (206-3, 62.87m). In the jumps, Ashley McElmurry posted a 43-9 (13.33m) in the triple jump over the weekend to move up to fifth in the NCAA and Lishanna Ilves ranks 18th in the long jump with a 21-0 (6.40m).

In Tuesday's polls, the Husker women were also ranked first in the Big Ten Conference, while being named the top-ranked long jump, shot put and javelin event squads in the country.

The next meets include the Bryan Clay Invitational April 11-13 in Azusa, Calif., and the Michael Johnson Invitational April 19-20 in Waco, Texas.

HUSKERS CLOSE CALUSA CUP

Will Marshall and Hamish Murray put together strong final rounds to lead the Nebraska men's golf team at the Calusa Cup hosted by the University of Iowa in Naples, Fla., on Tuesday.

Marshall, a fifth-year senior from Elburn, Ill., finished the 54-hole event with Nebraska's top individual score at 226 (+10), including a final-round 75 on the par-72, 7,320-yard layout at the Calusa Pines Golf Club. Marshall took 29th in a 42-golfer field.

Murray, a junior from Sydney, Australia, closed with Nebraska's best round of the day with a 72 to finish just one shot back of Marshall at 227 (+11) in 30th.

Harry Crockett and Evan Myers completed the final-round team scoring for the Huskers with matching rounds of 78. Crockett took 33rd at 229 (+13), while Myers finished 42nd at 239 (+23) for the tournament.

Senior Gentry Scheve completed the Husker contingent with an 80 to finish in 41st at 235. Wake Forest's Scotty Kennon took home medalist honors with a Calusa Cup record 210 (-6), including a final-round 70 on Tuesday, after opening the tournament with a 67 (-5) on Sunday.

Nebraska added a final-round 303 (+15) to end the tournament in eighth place at 912 (+48). No. 16 Florida won the team title with a three-round total of 861 (-3), six strokes ahead of second-place Purdue at 867 (+3). Wake Forest finished third at 869 (+5), while No. 15 Georgia Tech (883) and No. 20 Georgia (884) round out the top five in the team standings.

The Huskers return to action later this week at the Hawkeye Invitational at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, April 13-14.

Calusa Cup
April 7-9, 2024
Naples, Florida (Calusa Pines Golf Club)
Par 72, 7,320 Yards

Final Team Results
1. (16) Florida - 283-286-292=861 (-3)
2. (28) Purdue - 289-291-287=867 (+3)
3. (34) Wake Forest - 287-298-284=869 (+5)
4. (15) Georgia Tech - 291-301-292=883 (+19)
5. (20) Georgia - 291-301-292=884 (+20)
6. Miami (Ohio) - 296-293-301-=890 (+26)
7. Iowa - 293-298-301=892 (+28)
8. Nebraska - 300-309-303=912 (+48)

Final Individual Results
1. Scotty Kennon, Wake Forest - 67-73-70=210 (-6)
2. Ben Van Wyk, Georgia - 69-72-70=211 (-5)
3. Jack Turner, Florida - 69-70-73=212 (-4)
4. Brett Podobinski, Miami (Ohio) - 70-69-74=213 (-3)
T5. Sam Easterbrook, Purdue - 72-72-71=215 (-1)
T5. Herman Sekne, Purdue - 70-74-71=215 (-1)
7. Nels Surtani, Purdue - 74-70-72=216 (E)
8. Matthew Kress, Florida - 72-74-71=217 (+1)
T9. Marshall Meisel, Wake Forest - 74-77-67=218 (+2)
T9. Noah Kent, Iowa - 71-73-74=218 (+2)
T9. *Kent Hsiao, Purdue - 73-73-72=218 (+2)

Nebraska Individuals
29. Will Marshall - 72-79-75=226 (+10)
30. Hamish Murray - 76-79-72=227 (+11)
33. Harry Crockett - 73-78-78=229 (+13)
41. Gentry Scheve - 79-76-80=235 (+19)
42. Evan Myers - 85-76-78=239 (+23)