Nebraska coach Scott Frost talked through a disappointing loss to Northwestern, competition across the roster this week in practice and more during an hourlong appearance on the "Sports Nightly" radio program.Â
Here are some highlights.Â
* Frost took a step this week that he said he never thought he would do in a college practice: He put in an extra consequence for anybody who committed a penalty over the course of the week.Â
"If anybody got a penalty this week, they immediately had to leave the practice field and run a lap around the field," Frost said. "We just added a little more consequence to those simple mistakes to make sure guys focus even more and lock in that much more. …
"That was our big focus all last week was we can have fun and be out there on the field, but when it's time to do my job, I need to lock in and do my job so we can eliminate some of the fixable penalties that have been costing us a little bit."Â
* One injury-related update: Frost said sophomore receiver Wan'Dale Robinson was slightly hampered last week by a foot sprain, but said he should be closer to full speed against Penn State.Â
Robinson has 10 touches for 81 yards through two games and Frost reiterated what he said Monday in that NU has to find a way to get him the ball more frequently.
* Frost spoke highly of the play of his trio of tight ends so far this season and said the Huskers expect senior Jack Stoll to return "soon" from an apparent knee injury suffered against Ohio State.
As for the other two guys, "I'm really happy with that position. They haven't been perfect, but Travis Vokolek was a huge addition for us and he's a big body that can do everything we ask a tight end to do. He's a dominant blocker.Â
"Austin Allen's game has just continued to improve since I've been at Nebraska. … That's a position of strength for us and we feel good about those guys doing whatever we ask them to do."Â
* Frost said he and the NU staff have an open door for Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton to join the staff in a coaching capacity whenever he's ready for it. Milton is still on the Knights' roster and has been trying to come back from a brutal broken leg suffered late in the 2018 season.Â
"McKenzie is a special guy to me," Frost said. "He's doing well, I think he's practicing, from the last I talked to him. He wants to be a coach and we've talked …, when he's ready to be a coach, he's going to come and help us at Nebraska, I think. Or he'll certainly have the opportunity to if he wants to.Â
"He's the type of guy you want around because of who he is and the energy he brings."Â
* The third-year Nebraska head coach reiterated that he thought his team had a good week of practice coming off a loss to Northwestern and said he was happy with the way several players pushed for playing time.Â
"That's healthy and that’s the way it should be," Frost said of the competition. "Going backwards a little while, we haven't had good enough depth or talent to challenge the starters at some positions."Â
* Frost had an interesting observation about why the Huskers haven't been able to consistently get their screen game working offensively in recent years.Â
"We had a couple of screens set up Saturday and one got tipped," Frost said. "Those come down to timing and getting offensive linemen to block a moving target in space. We've been close on a couple, we've hit a couple the past few years.Â
"Also, it's a function of, our pass game has to be executing at a rate where they feel like they have to get our passer and rush our passer. And sometimes our zone read game and our quarterbacks' ability to run slows down the pass rush a little bit and that hinders our screen game because the defensive linemen can't get up the field as much."Â
Photos: Nebraska falls to Northwestern in Evanston