Adrian Martinez isn't the only play-making Husker trying to get back to full health for Saturday's game against Indiana.
Freshman Wan'Dale Robinson was in full pads Wednesday as he, too, tries to find his way back onto the field after suffering an injury at Minnesota.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Robinson went down in the second quarter against the Gophers with an apparent left foot/ankle injury. He was helped off the field and eventually taken on a cart to Nebraska's locker room.
Wednesday, NU offensive coordinator Troy Walters said the Huskers are "hopeful" to have Robinson on Saturday.
"He's been out there doing some things," Walters said.
With Maurice Washington no longer on Nebraska's backfield, Robinson's health could greatly affect how carries are distributed against the Hoosiers. Robinson is NU's fourth-leading rusher with 49 carries for 214 yards, and leads NU with a freshman-record 27 receptions. His 336 receiving yards are second on the team to JD Spielman.
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"Dedrick (Mills) will play more, Brody Belt you’ll see, Wan’Dale will play more running back. Rahmir (Johnson), we’re hoping to get some more run this week. He’s playing well, he’s fast, explosive," Walters said of NU's running back situation. "So it’s all hands on deck. The group of running backs have really had a good week of practice, and those guys know that when their number’s called, they’ve got to be able to step up."
Robinson on Wednesday was named to the Football Writers Association of America's midseason freshman All-America watchlist.Â
Held focused on who he's got: Nebraska running backs coach Ryan Held has a policy of worrying only about the players in his position room and on the team. So when he was asked if he could envision Washington returning to the Huskers at some point this season, he was straight to the point.Â
“Coach (Frost) addressed it, so I won’t say anything more other than if something happens, we’ll deal with it when we deal with it," Held said. "I don’t want to dodge the question. But Coach addressed it, and I’m just going to work on who’s in my room. If anything changes, we’ll go from there.â€
Without the sophomore Washington, Mills is the clear-cut starter while Johnson and a pair of walk-ons — senior Wyatt Mazour and redshirt freshman Belt — are listed as co-No. 2s.Â
“I don’t worry about who I don’t have, I’m going to work with the guys who are in my room," Held said. "When I was a head coach, I had that philosophy. As a position coach, I’ve had that. I like the guys who are in the room. They’ve worked hard. They want to be out there. They want to get things done. So that’s how I deal with it.
"I don’t worry about what I don’t have. We can always covet something we don’t have or is not with us. We just move on.â€
Bando will continue to play inside: Broc Bando replaced Trent Hixson at left guard for the second half of NU’s loss to Minnesota before the bye week and will continue to see some time inside as the season progresses, assistant coach Greg Austin said.
“He was pretty good. Not great, but it was pretty good,†Austin said. “We’ve been looking at him for a few weeks there at that position and I felt like it was the right time to make that move with him there. He did a pretty good job. Broc is kind of a utility guy. He’s played tackle, he’s played guard.â€
Austin said he’d like to play Bando more over the final five games and that he would like something of a rotation inside to help keep the Huskers’ interior linemen healthy.
“That’s one of the things we must do is stay healthy inside and get some reps going for multiple guys in there as we kind of try some new lineups,†Austin said.
Steve Sipple and Parker Gabriel give insights on quarterback Adrian Martinez and running back Maurice Washington after practice on Oct. 23, 2019.
Looking for “explosivesâ€: While Nebraska went in search of its power running game during the bye week, the Huskers were also trying to rediscover the explosiveness that have made Scott Frost's offenses so dangerous in the past.
"It’s hard these days to go eight, 10, 12 plays down the field. So if we can create explosives, it limits the amount of time we’re on the field," Walters said. "And really, why we’re not creating explosives, it’s all across the board. Receivers not running the right route, not getting separation; offensive line, we’ve got to give the quarterback time a lot of times to create those explosives; running backs protecting.
"So it’s the full unit. Everybody working together, doing the little things, and if we can do that — this week, we’ve got to create explosives against these guys. They’re athletic, they’re fast, they’re going to give you chances on the outside to make plays, and we’ve got to make them when our number is called."
Just like trying to run inside zone or stretch plays, Nebraska's ability to gash an opposing defense often comes down to doing the simple things well, Walters said.
"We went back to fundamentals. A lot of it just comes back to fundamentals and execution and details and playing fast, so we definitely had a good three or four days of practice getting back to our fundamentals," Walters said. "Now it’s time for guys to go out there and execute and do what we ask, and play fast. And if everybody’s on the same page doing their job, then those explosive plays will come."
— Chris Basnett, Parker Gabriel and Steven M. Sipple
Offensive coordinator Troy Walters speaks after practice on Oct. 23, 2019.