If Nebraska football fans weren’t already a bit nervous heading into this week’s game against the Oregon Ducks, the news on Monday might just do it. Heading into the first practice since the Huskers’ season opening win, head coach Mike Riley had some concerning news about a couple of the team’s offensive stars.
Riley divulged that both running back Tre Bryant and wide receiver/punt returner De’Mornay Pierson-El would not practice with the team on Monday as they nursed a couple of injuries. While neither injury was addressed as being too serious, the fact that either player has to miss time at all should have Nebraska football fans worried as they head into a “show me” game against the Ducks.
The Cornhuskers are already double-digit dogs against the Pac 12 team thanks in large part to a poor defensive showing against Arkansas State. Even if the defense improves mightily next week, the Huskers know they are going to need all their offensive firepower in order to come out of Saturday with a victory.
Tre Bryant and where Nebraska football goes from here
In regards to Bryant, HuskersIllustrated is reporting that he will be missing Monday’s practice because he’s got some inflammation in his knee. Reading into Riley’s comments, this wasn’t neccesarily an injury that occurred against Arkansas State but something that happens from time to time.
“It swells up once in awhile,” Riley said of his starting running back, who ran for nearly 200 yards on Saturday.
“After a game, he might have that day or two off. We’ve been there with that before. We’ll keep the other guys competing.”
Riley doesn’t appear to be concerned, though one has to wonder if that was one of the reasons the starting running back position was such a fight. Bryant looked like he had all the skills to be the undisputed starter on Saturday.
If the Husker coaches were concerned about whether his knee could handle the work load though …
De’Mornay Pierson-El with yet another injury
The other injury that will keep one of Nebraska football’s biggest weapons out of practice, at least for a day or two, is a shoulder injury to Pierson-El. That has to make Husker fans take a beat as the electric player has suffered through injury problems almost constantly since his freshman year.
The Husker coaches are very much taking a day-by-day approach with the speedster. “He probably won’t do anything with us today, we’re hopeful he can do stuff tomorrow,” Riley said in regards to the star player. “It’s going to be one of those things we do not anticipate him as the week progresses, missing the game at all.
In addition to the offensive players sitting out Monday, senior linebacker Marcus Newby sat out due to a hamstring injury. There’s no word on how long the Nebraska football team might be without him.
