LINCOLN — Dana Holgorsen strode into the Nebraska media room for the first time Tuesday off the field from a two-and-a-half-hour practice in which he is still matching names to jersey numbers. From there the 53-year-old — fresh off his abrupt debut as the Huskers’ offensive coordinator three days and two time zones ago — planned to watch back the workout. Then an evening of studying situational tendencies of Wisconsin’s defense.
Oh, and he identified a young NU player who may have a notably bigger role Saturday. “Keep your eyes open for that,” Holgorsen told a few dozen reporters. Such is another 16-hour day in a month full of them since Nebraska coach Matt Rhule asked Holgorsen to get to Lincoln quickly in the hours after a flat home loss to UCLA on Nov.
2. The head coach for 13 seasons at West Virginia and Houston — fired almost exactly a year ago — is still cramming for two more regular-season tests as the Huskers aim to end a bowl drought and solve two opponents against which they are 1-16 in the last decade. Holgorsen spoke wearing a white Nebraska cap, glasses and a black vest coat over a long-sleeve zip-up.
He was thoughtful, hands buried in his gray slacks. Instead of a Red Bull — his signature career drink — he sipped on bottled water between questions at a rare November introductory press conference. Holgorsen was also candid to an extent few of his peers in college football often are.
He cracked a joke two minutes into his 15-minute chat when .