NEBRASKA FOOTBALL LINCOLN — The shoutouts went to a pair of veteran role players as a room packed with their peers murmured and nodded. These sequences looked familiar. A projector screen showed fullback Barret Liebentritt surging ahead as a lead blocker for running back Dante Dowdell on a key fourth-and-goal play from the Purdue 1-yard line.
Liebentritt whiffed on one such chance in training camp and was featured on the undesirable end of one of Nebraska's teamwide "lion/sheep" film sessions. This time Liebentritt absorbs two blocks. Dowdell dives over the top for a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown.
Another fourth-quarter moment featured receiver Alex Bullock, who cleared a sideline path for Jacory Barney's 25-yard scoring sprint by simultaneously pushing back a Purdue cornerback and safety. The fourth-year Husker missed the rolleddown safety earlier on the same sweep earlier in the game. "I got an earful from Coach (Matt) Rhule," Bullock said.
"So I was pretty pumped to go fix it when that happened." Development in progress. Improvement in the real-time throes of a season.
Rhule last weekend labeled the 4-1 Huskers a growing team — and with more than half the roster composed of freshmen and redshirt freshmen, they are. But don't forget the older guys. Ten sixth-year contributors, all a blend of pandemic eligibility, redshirts and medical waivers.
Nine on-field regulars in their fifth college campaigns and 15 more in their fourth. "They're all growing," Rhule said. "I do.
