THE BUGMUNCH -- Local News

Williams sprains knee;
Solich fractures English language

LINCOLN -- Nebraska Linebacker Demorrio Williams will miss the remainder of spring practice with a sprained knee following an awkward collision in a live-action drill, local reporters believe they heard NU Coach Frank Solich say Tuesday.

"As far as Demorrio goes, we don't see this as his opportunity or as it being a possibility of his knee being very good, that is, in a manner that it is really not coming along very well, inasmuch when discussing in terms of the rest of spring ball," Solich was quoted as saying following Monday's practice, as reporters looked on quizzically. "From a depth standpoint, that is certainly something that for our coaches, and for our defensive players, and we'll have to take time to re-examine and re-evaluate."

After a brief silence, a reporter for the Lincoln Journal Star asked Solich if he could clarify and, if possible, expand on what appeared to be a comment about an injury to the 6-1, 205-pound senior linebacker. Solich shrugged and said, "For this situation, and at this time, we're looking at it from the standpoint in which the manner of the problem, that is to say the nature of the situation, is under review."

With six new assistant football coaches and a set of new playbooks being introduced this year, Nebraska has been keeping a tight lid on its spring practices. Sessions are closed to the public except for the final 15 minutes, and all information about the team's progress is coming directly through Solich. That presents a difficulty for local journalists, whose job it is to bring Husker news to the football-starved masses, said Daily Nebraskan beat writer Chip Norbusch.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a challenge to distill all this into something vaguely readable," Norbusch said. "Like, there was this one time when I asked Frank if the players were excited about all the changes this spring, and he said, 'For our coaches, for our players, we don't see it as there being a surrounding of this spring in a manner that is really not coming from the end of it being an exciting spring session.' I think I wound up writing 'Solich said the Husker defense really moved around well today.' Man, no wonder they always had to burn timeouts when he was calling the plays."

Also on Tuesday, Solich is believed to have discussed the impact that new offensive coordinator Barney Cotton has had on the Cornhuskers' traditionally stolid playbook. As best reporters could tell, Solich said he was looking forward to seeing senior quarterback Jammal Lord perform in Cotton's new system, which emphasizes a slightly more open approach to the game.

"With respect to this year, in terms of our quarterback play, I don't necessarily see it as there being a problem of experience in the sense that we're obviously coming out of from the end of things with having a seasoned play-caller," Solich told reporters. "For Jammal, for Barney and from the perspective of any new wrinkles inasmuch that they are installed into our system, we don't expect to be coming from the side of things that means we have a faulty system."

Whatever Solich was apparently saying, one thing was evident Tuesday -- the coach has regained the emotion and fire that was the trademark of his early career. While apparently discussing the progress on the defensive side of the ball, and something about how the defensive backfield should be a team strength in 2003, Solich was interrupted by an Omaha World-Herald reporter, who reminded him Nebraska's 2002 Blackshirts were the most porous unit at the school in two decades.

That clearly, or perhaps unclearly, raised Solich's ire.

"Of our team, and of our various portions of our squad, we perceive it as there being a possibility of the capability of it coming from the end of things on the defensive side of the ball," he snapped back, his brow furrowed and his lip quivering. "And you can quote me on that, buddy."

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