Nebraska players deny quitting vs. Michigan
Michigan defensive lineman Chase Winovich said the Huskers didn’t want to be on the field. Wolverines defensive back Josh Metellus said the they gave up. They used different words, but the two were making the same point: Nebraska players quit during Saturday’s game.
That’s a pretty bold assessment, but after being throttled 56-10 and being outscored 39-0 in the first half, it didn’t seem like a ridiculous statement. The Huskers were outmatched, overpowered and undermanned against Michigan.
But did they actually quit? Nebraska players are saying that’s far from the truth.
A few Huskers were asked whether or not they gave up at any point during Saturday’s game. It’s an accusation that everyone was denying.
“Obviously they beat us by 50, so they can say what they want to say,” linebacker Luke Gifford said. “But I didn’t feel that way, and I know a lot of guys on our defense didn’t feel that way.”
“If that’s what we’re putting on film, if that’s what they felt, it doesn’t matter what we think,” said safety Tre Neal. “If they’re thinking that these guys are giving up, that means we’re not going hard enough.”
Head coach Scott Frost also met with the media on Monday for his weekly press conference, and it didn’t sound as if he felt his team quit, either. He said practice was “great,” and that the tape of Saturday’s game wasn’t as bad as he originally thought.
Nebraska will have a chance to bounce back this week in their B1G home opener against Purdue.