NEBRASKA CITY -- Husker Radio Network color analyst Damon Benning had nice things to say about each of the Nebraska position groups for a packed house at the Big Red Buzz at Valentino’s in Nebraska City, but it was discussion about fullbacks that got his imagination rolling.

Benning: “It would not surprise me ... the  first play against Minnesota you see him draw back, run the fullback through the hole and start second and seven. I’m dead serious. I joke a lot, but not about that.”

When Scott Frost was hired as head coach in 2017, he brought a love of the Nebraska option that he ran to win a national championship, but Benning said Coach Matt Rhule and the Nebraska staff can dig deeper into Nebraska’s ‘90s playbook with the fullback and the inside run game than was ever possible for Frost.

Benning: “This is like parts of triple, where you have three running options. You have a quarterback, you have your running back and you have your fullback.”

Benning: “I mean, just imagine you’ve got Janiran Bonner and (Nate) Boerkircher being in the game at the same time with a running back and it looks like 12-personnel – two tight ends and one back – and they run, like, outside zone. Then they huddle up and Boerkircher goes to tight end and Bonner goes to fullback and they keep the running back the same.

Benning: “If I’m a defensive coach and that’s the personnel grouping, I’m not going to think that they could spread me out or get into an I (formation), but that’s what they want to be able to do.”

Benning: “People say what do you think the offense is going to look like, I’ll tell you exactly what Sat will say (offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield). ‘We want to make cornerbacks tackle and linebackers cover. ‘… You watch.”

He said tight end Thomas Fidone is key to the scheme.

 

Benning: “At fullback they are outstanding. I coached Barrett Liebentritt when he was in youth sports. He’s fantastic. I really like Bonner, he’s unselfish, he’s versatile. Boerkircher can get back there and play some fullback. I like that group. That’s a tough, good, gutty group.”

Benning: "I'm just really, really comfortable with the direction of the program."