Nebraska Cornhusker News, Notes, and Links

Links:

Bo Pelini takes a look back at a crazy December ‘07:

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“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I knew from the first time here it’d be a little bit crazy,” Pelini said. “Then I found out that night we (the Tigers) were going to the national championship game and all that was going to entail. It was crazy.”

Husker senior offensive lineman Matt Slauson remembers Pelini “looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin” when he met with the team.

“He had so much bottled-up energy, he was just like shaking and bouncing around,” Slauson said. “And at a player meeting with him the first day, you could just feel the energy flowing out of him.”

A week before, Pelini interviewed in a small building at the airport in Baton Rouge, La., while a rainstorm raged outside.

Athletic director Tom Osborne was struck by how “authentic” Pelini was. Even then, Pelini knew who he wanted to hire as his assistants.

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Ron Brown has some words of praise for Turner Gill.

Extra practices mean the 2009 QB competition starts now.

Bo Pelini senses momentum on the recruiting trail:

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“I think we have some momentum, and the people out there recognize what we’ve done and where we’re headed,” Pelini said. “We’re getting a very good response from the kids, their parents, all the way down to the high school coaches.

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Bo Pelini on being the lead recruiter:

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Pelini was asked Saturday about being the “closer” on recruits for the first time. He said he already was part of that at LSU with defensive recruits.

“I didn’t have an area at LSU,” Pelini said. “I was going around and seeing the defensive guys a lot. I’m used to doing that. I’ve been going into homes for a long time. I believe it’s one of my strengths.”

Callahan opened practices to Texas high school coaches two years ago when the Huskers played in the Cotton Bowl. Pelini said Florida coaches will be welcome when NU is in Jacksonville.

“We have an open-door policy anyway to the coaches,” he said. “We did that at LSU. You can only do it so much, though. You can’t do it to the point where it’s a distraction. But we encourage coaches to come to our practice.”

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And on who they are targeting:

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Those “guys” including running backs Rex Burkhead of Plano, Texas and Jarvis Giles of Tampa, Fla., and defensive tackle Latu Heimuli of Salt Lake City, among others. Pelini talked to all of them this week in that traditional “closer” head coach role.

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Could Turner Gill be the new head coach at Auburn?