Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White is pleased that Jimari Butler and Mikey Gbayor are fully available for Friday’s football game against No. 24 Illinois.
“Those two guys are playing great,” White said after Nebraska practice Tuesday morning. “More importantly, they bring some grit as well. Those guys are coming back and the things we didn’t do well last week, the guys who are competing. Everywhere, we know that and we want it. We make sure they’re there every time we step on the field.
Butler did not play in last weekend’s game against Northern Iowa after being listed as questionable for the game, and Ghabair also missed the first half due to a penalty the previous week against Colorado.
White talked about the challenges the defense faces against Illinois’ offense.
“There were toy makers out there,” he said. “These players step up and get footballs. They do a great job of keeping their balance. They know when they want to run the ball, where to run the ball, and then they do a lot of different things like RPO to get them out of the action in terms of passes.
Of midfielder Luke Altmaier, White said: “He’s playing with a lot of confidence now. He’s not really panicking… It’s going to be a big challenge to deal with him.”
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and several players, including quarterback Dylan Raiola, also spoke Tuesday. Illinois’ defense “is going to make it difficult to move the fight, so we have to be prepared for a close-quarter battle,” Satterfield said.
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