The turnovers will come, Evan Cooper believes. He and Nebraska just have to stay patient.
It helps that the Huskers’ defense has done close to everything else well through the first four games of an overall uneven season. Opponents have averaged 18.5 points per game. Its 298 yards of total offense allowed per game is No. 23 in the FBS.
What’s been missing have been takeaways. Nebraska has three interceptions and no fumble recoveries in the first third of the year.
Cooper, the secondary coach, has confidence that will change.
“The funny thing about turnovers is they kind of come and go in droves,” Cooper told the Huskers Radio Network on Tuesday. “They just kind of come a lot of the times, especially interceptions. You gotta kinda be lucky sometimes. I think we drill the right things, talk about the right things, measure the right things, so I think we’ll be able to get some turnovers here soon.”
There have already been some close calls. Cornerback Quinton Newsome finished what would have been a pick with a foot barely out of bounds against Northern Illinois. A week later, he nearly came away with an interception that was called simultaneous possession against Louisiana Tech. Either would have been the first of the longtime starter’s career.
“It’s just a matter of time,” Cooper said. “I expect him to get his first one pretty soon. I always joke with him, like he’s not living right. You gotta live right. You gotta put 20 more minutes into film room or something. Just kidding, but it’ll come. He’s been locked in really since I’ve gotten here, so it’ll come.”
The secondary as a whole has been one of the steadier position groups the Huskers have. The same quintet of Newsome, Malcolm Hartzog, Isaac Gifford, DeShon Singleton and Omar Brown has started every game and gotten the bulk of the playing time; there’s been less rotation among the defensive backs than other units.
Safety Marques Buford Jr. is yet to play this season after suffering a knee injury that ended his season against Wisconsin in 2022. There’s hope last year’s starter will see the field at some point, possibly four games or fewer to preserve a year of eligibility. For now, he’s doing what he can around the practice facility: watching film with the rest of the group, paying attention to a certain route or protection as Cooper assigns him.
“He’s coming along in a good way, and we just don’t want to rush him, not for us, but for him,” Cooper said. “We gotta make sure he’s right.”