Benched receivers Menelik Holt and Curenski Gilleylen continue to work hard on the scout team, Nebraska assistant Ted Gilmore said Friday, and they may return to help the Huskers this month.

“They're working,” said Gilmore, the fifth-year NU receivers coach. “I'm very proud of them. I told them there are two things you can do. You can go down there (to the scout team) and you can be ticked off, or you can work hard.

“I remind them, ‘We're going to need you. We're going to need you. We've got to fight our way through this.' And their attitude has been tremendous. They've got to fight their way through this, and they will.”

Gilmore spoke openly at the Big Red Breakfast of Nebraska's problems with consistency and dropped balls. He said he's “getting gray” as the receivers struggle to progress this football season.

“The last couple weeks have been very, very interesting at my spot,” Gilmore said. “We've made a lot of adjustments. I'm trying to get guys on the field who want to play every single down, every single snap, every single play.

“That's what we're trying to accomplish.”

NU demoted Holt, a senior, and the sophomore Gilleylen after the Huskers' 9-7 loss to Iowa State on Oct. 24. Nebraska committed eight turnovers in the defeat, including a fumble by Holt and an interception that was tipped by Gilleylen.

Both players made the trip last week to Baylor but did not play in the Huskers' 20-10 win.

Redshirt freshman Khiry Cooper started against the Bears and remains the top player at X receiver as 20th-ranked Oklahoma visits Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Senior Chris Brooks will return after missing the Baylor game with an injury, Gilmore said. Newcomer Brandon Kinnie will play against OU in addition to season-long starter Niles Paul.

Gilleylen ranks second on the team with 16 receptions. Holt has caught 15 passes. Their demotion came as a result of deteriorating play over several games, Gilmore said.

“As a whole, their hearts are in the right place,” Gilmore said. “But they're challenged to be complete receivers. When the whistle blows, you've got to accept the challenge, and that's something we've got to pound into them.”

The problems with the group are complex, according to Gilmore.

He said the receivers have struggled at times to read coverage. They are coached to alter routes against a zone defense. Failure to adjust often leads to miscommunication with the quarterback.

“A lot of times it will look like a bad throw,” Gilmore said, “but it's not a bad throw.”

Primarily, though, the receivers need to master the basics.

“There's no magic formula,” he said. “We've got to catch the ball.”

As for Paul, he committed his share of mistakes, too, Gilmore said, but his play did not warrant the same treatment as Holt and Gilleylen.

Paul leads the Huskers with 25 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns. His fumbles against Texas Tech and Iowa State loomed large in the October losses.

“Their situation is a little bit different,” Gilmore said. “There's no favoritism at all. It's spelled out to them clearly.”

Paul has not emerged “unscatched,” the coach said. He's looking for more leadership from the junior out of Omaha North.

“I want Niles Paul to be that guy, but when your kitchen isn't clean, it's hard to comment on someone else's kitchen,” Gilmore said. “The one thing I don't question about Niles Paul is his toughness and his want-to.”

Other topics addressed:

• The Nebraska roster lists three seniors among 18 receivers, including eight on scholarship set to return in 2010. Asked how many receivers the Huskers hope to sign in their current recruiting class, Gilmore said: “I'll take as many as Coach (Bo Pelini) will let me have.” He then said NU plans to sign two or three receivers.

• Gilmore said he does not expect the Huskers to think much about the storied series against OU as NU hosts the Sooners Saturday. “Let e be the first to tell you, they're not thinking about what happened in 1972. I promise you. It's tough enough to get them to think about what happened a year ago.”

• Gilmore said he was happy to relinquish his spot on the sideline last week against Baylor for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. Watson traded spots with Gilmore in the press box in order to speak directly with freshman quarterback Cody Green in his first start. Gilmore said he expects to coach again Saturday from above the field. “Honestly, I wanted to go up,” Gilmore said. “We do a lot of things at my position, and I wanted to see it firsthand (from above) and correct it the right away.”

• In what has become a weekly topic at the Big Red Breakfast, Gilmore was asked about the Huskers' work in practice this week. “We've had a very good week of practice,” Gilmore said. “Very physical.” His answer led to unrest from the crowd of about 200 after coaches made similar comments before several unsteady NU performances last month. Responded Gilmore: “What do you want me to say, we've had a terrible week of practice?”

Contact the writer:

402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com

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