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Marlon Lucky has been hearing it in both ears. Over and over again.
North-south. North-south.
And both his running backs coach and his head coach won't stop telling him until it becomes his new instinct.
``In high school, the first thing I'd do if a hole closed, I'd bounce it,'' Lucky said. ``You can't do that here. You have to stick your head in there.''
Lucky, a sophomore-to-be, showed flashes of interior power during Nebraska's second major scrimmage of the spring Saturday afternoon at the Hawks Championship Center.
The North Hollywood, Calif., native took the majority of the snaps at I-back with the first unit offense. Fellow sophomore-to-be Cody Glenn, considered Lucky's main competition for the top spot on the depth chart, saw limited carries while still recovering from an ankle injury.
Lucky's scrimmage action, particularly the further development of his inside running, impressed NU Coach Bill Callahan.
``Practice is about getting better, and he's committed himself to getting better in so many ways,'' Callahan said. ``You watch him run the ball physically between the tackles, you watch him break tackles outside and you see him break big runs. Today, in the passing game, he made some big plays downfield.''
As a true freshman last fall, Lucky ranked third on the team with 129 yards rushing. He also caught a pair of passes and returned a team-high 15 kickoffs for 313 yards.
With his speed never in question, Lucky said he would often try to sprint to the outside if his designed hole closed. But what worked during his standout prep career at North Hollywood High School wasn't always going to translate into what Callahan and Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan wanted.
The focus on inside running during his first spring practice has taken a toll as Lucky, Glenn and sophomore-to-be Leon Jackson have all been slowed at one time or another by injuries.
Lucky could still be seen favoring his leg Saturday but said after the scrimmage he isn't suffering from a specific injury, just general soreness from what he said were some of the most intense workouts he's ever had.
``This is my first time going through spring ball, so of course I'm going be sore. I hate it, but I've got to get over it,'' Lucky said. ``I won't want to get out of bed tomorrow, but I'll have to.''
Briefly:
With starting senior center Kurt Mann sitting out spring practice with a shoulder injury, sophomore Andy Christensen and junior Brett Byford both worked out at center Saturday. Christensen is expected to be in the mix as one of NU's guards if Mann fully recovers. Following the scrimmage, Callahan praised the Bennington native's versatility.
``It's nice to see a guy move from inside at the guard spot to the center's role and then kick back outside,'' Callahan said. ``That's a credit to his intelligence and his savvy as a player.''
Callahan also said he wasn't aware of any new injuries from Saturday's workout. Byford left action late in the scrimmage with what appeared to be leg cramps. Junior tackle Chris Patrick left action briefly with an injury to his right leg, and sophomore reserve quarterback Harrison Beck sat out practice with what Callahan said was a minor arm injury.
Beck, who entered the spring as the No. 2 quarterback, was seen wearing a brace on his right bicep, but Callahan said he expected Beck to be ready for Saturday's Red-White Spring Game.
``Anytime you can get an experience in front of the crowd and execute under pressure, I think it's invaluable,'' Callahan said. ``Up until the time he got injured, Harrison was having a very good spring. I'm very confident with how he's progressing. ``
