Roy Helu Jr. smiled and laughed at the reporter. He might have been mocking the question, but he was fair to do so.
“Yes, I believe I can carry the ball over double digits,” Helu Jr. said.
He may believe it, but Nebraska hasn’t seen it lately from its star I-back.
Ever since Helu exploded for a career-high 169 rushing yards on 28 carries against Virginia Tech, Helu has seen his production slip dramatically, due in large part to lingering issues with a shoulder injury.
Against Iowa State on Saturday, Helu rushed for a season-low 24 yards on a mere five carries and fumbled twice.
On Monday, Helu wasn’t afraid to take on some of the blame for NU’s recent offensive struggles.
“It’s me not playing the best I can,” he said. “I take all the load on that, why we’re not moving the ball and being productive.”
Finding someone to share that load with Helu hasn’t been as easy as it was supposed to be entering the season.
First, there was the dismissal of Quentin Castille in August. Then, freshman Rex Burkhead went down indefinitely with a broken right foot.
It was that injury that prompted running backs coach Tim Beck to do something he’d hoped to avoid: pull true freshman I-back Dontrayevous Robinson’s redshirt.
The move paid off against Iowa State, as Robinson was one of the few bright spots for the Huskers’ offense on Saturday.
In his first career game at I-back, Robinson led Nebraska with 77 rushing yards on 15 carries and scored NU’s only touchdown on a 3-yard run in the first quarter. He made his debut nearly four minutes into the game after Helu fumbled on the game’s first play.
“Dontrayevous came in and gave us some spark, and he’s going to be a really good football player,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “He’s a freshman, so it was the first time he’d seen those kind of lights. Overall, we were pleased with his effort and how he worked in practice.”
Beck was also pleased with Robinson’s performance but said the true freshman was a tad too hesitant with the ball in his hands in his debut.
“You would expect that from a true freshman in his first game running in a live situation,” Beck said. “Things are a lot faster, so he was a little unsure at times – maybe apprehensive, not by nature of his personality or who he is, but just because of experience. I think we’ll continue to grow and get better and play with more confidence.”
Though he started the season behind a handful of Husker backs, the Euless, Texas, native has made strides in practices and surpassed four more experienced backs. Beck removed the redshirt in hopes Robinson could contribute quickly both at I-back and on special teams.
“We felt like maybe there was a need for a thud back, and the time was right,” Beck said.
Helu said the 6-foot-1, 215-pound back has a bruising style similar to the player he expected to back him up this season.
“He did really well for his first time,” Helu said. “He’s a good all-around back. He reminds me exactly of Quentin (Castille). He plays hard.”
Robinson displayed some of his potential on an impressive drive for NU in the middle of the third quarter, when NU rolled down the field on five straight run plays to the freshman back.
Though he picked up 36 yards and took NU to ISU’s 5-yard line, Robinson’s extra efforts to pick up yardage proved fatal – he was stripped by Cyclones defensive tackle Nate Frere, and Iowa State recovered.
Fumbling issues were a key focus for NU’s players when they returned to the practice field Monday. The day started off with more than 20 minutes of drills to target the game-long issue.
“We did drills and a bunch of different things,” Beck said. “We had a circuit for the whole team, and we kind of went over some stuff. We’ve got to work on that, obviously.”
Helu said losing two fumbles against the Cyclones – after entering the season with zero – has proved to be a humbling experience, particularly considering the improved run blocking NU’s offensive line provided Saturday.
“It’s a tragedy on my part,” Helu said. “Tray (Robinson) did really good at taking advantage of the blocks. I’ve just got to take care of myself.”
maxolson@dailynebraskan.com
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