Monday football practice notes

Lee injury minor, will return to practice Tuesday

Though a flurry of rumors spread Monday across campus and online message boards regarding the status of Zac Lee, coach Bo Pelini confirmed after practice that the injury bothering NU’s quarterback is a minor one.

Lee stood along the sidelines in a baseball cap, jersey and shorts during Monday’s practice and had his left thumb in a taped-up splint, but Pelini said his reason for sitting out was nothing concerning.

“He’s fine,” Pelini said. “He took some medication, and he shouldn’t exert himself when he has that. He’ll be back tomorrow, there are no issues there.”

Lee threw for 136 yards and tossed two interceptions against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Though he wasn’t available to the media following practice Monday, receiver Menelik Holt said Lee’s ailment didn’t seem to bother him much during the game, but once the game was over, Lee felt soreness in his non-throwing thumb.

Pelini looking for smarter play

Following a heartbreaking loss to Tech, Pelini said he was pleased with how his team came out Monday and stepped up their game in practice.

“I thought they came back well,” Pelini said. “It was a really good practice. They were really fast, and there was a really good tempo. I thought it was really good.”

After a game in which NU was penalized nine times for 60 yards, Pelini said the loss proved how important it is to execute well in practice.

“Our kids, throughout the whole football game, played really hard,” he said. “They played with passion and great effort. But we don’t always play smart, and that’s what we’ve got to fix.

“We left a lot of points out on the field because we didn’t execute and do the things we’re coached to do,” he said. “It all comes back to coaching, and we’ve got to get things fixed and get it better.”