Mickey Joseph and the Nebraska Cornhuskers were without backup running back Gabe Ervin Jr. for Friday night’s win over Rutgers.
His absence at the time was unknown. But on Tuesday, the interim head coach told 247Sports why the redshirt freshman was out of action.
Ervin missed the game because of a toe injury.
“He’s got that toe injury. He didn’t look good in pregame. One of my rules here is that the trainer doesn’t tell me. I don’t say the kid is ready to go. The position coach doesn’t say the kid is ready to go. The fans don’t say he’s ready to go. That kid tells me when he’s ready to go and he said he wasn’t ready to go. That’s the way it’s going to be as long as I stand in front of this team,” Joseph said.
Ervin has worked his way into the Nebraska running back rotation this season. He’s occasionally come in to spell starting RB Anthony Grant, logging 82 yards through the first six games of the season.
The Cornhuskers notched just 72 total rushing yards in Friday’s 14-13 comeback win over Rutgers.
Nebraska is now 3-3 on the year and 2-1 since firing Scott Frost.