When they take the Memorial Stadium field in Lincoln Saturday, Nebraska will do so at less than 100 percent when it comes to its starting lineup.
Thursday, Mike Riley acknowledged that three starters, sophomore running back Tre Bryant, senior safety Joshua Kalu and senior right tackle David Knevel, will be sidelined for the Week 3 game against Northern Illinois that will put the finishing touches on non-conference play for NU. Bryant (knee) and Kalu (hamstring) sustained their injuries in the Week 2 loss to Oregon, while Knevel has been dealing with a lingering ankle issue.
Juniors Mikale Wilbon and Antonio Reed will replace Bryant and Kalu, respectively, in the starting lineup.
Bryant leads the Cornhuskers in rushing this season 299 yards; the rest of the team combined has 35. Wilbon has accounted for 23 of those 35, with his two rushing touchdowns tying Wilbon for team-high.
Kalu, meanwhile, has started 28 straight games for the ‘Huskers, including all 13 each of the past 13 seasons.
Knevel started 10 games last season before starting the opener in 2017. According to Riley, he hopes the lineman can return to practice next week.