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Quarterback Decision Going Down to the Wire for Nebraska Against Wisconsin

Heinrich Haarberg will be 'available in some capacity,' but how his ankle feels on game day will determine whether he starts or not

Joe Hudson

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As expected, there was no announcement Thursday about who will start at quarterback Saturday night for Nebraska against Wisconsin.

Haarberg, who injured an ankle last week in the Maryland game, has been limited this week but will test the ankle at full speed in practice Friday, head coach Matt Rhule said.

"He'll definitely be available in some capacity, but whether he starts or not depends on how he feels on game day," Rhule said after Thursday morning's practice in his final pregame availability with the media. 

"He definitely wants to play," Rhule said. "He's pushing to come back and play." But "we wouldn't want to put him out there if he's not able to run the option and do things he does best."

Chubba Purdy and Jeff Sims have taken the lion's share of the practice reps this week, Rhule said. The Wisconsin game would be the first start for Sims since Sept. 9 against Colorado and the first for Purdy since Nov. 5 of last year against Minnesota. 

Marcus Satterfield Says Best Days ‘Coming Soon’ for Nebraska QBs

The winner of the 6:30 p.m. CST game between the Badgers and Huskers, both 5-5, will clinch bowl eligibility. Wisconsin owns a nine-game winning streak in the series. 

Scroll past the video for more from Rhule's press conference, plus items of interest from the Wisconsin perspective. Asterisk indicates item may require a subscription. Refresh this page to see the latest additions. | HuskerMax discussion

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Joe Hudson
JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.

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