Steven M. Sipple: As Frost (again) expresses confidence, Moos emphasizes fans’ importance

Nebraska football coach Scott Frost has at least one easily discernible pattern.

He tends to express enthusiastic public confidence in his players and his team through thick and thin, and it’s been mostly thin.

His expressions of confidence should only bother you if you let them.

He did it again last week, giving the fan base plenty to ponder as it slides into the warm part of the offseason.

Speaking Thursday night on “Sports Nightly,” Frost made it clear he believes he has his most complete team since arriving from Central Florida in late 2017. He tends to raise the bar with his words. NU fans surely would prefer his team does that with its actions. But for now, in these early days of May, words will have to suffice. 

“We’re faster than we’ve ever been — definitely since I’ve been here,” he said. “We have better athletes at almost every position. They’ve trained to become better athletes. I don’t think we have a bunch of holes on the roster like I’ve felt like we’ve had in the past. That has to do with recruiting and the talent we have on the roster, but also the work they’ve put in.”

Frost continues to praise the receiver group, which lost valuable slot man Wan’Dale Robinson to Kentucky but gained a 6-foot-3 slot in Samori Toure from FCS Montana. What’s more, Omar Manning, who missed most of 2020 with health issues, looks poised to be a major factor.

Oliver Martin, who came on late last season, might be the best of the bunch. 

“I think that group is about there,” Frost said. “It’s the best it’s been, talent and depthwise.”

“I know Adrian feels better about that group, and that makes me feel better,” added Frost, referring to junior quarterback Adrian Martinez, who’s 11-16 at Nebraska as a three-year starter.

Listening to Frost last week only reaffirms the widespread belief that Nebraska needs to qualify for a bowl game in 2021 — a bare-minimum standard in the head coach’s fourth season, especially if injuries don’t become a major problem.

Nebraska having a quarterback who’s an excellent runner (and a more-than-capable thrower), combined with what appears to be an improved group of receivers, should be enough to give defensive coordinators plenty to ponder. If NU could ever come up with a 1,000-yard rusher, well, maybe first place in the division actually would become a minimum expectation. 

Meanwhile, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos also chimed in recently with an important point when it comes to expectations for the program. If NU could find a groove on its home turf, he said, it could provide a sizable boost. The Huskers since 2015 — Mike Riley’s first season in charge — are just 21-17 at home, with four losing home records in that span. That’s remarkably disappointing.