Nebraska Cornhuskers coach Scott Frost says he's not at odds with offensive coordinator Mark Whipple following season-opening loss to Northwestern

LINCOLN, Neb. — Embattled Nebraska coach Scott Frost said Tuesday there is no tension between him and new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple following the Cornhuskers' season-opening loss to Northwestern in Ireland.

Frost, 15-30 over five seasons, said in his remarks minutes after the 31-28 loss that the Huskers need to be more creative on offense and the coaching staff must work together better.

His comments were interpreted in some quarters as criticism of Whipple, who took over the playcalling duties from Frost when he was hired away from Pittsburgh.

Asked at his weekly news conference if he and Whipple were at odds, Frost said, «No, not at all. He's really smart. Really good at what he does. We have a lot of other coaches who are really smart and good at what they do. We need to find our rhythm of putting all the best stuff together. I thought it was good on Saturday. It can be better.»

Whipple is scheduled to meet with the media Wednesday. The Huskers play North Dakota this weekend.

Frost had called plays for nearly a decade, since his time as an assistant at Oregon, and he understands the singular focus the task requires.

«Simply said, if I was calling a game, I wouldn't want somebody else shoving a lot of stuff down my throat,» he said. «You get in a rhythm as a playcaller. That's the approach I took. Whip's an elite playcaller. I think that showed up in the first two-and-a-half quarters. You see what can be done with this offense.»

In the first half, the Huskers' offense was as sharp as it's been at any point in the Frost era. But it bogged down in the middle of the third quarter and never recovered, and the running game did next to nothing besides Anthony Grant's 46-yard touchdown run.

Frost has taken full blame