OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Sophomore walk-on quarterback Matt Turman probably will start for No. 2 Nebraska when the Cornhuskers meet No. 16 Kansas State on Saturday.
"Matt Turman is ready to play and quite likely will be the starter this week and may play every snap," coach Tom Osborne said Thursday.
Tommie Frazier is probably out for the season with recurring blood clots in his right calf, while backup Brook Berringer is questionable because of an injury to his left lung that has caused it to partially collapse the last two games.
Even if Berringer is cleared to play by the university's medical staff, Turman probably will start, Osborne said. Berringer's status probably won't be known until Saturday morning.
If Berringer can't play, Turman's backup will be wingback Clester Johnson, who hasn't played quarterback for three years but began taking snaps in practice Monday.
Johnson brings rock music to his role.
Teammates couldn't hear the soft-spoken junior call out the count at practice this week, so Nebraska coaches played music over the sound system to simulate a crowd and force Johnson to yell louder.
"I was screaming as loud as I could and they still couldn't hear me," Johnson said. "I wasn't turning my head. I was just staring out in front of me." Swiveling his head with the count helped solve that problem.
This isn't the best of times to be learning the quarterback role, with Kansas State (4-0) looking for an upset.
Johnson said he wasn't nervous about the game.
"I kind of like the pressure of a big game," he said. "I feel like I could go in and take a couple drives down for touchdowns."