After a while, the feeling you had after a loss, especially a close loss either builds up into anger or it turns into apathy. I can’t help but feeling a few days after Nebraska lost yet another game to Iowa, that my anger is getting harder to get over. I talk to a lot of Husker fans throughout the week. I spend way too much time on a Rivals and 247. Sometimes that anger is drawn outward because other sensible people see the big picture and that one game in a vacuum is not a good way to judge a program.
Since Coach Scott Frost has returned to Nebraska, he has coached 29 games. His record is 10 wins, 19 losses. You can’t sugar coat that. By record, he is the worst Husker coach in over a half a century. What’s the one thing that makes that worse? When you look at the 19 losses that Nebraska has suffered, 10 of those losses are by a touchdown or less. Last week the same thing. A 26-20 loss that with one touchdown could have been a victory.
It is SO frustrating. Nebraska fans have been the big dog on the block for fifty years before 2017. We suffered through 3 losing seasons in that time frame and we hated it. Now we have had 4 straight losing seasons (yes, I know this year isn’t finished, but it’s not looking great) and people that were born after 2005 have seen more losing than winning since they could start paying attention.
So, what is the bright spot? For me, when I look at Nebraska, I see a team that is young on offense. There is so much room for improvement, that these close losses should eventually start turning into wins. We can do so much better on special teams. Another muffed punt last week and terrible field positions on our kickoffs show that you can pick up a lot in that area. Defensively, we played relatively well, but we only created one turnover and that was a gift from the Iowa quarterback. Again, room for improvement.
I will never take a Husker game for granted. We only get so many every year, and this year they have been a welcome respite during a time of global pandemic. So, I will cheer like hell again this weekend. The anxiety of these losses has started to pile up though. It might not always be this way under Frost, but if the anxiety turns into apathy, I know a lot of people that will find other things to do on Saturdays in the fall.
ON WITH THE REWIND…
Last game prediction was Iowa 31 Nebraska 17. The actual score was Iowa 26, Nebraska 20. The Huskers had their chances and even had the lead 20-13 in the third quarter. Nebraska continues to kick themselves in the teeth though. A muffed punt, poor field position for Iowa and a missed block on the final drive doomed an otherwise solid effort. Other teams simply just need to play well and wait for Nebraska to implode. It continued last week. How long before Nebraska does that to someone else?
Quick Notes:
Adrian Martinez…He has been a whipping post for Husker fans since his rough 2019, but he seems to be the best option for the team moving forward. He played really well against Iowa, with only one turnover on the final drive. That turnover, like a lot of his plays was affected by bad line play. Martinez has been cursed with bad offensive line play for two seasons now. One has to wonder how well he would have developed if he was protected better. I’d like to see him take more chances down field, but you can’t argue with his passing last week, he was 18 out of 20. Can’t get much better than that.
Luke McCaffrey…There is little doubt that McCaffrey is one of the best athletes on the Huskers. He was able to get a couple series against Iowa. I don’t mind the changing from series to series to create a change of pace. What I would like to see more is McCaffrey on the field, even if it isn’t at quarterback. The kid is clearly a competitor. He isn’t going to be getting the snaps that a starter should be getting this season. What’s the harm in using him like Nebraska did against Ohio State? He knows all the plays, so it should be easy for him to run one spot. I just can’t help but think with him, Zavier Betts and Wan’Dale Robinson at wide receiver, you could open things up vertically.
Kickoffs…I understand that Iowa has one of the better kick returners in the country. What I don’t understand is where the kickoff through the end zone has went? I can’t believe that Nebraska doesn’t have a kid on campus that can consistently boot the ball through the end zone. It has been a big disadvantage under Coach Frost. It would provide a big boost in field position changes and would eliminate the chances for long returns.
Luke Reimer…The “other” Luke on the team is really starting to look like he will be an All Big Ten player. He has that sixth sense that you look for in defenders, that he seeks the ball as well as anyone on the team. He is blessed with great speed as well. If you are looking for someone to hitch your wagon too the next few years, Reimer is as good as anyone. With Colin Miller out for the season, Reimer should get plenty of opportunity to make plays. That should be a good thing for the Blackshirts.
Score Prediction: Purdue 37 Nebraska 31
I want to tell you Nebraska will get a win this weekend on the road. I want to tell you that the offense will break out against a poor Purdue defense. Unfortunately, since Coach Frost has come back to Lincoln, Jeff Brohm’s offense has been a Rubik’s Cube for the Blackshirts. Purdue has been able to exploit Nebraska’s linebackers in the passing game, pretty much at will. If the Huskers want to get a road win, they will need to take advantage of the Boilermaker’s weak run defense. If they fail to control the ball and turn it over, Purdue will put up a lot of points. I really hope I’m wrong. As always, GBR!!
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