It won’t be an easy season for Mickey Joseph and the Huskers, but it may not be impossible either. It is easy to think that Nebraska really could have been 0-4 going against Indiana, and you could argue maybe they should have been.
Last week did something I didn’t know if we would have again this year. It gave Husker Nation hope.
Nebraska has never been as bad as their record under Scott Frost. The most maddening thing about his regime was that Nebraska lost close games at a rate that we may never see again. It was so frustrating to think that Nebraska was close every week, only to see it slip away, or the Huskers were unable to come back even with momentum on their side.
As Nebraska moves forward with their Big Ten schedule, the Big Ten West seems more wide open than ever. Nebraska probably is still a long way from competing for the division title, but the Huskers could be a major pain the ass for all the other teams fighting to come out on top.
Nebraska still has a premier running back (Anthony Grant), along with what I think is a premier quarterback (Casey Thompson). Add in what is likely a premier wide receiver with Trey Palmer, and it’s hard to find an offense in the west that has as many solid players as the Huskers.
So, what will Joseph and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple be able to shake out of this outfit the rest of the season? Nebraska still has one of the worst offensive lines in the Big Ten and unless they start to protect the quarterback at a much more consistent manner, one or two more wins might be a stretch.
We also have to wonder if the defense actually made a leap, or if they just played a bad Indiana team?
What will we see going forward? Will there be actual improvement as the season moves forward? We haven’t seen that since Scott Frost’s first year. Can the special teams continue to find ways to help and make plays that change games in Nebraska’s favor? Will new players continue to come out of the woodwork to provide playmaking that the Huskers desperately need?
So many answers to be had, and a lot of season left to find out. Finally, we may have a little hope.
(Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)
ON WITH THE REWIND…
Last game prediction was Nebraska 35, Indiana 34. The actual score was Nebraska 35, Indiana 21. It wasn’t always pretty. Nebraska likely should have been up at least 24-14 at the halftime and you could argue they should have been ahead more than that. The defense showed up in the second half to dominate an opponent. It has been a long time since Nebraska made adjustments that shut down a team in the fourth quarter. It was an ugly game, but a beautiful win for the Huskers.
Quick Notes:
Anthony Grant…If Grant can stay healthy, he could have the best Husker running back season since Ameer Abdullah was All Conference a decade ago. Grant continues to find space when there is little. When the offensive line does make holes, he takes advantage. As the season turns colder, the more Grant and Gabe Ervin are able to carry the ball, the better chance Nebraska has to win games.
Malcom Hartzog…Hartzog reminded me a lot of Cam Taylor-Britt when he committed to the Huskers. Super athlete from the south that may have been overlooked but could be athletic enough to compete at corner right away. It took a few games, but Hartzog started and played a big game against Indiana. Nebraska will need Hartzog to learn fast as teams will start to pick on him. A great special teams touchdown was a small taste of what we could see from Hartzog during his career.
Casey Thompson…Can’t get to upset at Thompson. He continues to take hits game after game and still has three or four drives a game where you go, man, really missed something there. The thing with Thompson is, he is so good on the other half of his drives that you just wonder what it would take for him to have a great, all around four quarters? I think his best games are yet to come. He needs another receiver to pop outside of Palmer, but Thompson continues to show he could be the class of the Big Ten West.
Score Prediction: Nebraska 35, Rutgers 27
If Nebraska is able to continue the defense we saw against Indiana, then they will win this game at Rutgers by three scores. I don’t know that the Blackshirts are back, but if they can be halfway consistent, the Huskers should pull this game out on the road. Another thing about this game, if Mickey Joseph wants to have any chance at the head coaching job next season, this is a game that he must win. A lot riding on this game. Especially on a crazy Friday Night Lights schedule. Rutgers will be physical, and Nebraska will need to match them. It is time for Nebraska to win two Big Ten games in a row since 2018. That’s exactly what they will do. GBR!!
No comments:
Post a Comment