Another Chance for Husker Football to Break it Open…

So, the next offensive lineman left to play for Nebraska may have to turn out the stadium lights.

Seriously, with the luck the Huskers are having on offense, it’s a wonder that Nebraska has four wins.  Down four receivers, two running backs and 3/5 of a starting offensive line, not to mention playing the backup quarterback to start the season, I’m wondering if we can make it through the last five 

And yet, the Blackshirts, that group that just last season couldn’t stop a parked car, has been the biggest turnround in Lincoln since Bo Pelini started cranking out great defenses in the Big Twelve.

Nebraska has weathered the injury storm at a level I don’t think anyone could have predicted.  Coach Rhule has managed the defense, so if Deshon Singelton or Luke Reimer go down, it’s next man up, and there isn’t much drop off, and sometimes you see guys making huge plays in their place.

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This time though, the offensive line is where the team needs to hold it together.  Justin Evans-Jenkins played great last week in place of Ethan Piper.  Now he will be the starter.  Teddy Prochaska now must replace Turner Corcoran at left tackle, a place that Nebraska protects the quarterback’s blind side.  And Henry Lutovsky will replace Nouredin Nouili for at least a couple of games.  

It’s like trying to play scrabble without a couple of the vowels.  You can make it work, but it’s going to look a little lumpy.  

It is no secret that Nebraska’s remaining schedule is not filled with the Murderer’s Row of talent, but they certainly end the season with three games against bowl teams.

If Nebraska can survive Purdue and Michigan State and somehow get to six wins, Matt Rhule will have made a hell of a start in his time in Lincoln.  If he gets more than six, he should be getting votes for Big Ten coach of the year.  This team has been punched in the mouth over an over with offensive injuries.  If they can continue to play winning football into November, you have to feel, for the first time in a long time, that the Huskers are in good hands.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 27, Northwestern 14.  The actual score was Nebraska 17, Northwester 9.  As well as Nebraska moved the ball up and down the field against Illinois, the offense looked just as disjointed against Northwestern.  Luckily the Blackshirts continue to play at a high level.  There were three plays in that game, two tackles from behind on broken plays by Malcom Hartzog and Omar Brown, and an epic breakup of a screen pass by Isaac Gifford, that kept the Huskers from losing.  The defense may have to continue to play an extremely high level for Nebraska to get two more wins.

Quick Notes:

Malachi Coleman…All of us that have watched Lincoln East the last three or four years knew that Coleman was destined for big things on the gridiron.  To see him score a touchdown in Memorial Stadium with the “N” on his helmet brought a lot of smiles to the south side of his hometown.  Coleman is blessed with tremendous skill.  If he and Haarberg can continue to find confidence in each other, big things will be in this kid’s future.

Isaac Gifford…Gifford has had some plays this season that he just missed making.  A would-be interception at Minnesota that would have sealed the game and a blown assignment at Colorado stick out, because Gifford has been so stellar otherwise.  Against Northwestern, Gifford’s big play to stuff a screen pass, blowing past two blockers and then making a solo tackle, is a play that will go down in Husker lore.  Gifford has made so many strong tackles and covered so well, when he makes a mistake, it stands out.  Gifford is the kind of playmaker the Huskers had in JoJo Domann.  That is high praise indeed.

Nash Hutmacher…I’m starting to get worried that Hutmacher may end up leaving early for the NFL.  That’s how great he has played in 2023.  He has completely blown up the middle of the offensive line so many times, other players are starting to chomp at single coverage to get at the quarterback.  Hutmacher may not make all the plays, but his presence along with Ty Robinson is making the Huskers pass rush as good as it has been since the last Husker winning season in 2016. 

Emmitt Johnson…Nebraska needs a spark at running back, and Johnson may be the one to provide it.  Most people look at Johnson’s size and think that he can’t be an every down back, but I don’t see it that way.  His explosiveness out of the backfield allows his to get by the big fellas and force the linebackers to tackle low so they don’t get good angles to hit him.  Now that he has started to put rushing numbers on the board, it will be interesting to see if Nebraska continues to utilize him as the main running back.  He has impressed me so far. I look for him to break a long touchdown run this week against Purdue.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 24, Purdue 16

I have a caveat for this game.  I don’t know that Nebraska’s offensive line will play well enough to keep the defense off the field.  This is a game that Purdue has the weapons on offense to win.  However, I trust Coach Rhule enough that he knows he will have an inexperienced offensive line and I expect him to use his running backs more in the run game and get Henrich Haarberg on the move to the edge.  This should negate some of Purdue and their blitz game.  I’m picking with my heart a little bit because I think this team has reached deep down and found a level, they didn’t know they had.  I am predicting a defensive score to seal this game and Purdue will miss at least one field goal and the Huskers will be in victory formation at the end. GBR!!!

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Is this a broken record?  How can this game against Northwestern be as important as the game on the road against Illinois?  How come Nebraska can’t just rest and know that being 11-point favorites at home is enough and that they can handle this game, grab a win, and move on to Purdue? (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

History.  

If we have learned anything the last eight years, we have learned that the Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue games have been the Achilles heel for the Huskers.  

Purdue was Jeff Brohm and his ability to scheme our defense into giving up touchdowns at will when the Boilermakers needed one to win.  The quarterback, be it starer or third string, would make a completion when the game mattered most, often times to a wide-open receiver, because Nebraska would be caught with its pants down.

Illinois has always had talent, but in the last 8 years, they have beaten Nebraska as the underdog multiple times, stolen victory from the Huskers from sure defeat (2015 Tommy Armstrong still needs to just run the clock out).

And now, Northwestern.  Probably the one team in Nebraska’s time in the Big Ten, that the Huskers are as equally adept at making a game changing play at the end (a Hail Mary) as making an onside kick up eleven points and then watching that lead vanish as an otherwise good defense turns into boat with holes in it.

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Nebraska’s inability to consistently beat these three teams, and let’s throw Minnesota in there too, has kept them from being bowl eligible for 6 seasons.

Now that the Huskers have crossed Illinois off the list, comes the team that consistently gives Nebraska the craziest, closest games.  Northwestern is a program that has been held together with bailing wire, twine, and some duct tape this season.  Nebraska should take advantage of a porous run defense from the Wildcats.  And yet, Northwestern on offense completes third downs at a rate top ten teams are envious of, to go along with a good passing game. Again, it will be up to the Blackshirts to get off the field.

See, just when you think Nebraska has cleared their hurdles, another one pops up.  Someday Matt Rhule will have us all feeling comfortable about beating a team like this.  Right now, it still feels like second verse, same as the first.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Illinois 27, Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Nebraska 20, Illinois 7.  When the Illini moved the ball down the field on their first possession, I wondered if the game would be another Michigan.  The Blackshirts blowing up the Illinois offense on consecutive goal to go plays at or inside the one-yard line completely flipped the script.  Illinois never recovered.  Nebraska bludgeoned them to death.  The only hold back on a 5-touchdown win was ghastly turnovers in the red zone and penalties on the offensive line.  There is still a LOT for the Huskers to work on, but man, beating up on a team like that on the road felt really good.

Quick Notes:

Marcus Washington…In case you thought losing Zavier Betts and Isaiah Garcia-Castenada wasn’t quite enough, the injury bug took out Marcus Washington for the rest of the season as well.  Washington was Nebraska’s best deep threat and was a big weapon for the Husker passing offense.  Nebraska will need to lean on Billy Kemp and Thomas Fidone a little heavier the remainder of the season.  Malachi Coleman has moved into the starting spot as a true freshman.  The former Lincoln East player needs to get his confidence going this week to help keep the offense from becoming that much more one dimensional.

John Bullock…The walk on from Omaha Creighton Prep continues to make plays for the Huskers.  With Luke Reimer out the last two weeks, Bullock has played well enough that Nebraska hasn’t skipped a beat.  Nebraska continues to be ranked in the top ten defenses in the country against the run.  With players like Bullock, Javin Wright, and Mikai Gbayor stepping in when needed, the depth at linebacker has been one of the more impressive performances of the season.

Jimari Butler…Butler is blossoming into a dog on the defense.  Butler came to Nebraska, having limited football experience.  He was a better high school basketball player.  However, coaches could see his potential as a defender and Butler is starting to come alive.  If Butler can continue to put pressure on the quarterback on obvious passing downs, the pass defense will continue to improve.  He is the one Blackshirt, not named Cam Lenhardt, that is starting to hit on all cylinders getting to the quarterback. 

Anthony Grant…Matt Rhule made it very clear during the bye week, that Grant simply cannot fumble in crucial moments any more this season.  It may be the difference between going to a bowl game or not.  The latest fumble against Illinois didn’t hurt Nebraska, but it put them in a position that the game was never truly put away until the final horn blew.  Grant can be the man on offense, but he can no longer be the goat.

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Score Prediction:  Nebraska 27, Northwestern 14

If you would have told me Nebraska would dominate Illinois offense as much as they did, I’d probably have said Nebraska could still win 8 games.  Without Luke Reimer and Deshon Singleton, the Blackshirts didn’t miss a beat.  Illinois simply could not run the football.  I don’t see another team on the schedule that should be able to bully Nebraska on the ground.  This especially is true with Northwestern.  The Huskers have to respect their passing game, but if they get the lead and make the Wildcats one dimensional, the flood gates should open, and Nebraska should cruise to a win and GBR!!!

Can Nebraska Put Champaign On Ice?

If you didn’t know last weekend happened to Nebraska football, would it really matterLosing to Michigan at home in a blowout, certainly felt painful, but outside of my dumb preidiction, many people thought the Huskers would get beat handily. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!

So, is there any benefit to reviewing the game?  Probably not.  Nebraska did not come into the 2023 with their sights set on beating Michigan.  Nebraska had their sights set on beating Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern. 

Matt Rhule had a fully padded practice the day after the loss to Michigan.  Coaches do not do that in this day and age.  Part of me wonders if that message was to the veterans.  If you don’t want to bring the energy against possibly the number one team in the nation, maybe you don’t want to play bad enough.  Now, Nebraska heads to Illinois at a crossroads.

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They didn’t meet the measuring stick of playing well against the best team they will play.  How they play this week may be the difference between playing in a bowl game or staying home one more year.  Nebraska is already the only Power five team not to play in a bowl game the last six years.  Another sub .500 season will be another link in a chain of pain for fans and the program alike.

A loss should give Matt Rhule the confidence to start the youth movement.  Heinrich Haarberg, the freshman receivers, young offensive lineman may all get playing time the rest of the way.  A win, and veteran players will have earned the right to go through a four-game schedule that has three more possible wins before the hard close at the end.  It is a teeter totter of emotion and planning to move forward.

 The Michigan game didn’t tell us how good this year’s Husker team is.  It is up to the Huskers to determine that themselves in Champaign.  Either way, this game will affect how the fans, the coaches and the team look at the rest of the season, moving forward.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Michigan 24, Nebraska 17.  The actual score was Michigan 45, Nebraska 7.  The first drive from the Wolverines resulted in a helmet catch off the defender.  A turnover on a quick batted ball and interception, made the game a two-touchdown lead.  Nebraska responded with a drive into Michigan territory, going for it in the red zone on fourth and short and not making it.  That was the game.  Michigan played perfect, Nebraska struggled to play at all.

Quick Notes:

On the Road…I thought it was longer ago, but the Huskers last road win as an underdog was the last game of last season.  They stole a game in Iowa City, riding Trey Palmer to victory.  Nebraska won’t have that advantage in this game, as their passing game is average at best.  This year, road victories will be had on the ground.  Do we see Jeff Sims return?  Do we see more running plays from the wide receivers?  I expect the offense to pull out a lot of tricks on Friday.

Deshon Singleton…A big blow with Singleton being out for a long stretch of the rest of the season.  Singleton and Omar Brown been a solid force for the Blackshirts.  With Singleton out, will Koby Bretz rise and take on Singleton’s role?  Is Phalen Sanford the man?  Will the Huskers move Quinton Newsome or Malcom Hartzog from corner to safety and have Tamon Lynum play corner?  Whatever happens, Illinois has a strong passing attack.  Nebraska’s defensive backs may be the difference between winning and losing this game.

Cameron Lenhardt…The Blackshirts pass rush has evaporated since Lenhardt was hurt against Northern Illinois.  Now they are moving Princewill Umanmielan to the “Jack” linebacker position and Lenhardt is back this week.  Illinois struggles to protect the quarterback, so the young kids will have opportunities to make plays.  The Huskers need a pass rush to win this game, or they will get picked apart. 

Joshua Fleeks…The former wide receiver from Baylor made the only scoring play against Michigan, bolting 74 yards on his only carry for a touchdown.  With all the injuries at running back, it will be interesting to see if Fleeks can provide a lift for the Huskers and allow Anthony Grant to rest during games and allow Emmett Johnson to grow into playing time.  He may be a nice find in a season that Nebraska needs to find some playmakers.

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Score Prediction:  Illinois 27, Nebraska 21

If this game was at home, I’d pick the Huskers.  On paper, Nebraska actually matches up really well against Illinois.  The problem is, they have a good quarterback in Luke Altmyer.  Nebraska is banged up on defense and will be without Luke Reimer and Deshon Singleton.  As well as the replacement Blackshirts have played, Illinois needs to win this game as bad as Nebraska does before their season goes down the drain.  Nebraska has not been able to get many red zone chances this year, and will need at least six to have a chance in this game.  I don’t see the Husker passing attack having much success on Friday night.  Let’s hope I’m wrong again this week!!  GBR!