Stormin’ Norman!

If all the bastions of college football were considered royal marks upon the United States, the Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial would be thought of as a King piece upon the chess board of America.

Ok, so that might be overstating a bit, but you get the idea.  Nebraska has had plenty of heartbreak in Soonertown in their own storied history.  It’s also the site of possibly Nebraska’s greatest triumph, the Game of the Century.  

Nebraska moves into this week with some question marks on the offensive side of the football.  The injury bug has depleted the tight end room and the wide receiver room.  The loss to open the season in Illinois feels like it was a year ago, but it still feels like a fresh wound that likely won’t heal this season.

The Huskers run to the quarter pole of the season with a chance to make a statement.  Of course, we have been saying that for 5 years now and Nebraska has yet to beat any ranked teams in that time frame.  I read yesterday that Nebraska hasn’t beat a top 5 team on the road since 1997…. read that again!  Man, how long have we been wandering in this wilderness?

It’s not that the Huskers have been horrible that entire time frame, but even teams like Kansas, Oregon State and Duke have more exciting wins the last 10 years than Nebraska probably does.

It doesn’t make sense how a college team with the resources that Nebraska has could go this long without just falling into an upset.  A day when everything clicks and nothing goes right for an opponent.  I don’t know that Nebraska will get that this weekend in Norman, but man, if Nebraska didn’t truly sell their souls to the devil in the 90’s, you would think we are due for a pallet cleanser at some point.

                                bleedhuskerred.com

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 28, Buffalo 24.  The actual score was Nebraska 28, Buffalo 3.  At the end, it wasn’t even that close.  Nebraska had two touchdowns called off due to poor penalty calls and another one that possibly should have been called but has often been missed by referees.  Had Nebraska won 45 to 3, I wonder if the narrative would have been different this week at all.  The days of blowing teams away in the first quarter may be gone for Nebraska, but in my mind, even with the continued mistakes on special teams, that may have been one of the top 3 most complete Husker games of the Scott Frost era.  That was encouraging.

Quick Notes:

Luke Reimer…What else can you say about the Big Ten Defensive Player of the week?  Reimer played at a level that we haven’t seen a Nebraska linebacker play at for a long time.  He seemed to be everywhere against Buffalo.  His interception was so close to a pick six, I honestly thought he was a fullback on that play the way he was running the football.  Reimer has been someone the coaches keep pointing to as a Sunday type of player.  If he continues to play like that, he could be on the path to some All-conference honors.

Samori Toure…So far, Toure looks like the missing piece for Adrian Martinez to play at an all-conference level.  Toure is consistently so wide open that Martinez has to look at him on every play.  We knew that Toure was a likely NFL draft pick had he went into the draft last spring, but he has so far been a spring board for the entire Husker offense.  It remains to be seen if he will continue to play at this high level when the conference season starts, but you have to admit he has at least made it look like Nebraska will have big play potential every week.

Chris Hickman…The tight end position has been snake bit this year for Nebraska.  All Chris Hickman has done is taken that opportunity to make his mark.  I’ve been impressed with Hickman’s blocking, even if he is relatively skinny for that spot.  That isn’t what has made him special the last couple of weeks.  He has been a security blanket for Martinez the last two weeks, when he was needed the most.  Hickman looks like he will be a part of the offense moving forward, even after the other players get healthy.  That’s a big plus for Nebraska down the road.

Offensive Line…This grade isn’t good so far.  Nebraska has continued to struggle with pass rush against lesser teams and the holes for the running backs have all but vanished so far this year.  The offensive line, in my opinion, is what is keeping Nebraska from being a borderline top 25 team.  If the Huskers could block even at a mid-tier level, the offense finally has the weapons to make teams pay for overplaying the run.  However, when teams can pin their ears back and do whatever they want, it makes any offense shaky.  Credit to Adrian Martinez for being elusive enough to not make it a disaster every week.  This group has to improve for Nebraska to have any chance at making a bowl game.  

bleedhuskerred.com

Score Prediction:  Oklahoma 38, Nebraska 28 

I’ve been all over the place on predicting this game.  Nebraska could implode and give up 63 points, or they Blackshirts could prove that the first 3 weeks weren’t a fluke and hold Oklahoma to 30 points or less.  I lean more toward the latter actually.  I think Oklahoma is underestimating the Huskers.  I also think if Nebraska had their full complement of tight ends and receivers, they could make this a game.  I’m expecting OU to get out to an early lead and kind of coast, but I don’t think Nebraska just sits back and takes it and I think they will come away from this game with some confidence that they can play with better teams.  I’m leaving for Norman as soon as I finish this so GBR!!

Hot One Today!

I thought this week, after a resounding win, fans would back down on their criticism of the Huskers and Scott Frost, even if it was just for a few days.  Boy, was I wrong.  I don’t normally listen to Husker talk radio, but it was a pretty large consensus that Nebraska’s win did nothing to sooth the masses.

You also have to wonder, if Nebraska doesn’t turn this thing around, how will recruiting pan out?  Right now, Nebraska is sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten in recruiting standings.  They only have a handful of commitments and it is widely known that they only plan on taking a small class, but even so, to be last is a hard pill to swallow.  

This weekend provides another opportunity for Nebraska to put some of this horrid losing behind them.  Going to Norman next week at 2-1 will be a lot easier than the other scenario, because if Nebraska loses, the heat will be overwhelming. 

The good part of all of this?  Nebraska has it all in their own hands.  They can be the team that bounces back from losing to Illinois, to beating Buffalo and then giving the Sooners all they can handle.  They (OU) sure didn’t look invincible this last weekend.  If Frost is going to have any chance of showing that he deserves more time in Lincoln, it has to start this weekend. 

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 30, Fordham 10.  The actual score was Nebraska 52, Fordham 7.  For the first time in what seems like forever, Nebraska did what they were supposed to do.  They created turnovers, they buckled down at the end of long drives and the offense wore down and opponent and was able to play backups in the fourth quarter.  Not much to critique wrong with the score, even if it took a quarter for the Huskers to get going.

Quick Notes:

Adrian Martinez…Three weeks in a row that I have him on here, but as he goes, so go the Huskers.  He followed a below par performance with another exceptional one.  That’s good, he needs to outplay the Forham’s of the world.  Now the pressure intensifies.  Buffalo’s defense is probably as good at Illinois.  Martinez needs to start making the the throws that differentiate bad quarterbacks for the good ones.  This week is when it needs to happen.

Markese Stepp…Finally, Nebraska was able to get a running game going.  Stepp was a big part of that.  It’s not that Gabe Ervin isn’t talented, he is, but sometimes you need a veteran presence to get the team on a roll.  Stepp was able to do that and looks like he could separate himself a little in the running back room.  My hot pick, Sevion Morrison scored two touch downs and he also looks like he will start getting more carries. 

Deontai Williams…He was the best player on the field against Fordham.  He had to picks and another tackle for loss that impacted the game.  He is one of the best players on the field.  He s one of the only difference makers on the blitz that Nebraska has.  They need him to play at an All Big Ten level.

Blackshirts…A solid performance last week, but they need to hold the line this weekend.  It’s not that they aren’t capable, they really are the strength of the team so far.  This game is an opportunity to show that they really are going to be the backbone of the team.  With Oklahoma and their air display coming up, Nebraska has to continue to figure out how to pressure the quarterback while thwarting the running game.  I feel like the defense will the difference in whether the team goes bowling or not.  

                      bleedhuskerred.com

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 28, Buffalo 24 

I hope I’m way off and Nebraska covers going away by more than two touchdowns this Saturday.  Nebraska has the talent that they should be able to run away with this game at the end.  The big “however” is Buffalo is really solid, well coached and will be wanting to make a statement.  Will Nebraska be in the same boat?  They need to make the statement more than the Bulls.  Until we see it with our own eyes, consider us skeptical.  Either way, as always, GBR!!

Let's Try This Again...

If you could have drawn up a worse opening game outcome for Nebraska, I’d love to hear how it would turn out.  Nebraska simply repeated the same bone headed mistakes that they have churned out for the last four year, even if this time they found new ways to do it.

I can probably count on both hands, specific plays that have cost Nebraska victories in the Scott Frost era.  Almost all of them have been blunders that were simply inexplainable and had to be watched with your own eyes.

Players like Cam Taylor-Britt, Adrian Martinez and Connor Culp need to lead by example.  Nebraska won’t have success until the players that the team counts on for that success, learn to play clean and play within themselves.  Going into season four of the Scott Frost era, it looks like Nebraska is still a long way from that.

                     bleedhuskerred.com

Don’t get me wrong, Nebraska will have some ups this season.  Nebraska looked like the better team most of the first half of the game in Champaign.  The defense played exceptionally well in the first half.  On Nebraska’s lone first half touchdown drive, the offensive line looked like they were going to be solid this year, even if it was only one drive of the game, you could see the potential.

That is really what is so frustrating with this team.  They will probably win five games this year, but it will be the four close losses that will stick with you when Nebraska likely misses another bowl season.  Scott Frost can’t seem to get them over the hump, and to be honest, I don’t know if anyone outside of seasoned football people know what he needs to do different.

We don’t go to practice.  We don’t see why certain players play one week, then don’t play another.  We have no idea what special teams practice looks like.  How on earth do you explain two missed extra points by an All Big Ten kicker?  It’s bizarre.

                     bleedhuskerred.com

We all wondered how this team would come out and play in week zero, and most of us were skeptical, but hopeful.  Now that we have seen the same outcome that has been the story of the Scott Frost era, it’s right to question whether he will ever figure out the way to maximize his team.  Unfortunately, none of us know the answer, but we all feel like we know where the road leads. 

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 31, Illinois 24.  The actual score was Illinois 30, Nebraska 22.  Same old story.  A horrible decision on a punt return gives away a possession and points.  Nebraska has an interception and a chance to take over the ballgame, overturned by an unnecessary penalty.  A late first half fumble gives the opponent what would be a devastating touchdown that clearly influenced the defense to start the second half.  It’s hard to be a solid team when your supposed playmakers kill you with the worst possible decisions.  Nebraska continues to shoot themselves in the foot.

Quick Notes:

Adrian Martinez…I don’t know if he has ever fully overcome his shoulder issues that plagued him the last couple of seasons.  His inconsistency throwing the football is maddening and it really has put Nebraska in precarious positions.  There is no question he can be a dynamic playmaker when he is playing well, but at this point, you have to squint really hard to figure out if he is helping or hurting the team.  People bag on the Nebraska offense and the effectiveness of it, but rewatching the game, open receivers are continually missed and simply have to make too many plays on the ball when they do get it.  It’s likely never going to change.

Running game…I guessed on Sevion Morrison starting, but he didn’t even see the field last week.  He couldn’t have done much less than the players that were out there.  It’s not all on the running backs, the offensive line couldn’t get out of their own way on the run scheme.  Gabe Ervin looked like a freshman.  Markese Stepp looked like he will be solid, but you will have to commit to running the ball.  When Nebraska had the lead, they simply didn’t try to impose their will.  Once they were behind, they simply couldn’t afford to try and develop a running game and that was that.  

Oliver Martin…Probably the player of the game on offense.  Martin made some big catches and looked like he will be really good for Nebraska this year.  Omar Manning and Samori Toure had some nice catches as well.  It looked like Nebraska wide receivers were having some trouble getting open, but going back, they were open quite often.  Either Martinez didn’t see them, or he was under too much pressure.  Nebraska has good options at wideout.  They need to take advantage of that. 

Cam Taylor-Britt…The punt return was bad, but a reversed interception was even worse, and it wasn’t Taylor-Britt’s fault.  The defense played well for 3/4s of the game.  They did give up a couple of long, time consuming drives, but they forced the starting quarterback out of the game and made enough plays to win.    The defense will need to lead this team if they have any hope of going to a bowl game.  I expect Taylor-Britt to be one of the main guys doing that as the season moves forward.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 30, Fordham 10 

This game should be a blowout.  If it is not, Nebraska has worse problems than they showed in week one and that was bad enough.  One thing I thought about after last week’s loss is that kids are resilient.  They want to play, and a loss probably doesn’t carryover for the players quite like it does for the fans.  Once practice starts after a loss, they have to let go and move on.  You don’t go play football at a major university if you can’t get over a loss.  I expect the team to do that.  Nebraska needs to get an easy victory this week.  Hopefully they can take advantage of a lower division opponent and get some of the young guys some plays.  It’s the first time in two years Nebraska will have played an out of conference opponent.  That’s crazy to think about.     GBR!!

                    bleedhuskerred.com

FINALLY GAME DAY!

Hope springs eternal!  Or this time, “falls” enteral?  Either way, a new Nebraska season is finally here.  Man, it’s been a while.  When we last saw the Huskers, they were limping to a 3-5 season finish with a come from behind win over Rutgers.  Nebraska failed to reach a bowl game for the fourth year.

To be honest, it feels even longer.  Nebraska has been relative about two times in the last four years.  When they hired Scott Frost and when they were ranked ahead of a 2018 season that ended worse than the season before.  It’s been a long hard ride.

So why will this year be different?  There are quite a few reasons for optimism, but it should probably be weary optimism.  Nebraska returns most of their defense that was the only bright spot for much of last season.  The special teams have an official coach in Mike Dawson for the first time in Frost’s career at Nebraska.  Special teams really can’t get much worse outside of Connor Culp from last year, so that should at least be a brighter spot.

So why would we be so negative as the Huskers go into Champaign for the first game of the season?  Quite simply, the offense has been awful.  Scott Frost was considered a budding genius as an offensive coach when he was at Central Florida and Oregon.  His first year at Nebraska was rough, but by the end of they year, you had an idea that Nebraska would figure it out and start being competitive in the Big Ten.

What happened after that was two seasons of sputtering outputs.  Nebraska has yet to develop a running game that can compete consistently in the Big Ten.  They have yet to produce wide receivers or really a quarterback that can compete for all Big Ten honors.  The offensive line has been average at best and the running game outside of the quarterback all but disappeared.

Why will that change in 2021?  I think a big part of the optimism is based on Adrian Martinez settling in and being consistent from week to week.  Establishing a running game with the running backs is so important to Martinez and his health.  Martinez simply can’t take the punishment he has received in the last two year.  Two running backs that weren’t on the roster last season and a redshirt freshman (Markese Stepp, Gabe Ervin, Jr. and Sevion Morrison, respectively) are the leaders in the clubhouse to help Martinez.  

They all need help from the offensive line.  That is the piece that has really failed to propel the Huskers into the upper reaches of the Big Ten West.  Veteran leadership from Cam Jurgens and Matt Sichterman should help the inside, but the tackles are young but talented.  They all need to take a step forward, but they look the part off the bus.

Throw in a revamped wide receiver room and veteran tight ends in Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek and you start to see a Big Ten roster for probably the first time in Coach Frost’s tenure on the offensive side.  

Martinez had his best season when he had Devine Ozigbo and Stanley Morgan on the team.  Those two are still working to make NFL rosters but they were clearly great assets when they were in Lincoln.  If Nebraska can finally recreate that type of supporting cast, they should be able to reach some of that potential that we all thought we were getting when Coach Frost was hired.  If that doesn’t work out, this season could be a long one for all of Husker Nation. 

Bleedhuskerred.com

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Rutgers 24, Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Nebraska 28, Rutgers 21.  I always question if we should put the final prediction back in the blog, but it is a gentle reminder where Nebraska was at the end of last season.  No amount of Kool-Aid can cover the abysmal finish to the Husker’s Covid shortened season.  Nebraska survived four turnovers from Adrian Martinez and physically handled Rutgers enough to win in the end.  Hopefully those days of struggling are long behind Nebraska.

Quick Notes:

Scott Frost…A not so quiet off season almost slowed to a crawl once fall camp started, but an article about an NCAA investigation has started a lot of rumors about Coach Frost and his future at Nebraska.  To be honest, the investigation on whether an analyst worked with players during a practice really doesn’t raise a flag for me.  It’s likely nothing will come of it, other than a slap on the wrist.  What it did show was the national perception of where Coach Frost is in terms of keeping his job.  I think Frost is safe this year, even if they went 5-7.  Changes would be made, but likely Frost would survive to 2022.  If Nebraska were to fall off and only win 3 or 4 games, I don’t know that he would survive that.  I think this is Frost’s best team.  If he truly is growing as a head coach in the Big Ten, he could take that big step that we have all been expecting from his hire on day 1.  

Adrian Martinez…Has there ever been a player that has had this much influence on a Husker season in the last 15 years?  If Martinez goes down for any length of time it would likely be disastrous for Nebraska.  He has had terrible turnovers at high-risk junctures of his career, but there is no denying he can change a game when he is playing well.  Nebraska must keep him upright and healthy this year and any chance of winning more than 5 games is contingent on him playing at least 10 games this year.  He has more talent around him than he has had for his entire career.  He, much like Coach Frost, needs to take that large step this fall.  

Sevion Morrison…I think the starter at running back on Saturday will be Morrison.  He may not be the player with the most carries or the most production, but I’m betting on him being the starter.  Stepp and Ervin will have their opportunities, but Morrison was the guy that I was the most excited by when he came out of high school.  He reminded me of Demarco Murray from the Oklahoma days and I really think he has shown a lot of those skills in fall camp.  If he is the man and can provide the rushing that Nebraska has really lacked since Ozigbo left, the sky is the limit for this Husker offense.   

Cam Taylor-Britt…We haven’t talked too much defense in this week’s blog, but this guy is the leader of the Blackshirts.  If Taylor-Britt has an all Big Ten season, which he is capable of, this defense can be a top four defense in the Big Ten.  If that happens, Nebraska will have a legit chance of winning the Western division.  Taylor-Britt can shut down the other teams best wide receiver every week.  That allows a veteran defense to do unique things to create pressure on offenses that they otherwise may not be able to do.  He is an NFL player.  Nebraska needs him to play like it every week.  

Season Predication:

Nebraska has the best overall roster since the last bowl season in 2016.  The have veteran leadership on defense and have NFL caliber athletes all over the roster.  The time is now.  Scott Frost has been building it up, Husker fans are ready for the results in the win column.  To me, the ceiling is likely 8 wins, but the floor, should something happen to Martinez, may be 3 wins.  That’s a big swing.  I like Nebraska to lean into a seven-win year.  Eventually the one score ball games must go in Nebraska’s favor.  No team has struggled more to win close games than Scott Frost led Husker teams in the last three years.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 31, Illinois 24 

Going into the fourth year at Nebraska, Coach Frost has had two good game plans for season opening games and had his best half at Boulder in his second game in 2019.  I feel like Nebraska will be well prepared for Illinois.  The Illini bring back 22 Super Seniors, but they really have lost a lot of offensive fire power along the line and at wide receiver.  Nebraska gave Illinois five turnovers last season and still had multiple opportunities to get back into the game.  New coach Brett Bielema has a strong history in the Big Ten, but he will be breaking in his new team for the first time.  Nebraska probably couldn’t have asked for a better time to play Illinois, as they will be working out some first-year coaching kinks.  If Nebraska doesn’t win this game, it will be a long year in Lincoln.  That shouldn’t happen this time!  GBR!!

bleedhuskerred.com

Same Old Big Red Story...

If you were like me watching the Nebraska game last week against the Golden Gophers, you probably had that sour feeling in the pit of your stomach after Nebraska was down 10-0 in the first quarter.  I texted a friend and told them that if Nebraska couldn’t take the lead before halftime, it was already over.  This Husker group just can’t have nice things.  They took the lead, but just before the half, they gave up a drive that ended up with Cam Taylor-Britt kicked out and a halftime deficit.  They never recovered.

This season has been a microcosm of 2020 for me.  We all wanted the Huskers to play.  We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but damn it if we didn’t want something to drag us away from the hellscape that is this pandemic.  Coach Scott Frost made bold declarations that Nebraska would play anyone and anywhere.  It all seemed like it was going to be a fun season, regardless of how few games would be played.

Then the Big Ten cancelled the season before it ever got off the ground.  I think that was a big loss for everyone, including Nebraska.  When the Big Ten relented and fired it back up, some of the steam that was building in Lincoln went out of the tailpipe for a lot of people.  National media mocked the Huskers and wondered aloud why Frost would want to play with a team that wasn’t likely to have much success.

From my perspective, I felt like Frost wanted to play, because he knew that there would be no spring season.  I think he has been behind the 8 ball since he arrived in Lincoln.  Imagine all the things that could going wrong in your first three years.  Then imagine that they do go wrong.  First game cancelled due to lightning.  Players leaving, either of their own accord, or because they were no longer wanted.  Second season, you lose a game at Colorado that you shouldn’t lose.  Follow that up by playing with multiple kickers that can barely kick off let alone hit a 30-yard field goal for most of that season.  Your quarterback is hurt early in the second season and your team never really takes off.  You think you have a great incoming recruiting class and 2020 will be better, but then Covid hits and half the four star recruits take off before the season even starts and of those that do stay, they miss spring football, off season workouts and a regular fall.

It has not been easy in Nebraska.  Scott Frost hasn’t exactly helped himself out.  The offense that is supposed to be the bread and butter of any Frost team has been average to lousy in 2020.  Special teams have improved, but not at a clip that any fan would be clamoring for.  The defense, while playing above average has imploded at crucial times during the season.

In closing, the Huskers get at least one more chance to play football, this time in New Jersey. We sit back and wonder what could have been, but more likely what should have been.  We have seen a lot of games the last three years, but most of it hasn’t been what we were hoping.  If Nebraska could close out with a win, that might propel a lot of people to get excited for 2021.  2020 has sucked the excitement out for a lot of us.

bleedhuskerred.com

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 31 Minnesota 24.  The actual score was Minnesota 24, Nebraska 17.  In a game that Nebraska not only needed to win, but should have won, this final home game was awful.  Nebraska’s offense was chaotic and had one good quarter.  The defense bowed up for the most part, but when they needed a stop at the end, they just couldn’t get one.  Chalk it up to another one score defeat for Scott Frost.  I’m generally an optimist by nature, but if Nebraska continues to lose games that they should win at this clip in 2021, there will be a drastic change in Lincoln next winter.

Carriker Chronicles

Quick Notes:

Scott Frost…I write this blog to give kudos to players each week.  At this point though, Scott Frost has practically killed any offensive fireworks.  For whatever reason, Nebraska’s inability to pass the ball like a Power 5 team should, continues to define the Frost era at Nebraska.  Think about it.  Since Martinez’s game against Illinois last year, Nebraska has yet to make anyone pay for loading up the line of scrimmage.  You can’t win in the Big Ten if you can’t throw unless you have a monster run game.  Nebraska doesn’t have that either.  Whether it is play calling or quarterback play, Frost needs to have a big improvement next fall.  It’s unbelievable that with Frost’s pedigree the Nebraska offense struggles as much as it does.  This offseason will define the Frost era at Nebraska.  For all our sakes, lets hope it’s for the better.  

Austin Allen…He is the most improved player on the team, from 2019 to 2020.  With Jack Stoll nursing an injury most of the season, Allen’s performance has risen above what I could have hoped for.  Allen is a legit All Big Ten type player.  If he continues on this path, I see no reason why he won’t be an NFL draft pick when his college career is over.  He really could use a consistent passing game to take his own game to the next level.  It’s nice to see from an in-state player.  Nebraska could use more like him.

Wan’Dale Robinson…This kid is so special.  He needs help though.  Nebraska needs another player that can take the stress off Robinson.  It could be a running back or another wide receiver, but Robinson is so much better than anyone else at those positions, he is forced to play both.  Nebraska needs an offset so teams can’t key on him.  He is tough as nails.  He takes hit after hit each week and bounces right back up.  It’s flabbergasting that he has yet to score a touchdown in 2020.   

JoJo Domann…I don’t know if Domann is coming back to the Huskers next season, but he has been a lot of fun for Husker fans to watch this year.  He has been a bright spot on a team without many.  Domann is at his best using his versatility, either making plays at the line of scrimmage or knocking down a would be catch on a deep route.  He will be missed severely next season, if he does leave.  His persistence after early career injuries should be admired.

bleedhuskerred.com

Score Prediction:  Rutgers 24 Nebraska 21 

Nebraska will be fresh off a devastating loss at home.  Rutgers is limping into a final game of the season.  Unfortunately for the Huskers, Rutgers plays about as physical on defense as Minnesota did.  Nebraska simply wasn’t good enough or smart enough to make the Gophers defense play the run and it was costly.  If Nebraska can’t run the ball with their running backs this Friday, it is likely they will come home with another loss.  I’d like to tell you that it will all work out, but Rutgers has been playing better football than Nebraska.  I hope I’m wrong and the overall talent wins out, but I’ve been burned too many times this season.  Yeah, you guessed it, I’ll still be watching the entire game from start to finish, cheering my butt off so, GBR!!

Gopher Game!

The weather swings of fall are stupefying.  That’s what it’s like watching Husker football.  Last weekend, Nebraska finally put the pedal to the metal and won a game by more than one score.  It’s not that we weren’t nervous.  Heck, since Coach Scott Frost came to Lincoln every game seems like a heartbreaker.  It’s a lot like the fall weather, great one day, blizzard the next.  

Last week we talked about those swings and when is Nebraska going to right the ship into consistency.  This week, the Huskers have another opportunity to start a winning streak.  The last three years have been a constant up and down roller coaster.  You never know which Husker squad you are going to see.  The last two games have been more consistent.  Even though Iowa snuck another victory out, the Huskers played even keeled.  Last week, they did it again, getting out to a large lead, then slowly maintaining it throughout the game.   Purdue challenged, but Nebraska put it away in the end.

That’s what has been missing from this group.  Can they close?  One thing we have discussed before is that this group of Huskers has forgotten how to simply put teams away.  A lot of losing will do that to you.  Nebraska needs to put together a string of victories.  I’m reminded of the 2012 Husker team.  They did get blasted in the Big Ten championship game, but they also strung together a line of victories that was impressive to get into that game.  That team knew how to win, week in and week out.

bleedhuskerred.com

The biggest lift, in my opinion, has been the play of Adrian Martinez.  The team seems to have figured out his comfort zone in the passing game.  It’s not much down the field fly routes, but a more under controlled, precision passing game.   If Martinez continues to be accurate in this offense, it really does hum a lot better and gives Nebraska a chance in most games.  Minnesota will have a much better defense than Purdue.  It will be interesting to see if they can put more pressure on the Husker QB.

On top of Martinez, the Blackshirts are also playing with more consistency.  Throw in kicker Connor Culp and you have the beginning of a team that won’t let itself down from one piece to the next.  That is the consistency that will allow Husker football to put together a string of wins.  If they can close this week against the Gophers, we might get to see something we haven’t seen in 4 seasons, a three-game winning streak.  

I’m not one to get ahead of myself.  I question if Nebraska can even win this weekend as a 10-point favorite at home.  The Huskers haven’t earned that trust from fans yet.  We have been burned too many times.  Coach Frost keeps saying it’s close.  It will be nice to see that become reality this Saturday.  Less like the up and down Fall weather and more like the Husker teams of old.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Purdue 37 Nebraska 31.  The actual score was Nebraska 37, Purdue 27.  It may be that the Blackshirts had an outlier against Illinois.  We expected Ohio State to score a lot, but I don’t know that we imagined the Huskers defense being this consistent in 2020.  Illinois was the only team other than the Buckeyes to get out of the 20s against them.  They have made big plays when needed and for the most part have been solid considering they have been given awful field position.  Outside of one blown play to David Bell, they were solid against the Boilermakers.  Big props to them for keeping it together after the Illinois disaster.

Quick Notes:

Adrian Martinez…I know, I know, Martinez is in this list every week, but let us be honest with ourselves, he really is building a solid resume this fall.  He has been more consistent in his passing attack, delivering on those short routes that he too often missed last season.  It helps that he has been able to find Wan’dale Robinson more often.  Robinson can help any team and the fact that a concerted effort to get him the ball has made Martinez more consistent has paid off.  Nebraska has had very little consistency at wide receiver this season and that hasn’t helped.  Throw in a pandemic and the inability to have time to work with all those guys and you can understand how there could be some struggles.  If Martinez continues to improve, the Huskers record should too.

Dedrick Mills…Last weekend just goes to show that a running back that can consistently hammer out positive yards helps your offense.  Mills wasn’t at 100 percent, but he was good enough that Purdue couldn’t just pin their ears back and go after the quarterback play after play.  He also does a really good job blocking for Martinez on designed quarterback runs.  If Mills is closer to healthy this week, I expect him to have his best game of the season.  Just in time for the cold weather.

Special Teams…As much as the kickoff teams continue to frustrate Big Red fans, the rest of the special teams had a big week for a change.  Connor Culp continues to be the best field goal kicker that Nebraska could have asked for.  He continually puts points on the board when drives stall.  Last season, those drives ended in fourth down misses and lost opportunity.  Better punt returns and better field goal kicking has changed games for Nebraska this season.  A blocked punt last week was a huge play for a team that needed some momentum.  If the Huskers can continue to take advantage of special teams play, that by itself would be worth one or two wins a season.  It certainly helped last week.  

Cam Taylor-Britt…Britt seems to be coming into his own.  Combined with Dicaprio Bootle the two cornerbacks took on a heavy load against Purdue and their All-American wide receivers.  For the most part they kept them contained.  Yes, David Bell had a long touchdown catch, but that had as much to do with a missed help from the safety as anything.  Taylor-Britt made big plays against big time players last week.  You often see players really come into their own as Juniors and have big Senior years.  I’m predicting a big Senior year for Taylor-Britt.  

Carriker Chronicles 

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 31 Minnesota 24

A much-needed win on the road has left the Huskers open to possible bowl eligibility.  They absolutely must win this weekend for that to happen.  Minnesota will be limited by players in quarantine and will only travel about half their team this weekend.  Nebraska hasn’t been done many favors by their schedule this shortened season, but if there was a time to take it out on a team, this is it.  I could see Nebraska pulling away in the fourth quarter.  With this team, it just never ends up that easy, and I reflect that in my prediction.  Nebraska should get a second win in as many weeks though and for that, we can all celebrate, GBR!!

bleedhuskerred.com

Nebraska Stuck In Neutral 😐

Here we are again.  I always want to write immediately after a game, especially a loss, because it’s therapeutic, but also, you remember exactly how you felt when then game finished.  Life happens sometimes and you can’t put everything you feel into a half page blog about Husker Football.

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.

bleedhuskerred.com 

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.

#CarrikerLive

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!!