Let The Craziness Of Husker Football Begin!

Welp…normally you could say that any press is good press, but I’m convinced that’s not the truth after last week in Ireland.  (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

With about 11 minutes to go in the game and Nebraska up comfortably, I felt like this is it, Frost has new coaches and a new quarterback and the light is turning on!  And then we went down the same damn rabbit hole we have gone down every week before with Scott Frost coaching Nebraska.

Frost can’t get out of his own way.  I won’t rehash the onside kick, mostly because I didn’t think it lost Nebraska the game, but the kind of “get it all back right now” attitude is not helpful when you are behind, and it certainly wasn’t helpful when you are ahead.  

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It was more than that though.  The Blackshirts, after so much improvement last year, were destined to reload through the transfer portal and home-grown talent.  Instead, they imploded, got no pressure on the quarterback, and couldn’t stop the run when they needed.  Northwestern figured out they didn’t have to do anything different to come back. They just let Nebraska beat themselves.

And therein lies the problem.  Other eyes, other ideas and new players were supposed to help fix these issues.  Now the spyglass is clearly only on Scott Frost.  He needs to be more mature with the media this season.  He needs to understand that Nebraska fans are out of patience.  He says he didn’t charge his phone last weekend.  That’s smart if you want to block out the people that worry about you the most.

Frost has eleven games to turn around this narrative that he is an awful power five level coach.  For three quarters I was convinced.  It only took one quarter to remind me that it’s going to take a lot more than this for Frost to have any hope of being in Lincoln in 2023.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 31 Northwestern 16.  The actual score was Northwestern 31 Nebraska 28.  Nebraska’s offense looked like a thing of beauty for 2 and ½ quarters.  It was silent in the fourth.  We have come to expect that from Frost, but Mark Whipple having the same issue is a bit alarming.  Nebraska must find a way to run the ball consistently until the defense has their feet under them.  If they don’t, there isn’t a game left on the schedule outside of the next two that Nebraska will be favored.

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Quick Notes:

Casey Thompson…In all the direness of last week’s loss, if there was a bright spot it was Thompson.  He struggled a bit in the second half, but he was so on the money in the first half he seemed superhuman.  Thompson is the most polished passer at Nebraska since Joe Ganz and could set a lot of records this year.  He needs more help from his wide receivers.  He also needs another tight end that can catch.  Travis Vokolek’s injury may be the biggest loss of the season last week.  It made teams defend the middle of the field.  When Vokolek went out, Northwestern was able to sit on the downfield throws and shut off the outside of the field.

Anthony Grant…Grant is clearly the number one back in the Husker depth chart.  He had multiple nice runs, including a 46-yard touchdown run.  He breaks tackles and can break past the linebackers for long runs.  Grant should be a great addition.  I was disappointed that Rahmir Johnson didn’t play more against Northwestern.  Nebraska is going to need to use his speed to keep defenses honest and allow Grant to have more room inside.

Tommi Hill…You couldn’t pick out many bright spots in the Blackshirts in the second half, but Hill looks like a keeper.  He made multiple pass breakups and played well in man-to-man coverage.  I think Nebraska has the talent to play more man.  They certainly didn’t play zone well enough to win.

Brian Buschini…I was going to bring up Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, who had a great game, but Buschini was such a welcome sight to Husker fan’s eyes, I couldn’t leave him out.  Nebraska has struggled with the punt game about 90 percent of the Scott Frost tenure.  To see Buschini be able to give the Huskers an edge in special teams gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.  When it’s 20 degrees in November and Nebraska needs a lift, I think this new punter might save a game for the Huskers.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 38, North Dakota 28

Can the loss to Northwestern have the opposite effect on this year’s Husker team?  I don’t know, but we do know that there are certain players on the Huskers that are working hard to turn this thing around.  If Nebraska has a close game this weekend, don’t let it dampen your spirits.  The Huskers have a lot of newness to work out.  Their offense should take advantage of a smaller North Dakota defense and the Blackshirts will have their hands full with a veteran quarterback.  I expect Nebraska to have the game in hand, but it will be closer than the spread. GBR!!

Coach Frost Hoping To Dublin His Wins This Season

     Tis a season of either firsts or lasts.  Either Scott Frost finally has his first winning season at Nebraska and rolls into a bowl game, or the trap door that almost fell open at the end of last season, blasts open and the prodigal son returns out into the wild. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

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     Such is the wildest, most interesting season in Nebraska football since Frost’s arrival four seasons ago. 

     Nebraska may have lacked wins the last six seasons, but they haven’t lacked drama (best 3-9 team of all time) or scrutiny (Covid practices, fighting with the Big Ten) or painstaking mediocrity (15-29 under Frost, 19-19 the last three years under Mike Riley).

     Now it is basically put up or get out time.  Trev Alberts allowed Scott Frost to redo his contract at the end of last season, decreasing his buy out, but giving Frost a little more rope to try and right the Husker ship.

    Frost responded by firing multiple coaches in the offseason and doing something that a lot of fans have asked for.  Frost brought in a seasoned veteran in Mark Whipple to run the offense.  Forever people have suggested that Frost needed an assistant that had seen it all to help him with the rigors of coaching in one of, if not the, most elite conference in the country.  Frosty also hired a new offensive line coach in Donavan Raiola, that needed to happen.  Multiple times rewatching games, offensive lineman had no idea what their assignment was on certain plays and simply just ran around looking for someone to block.  If Nebraska can correct ¾ of those problems, they should improve offensively at least to be more consistent.

    Nebraska also hired Bryan Applewhite to coach the running backs.  Applewhite remade the room, grabbing junior college star Anthony Grant and pulling in highly regarded Ajay Allen from high school.  The current running backs in the room, like Rahmir Johnson, Gabe Ervin and Jaquez Yant all needed a different coaching style than what has been happening the last four years.

Will any of this make enough difference for Frost to keep his job going into 2023?  I’d say that it should help a lot.  Whipple has been around the block, coaching in the NFL and everywhere you could think in college.  Last year with Pittsburgh he helped Kenny Pickett become a Heisman Finalist and the Panthers were one of the hottest scoring teams in the nation.  Whipple is a quarterback guy, and his newest pupil, Casey Thompson, should provide an ample canvas to work with.

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    That brings us to arguably the best hire that Scott Frost made, bringing back Mickey Joseph to coach the wide receivers.  Joseph has been the best receiver coach in the country the last four years, putting countless players in the pros that have turned out to be budding stars in the NFL.  Joseph may not have all the horses he had at LSU, but he will maximize the play of what he does have, and he does have talent.

     So where does this leave Scott Frost and Nebraska?  Well, you could argue that Frost has the easiest schedule he has had since he came back to the Huskers.  The only catch with that is the back end is probably the toughest group of four games you could ask for.  Nebraska needs to make hay early, or the good will that Frost has earned over again could be washed away by a brutal stretch of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa to close out the season.

     Nebraska simply must do something they have failed to do in Frost’s tenure so far, win a lot of games.  Nebraska wins the offseason as well as any program in the country.  It is time to win during the regular season, or Frost will be looking for a new place to live.  It’s unfortunate for this original feel-good story, but at this point Nebraska fans need a winner.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

    Last game prediction was Iowa 23, Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Iowa 28 Nebraska 21.  Logan Smothers cam out last season and played admirably against Iowa.  Nebraska was it’s own worst enemy again the second half, with bad special teams play and the inability to make first downs when needed the most.  It will be interesting if any of that changes this year.

Quick Notes:

    Scott Frost…I’ve already said a lot about Frost’s tenure, but this truly is a make-or-break season for the coach.  He either will have a long career in Lincoln as the head coach or he will be back out looking for an offensive coordinator position or analyst position on Nick Saban’s staff.  There really isn’t much in between right now.   

Casey Thompson…Out of the frying pan and into the fire?  Leaving Texas was probably not where Thompson saw himself last year, but their loss is Nebraska’s great gain.  Thompson will be an entirely different quarterback than Adrian Martinez.  A much more controlled passer and much more accurate, Thompson should allow the offense to be much more balanced with the running back run game.  The real question is if the offensive line will give him enough time to let routes develop.  Keeping teams honest should allow for play action and possibly more screen game and bubble game.  If that happens, Nebraska will have plenty of opportunities in the red zone, which is where Thompson’s accuracy should finally allow the Huskers to be an efficient passing team.  You could argue it has been since the days of Tommy Armstrong that Nebraska has had a solid passing threat inside the ten-yard line.

     Garrett Nelson…The captain from Scottsbluff has come a long way from being a freshman that really should have redshirted, to being a possible NFL draft pick after this season.   Nelson has never been questioned about his Husker heart, he truly does bleed red, but now he has the game to match.  The improvement of Caleb Tannor and the addition of All Big Twelve edge rusher Ochaun Mathis should lesson the attention that Nelson will receive this year.  If Nelson is close to being an all-conference selection by the end of the season, Nebraska will definitely be playing in a bowl game this winter.

Transfer Central…Nebraska has gone out and added arguably a top ten transfer class in the off season.  Nebraska will be relying on players at wide receiver, running back, defensive tackle, edge rusher, quarterback, kicker and punter to elevate their game.  If those players pan out, Nebraska could have a mirror of what Michigan State experienced last season.  If not, it will be a struggle in Lincoln.  A strong culture should help the team absorb all of these changes.  If the transfers do not come out and help immediately, Nebraska’s season could be over before it begins.

Season Predication:

     Fourth verse, same as the first.  Nebraska under Scott Frost has been awful in one score ball games.  The common denominator in that has been Adrian Martinez.  Martinez is off to Kansas State, so now we find out which one of them was more likely the culprit.  Love him or hate him, Nebraska went as Adrian went and Frost did little to help him out in his four years.  If Nebraska has any chance at a winning season, they must win the 50/50 games.  Nebraska has the most favorable schedule they’ve had in years.  If they don’t start the season 6-2 at a minimum, it is likely that Scott Frost won’t be around next season.  Nebraska has a floor of four wins and a likely ceiling of nine.  Last season I felt like the floor was four wins and they failed to even reach that.  

     I will go even further, I think if Nebraska fails to win more than six games, this will be the final season for Scott Frost.  I hate to split the difference, but I think Nebraska will finish 7-5 and make it to the first bowl game in Frost’s tenure.  If that happens, it’s likely he gets one more year.  Anything less than that and Nebraska will be looking for a new coach in November.

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     Score Prediction:  Nebraska 31, Northwestern 16

Nebraska played their best game against Northwestern last season, and I really felt like that was going to be a springboard to a great year.  Turns out it was Nebraska’s last win, and they would go on to crush Husker hearts all over the country by losing close games every week.   I’ve been wrestling with this prediction all during preseason camp.  On paper, Nebraska should crush Northwestern, but breaking in a new quarterback, new offensive coordinator and new offensive staff, there will likely be some stumbles.  All that being said, I still think Nebraska has enough explosive talent on offense to pull away in the end.  I’m going all in on this Kool-Aid!  Let’s go Huskers and as always, GBR!!

Happy Thanksgiving Husker Nation!!!

Since we have hammered the Scott Frost angle all season, trying to figure out why close games continue to go against Nebraska, this week we will start by giving “Thanks” to some people that deserve it.

Adrian Martinez will likely end up having the worst winning percentage of any Nebraska quarterback of all time.  I’d say you can blame about 5% of that record on him.  He has never had the type of players around him that Tommy Armstrong had, let alone Tommie Frazier.  He has made plays that are reminiscent of Taylor Martinez.  He will wind up with more total yards than Eric Crouch.

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Unfortunately, he will likely go into the Joe Dailey category on one end, but he was simply as electric as any player we have had this decade on the other.  I will miss watching him and wish he had better results because the effort was always there.

I watched Austin Allen at state basketball his senior year.  I had a hard time envisioning him being a tight end, but I know that high school ability doesn’t project so easily.  Since that time Allen has developed into arguably the best receiving tight end in Husker history.  He has been fun to watch and should be a good NFL prospect.  I’ve enjoyed his growth as much as any player in recent memory.

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When Cam Taylor-Britt arrived at Nebraska, I thought that he was the type of player that Frost would bring in over and over.  He played quarterback in high school and was the best athlete on the field no matter where he played.  He was the type of hard-working kid that Nebraska was known for.  Taylor-Britt has not disappointed in his Husker career.  Cornerbacks are always noticed when they screw up, but Taylor-Britt goes long stretches without even a mention.  He has been the best player of the Scott Frost era in many ways and will be one of the hardest players to replace next season.

 There will be a lot of other players moving on after this game, some more of my favorites include Marquel Dismuke (one of the original California kids that Mike Riley brought in, one of the only ones that panned out), Deontai Williams, Ben Stille and Samari Toure.  It’s ok not to name them all, but all Huskers will hold a special place for many of us as they move on.   Instead of worrying about the fate of Scott Frost and the replacement staff, I’ll choose to remember this group that played the game as hard as they could.  They continue to represent the best of what Nebraska is about.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Wisconsin 30 Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28.  Typical of Nebraska versus Wisconsin, Nebraska moves the ball up and down the field, but can’t stop the Badgers big bad running back.  So many questionable calls make this one frustrating.  Don’t get me wrong, Nebraska continues to step on their own foot on special teams and questionable red zone strategy.  That makes the blown calls all the more glaring, but if Nebraska would clean up their own mess, those bad calls would matter way less.

Quick Notes:

Logan Smothers…When Nebraska recruited Smothers, it was another lifetime ago.  He was a Rivals top 250 player and a top ranked dual threat quarterback coming out of high school.  He has two full years learning the offense and is a coach’s son.  I can’t tell you he will beat Iowa, but I can tell you, I have more confidence in him that I’ve had in a back-up quarterback starting his first game in a long time.  He is super athletic.  Hopefully Coach Frost can find ways to get him in the open field, it could go a long way toward winning on Friday. 

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Brody Belt…Belt didn’t start against Wisconsin, but he made the most of his opportunities.  He exploded into holes and was patient and didn’t run into the offensive lineman without a plan.  It sounds like Jaquez Yant will be starting against Iowa, but I look for Belt to take a dozen touches in the game.  If he plays like he did last week, that will be a good sign.

Samari Toure…Toure has been the best treat for Nebraska fans.  I’ve mentioned him in this blog more times than I can remember.  He has been the explosive playmaker that Nebraska has looked for since Stanley Morgan was here.  Every week teams have looked silly trying to find him down the field and every week it seems like he delivers a huge play when Nebraska needs it the most.  It was a short time in Lincoln for Toure, but he will be missed by Husker fans for a long time.

Garrett Nelson…I’ve argued since he got here that Nelson is the kind of kid that was hurt by a lack of depth his freshman year.  He played and played so hard, but he had no idea what he was doing and would have benefited from a redshirt.  Now, he is playing like and old All Big Eight type of hard-nosed linebacker that many of us remember from the old days.  It’s likely he will lead the team in sacks and tackles for loss.  A lot of people have complained early that he wasn’t that good, but if there were a dozen more players like him on the roster, it’s doubtful Nebraska would suffer on the scoreboard like they have. 

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Score Prediction:  Iowa 23, Nebraska 21 

It pains me to say this, but after watching this team all year, I can’t help but acknowledge that they will have a lead in this game with under a minute to play and lose it by a field goal.  Don’t ask me how I know, I just know.  If by some miracle, Nebraska doesn’t give up two touchdowns by turnover or special teams, they will win this game.  Iowa just makes plays based on the other team’s mistakes.  This Nebraska team just can’t help themselves.  Sounds like a warm day is in store, so I still look forward to spending my last fall day in Memorial Stadium.  Here is to better days ahead, and GBR!!

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So Now What? And Who?

What a bye week right?  We went from having a full staff and wondering if Frost would be kept after the Iowa game, to knowing he is coming back, but the offensive staff will be completely new in 2022.

There are a lot of reasons that Scott Frost probably should not have been brought back after this season.   After having a season with the best Blackshirts defense in a decade, a fourth year starting quarterback and what we thought would be a rebuilt special teams unit, Nebraska has underachieved this season.  This is the fourth season in a row that Nebraska will have failed to finish above .500 under Frost and failed to make bowl game.  It’s the worst start to a career at Nebraska in the last 50 years for a head football coach.  That’s really difficult to stomach.

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So why would Athletic Director Trev Alberts keep Scott Frost after all of that?  

I think a lot of it has to do with how Nebraska has played this year.  They are 1-6 overall in conference play, but they have still outscored their opponents in those 7 games.  That’s remarkable.  They have played every ranked team outside of Ohio State within a touchdown.  Even that game was close throughout.  Special teams have likely cost Nebraska at a minimum two more wins and probably more than that.  

Adrian Martinez has had to do too much on his own.  And while the Blackshirts have played lights out a lot of the season, they haven’t been able to get to the quarterback enough against lesser teams to create the turnovers needed to cruise in games they should have won.

You can argue that there are still holes in the overall roster that need to be addressed and maybe they can with more time.

In the end, I think that Trev Alberts sees the landscape of college football and how much it is changing.  With the new transfer rules, recruiting will become a different beast than it has been in our lifetime.  Name and Image Likeness (NIL) rules have changed what Universities can offer outside of full scholarships.  Large buyouts and recycling a new coach every three to four years has proven to be a futile exercise in most cases.  Many schools considered Blue Blood football powerhouses are out wandering the wilderness.  Florida State, Florida and Miami are in the hotbed of football prospects, yet they have failed to maintain top 20 teams this last decade.  Rebuilding a program may simply require small changes over big shakeups in this new world.

And that is why Alberts has zigged when others have zagged.  This is going to be a crazy offseason to hire a new coach.  I get the argument that it probably will be like that forever moving forward.  Frost is the hometown hero and maybe it’s wise to not throw the baby out with the bath water.  Eventually Alberts may be forced to decide to relieve Frost, but at this point, it was a calculated gamble to continue on this path, no matter how painful it might be to get to where Nebraska wants to go.  I don’t know that I agree with it, but I support Alberts for realizing the old way may not be the best way when it comes to moving forward.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Ohio State 44 Nebraska 24.  The actual score was Ohio State 26, Nebraska 17.  It was the second time in the Frost tenure that he has held tight with the Buckeyes.  For whatever reason, Nebraska has played ranked teams better this season than unranked teams.  How does that help Nebraska to finish out this season?  Who knows, but this week may not be as kind as the others.

Quick Notes:

JoJo Domann…I hit on Domann in my last blog, but since he isn’t playing another game this season, I wanted to at least pay a tribute to him for his career.  He went out with a bang, playing arguably his best game ever against Ohio State.  Domann has been one of the few bright spots on the defense during his career and he will leave a big gap in the Blackshirts the rest of they season.  Not many players can play so many roles for a team, but Domann has been able to play defensive back, linebacker and edge rusher at a high level.  If Nebraska is ever going to get back to the top of the Big Ten, they need a dozen players like Domann.  

Rahmir Johnson…Johnson has proven out to be the most consistent runner in the backfield this year.  He hasn’t blown up for big gains in the running game, but he has been the best at moving the offense forward behind an average run blocking line.  Johnson has three more years of eligibility left.  It will be interesting to see if he can continue to improve at a high level moving forward

Samari Toure…He has been a lightning bolt for Nebraska this season.  He is what everyone hoped that Kanawai Noa and Wan’Dale Robinson would have been for the Huskers.  Toure will likely get a look in the NFL draft this spring.  His numbers would likely be even better if Nebraska was a little more accurate in the quarterback department.

Offensive Assistant Coaches…For three years, Nebraska’s offense has continued to perform well below expectations.  It was just a matter of time for most of the staff to be turned over.  It has cost Nebraska dearly to be inconsistent when they have played lesser opponents.  Also, their inability to run the football against the titans of the Big Ten outside of the quarterback position almost cost Coach Frost his job.  Whatever Frost decides moving forward, he must establish a better game at the line of scrimmage.  It has been this teams Achilles heel for almost a decade.        

Score Prediction:  Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 21 

I probably have this prediction too close.  Nebraska has every reason to mail it in this weekend if they get off to a slow start.  Wisconsin is playing about as well as Ohio State right now and may have the better defense.  Nebraska matches up well with their offense, but on the defensive side, Nebraska likely won’t make it to three touchdowns.  I’m going to say they make it, but it is probably because of a late touchdown when the game is already in hand.  I will be staying warm this week watching the game.  Better than freezing in Wisconsin! GBR!!

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The End Is Near...

As a fan, you can’t do much to affect the outcome of a game.  If you could, Nebraska’s fans would have pushed multiple teams to winning records and Scott Frost would be a hero in his home state.  

Instead, we are where we are as a Husker football program, in the doldrums of another losing season.  I know that JoJo Domann gave the impression that they (the players) know who the real fans are and that they don’t leave before a game is over, but Husker fans are hardly fair weather.  One could argue that this last five years have shown that Nebraska fans truly are the best fans in the country, and possibly all time.  With the expectations for Nebraska as a football program, they certainly have continued to show up despite terrifying results the last half decade.

That’s what most people outside of the state don’t really understand.  Nebraska football, outside of religion (and maybe inside of it) is the one thing that defines the people of this state through and through.  Football is a hard game, for hard players and Nebraska people, and their roots are as hardy as they come.  Nebraska people come from a mindset that you work as hard as you can, and you deal with the consequences of that.  They expect that same result from their football teams.

That’s what makes this so frustrating.  As fans, we can’t impact much on the field, but most Husker fans understand that this team is working hard.  We obviously can’t see practice and we only get a certain amount of coverage of how things are going until Saturdays, but the product has been better this year.  The results have not.

This doesn’t mean that Scott Frost needs to be fired at this point in the season.  

It does mean that you can see that outcome from here.  Ohio State comes to Lincoln this Saturday and they will be looking to cut the Husker’s heart out and serve it to them on a platter.  They are playing for the types of rewards that 40 plus years of Husker fans witnessed every year.  Great teams step on bad teams and don’t let them breath.  Right now, Nebraska is playing for air every week.

So, Husker fans will continue to come to the last two games of the season.  That’s what we do.  When it’s all said and done, Husker fans will continue to show up.  That’s where the program is.  The fans are the only thing that’s a guarantee.  That’s where we are.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 27, Purdue 24.  The actual score was Purdue 28, Nebraska 23.  Adrian Martinez continues to be the difference in games.  His injuries and inability to be a threat in the running game makes this Husker team inefficient.  Martinez has to be able force teams to spy him in the run game, or they just drop back into coverage.  Martinez isn’t accurate enough to throw receivers open and it makes Nebraska too one dimensional.  It is back-to-back games where average defensive teams have shut Nebraska down for long stretches of the game.

Quick Notes:

JoJo Domann…I don’t want to harp on Domann’s comments about the fans too much because he is a young kid and probably just as frustrated as most of the fans.  He also is playing at an All-Conference level.  He has basically taken out the tight end position this year from being a factor against the defense.  He is probably Nebraska’s best pass rusher as well.  If you had eleven Domanns this defense would be an all timer Blackshirt unit.  

Nick Henrich and Luke Reimer…Whatever happens, Nebraska will have these two studs back next season.  They have been super consistent this season.  They are in the top four in tackles in the Big Ten.  Top it off, technically they have three seasons left.  You wonder if other players at inside linebacker can move around to the outside because if you must beat these two out, you are going to have play at a level we haven’t seen since the Lavonte David days.  The future at inside linebacker is so bright.

Jaquez Yant…Yant continues to be the best big play running back on the team.  He has the size and the speed that you need to be an all-conference back in the Big Ten.  The problem is, he is raw, doesn’t know the plays as well as he should, and he hasn’t figure out how to run hard on each play.  That’s likely because he isn’t sure what he should do.  If Yant comes back next season with a strong off season, Nebraska could have their running back of the next three years figured out.

Omar Manning…Whatever you want to think about the coaching staff and how they have handled Manning, you must admit, when healthy he is the best-looking receiver on the team.  He is so big and fast, if Nebraska has any chance of winning these final games, Manning will need to be a big part of it.  If Samori Toure can get his touches and Zavier Betts continues to blossom along with Manning’s surge, Nebraska should be able to put some points on the board.

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Score Prediction:  Ohio State 44, Nebraska 24 

A month ago, I would have figured Nebraska would have four or five wins and be knocking on being bowl eligible and knowing that they had a chance to put a big pelt on the wall, they would play Ohio State close.  I’m afraid the last three weeks have taken the wind out of those sails.  Nebraska’s defense is hanging on by a thread each week and the offense continues to be their own worst enemy.  That’s the wrong combination to be a top five level team in the country.  Nebraska will need the Adrian Martinez that played against Michigan to show up if they have any hope at all.  Have a beer and GBR!!

Everything On The Line!

As if the bye week couldn’t have come at a worse time for Nebraska, just like clockwork a worn down and battered Husker team traveled to Minneapolis and lost another game in which they were favored.  It was inopportune because the Huskers clearly were flat, and their injury status was too much to overcome.   The needed that bye week the week before.  Just another bad timing issue that hit the Huskers this season.

So, when does the bright spot of the season occur?

I’ve been more convinced this season that Frost was getting the team into a place that they were ready to go on a run.  Playing top ten teams within one score and blowing out Northwestern made me think this team was on the cusp of something great.   The question now becomes, how wrong am I?

Nebraska clearly has a lot to play for the next four weeks.  They need three more wins to reach a bowl game.  At this point, that doesn’t seem likely.  In his career, Scott Frost hasn’t beat three of the teams that he is playing.  It would be a bit of a fluke to think he is going to beat even two of three.

That leaves us with another losing season.  I said at the beginning of the season that the ceiling was likely eight wins, but the floor could be three or four.  If Nebraska fails to win this week, the task to get to even four wins becomes so mountainous based on history, you have to wonder if Scott Frost will survive.  If Nebraska only wins three games with arguably Scott Frost’s most talented team, you wouldn’t be crazy to think he should be let go.

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So just like every week, this is Scott Frost’s biggest game.  I don’t know that this narrative will stop the rest of the season.  That’s a precarious spot to be in when you have already had three losing seasons to start your career.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 38, Minnesota 17.  The actual score was Minnesota 30, Nebraska 23.  It was a prediction based on a healthy Adrian Martinez.  He clearly wasn’t healthy and Nebraska removed the quarterback running game from their plan.  Inability to strike from the goal line and missed field goals again cost Nebraska.  The Huskers are their own worst enemy, and continue to shoot themselves in the foot more often than not.

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Quick Notes:

Austin Allen…Allen has been the best tight end at Nebraska for at least a decade, if not more.  He has improved to the point that he is like all the other Big Ten tight ends that have haunted Nebraska this last ten years.  You could argue that Allen has been the biggest receiving threat on the team, even though he isn’t always the main target.  If Nebraska continues to get the ball to Allen, it should open the field for other receivers.  

Adrian Martinez…I don’t always like that Nebraska doesn’t talk about injuries, because Martinez has been playing hurt most of the year.  His jaw was clearly injured against Michigan State.  He had a leg injury against Michigan.  Nebraska can only be as good as Martinez plays.  Martinez has been a horse trying to play through all of these injuries.  I suspect a week off will do him well, but the offensive line needs to keep him clean.  It’s the only way he will make it through the year.

Running Game…When Rahmir Johnson went out against Minnesota, the wind went out of Nebraska’s running game.  To be honest, if Johnson hadn’t claimed the top spot at running back this year, Nebraska may be in worse shape than they are.  The inability of Nebraska to establish more than one running back each season is baffling.  It would be different if we did not recruit the spot well, but there are a lot of running backs on the roster that were highly recruited.  Nebraska needs to figure this out during the offseason or the assistant coaches may need to be changed.

Pass Rush…You can argue that Nebraska’s defense has been a bright spot this season and that they are the main reason Nebraska has been competitive week in and week out.  They do have a weakness and it is the ability to put pressure on the quarterback.  This has been an issue since Randy Gregory and Maliek Collins left town.  Teams have figured this out and used it against Nebraska all year.  Quick drops and pop passes have left Nebraska vulnerable and forced the Huskers out of their normal base all season.  In my opinion it has cost Nebraska at a minimum three games this season.  To me, as much as the offensive red zone issues have held Nebraska back, the failure to get a consistent pass rush has been just as damaging.     

 Husker Manners Tee

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 27, Purdue 24 

It’s hard to guess what offense Nebraska will have game to game.  Defensively they have been consistent, and the bye should help as it seemed like the Huskers were gassed against Minnesota.  If Nebraska can use Martinez in the running game and everyone has healed up during the bye week, you would think that Nebraska should have an easy win at home.  I’m guessing it will be close unfortunately.  I think this week Nebraska only misses one field goal and one extra point to hold on. I’m off to tailgate and yell loud and GBR!!

Gopher It!

It is as if we live in this slow turning time machine.  Nebraska fans keep coming to games, we turn on the TV, we buy tickets, we travel to far off places to support the Big Red and we can’t stop following every move the team makes.  The seasons flash by, but the losing seems to take forever.

You can’t move away from it.  You want to.  As a fan, you hurt when your team hurts.  You feel the pain of leads blown, fumbles lost, and missed opportunities that seem so close and yet so far away.

If you are over the age of 40 and have been a Husker fan most of your life, you remember the days when more than one loss in a season was a killer and losing just one in the season meant that the season likely wasn’t a success.  I remember thinking back in Tommie Frazier’s freshman season, after a tough loss at Iowa State, that the year seemed lost.

I still feel that way each week Nebraska loses.  What is different is that I keep coming back, expecting a different result.  I get that we are all conditioned to think that Nebraska will get it figured out and this is all a blimp on the radar, but it really does seem like it’s a never-ending loop.  Frost said that it seemed like we are watching the same movie over and over again and that was a great analogy.

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I have to say though, this last month has seemed like the worm may have turned.  It hasn’t shown up in the Huskers record, we all know that.  Think about this though, when Scott Frost returned to Nebraska in 2018 and the Huskers played in Ann Arbor, they took a loss on the chin that was as bad as I have seen at Nebraska.  When you are down 39-0 at halftime, it likely doesn’t get much worse.  Now it’s three seasons later and Nebraska had every opportunity to beat a top ten Michigan team.  

It doesn’t seem like the losing will ever end, but for the first time in half a decade, I think it will.  You can worry about 2022 if you like and you can worry if Frost is the long-term answer, but at this point and time, I’ve never been more confident that it is all going to work out for Frost and Nebraska.  We just need to find the remote to fast forward to the winning part.

              Carriker Chronicles Minnesota Prediction

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 26, Michigan 22.  The actual score was Michigan 32, Nebraska 29.  I have to admit, when I sat in Memorial Stadium and Adrian Martinez fumbled in the fourth quarter trying to go for every inch to keep a drive going, I just slapped my forehead.  I was so close to believing that this time would be different.  You have to wonder how many ways a group of players can find a way to give away a game?  Nebraska is a very good team.  They just aren’t a winning team.  Yet.

Quick Notes:

Bryce Benhart…Teddy Prochaska went down with a knee injury, forcing Turner Corcoran back to the left tackle side and Benhart came into the game back to his right tackle position after being benched just one week before.  Benhart played his tail off.  Michigan has as good a defensive line as Nebraska will see outside of Ohio State and I didn’t notice a drop off.  Kudo’s to Benhart for being prepared and kudos to Greg Austin for continuing to help make him better.

Cam Taylor-Britt…Played like everyone expected this All Big Ten player to play against Michigan.  Taylor-Britt has made some great plays this season but had yet to have a game where he was dominant.  He was dominant against the Wolverines.  As well as he played, Quinton Newsome has also stepped up as a starter.  If Taylor-Britt goes pro, it’s good to know that the drop-off might not be as bad as we once feared.

Rahmir Johnson…Johnson is technically a redshirt freshman.  It’s crazy to think about, because he is in his third year in the program.  Johnson could play three more seasons.  He has become a great threat receiving the ball as well as becoming the bell cow for the Husker rushing attack.  Michigan has a great defense and Johnson still had over 170 total yards.  He blocks so well for his size, it has just been a great lift for this team to have his consistency.  

Coach Chinander…A lot has been said about Coach Chins and how he really wasn’t prepared for this role at a place like Nebraska.  What I’ve seen is a Coach that has his defense improved so significantly that he likely will have his pick of jobs in the near future if he wants.  What makes this so difficult to type is that Coach has suffered a big loss this week.  There is no way to comprehend losing a parent to an accident until it happens to you.  To Coach Chinander, his family and his Husker family, just know that all of us in the Husker Nation are thinking and praying for you and your family.    

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 38, Minnesota 17 

I didn’t go out on a limb for a prediction against Northwestern and I kicked myself about it.  This time, I’m predicting Nebraska will have their first road win and that it will be a walk away in the second half.  There will be a lot of emotion on Saturday with the Huskers.  How they respond to the last weeks physical game will be a predictor for how the rest of the season plays out.  I feel like Nebraska will continue to make big plays and the defense will play with fire for Coach Chinander.  It’s an early game, so make sure and get the coffee brewing and GBR!!

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