How Can Nebraska Maintain Its Edge Against Minnesota?

There’s momentum building in Lincoln. Nebraska earned a one-score win over Maryland in College Park. And, the Huskers are ranked for the second time in the Matt Rhule era. However, the scarlet and cream can’t relax just yet. On Friday night, the Cornhuskers will travel to Minnesota to take on PJ Fleck’s Golden Gophers.  What do the Cornhuskers have to do to win and go bowling?

Nebraska’s defensive line was stout at the beginning of the game against Maryland. This trend began early in the first quarter with a sack by Kade Pietrzak. Williams Nwaneri also made a name for himself in College Park. But as the game wore on, Terry Bradden’s unit failed to even sniff the the Terrapins’ backfield. This was due to Washington’s ability to escape the pocket for scramble yards. We should expect the Cornhuskers to have a better time getting to Drake Lindsay. The freshman has been a serviceable passer for the Minnesota team. But he hasn’t been able to extend plays outside the pocket. This should provide an opportunity for Cam Lenhardt or Dasan McCullough to get some sacks. Williams Nwaneri will be hard to defend against, too. The former Missouri Tiger should be a handful for the Gophers’ offensive line.  Nwaneri had eight quarterback pressures against Maryland.

The Blackshirts struggled to stop the Terrapins’ rushing attack. Sophomore running back Nolan Ray had 5.2 yards per carry, which allowed him to rush for a little over 60 yards. His highlight of the day was when he was able to gash the Huskers’ defense for a 28-yard touchdown run. Can the Huskers limit these types of explosive plays on the ground against Minnesota?  It seems that they can. Apart from a 141-yard day against Buffalo,  Darius Taylor has been a non-factor for the Gophers’ offense this season. However, anything could happen. The Cornhuskers are looking for an opportunity to win more tight games under Rhule. Plus, Taylor will have the motivation to correct his mistakes. The junior will be looking to bounce back in Huntington Bank Stadium after his 32-yard performance against Purdue.

Coming into College Park, the Huskers only allowed their opponents to average 91.8 yards per game and one touchdown pass. This is a good metric, but Nebraska’s secondary failed to keep its momentum against the Terps. A lot of their problems came from the program’s 19-year-old quarterback, Malik Washington. The true freshman  threw for 249 yards and one touchdown against the Cornhuskers’ defense. The Huskers will have to defend another prolific passer in Lindsey. In the Gophers’ win over Purdue, he threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns.  But the freshman was far from unstoppable. The Boilermakers’ secondary recorded 12 pass breakups and got an interception out of veteran safety Myles Slusher.

Jacory Barney has been the ringleader for Nebraska on special teams. The sophomore’s 192 return yards put him at third in the Big Ten and fifth nationally. He’s also been able to rank 13th in the country when it comes to yards per return. Plus, the Big Ten will also have to account for Kenneth Williams. After having a slow start to the season, the former walk-on had an 85-yard kickoff return against Maryland. This should motivate him to make an impact in the rest of the program’s games. It’s also worth mentioning that the Cornhuskers’ kickers have plenty of confidence, too. Kyle Cunanan drilled a 43-yard field goal against the Terrapins, which is his second-longest attempt on the season.

Donovan Raiola’s unit passed the eye test against Maryland. The Huskers’ offensive lineman gave Dylan Raiola a clean pocket in College Park. This allowed the sophomore to throw for 260 yards and four touchdowns. Nebraska’s offensive lineman also held up for the Cornhuskers’ game-winning drive.  However, the pipeline wasn’t perfect on the day. Left tackle Elijah Pritchett allowed Raiola to get sacked again. But the Cornhuskers made up for it in the run department. Emmett Johnson had a 176-yard day, and the highlight was a 50-yard run. The junior should be able to surpass 650 yards on the season against Minnesota’s offensive line. It’s his home state after all.

Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images