After Nebraska’s 45-7 loss to Michigan last Saturday, Matt Rhule and his 2-3 Huskers squad have some major questions to address against Bret Bielema’s struggling Illinois football team. But what are the Cornhuskers’ keys to victory against the program? Let’s find out.
Who Will Make an Offensive Impact Against Illinois?
Last week against No. 2 Michigan, Anthony Grant failed to make the most of his opportunities against the Wolverines. This is because he only could muster 16 yards on the day. Credit Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter for coming up with an effective plan to not only attack Nebraska’s offensive linemen but to also disrupt Grant’s running lanes. But the Wolverines didn’t stop them completely. In fact, the only bright spot in Nebraska’s running game was senior wide receiver Josh Fleeks. At the end of the fourth quarter, he outran most of Michigan’s defenders for a 74-yard touchdown. Even though this didn’t change the result, this sends a powerful message to the coaching staff that he can be a major part of the team’s game plan in the future.
But the question is how much? For starters, Fleeks is a wide receiver. The Baylor transfer has two receptions for Nebraska this season for six yards. However, he also has the one rush from last week that went for 74 yards. The coaching staff already has Grant getting the bulk of the carries, and they have little depth to replace him. Does that mean the Huskers conserve Fleeks in Champaign? Or will Rhule use him as a wide receiver? Whatever the case, it’s certainly an interesting dilemma for Nebraska that we will see manifest itself against a struggling Illinois squad.
Can Nebraska’s Defense Play to its Strengths Against a Struggling Illinois Team?
Throughout Nebraska’s first three games, Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense was dominant. During that period of time, the Cornhuskers led the nation in total sacks, rushing defense, and passing yards allowed. But this didn’t last. In fact, last week’s game against Michigan proved to be the end of the dominance. This is because the Big Red surrendered a combined 456 yards to the Wolverine offense. It’s the most yardage that the program has given up so far and it raises legitimate concerns about how good White’s defense truly is. But luckily, the Cornhuskers had a short week of practice ahead of them to rectify last game’s struggles on defense. But this is only if the team has an effective plan in order to get to quarterback Luke Altmyer. This should be manageable, as Illinois lost both center Alex Philstrom and right tackle Alex Palczewski to the NFL. In addition to this, there should also be good secondary play. The Huskers should benefit from Quinton Newsome and Malcolm Hartzog’s experience. But after a bad game against Michigan, will they be able to cover Isaiah Williams and the other talent that the Illinois football team has at its disposal?
Nebraska’s Young Quarterback Must Continue Working on Trust With His Receivers
For the last two weeks, sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg has shown that he can provide a spark to the Huskers offense without Jeff Sims. Haarberg has had a 52% completion percentage along with throwing for a solid 477 yards. He’s also made good decisions with the ball, accounting for four touchdowns and only one interception. But despite this, the signal caller still is having trouble developing chemistry with his wide receivers. This became a concern against the Wolverines as Billy Kemp was limited to only 64 yards on the day. It helped a little bit when Marcus Washington moved the offense in a positive direction to start the third quarter, but he ended up not getting many targets as the day went on. Is it because Haarberg didn’t feel comfortable throwing to him, or did offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield not trust him to make the big play? Either reason may be true, but in tomorrow’s matchup against Illinois, the objective still remains the same for Nebraska’s wideouts. They need to drive down the field and make plays when they are called upon to do so. Along with this, they also must be effective participants in blocking for Haarberg and Grant’s runs.
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