Well Husker Nation, last week was a tough pill to swallow. On one hand, the team took Illinois to OT while playing some not so good football. On the other hand though, the performance in OT was a thing of nightmares... it honestly almost made me physically ill to watch it.
I know it takes some time to get far enough from Bret Bielema to make him disappear from the rearview, but we must Husker Nation. The defense did not play up to the standard that Matt Rhule speaks about so often, but nonetheless, we move on. Toe meets leather at 11am for Husker Football's showdown with Purdue, here’s what I believe Nebraska must do to stuff Boilermaker Pete back into whatever hellhole he came from.
Pound the Rock: Nebraska needs to get the running backs involved in a big way to establish the run game early. This Purdue defense is coming off back-to-back weeks of allowing 300+ rushing yards to Notre Dame and Oregon State. I really don’t give a damn who we hand the ball to, just light a fire under the big men upfront and push those Boilermakers right off the tracks. With a potential for wet and windy weather, a steady and effective running game is going to be a must for the Huskers to have success against Purdue.
Stop the Run: Husker Nation, and most of the nation, saw what happened last Friday night: the defense got gashed in the run game. Is it a concern moving forward? Considering the way the defensive line played last year and the hype surrounding them coming into this year, I think it would be foolish not to be teetering. But the Blackshirts have the opportunity to take the proverbial two steps forward after their one step back last week by stopping (or at least containing) running backs Devon Mockobee and Reggie Love III, who are averaging 7.7 and 6.1 yards per carry this year, respectively. If the Blackshirts can force Hudson Card into throwing the ball, I think Husker Nation is going to have a relaxing Saturday afternoon.
Keep the Foot on the Gas: Too many times this season, it has felt like the team enters lulls throughout the game. Seeing the Huskers go out there and play 60 minutes of the football they are capable of playing is something that I think every Nebraska football fan is ready to see. Matt Rhule says it time and time again: this team needs to learn how to win. Playing with a lead is part of that, and so far this season, the Huskers have taken their foot off the gas during the second half of games. Across the first three games, they scored only 10 points against UTEP in the second half (a far inferior opponent), 0 points against Colorado in the second half, and only 13 points against Northern Iowa in the second half (who recently got blitzed by Hawaii). Jump to an early lead and don't look back.
Take it to the Banks: Look, I know Isaiah Neyor has most of the receiving touchdowns this year, but man… I feel like Husker Nation is sleeping on Jahmal Banks a bit here. I don’t think we know how big of a weapon this guy could and should be. Just throw the man the ball and he is going to make plays. I guarantee he isn’t going to get a pass ripped from his hands. If the Banks are reeling in some Raiola deposits on Saturday, the score should take care of itself.
This, Husker Nation, needs to be "A Get Right Game". Let’s wash the bad taste of spoiled orange out of our mouths and remember, we still have three-fourths of a season in front of us. Go out there, do what you are supposed to do to bad teams, and move on to the next one. Time to go 1-0, baby. As always, Go Big Red and IF WE DIE, WE DIE!
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