By Rock Westfall
Fresh off a bye week, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are 5-1 and preparing for Saturday’s road matchup against the vastly improved, upstart Indiana Hoosiers. At the start of the season, nobody saw the Huskers and Hoosiers as the FOX Big Noon matchup with Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the call, but here we are.
First-year head coach Curt Cignetti brought plenty of fire and braggadocio to Indiana upon his arrival but has already exceeded his bombast. The Hoosiers are 6-0, including Big Ten wins over UCLA, Maryland, and Northwestern. Critics will say the Indiana schedule has been light, but realists will counter that the Hoosiers beat everyone they played and did so handily.
For Nebraska’s more mature and elitist sector of the fan base, the last thing on their minds over the summer was Indiana. But now the Hoosiers are causing sleepless nights in anticipation of what will be a dangerous showdown of aspiring Big Ten contenders.
Indiana ranks 2nd in the nation for scoring offense and 11th for fewest points allowed. Senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke is the best signal-caller the Huskers will face to this point in the season. Rourke has a 192.1 rating with a 73.8 completion percentage, 10.9 yards per attempt, and a 14/2 TD/INT ratio.
Most importantly, Indiana is emblematic of a Big Ten Conference loaded with capable teams that can beat nearly anyone. For Nebraska, Saturday’s game is not a stereotypical freebie against a basketball school—not even close.
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The Big Red’s Good, Bad & Ugly
Nebraska is coming off a much-needed bye week, one which Rhule’s team needed to rectify the numerous areas that needed significant improvement. While it is great that Nebraska is 5-1 and one win away from bowl eligibility, the fact remains that head coach Matt Rhule’s program was nowhere near championship level before the bye. Now comes the necessity of finding the next gear for the Big Ten gauntlet.
On the positive side, the defense ranks 7th for points allowed. The Blackshirts are so dominant that they allow Nebraska to be relatively conservative on the offensive side of the line. In their last game, a 14-7 win over Rutgers, the defense stole the show, repeatedly bringing the crowd to its feet with deafening roars.
While the Blackshirts have proven defensive football can be exciting, the Big Red’s offense has become a source of frustration. Nationally, Nebraska ranks 77th for total offense and 72nd for scoring.
Most disconcerting is the Huskers’ ground game, which ranks 90th in the country. The offensive line was touted as a strength in preseason camp, yet it has not been able to sustain a consistent rushing attack. The one positive is that in clutch, short-yardage situations, the right side of the line has repeatedly and impressively delivered.
Of course, the kicking teams remain an eyesore and threat to a successful stretch run. As I have mentioned before, Nebraska’s problems with the kicking game are not due to a lack of effort. Snapper-holder exchanges for field goals, prevention of blocked punts, and the ability to make field goals remain a work in progress and a point of emphasis.
Perhaps the bye week will be the difference in improving the kicking teams’ production – no doubt the numerous problems were addressed and emphasized by Rhule.
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Freshman Phenom Raiola Gets a Reboot
5-Star freshman Dylan Raiola has been an asset as Nebraska’s starting quarterback. He has a 148.4 rating, a 66.9 completion rate, 8.0 yards per attempt, and a 9/3 TD/INT ratio. Raiola has elevated the position’s production and, most importantly, does not turn the ball over. Two of his three picks were garbage-time Hail Mary throws.
However, since misfiring on what should have been an easy 4th quarter touchdown pass and dagger against Illinois, Raiola has not been the same. He is coming off his worst performance in the 14-7 win over Rutgers, going 13-27 for 134 yards and an 0/1 TD/INT ratio. Even taking the high winds of that day into account and a solid Scarlet Knight defense, it was not a good performance. In the previous game at Purdue, Raiola did not find his game until late in the second half.
Certainly, enemy defenses are learning how to effectively slow Raiola down and a scouting report has been built. But Nebraska’s inability to run the ball makes it easy for the opposition to focus on stopping the pass. Also worrisome is the Nebraska receiving corps’ inability to get open on deep routes that can blow open games.
Despite many attempts to reinvent the game, football still comes down to who controls the line of scrimmage. On offense, Nebraska is falling far short of that necessity. Without improvement, the second half of the campaign could become a catastrophe and a missed opportunity.
During the bye week, Raiola had the chance to clear his head and work on new approaches with offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, who himself is under intense fire for his erratic play calling.
Saturday offers a reboot opportunity for Raiola.
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A Dangerous Must-Win Game – And Opportunity
Certainly, Nebraska can lose on Saturday to Indiana. On the other hand, the matchup is a tremendous opportunity to unleash Matt Rhule’s culture and the Blackshirts’ defense, which is an asset.
The bye week could not have come at a better time. With two weeks to fix problem areas and prepare for Indiana, the Huskers are in a good position to show the FOX Big Noon viewers that they are back.
In the first half of the season, Nebraska’s most impressive trait was its ability to win close games and not fold under pressure, as it consistently had for the past several seasons.
In the offseason, Rhule repeatedly preached the necessity of learning how to win tight games. The fact that the Big Red is doing that and overcoming periods of poor play and slow starts with good adjustments and strong finishes is the most encouraging sign yet that the Huskers are different in 2024.
Nebraska is a 6.5-point road dog but should prevail, my guess is 17-14.
