Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

“Outclassed” Iowa Had Two Reasons For Knowing It Would Beat Nebraska

Immature Huskers show they still have progress to make by barely reaching bowl eligibility

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Oct 6
Oct 6

By Rock Westfall 

From the start, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had the upper hand on the Iowa Hawkeyes in their Friday night clash at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Nebraska moved the ball effectively with well-designed play calling by offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Nebraska’s stout Blackshirt defense looked like it would shut out the Hawkeyes, who were down to third-string sophomore quarterback Jackson Stratton.

Nebraska was dominant yet led only 10-0 at halftime, failing to put away a team that gave the Big Red every opportunity to do so. Finally, after blowing numerous opportunities to apply the dagger, Nebraska paid the ultimate price.

Iowa did what Iowa does. Head coach Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes were patiently waiting for Nebraska to destroy itself, which, of course, is what the Huskers did in spades. Again.

Iowa won the game 13-10 on a walk-off 53-yard field goal by Drew Stevens at the gun. On the postgame shows commentators and fans calling in lamented that Nebraska was far and away the superior team. After all, Nebraska outgained Iowa 334-164 with a 20-5 first down advantage. The Huskers held the ball for 39:01 compared to 20:59 by Iowa.

Yet kicking and return team errors, turnovers, missed passes to open receivers that would have been big gains, and one bad play by the Blackshirts – a 72-yard catch and run for a TD from Stratton to Kaleb Johnson – doomed the Huskers.

Nebraska was not the better team; they failed to finish. Iowa did what winning teams do to win football games. Nebraska did not. Nebraska put up vastly superior numbers. Iowa put up a W. The better team won.

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Iowa exposed the two Nebraska flaws for a victory.

Dylan Raiola is Emblematic of Nebraska’s Plight  

Nebraska’s freshman phenom quarterback Dylan Raiola and his team looked like confident winners most of the evening, consistently asserting their will yet not being able to finish. 

Raiola had good moments but missed open receivers on multiple occasions, leaving plenty of potential points on the field. Raiola’s fumble in the waning moments of the game proved fatal, setting up Stevens’ game-winning kick.

Like Raiola, Nebraska is a talented team suffering serious growing pains. Raiola is not yet at the point where he can consistently make impact plays. Championship quarterbacks don’t miss scoring opportunities provided by receivers who get open and linemen who allow for the time to connect.

Additionally, there has been an annoying number of third-down conversions this season that came up just short because players failed at situational football. Husker receivers don’t run routes that meet the required yardage, which points to ineffective coaching. Another possibility is that perhaps Nebraska lacks playmakers who can finish.

Since missing a wide-open TD pass that would have clinched a win against Illinois, Raiola has missed too many game-breakers too many times.

Raiola has shown plenty of promise, a strong and infectious work ethic, and leadership, especially since Holgorsen began calling the plays. But, like his team, he has not reached the maturity level to finish. 

Show Me Good Kicking & Return Teams And I’ll Show You a Winner 

With the Big Red leading 10-0 on the first drive of the third quarter, Nebraska’s John Hohl missed a 34-yard field goal, snapping a streak of nine consecutive field goal attempts converted. However, the play was not Hohl’s fault, as a terrible snap completely threw off the attempt.

Later in the third quarter Nebraska misplayed an Iowa punt on the Husker 4-yard line, which the Hawkeyes recovered. The play was inexcusable for the 12th game of the season, as it was a combination of a lack of awareness and communication, which points to weak coaching and poor preparation. As a result of the turnover, Iowa got a field goal. 

Nebraska’s missed field goal and botched punt return flipped the score six points in favor of Iowa, and that was the difference.

Last week, Nebraska’s kick return and kicking teams produced meaningful production. However, the immature Huskers lack Iowa’s dominant consistency in returns and kicking.

Nebraska remains sloppy, inconsistent, and unschooled in the most important and impactful elements of football. 

Iowa never makes such mistakes, which is why it won.

Nebraska Lacks the Maturity to Handle Success 

On Friday night, Nebraska had continuous opportunities to finish off the Hawkeyes and gain its seventh win of the season, setting up a shot for an 8-5 finish with plenty of momentum for the future. Instead, Nebraska again demonstrated that it can’t handle success nor focus on the minute details that separate good teams from the average.

Head coach Matt Rhule produced a 6-6 bowl campaign, the absolute bare minimum to proclaim progress. What is most frustrating is that Nebraska should have finished 8-4, perhaps even 9-3, but was not mature, disciplined, nor polished enough to do so.

The Big Red had victories in hand against Illinois and Iowa but failed to close the deal. They also showed up late for work against a mediocre UCLA team. Additionally, Nebraska had serious looks at upsetting Ohio State and USC on the road. Only the 56-7 loss at Indiana was a no-contest this season.

But as NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells is famous for saying, “You are what your record says you are.”

Immature Nebraska is 6-6, thanks in part to wins over UTEP, FCS Northern Iowa, and putrid Purdue.

Nebraska still can’t handle success. It’s not mature enough to do so.

Should have, would have, could have, didn’t. 

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