Nebraska gets another Saturday night stage in Memorial Stadium, and this one comes with a little extra tailgate luck. The Cornhuskers and North Dakota Fighting Hawks kick off at 6:15, with the game on B1G Network.
Rusty Lord with WOWT says the weather should sit at a sweet 70 degrees with partly cloudy skies, though rain chances start creeping in by the end of the night. Nebraska enters as a -24.5 favorite.
The Huskers are coming off a game that checked the right boxes. Bowling Green wasn’t expected to be much of a test, and Nebraska handled business the way it was supposed to, winning big and avoiding injuries.
That kind of clean start matters, and one of the biggest bright spots was quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who picked up B1G Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after going 20-of-24 for an 84% completion percentage. His decision-making has stood out early.
Nebraska’s defense has shown signs of moving in the right direction, too. Defensive back Andrew Marshall was all over the field with 7 tackles and 1 TFL, while linebacker Dexter Foster and D-lineman Williams Nwaneri were noticeably better than they were the week before.
The Huskers also got a lift from a few lesser-known names, including junior Yutan native linebacker Derek Wacker, who finished off the scoop-and-score after a tip from D-lineman Malcolm Simpson. That kind of contribution is exactly what non-conference games are for.
There are still some things Nebraska wants cleaned up. Jacory Barney has not looked comfortable on punt returns, and the mistakes have been costly.
The penalties are piling up, too, and Coach Rhule took responsibility for that this week. He said Nebraska has been coaching an aggressive approach on special teams, the same way the refs called it last year, but with a change in the referee room, he said that falls on him.
North Dakota is not walking into Lincoln just to take part in the scenery. The Fighting Hawks were the No. 6 team in the FCS, and head coach Eric Schmidt has a connection with DC Rob Aurich from their San Diego State days.
Aurich spoke highly of Schmidt at Tuesday’s press conference. North Dakota can do a little bit of everything offensively - pass, run, spread out, and drop back - and senior quarterback Jerry Kaminski gives them a smart 6-foot-2 option who can manage the run game and still throw it around.
The numbers tell you they can score in bunches. Over their last three games, the Fighting Hawks have put up at least 42 points and as many as 62.
In two of those games, they had twice as many passing yards as rushing yards. Even the possession battle has been close, with time of possession about even in those three games.
Nebraska’s defense will need to be ready.
Coach Holgersen isn’t overlooking the matchup, either. He noted North Dakota reached the second round of the FCS playoffs last year and challenged his players to be sharper in this one, including Nyziah Hunter.
He said he likes Nebraska’s run game and the 8.4 yards-per-play average, but he also made it clear this is still not the B1G yet. He added that fans are seeing what he’s seen all along in practice: Anthony Colandrea making good decisions and taking what the defense gives him.
For Nebraska, the goal is pretty straightforward: more clean football, fewer penalties, no touchdowns wiped off the board, and more Red jerseys making plays. With the weather lining up and the tailgates already leaning into the luau theme, it has the feel of a night built for a loud crowd and a strong showing.
In Other News...
Nebraska Commit Trae Taylor Just Delivered Another Eye Catching Statement
Trae Taylor kept adding to his already considerable reputation Friday night, and the Nebraska commit put on another show in Millard Souths 55-40 win over Cardinal Ritter. The five-star quarterback was everywhere for the top-ranked Patriots, throwing for 350 yards and five touchdowns while also running for 143 yards and three more scores as Millard South moved to 4-0.
For Nebraska fans, it is another reminder of why Taylor has become such a prized part of the class. Millard South has now won 16 straight, and with Taylor driving the offense at this level, the Patriots keep looking like a team built to play deep into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Handled Business But One Big Ten Concern Still Lingers
Nebraska took care of business against North Dakota, rolling to a 34-7 win in a game it controlled from the opening stretch. The Huskers piled up 496 total yards, held North Dakota to 205, and spent most of the afternoon looking every bit like the more physical, more organized team. Jamal Rule set the tone on the ground with 119 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Nebraska scored on five of its first eight drives before the reserves finished things off in the fourth quarter.
Still, even in a comfortable victory, there was one Big Ten-sized question lingering in the background. North Dakota did not cross the 200-yard mark until the final play, which speaks well of Nebraskas defense, but the bigger concern is whether this kind of efficiency and control will translate once the competition tightens and the margin for error disappears. The Huskers handled this one cleanly enough, but the real test of how far they have come is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Defense Shows A Pregame Twist Fans Will Want To See
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade were among the familiar faces at Memorial Stadium as Nebraska took the field, but the more interesting pregame note for Cornhuskers fans came on the defensive side. Edge defender Jordan Ochoa was out because of injury, while Caleb Benning is expected to be available on special teams after working his way back from his own injury, giving Nebraska a little more stability in one area and a notable absence in another.
Beyond that, the defensive lineup had a mix of starters and rotation pieces worth watching, including Williams Nwaneri, David Hffken, Dexter Foster, Owen Chambliss, Vincent Shavers, Dawson Merritt, Victor Evans, Andrew Marshall and Danny Odem. For Nebraska, those names matter because the front and the depth behind it have become a weekly test, and the way that group settles in before kickoff can shape how the game unfolds long before the offense gets a chance to make its mark. [Read more 🡒]