The University of Northern Iowa is coming to town, and people are already talking about this being another UTEP game, with everybody on Nebraska’s sideline getting a chance to play. I hate being a buzz kill, and maybe it’s okay for the fans to think that way, but I sure hope the Huskers haven’t already counted this as a win. While they should be confident and set a goal of getting everyone on the field, a lack of respect will get them in trouble.
Just ask Notre Dame.
Besides, from an offensive and special teams’ standpoint, I didn’t see anything in the second half of the Colorado game that told me the Huskers don’t have a ton of work to do. Especially before Illinois comes to town.
UNI, what they were supposed to be and what they are.
UNI will serve as a good change up for the Blackshirts. Head coach Mark Farley is in his 24th season as coach, and while his team has missed the playoffs for the last six seasons, he is the all-time winningest football coach in the Missouri Valley Conference. It’s a good conference, with teams like North Dakota State and South Dakota State
Farley brought in new coordinators on both offense and defense. Former Washinton State QB Luke Falk, who played for Mike Leach, was hired as OC but he left the team for personal reasons before the season started. Initially, Falk’s plan was to run an Air-Raid type offense targeting tight ends but with his departure, UNI turned to a trio of coaches to replace him.
Having already hired Trey Tinsley as their quarterback coach, they hired Joel Filani as the wide receiver’s coach after Falk left.
Tinsley, who came from USC, spent last season under Lincoln Riley as a graduate assistant working with the offense. Tinsley also worked under Mike Leach at Mississippi State for three seasons.
Filani coached wide receivers and was passing game coordinator at Northern Arizona in 2023. He played for Leach at Texas Tech and then coached wide receivers at both Texas Tech and Washington State.
Both coaches have extensive experience with the Air-Raid offense, however, Farley added long time offensive line coach Rick Nelson to the mix and encouraged the three to review their roster and best utilize the players on hand. The result has been an offense that in two games has rushed for 679 yards on 81 carries for an 8.4-yard per carry average.
Early stats indicate UNI’s personnel is best suited for running the football. One of their strengths is the offensive line, having both size and experience. Jared Penning at 6’6” 308lbs leads the way for an offensive line averaging around 6’4” and 300lbs. This will be as close to a BIG 10 offensive line that Nebraska has faced this season. UNI also has good tight ends and likes to run out of a double tight end formation.
UNI’s other strength is running back Tye Edwards, at 6’4” 230lbs, has rushed for 315 yards on 30 carries for a 10.5 yard per carry average and 2 TDs. He’s followed by Amauri Peek-Hickson, at 6’0” 225, who has rushed for 186 yards on 30 carries for a 6.2 yard per carry average and 2 TDs.
Starting quarterback Aiden Dunn, 6’0” 208lbs, has gone 23-42 for 215 yards with a 9.3-yard completion rate in two games. He isn’t afraid to run the ball when in need. The best receiving threat is WR Sergio Morancy, a 6’3” 185lb senior who has 5 catches for 57 yards and 1 TD. Neither Dunne nor Morancy has put up Air-Raid type numbers. And while UNI appears to be a rushing team, Nebraska can’t forget the UNI coaches who were brought up under Leach. There could be some surprises in the passing game.
I look for the Blackshirts to try and stuff the run and dare UNI to pass the ball. When they do, Knighton will unleash Death Row.
Can special teams iron out the kinks?
This is the first time Nebraska has played Northern Iowa which will be their 15th game against an FCS opponent. They are currently 14-0. But make no mistake, UNI has no plans on being number 15. Farley is telling his team they’re going to Lincoln to win, and being ranked 23rd in the FCS, they believe him. Farley claims a team’s toughness starts with their offensive line, carries over to the defensive line, and then throughout the team. There may be some truth to that as the Panthers have only given up 276 yards passing and 145 yards rushing in 2 games.
However, the two games were against Valparaiso and St. Thomas-Minnesota so the level of competition must be considered. And UNI needed a late field goal to win against St. Thomas, who just moved up to the FCS level.
While Farley hired new defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson from Louisiana Tech, he hasn’t turned Johnson loose calling defenses. Being a long-time defensive coach himself, Farley will run the defense.
At Farley’s disposal are leading defensive players Cannon Butler, a 6’6” 240lb defensive lineman, and defensive back JJ Dervil. Dervil had 63 tackles last year at New Mexico State. There is a semblance of balance in UNI’s defense as the top six tacklers are 2 defensive linemen, 2 linebackers and 2 defensive backs. Butler and Dervil are 2 of the six.
While UNI won’t be a pushover, I fully expect Raiola and Nebraska’s offense to pick up where they left off before halftime last week. Both Satterfield and White talked of players working harder, and again hammered home the attitude of “what’s next?”
I thoroughly enjoyed the butt kicking the Huskers gave Colorado, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in the special teams and the offense’s second half performance. After listening to Rhule and Satterfield Monday, I feel better about the offense. They have clearly established accountability with their players and identified what needs to be worked on. We’ll see if they get the desired results Saturday.
Special teams are still a work in progress. While there were more lowlights than highlights, I look for the Huskers to get better. The game against UNI will give them another opportunity to iron out the kinks before BIG 10 play starts.
Good things are about to happen.
You can find additional articles on Husker football at Off The Cob (lyleharmon-otc.com)
