Nebraska has an opportunity to get back on track. After a disappointing performance last week, Purdue is the perfect opponent to focus on fixing sloppy play.
Purdue’s offense versus the Blackshirts
On Tuesday, Husker defensive coordinator Tony White got drilled with questions about what happened last Friday night. White took a lot of the blame upon himself.
“You saw some things where we were getting home but the coverage wasn’t in the right spot,” White said. “In the second half what we tried to do was affect the quarterback a little more, it opened up some seams for those runs. It was really the third downs and the goal-line trickeration down there. That’s on me for not drilling it with those guys, so that they knew what was coming, gotta start over again.”
White is passionate about getting his Blackshirts back to their standard of football. He realizes that true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is doing more than enough and expects his defensive unit to play to its best caliber.
The Purdue offensive strength relies on its rushing attack. They’re currently averaging 6.38 yards per rush as a team, the best that the Cornhuskers will face so far.
Boilermaker junior running back Devin Mockobee had quite the game in their 38-21 loss to Oregon State this past Saturday. Mockobee had 16 carries for 168 yards. His fellow teammate, senior Reggie Love III had 10 carries for 66 yards. It will be fascinating to see if the Blackshirts can get back to their run-stopping roots and what White schemes up.
Purdue senior quarterback Hudson Card significantly struggled in Corvallis, he threw 7-17 for only 56 yards. I expect the Boilermakers to rely on their rushing attack, especially after seeing the Cornhuskers struggle in the second half against the Fight Illini.
With senior defensive back Tommi Hill likely out, USC transfer Ceyair Wright should get his first start after one of the only bright spots on defense last week. The Blackshirts have the perfect opportunity to reassure the nation that this defense is legit.
Huskers’ offense versus Purdue’s defense
Raiola has been playing above his rookie level. His quarterback rating (QBR) is 30th in the nation; the 72.2 completion percentage, 967 passing yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, is one of the best starts to a season in Husker football history under center.
Purdue’s defense has been giving up an average of 5.6 yards per carry and 269 rushing yards per contest. That ranks 131st out of 133 FBS teams. Nebraska better get its run game going in the second half this week or major concerns will consist amongst the offensive line.
This Purdue football team gave up 66 points to Notre Dame in week three, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield should have zero excuses for the Huskers not having success getting the ball in the endzone, and in the second half, the offensive line better be getting a push.
Will we see more Heinrich Haarberg this week? Satterfield likes him on the field and is confident when he and Raiola are out there.
“I have all the trust in the world in Heinrich,” Satterfield said.
Redshirt freshman Gunnar Gottula is expected to start at the left tackle position since senior Turner Corcoran is out indefinitely with his injury. There has been a noticeable difference with senior right guard Micah Mazzccua not playing on offense. One of the biggest things to watch on Saturday is if Mazzccua gets some reps. Sophomore Tyler Knaak is back from injury; he also could be factoring for potential playing time.
“Knaak and Mazzccua both can move around, they can do all kinds, they can play guard, tackle and help us out,” Satterfield said. “We’re going to make sure we get the best five guys out there.”
My prediction
I foresee Nebraska getting back to their blue-collar roots that coach Rhule constantly preaches about. Even though it’s an away game, 11 a.m. kick, I think the Huskers will be juiced. Illinois was a solid football team, but Nebraska knew that they were more talented player for player. Rhule, White and the rest of the entire staff are not happy with the lackluster performance this past week.
I predict Big Red focuses on the fundamentals: wrapping up on tackles, finishing blocks, getting pressure in the backfield and receivers hanging on to the catch. Nebraska beats Purdue comfortably, 35-17, if NU significantly struggles against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, I will be questioning if six wins is realistically possible. I don’t think they will, but I also thought they would be more physical and wear down Illinois in the second half. This game is crucial for the Cornhuskers to stay on track to their projected seven to eight wins. A win in West Lafayette is not just expected, it’s a must.
Stats via: espn.com and ncaa.com
