Nebraska’s Friday night loss on the night of Memorial Stadium’s 400th consecutive sellout, might just have been a blessing in disguise.
The Huskers improved to 4-1 on the season after a 28-10 win over Purdue that included a dominant second half from the Huskers.
In a slow moving first half, that featured a total of four missed field goals between the two, crucial drive killing penalties and zero total points, Nebraska came out and dominated virtually the whole second half.
The offense found its groove, John Bullock sealed the deal with a 29 yard pick six, but most importantly, the Huskers found a way to win what was a very close game through the first 30 minutes.
The 4-0 Rutgers Scarlet Knights bring a far more difficult challenge for the Huskers, featuring a dominant run game and aggressive defense.
After starting the season dominating Howard and Akron, Virginia Tech and Washington would provide far bigger challenges than they had faced all year.
The Scarlet Knights went into Blacksburg, Virginia and took control of the line of scrimmage early, and walked out of Lane Stadium with a 26-23 win.
They followed it up by beating Washington 21-18 at home, welcoming the Huskies to the new look Big Ten Conference.
Saturday is going to be challenging, whether it’s matching the physicality of the Scarlet Knights, or the 90 plus degree temperatures expected at kickoff, Nebraska needs to be ready to stay focused and play a full 60 minutes.
Stop the Run:
The Blackshirts did a great job of limiting Purdue to just 50 yards rushing, but the difference between Purdue and Rutgers ground attacks is night and day.
This Rutgers team has by far the best offensive line than Nebraska has faced all year, and will be one of the best the Huskers see the rest of the way.
They love to run the ball, having ran the ball over 30 times in every game this year, including over 40 times in three of their last 4 games.
Senior running back Kyle Monangai is one of the best backs in the Big Ten, rushing for 589 yards and six touchdowns on a really solid six yards per carry.
If Nebraska wants to establish the line of scrimmage in any way, I think it starts with stopping the run.
More Creativity on Offense:
We talked a lot this offseason about Jaylen Lloyd, but where has he been this season?
He’s only carried the ball once for one yard, and his four receptions don’t pop out on the stat sheet until you realize that his 137 yards receiving are the third most on the team, and average out to 34 yards per catch.
Last season, there were only two players in the Big Ten to have three catches of over 50 yards, one was the fourth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in Marvin Harrison Jr. and the other was Jaylen Lloyd.
Not only can Lloyd be a difference maker for Dylan Raiola and the passing attack, but he can most certainly bring a different element to the running game.
We’ve already seen the impact the true freshman Jacory Barney Jr. has made on this offense, and he’s caught 16 passes this season and carried the ball seven times for over 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Whether its Lloyd, Emmitt Johnson, or Heinrich Haarberg, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield needs to find a way to incorporate all the skill guys on offense, Nebraska simply has too much talent for them not to see the field and make a difference.
Penalties:
A stat that should open some eyes to many is the penalty differential between Rutgers and Nebraska.
Rutgers has committed just 16 penalties on the season, that ranks second in the Big Ten.
Nebraska on the other hand has committed 40 penalties this season, which is tied with Maryland for second in the Big ten, behind only Washington.
Nebraska committed 11 penalties in Saturdays win over Purdue, but the Boilermakers weren’t able to take advantage of the field position because they committed 13 penalties.
The Huskers won’t be able to get away with 11 penalties against Rutgers. Any good sort of field position the Scarlet Knights gain just gives them another opportunity to run this game down with their run game and potentially take control.
Coach Matt Rhule said that we’d see a more disciplined and cleaned up game out of the Huskers, and that might be the biggest key for a win this Saturday.
Prediction:
This has potential to be a very close game, last team to possess the ball close.
With the temperatures creeping up to as high as it’s supposed to be, that makes the sideline change for Nebraska very crucial.
If Tony White can fill up the wholes made by the Rutgers offensive line, and contain Monangai, it should put the ball in the hands of Dylan Raiola and the rest of the Nebraska offense.
This will be your very typical Big Ten football game, lots of run plays, physical defense and a nail biting finish.
Nebraska: 21 Rutgers: 17