In a game where Nebraska’s offense fluttered, it was the defense who stepped up and showed why they were pegged to be the anchor of this team all along.
Going into week six, the biggest question mark for the Cornhuskers was whether or not the defense would be able to consistently stop Kyle Monangai and the Scarlet Knights rushing attack. It was a reasonable concern given how they played against Northern Iowa and Illinois. They had an improved game against Purdue a week prior, but when Monangai was breaking tackles left and right in the first quarter, those concerns seemed to be manifesting.
Then the second quarter began, and the Blackshirts remembered why those jerseys were awarded in the first place.
Monangai went for 64 rush yards in the first quarter, and then, over the course of the next three quarters, went for just 14. Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher plugged up the middle, and Ceyair Wright, who’s been filling in for Tommi Hill, continued to assert himself as a formidable starter on this team. Tony White and his squad made adjustments and forced the Scarlet Knights to play outside their comfort zone. Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed only 15 of his 37 pass attempts, threw two interceptions, and finished with a quarterback rating of 19.3. Without Tommi Hill, arguably the best draft prospect on the team, the Huskers secondary thrived.
It was the dominant performance the defensive group needed going into the bye week before Indiana.
Through the first six games, the Blackshirts are categorizing themselves with some of the best defenses in the country. They currently sit at 7th in the country in points per game allowing 11.3, 9th in rush yards at 84.17, 37th in pass yards at 188.33, and 14th in total yards at 272.50 per game. Despite all of that, the most impressive statistic may be that they are the only team in college football not to allow a single rushing touchdown. Even when Rutgers drove down the field and had the ball with a first down at the two yard line, the best running back in the Big Ten lined up in the backfield, the defense found a way to get the stop. The goal line stand was a pivotal moment in the game and perhaps the season.
Dylan Raiola had his first true freshman-esque game, but the defense picked him up and gave him the confidence that perfection isn’t mandatory to get a win. The Blackshirts didn’t just carry the team to victory against Rutgers, they set the table for the rest of the season.
Nebraska is 5-1 through their first six games, and for the first time in eight years, they control their own destiny halfway into the season.