The newest addition to the Cornhuskers Mac Markway has torn his ACL after being at Nebraska for just a few days. This former four star recruit out of Missouri, whose father was a tight end at Iowa and who had originally landed at LSU was a surprise land for Nebraska as he “just showed up on campus one day”. As a true freshman, Markway played in twelve games for LSU catching three passes for sixteen yards and a touchdown. Markway will be out for the entirety of the 2024 season but is expected to make a return in 2025. The loss of this 6’4 260 pound linebacker is a loss for sure but is not expected to make a big impact this year as the Huskers are deep at the tight end position.
Withstanding the injury to the new addition the Huskers have been able to stay healthy in their first two games. The ability to keep Raiola clean, dominate on defense and rotate heavily at receiver and running back is sure to contribute to the Huskers overall health. With Northern Iowa coming into town this Saturday, Nebraska hopes to get the second and third string teams in after halftime. Being a 30 point plus favorite to win this game, Nebraska should be able to do just that and keep the starters healthy and rested going into a potential Top 25 matchup against Illinois who had just defeated #19 ranked Kansas.
The strong suit of this Northern Iowa team is their large running backs that they use to wear down opposing defenses in hopes of drawing eight in the box and hitting a big gain off play action passes. Unfortunately for this UNI team, Nebraska’s front line will not be phased one bit by a rotation of 240 pound backs. Expect Nebraska to hold their opponent to under 100 yards rushing one again. Our defensive backs should have no problem locking down the UNI receivers after their outstanding performance against Colorado. At times i have shown my concern for our defensive backfield but was highly impressed with what I saw last Saturday, shutting down the high flying offense of Colorado and even doing so in man coverage at times.
UNI has built a name for itself on being competitive in games against power four programs, but this Saturday in prime time under the lights and roars of Memorial Stadium The Huskers will expose their will on an overmatched UNI ball club.
What to watch for. Ensuring Dylan Raiola and the rest of the team can get up for this game. It could easily be a trap game for the Huskers of previous years. Following an emotional win and just one week before the Huskers first top 25 matchup in years, this could easily be a letdown game. Also, keep an eye on Carter Nelson and Willis McGahee IV. Carter could be someone whom after the final whistle blows, the whole state could be talking about, as well as McGagee who found himself a strip sack against Colorado and two solo tackles against UTEP. Expect Carter and the rest of the second and third team to get valuable playing time, leading to some valuable insights on younger players trying to find a spot on the field. As Husker football gets ready for another hopefully dominant week against UNI, the takeaways from this game could show us a lot about the future of this program.
