The Nebraska football team improved to 6-2 on Saturday with a gritty–and let’s face it, sometimes ugly–28-21 win over Northwestern in Lincoln. Leading 21-6 in the 3rd quarter, it looked like the Big Red might run away with it. But Northwestern battled back (with the help of some really bad calls) to tie it at 21, before Nebraska scored late and the defense held on to secure the win. We cover it all in the Topline Takeaways.
CHEERS TO THAT
Responding After Minnesota. I don’t think it was a stretch to say this was a must-win game for Matt Rhule and this year’s Nebraska team. After the dud in Minneapolis (against a Gopher team that got destroyed by Iowa on Saturday), the Huskers absolutely needed a bounce back game.
And bounce back they did. The boys in red came out with energy, showed a lot of fight, and found a way to get the win against a hard nosed and well coached Northwestern team. They finish October with a 3-1 record for the month, and at 6-2, Nebraska currently owns its best record through eight games since 2016.
Taking It to the House. After almost returning a kickoff for a touchdown a couple weeks ago at Maryland, redshirt freshman Kenneth Williams took one all the way home on Saturday. Coming right after halftime–when Nebraska led 7-6 but really needed a boost–Williams injected a surge into the Memorial Stadium crowd and gave the Huskers some breathing room. The young returner is proving the coaching staff right after he was awarded a scholarship immediately after the Maryland game.
More broadly, special teams are so clearly better in every way that Mike Ekeler might be the most important hire of the last 10 years for Nebraska football. One could argue the third phase is the difference between Nebraska being 6-2 and 4-4 this year.
EMMETT!!! What else is there left to say about Emmett Johnson? Give that man the ball! He ran for 124 yards on 27 carries, and Nebraska’s offense is at its best when it runs through Johnson. He is the Huskers’ best running back in years, and one of the best in the Big Ten.
Furthermore, I liked how the game plan for Northwestern was more run-heavy than what we saw at Minnesota. From this Common Fan’s viewpoint, the formula for the offense the rest of the season is clear: heavy doses of Emmett Johnson, which opens things up for talented pass catchers like Nyziah Hunter, Jacorey Barney, Dane Key, and Luke Lindenmeyer. The first drive and the last drive in particular were things of beauty. The next thing for this offense is finding more consistency, but one thing is clear: FEED EMMETT!
Common Fan Tailgate. Thanks to all those who came and said hi (or in some cases, hung out all day) at the 2nd annual Common Fan Tailgate. It’s so fun to meet listeners in person, see old friends and family, and to celebrate this community we’ve created. You can definitely plan on us doing it again next year, and we hope to see you there.
Special thanks to Charlie Colon and the SouthPointe Chick-fil-A for donating lots of food for fellow Common Fans to enjoy. Charlie does a TON for the Lincoln community, as well as the athletic department, often without anybody knowing about it. We are so grateful for his friendship.
DIDN’T LIKE THAT
Brutal Officiating. I really don’t like complaining about officiating. Bad calls are part of every sporting event since the beginning of time. But man, it was rough on Saturday wasn’t it? Two calls in particular–a terrible spot on 4th and 3 (after a review!), and a pass interference call on a play that was neither interference nor catchable–kept two Northwestern scoring drives alive when they otherwise would have stalled. That kind of thing makes a massive difference in a game like this, and without those terrible calls, Husker fans are likely not white knuckling it to the very end.
Inconsistency. I don’t want to nitpick too much after a gritty win that gets the Huskers to bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season, but it sure would be nice to see them play a complete four quarters at some point. I would argue the young defense is actually battling pretty well; the offense is where we see wild swings, from beautiful, well-designed touchdown drives to downright awful execution.
One thing I’d love to see before this season ends is a win over an opponent Nebraska is not expected to beat (like, say, USC this coming Saturday). To do that, the Huskers will have to play a more complete game than anything we’ve seen in conference play to date.
BOTTOM LINE
As we always say on the Common Fan Podcast, we have to celebrate all the Ws, no matter how they look. Northwestern head coach David Braun has the look of another Pat Fitzgerald, and the Wildcats are never an easy out. The Huskers responded well after a bad loss, beat a physical, well-coached team, and can look ahead to November with some momentum.
What’s the ceiling for this Husker squad? Are 8-4 or 9-3 still on the table? Husker fans sure hope so, and at the very least, Nebraska has put themselves in a position to finish with their best record in nearly a decade. Let’s hope there’s going to be more to celebrate in November.
As always, GBR for LIFE.
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