As a result of the Cornhusker’s 17-9 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule now boosts his team to a 4-3 record. And somehow, a bowl game isn’t a stretch for this team. But how did this end up happening? Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.
NU’s Front Four Feast On The Wildcats
In junior quarterback Brendan Sullivan’s second start for the Wildcats, Northwestern’s offensive line was consistently outmatched by Nebraska junior defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher. Throughout the contest, he would boast an impressive 2.5 sacks as well as 2.5 tackles for loss. But this wasn’t the Cornhuskers only standout. Junior Jimari Butler would contribute six tackles and 1.5 sacks. While, Freshman Princewill Umanmielien got some valuable experience against the Wildcats. In the run game, he would total two tackles for loss and three tackles and he would show off his prowess as a pass rusher. In the early fourth quarter, he would swarm Sullivan along with Butler to record his first sack. Give credit to defensive coordinator Tony White as well as defensive line coach Terrance Knighton. Their game plan allowed the Blackshirts to take full advantage of Northwestern’s issues with pass protection. Now, it is just a matter of continuing their defensive dominance against Purdue? If they end up accomplishing this feat, the program has more than a good chance of being bowl-eligible.
Read more about Nebraska’s defense in: How Can Nebraska Succeed Against Northwestern?
Offensive Injuries Pile Up
In the second quarter against the Wildcats, NU left guard Ethan Piper suffered a knee injury. And as a result, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Justin-Evans Jenkins had to step into the limelight. This presented a big problem for Donovan Raiola’s offensive line unit because it gave sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg little time to throw in the pocket. Now, there is a legitimate concern that Nebraska’s makeshift pass protection won’t hold up against the Boilermaker’s defensive line. And that is certainly a possibility, but Raiola and the Huskers can try to remedy this situation next week. On the other hand, wide receivers coach Garrett McGuire’s room continues to thin with the absence of Billy Kemp IV. As the Husker’s leading receiver with 216 yards and one touchdown, the Huskers’ offense will continue to hurt in the coming weeks. But with the arrival of freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman, the production might slightly improve. He got his career started with a five-yard catch, and has since added to his total off of Haarberg’s 44-yard touchdown pass. Can NU offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield give them a chance to develop more chemistry against Purdue? From what we’ve witnessed, the Lincoln native can certainly make it happen.
Quarterback Play Needs To Improve
In Haarberg’s appearance against the Northwestern Wildcats, he ended up throwing two interceptions in the first quarter. But after that, he ended up stabilizing himself off of these two miscues, completing 8-17 passes and throwing for 248 yards. He was also slightly effective in NU’s rushing attack as well, with a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter giving NU a 10-6 lead. It was a good performance, but his decision-making with the football was less than desirable. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the sophomore said in the postgame that the “offense is capable of executing way better.” But will they be against Purdue? It seems like a tough ask for Satterfield to give a complete answer to this question right now.
How About Emmett Johnson?
Freshman running back Emmett Johnson impressed as the Cornhuskers starting ball carrier. On just 12 carries against the Wildcats, he ran for 73 yards. But let’s look at how this happened. In the first half, he had a patient attitude. This paid dividends for the young back because he was able to choose the right lanes to run through in key moments. And in the second half, he exploded for his longest run of the day with a 24-yard scamper. Give credit to running backs coach EJ Barthel for getting him ready and Raiola’s offensive line opening up holes for him to run through. This couldn’t have been easy for the unit, because they had lost two key members from its starting rotation due to injury. And with their struggles in pass protection on Saturday, count that as a major boost to the team’s confidence.
