On Saturday, the Nebraska Cornhuskers went on to beat the Purdue Boilermakers 31-14 in order to improve to a 5-3 record. Let’s take a look at what this victory means for the program.
A Long Road To A Bowl
Don’t look now, but Huskers head coach Matt Rhule’s vision is starting to pay dividends for the program. For the first time since Mike Riley was NU’s head coach, the Huskers have won three games in a row. And with that comes speculation about a bowl game. But it hasn’t been easy for the program. In fact, it’s been a very tough road. Against Northwestern, left tackle Turner Corcoran and left guard Ethan Piper suffered season-ending injuries. This forced freshman offensive lineman Justin-Evans Jenkins to play center, and sophomore Teddy Prochazka to play left tackle. And even Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV wasn’t safe. As a major target in NU’s offense, the Virginia native’s 21 receptions for 218 yards accounted for many of the yards in Marcus Satterfield’s offense. Because of this, Nebraska’s preparation going into Purdue was questioned. Luckily, the team put the doubters to rest when Nebraska sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg connected with freshman wideout Jalen Lloyd on a 73-yard touchdown. But can they connect again in their remaining games? With the Cornhuskers’ depth issues on offense, it’s something to watch.
A True Nebraska Cornhuskers Defense
Against the Boilermakers, the Nebraska Cornhusker’s secondary was able to find major success in disrupting the rhythm of Purdue’s offense. This trend would start early in the first quarter when Nebraska safety Phalen Sanford forced fullback Devin Mockobee to fumble. And it continued when junior cornerback Tommi Hill intercepted Purdue quarterback Hudson Card in the second quarter. But the biggest play of the day at that position would come from veteran Blackshirt Quinton Newsome. Late in the third quarter, the senior cornerback made a key play by catching a tipped ball that was forced by freshman defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy. This allowed the Cornhusker’s defense to score a 68-yard touchdown. Based on these plays, NU’s secondary has the talent to deliver the Cornhuskers much-needed points. But if the program is going to get serious about its Big Ten title chances, the unit will have to consistently show up against their remaining opponents. Can Nebraska defensive backs coach Evan Cooper make this a reality with so little time left in the season? We’ll see when they play Wisconsin and Iowa in the ensuing weeks.
Read about NU’s stout defense in How Can Nebraska Succeed Against Purdue
Turnovers Are Still A Problem For Nebraska’s Offense
With its constant turnovers throughout the season, Nebraska’s offense under Marcus Satterfield has faced adversity in every opponent it plays. And these struggles only continued against the Purdue Boilermakers. In the second half of the contest, Purdue freshman defensive back Dillon Thieneman would strip the ball from Haarberg. This would lead to a recovery from defensive lineman Cole Brevard. But this wasn’t the only time that the Cornhuskers would give the ball away. In the fourth quarter, Satterfield would be forced to put in backup Husker quarterback Jeff Sims after Haarberg suffered a huge hit. This would prove to be disastrous for the program’s offense. On the next play, Boilermaker star linebacker Kydran Jenkins recovered Sim’s fumble and turned it into a 55-yard Boilermaker score. Because of these miscues, it’s obvious that Rhule and Satterfield need to work together to fix these issues. But will the Nebraska Cornhuskers fix it in time for the Michigan State matchup in East Lansing? Right now, it looks like a big no. But stranger things have happened in college football before.
Do the Nebraska Cornhuskers Have A New Attitude?
According to the Omaha World Herald, Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Ty Robinson challenged the rest of their remaining opponents after Nebraska’s win against Purdue. “If you want to come find out about us, here we are.” This was in direct response to Purdue head coach Ryan Walter’s comments about the program earlier in the week. But this statement should also rally the Cornhuskers to double down on their process in games. And this has worked because the team has won their last five out of six games. But can this attitude guarantee them a shot at the Big Ten West title?
