On Saturday, the 23rd-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers host Northern Iowa inside Memorial Stadium. How can Matt Rhule’s squad move to 3-0 versus the Panthers? Let’s break it down.
Stop The Run
In the opening weeks of the season, the Panthers rushing attack has gotten off to a roaring start. Tye Edwards notched his second straight 100-plus yard performance. This has led him to become one of the premier running backs in the FCS. Senior Amauri Pesek-Hickson has also impressed. On 30 carries, he rushed for 186 yards and had two touchdowns. Northern Iowa’s one-two punch will be something that Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White is keeping an eye on. In his press conference on Wednesday, he said that they “might be the best running backs that we have seen to date. It’s something to keep an eye on in the matchup. But based on NU’s performance last week, this should be the least of their worries. The Cornhuskers are riding high after their big win against Colorado. This probably means that the Blackshirts are even more confident in their abilities to stop the run. After all, the Buffs only were able to manage 22 yards on the ground. It’s a sign that the Huskers can dominate once again, but it will take another strong performance from Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson, and the other members of Terrance Knighton’s defensive line versus Northern Iowa.
Read more about the Blackshirts pass rush against their rival in Goals Reached: Nebraska Wins Against Colorado
Activate The Passing Game
In the biggest moments, Huskers true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola can do no wrong. Against the program’s rival in Colorado, he completed 22 out of 30 passes and had a touchdown. He just needs to have the same intensity in the second half. NU had twelve penalties for 105 yards. This is concerning for Marcus Satterfield’s offense, but the team should be able to rebound against a weaker opponent. All they have to do is feature their weapons. With their bulky frames, wide receivers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor should easily overpower UNI. Freshman Jacory Barney Jr should also get snaps. He’s done an excellent job executing jet sweep plays, and we should expect him to be a major threat that Panther defensive coordinator Randall McCray will have to handle.
Eliminate Special Teams Mistakes
In the Huskers big win over Colorado last week, special teams had their ups and downs. In the punt return game, senior wide receiver Isaiah Garcia-Castenada set the Big Red up in favorable spots on the field. However, his other punt returns were penalized. This led the California native to finish with only 16 yards on the night. Tristan Alvano’s field goal kicks showed some improvement, but the true sophomore failed to make a 32-yarder in the second quarter. This isn’t a huge concern, as it would have added three points to an already big NU lead. But what seems to be the biggest issue is in covering the opponent’s kickoffs NU almost allowed wideout Jimmy Horn Jr to score on the first play of the game. Luckily, backup punter Jacob Hohl pushed him out of bounds. Will coordinator Ed Foley fix these different issues before Saturday evening? It could affect the Huskers as they begin conference play.
Stay Motivated
It may be hard for Rhule and the rest of his coaching staff to convince their team that a win against Northern Iowa is important. After, they just beat Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders in front of a national audience. NU was also ranked inside the Top 25 for the first time since 2019. This time, the breaks have finally gone their way. But it’s also a cautionary tale. In the past, the Big Red have had a habit of beating themselves with small mistakes. Nebraska can counteract this by staying aggressive against Northern Iowa. If they decide to let off the gas now, conference play in the new Big Ten will be difficult.
