In year two of the Matt Rhule era, the Cornhuskers have developed major strengths that make the team hard to deal with. However, the Huskers also have glaring weaknesses that they need to fix. Let’s break down what Nebraska need to fix before they face Indiana next Saturday.
Quarterback Play
Nebraska hasn’t had a serviceable quarterback for several years. Former five-star prospect Dylan Raiola has changed that narrative overnight. The true freshman’s upper arm strength allows him to connect routinely with wide receivers down the field. It helps that Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor are available in this department. But he’s also maintained his connection with underclassmen. On just six receptions, Jaylen Lloyd has averaged 30 yards per catch. And on jet sweeps, he lets Jacory Barney Jr run past defenders to get the Huskers’ first downs. The only time he hasn’t shown off his talents is when he can’t escape the pocket. Raiola’s indecisiveness in the second half led to the Scarlet Knights’ defense getting multiple sacks. The Husker’s starter also telegraphed several throws down the field. On a throw intended for Neyor, senior defensive back Flip Dixon took advantage of this by intercepting his pass. This begs the question. Will Raiola finally correct his mistakes when Nebraska plays against Indiana? Or will he have consecutive bad outings?
Team Defense
In Nebraska’s loss to Illinois, the Blackshirts gave up 31 points. They were also gashed by Illinois sophomore running back Kaden Feagin for 166 yards. But in the last two weeks, Tony White’s unit has been able to rebound. Against Purdue, senior linebacker John Bullock registered a pick-six in the third quarter. Senior Ty Robinson also sacked quarterback Hudson Card once. This was a dominant performance. However, the defense displayed true dominance against Rutgers. Sophomore defensive lineman James Williams sacked Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis twice. And then Robinson was able to stop him again. In addition, John Butler’s secondary also did their job. Junior cornerback Marques Buford Jr had one interception, which led USC transfer Ceyair Wright to snag some of Kaliakmanis’s throws. Can both units work together to stop a veteran quarterback in Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke? If they do, NU will be in its first bowl game since 2016.
STOPPED@HuskerFootball shuts down the 4th & Goal attempt by Rutgers 🔒🔥 pic.twitter.com/W5CBEla77S
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 5, 2024
Can Nebraska Find An Answer On Special Teams?
Tristan Alvano could be activated next week against Indiana. The sophomore kicker is slowly coming off of his groin injury that he suffered after the Northern Iowa matchup. As a result, coordinator Ed Foley decided to deploy redshirt freshman John Hohl as his replacement. So far, this experiment hasn’t been working. According to Athlon Sports, the Lincoln native has already missed five field goal attempts this season. But with Alvano’s return to the lineup, Nebraska has the chance to make kicks against Indiana. According to the Huskers team website, he’s made all twelve of his extra points and missed only one field goal from distance. It will be interesting to see if Foley completely benches Hohl for the rest of the season. The freshman wasn’t ready to perform. However, he could help out in other areas. The scout team would be the most logical step, but we could see him hold the football on extra points or kick them. The bottom line? Rhule can’t disregard the freshman’s Big Ten experience.
NU’s Hurting Punter
Senior punter Brian Buschini has left it all out on the field for the Cornhuskers. The Ray Guy Award nominee has averaged 47 yards per punt this season. Furthermore, Buschini has also been a master at flipping the field against Big Ten opponents. Eight out of his 18 punts have landed inside the 20-yard line. Against Rutgers, Buschini used these two aspects of his game to earn Big Ten Honors. But what was so great about his performance? Throughout the matchup against the Scarlet Knights, the senior averaged 50 yards per punt. And the Montana native also helped out the offense. Early in the fourth quarter, Buschini faked a punt and delivered a 30-yard pass to Jaylen Lloyd. This allowed Raiola and the offense to execute another drive. We should assume that Buschini can provide a similar impact in NU’s last six games. He’ll just have to keep out of harm’s way. The senior was wincing after every punt last week. Will his pain limit him against Indiana? Or will the starting punter be back to 100 percent against the Hoosiers?
Read more about Buschini and the rest of Nebraska’s specialists in How Can Nebraska Beat Rutgers?
