2 Average Guys

Nebraska vs Utah

Well it’s not the bowl game we had hoped for at the beginning of the year but is is two straight

under coach Rhule in his third season as Nebraska Head Coach. To say the Huskers

underperformed this year would be a fair statement. It wasn’t that they didn’t fight or play hard,

they just couldn’t establish an identity and based the entire offense around Dylan Raiola, who is

now entering the transfer portal. Honestly I’m surprised he lasted this long considering his track

record of changing schools starting in high school and continuing to college. This will mark his

fourth school he’s committed to playing for in two years. As talented as he is, that really speaks

volumes about his leadership drive and capability.

So bring in Utah, that is missing some key players due to the draft and their head coach just left

for Michigan. Normally you’d think that gives us an advantage but even if Raiola and Johnson

were playing, Utah would still be heavily favored. This game is about Nebraska committing to

an identity from here on out and this game is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Having bowl

practices allow the staff to make adjustments and prepare for one game over several weeks.

So when is a Cornhusker team going to play four solid quarters of sound, fundamental, all out

focus and effort and pull of an upset? It feels like we are the only team that can’t get it done.

We all have that hope and maybe naive belief that every game is that game, but we keep

getting our hearts shattered. All we want to see is that type of effort that casts doubt aside and

exudes confidence, but team after team keeps reverting and falling way short of that

expectation. We’re all well aware that they are 18 and 19 years old but it’s still more than

doable considering that’s the expectation anywhere they go to play ball. It should be the bare

minimum requirement so I don’t sympathize when they fail to meet that expectation. They are

now paid athletes without the expectation and consequence of a real, binding contract. How

does that help coaches teach them how to become men?

So what chance does Nebraska have in this game against a team with an incredible run game

and are solid all around? Not a good one, but on any given day, you never know what will

happen. After all, we’ve already seen virtually every conceivable way the Huskers can lose in

the past 20 years so why not hope for an improbable win. If every other school can pull these

upsets off, why can’t we? It’s been so long 2016 vs 22 ranked Oregon to be exact. Nine life

sucking seasons. My god, pull it together just once guys and leave it all out on the field to get

that elusive win over a ranked team.

Just imagine if the coaches prepare this team so well that they pull it off and look good doing it.

No luck, just good physical fundamental football, the way it’s supposed to be played. Imagine if

TJ Lateef shows complete command of the offense and the young undersized running backs

play bigger than they are, that the trenches become an absolute battle zone where we aren’t

pushed off of blocks and our o line just keeps wearing down their defense. Wouldn’t it be

something to end with 300 yards rushing and holding them to around 100.Wouldn’t that be something, to go out there and defy the odds, shock the world, and make it

look like we’ve been doing this all year. Holiday wishes, perhaps, and would likely cause us

more harm than good if Nebraska comes out and gets pummeled, keeping us locked in the

trance realm of the upside down from Stranger Things. But hope nonetheless, that finally we

can see progress and get this program to turn that corner, never looking back, just moving

forward with brighter days ahead….

If not, drink up y’all, it’s going to be a long offseas