It wasn’t a 60 point blowout, but it didn’t need to be as the defense only allowed one score and just 169 total offensive yards against Bowling Green on Saturday. I know we all got a little nervous in the third quarter, but if you go back and watch the 95 team, even they had games where their inferior opponents would find ways to score and make a game of it early until having their hopes smashed against a rock. We still crushed the spread and got the backups in, plus the thing to remember about this year’s team is Rhule and the other coaches are able to rotate players and create depth that way unlike previous seasons, so it still comes out as a positive. The offense had over 500 yards with 264 coming on the ground through Rule, Nelson, and Mozee and Jacory Barney is showing why he deserves a lot of attention from opposing defenses, even if he needs to turn upfield and use his feet in that direction. Not knocking Raiola who is a young quarterback, but Anthony Collandrea is a better fit by leaps and bounds. His maturity shows in his determination and decision making ability, not to mention how good he is at extending plays with his feet. The offensive line is quietly doing what we would expect them to do, which is put people on their backsides while the receivers are better at blocking this year.
Granted it’s against the two weakest teams we’ll face all year, but unlike in years past, the weaknesses that flung open the door to proudly be on full display, aren’t as glaring. This looks like a team that has a fresh new attitude, plays with a lot of confidence, has fun, and hopefully has forgotten about the past. As a lifelong Cubs fan, I remember the same thing happening a couple of seasons before they finally won the World Series. Now, I’m not even suggesting that Nebraska is close to championship caliber, but it is nice to see the right attitude and style of play for a change. Dare I say it, but they seem to be finding out who they are and establishing an identity. They are a run first team with a good mobile quarterback who can sling it accurately when they choose. How this translates into Big Ten play, has still yet to be seen and soon we will against Michigan State and Maryland, but hopefully, this team is feeling good about themselves and isn’t afraid of some hard competition and uphill battles at times. We certainly have the talent for it.
It’s encouraging to see the defense play a little pissed off and fly to the ball a little more this year. Sure, they’ll get burned at times, but as long as they stick to that style of play, the victories will come and so will other recruits. Having a deep running back room with the offensive line playing sound ball is probably our greatest asset, especially in a conference where physicality is demanded from each team if you want even a slim chance to compete, an area that we have been lacking in for several years. It’s a breath of fresh air, seeing the right coaches and mentors in place that demand high standards from our guys every play from practice through games. My final thought comes from that staff in Ron Brown. He’s been the one constant connection from the championship years and every coach with the exception of Mike Riley, sees his worth and how important it is for him to be involved in the program in a mentorship role. Years from now we will look back and see how important he has been to this program, the university, and the state, being thankful we could claim him as one of our own. Go Big Red.
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