The program is trending downward in Matt Rhule’s second year with the Cornhuskers. After starting with a 5-1 record, NU has gone on to lose five games in a row. Luckily, Nebraska has an opportunity to stop the bleeding versus Wisconsin in Memorial Stadium. But, the team has to prioritize these weapons in order to have success against the Badgers.
Emmett Johnson
The sophomore from Minnesota was able to make a significant impact against USC. On just 17 touches, Johnson used his elusiveness to rush for 91 yards against the Trojans. He also executed Dana Holgorsen’s new ideas well. This led him to lead NU’s passing attack with 7 catches for 36 yards. The payoff would eventually come for him when he ran untouched into the endzone on a 29-yard score. The biggest challenge is showing flashes against the Badgers. He’ll have his work cut out for him. After Mike Tressel’s unit struggled to start the season, Wisconsin’s defense has found its groove. Oregon’s rushing attack was only limited to 136 yards on the ground. The Ducks also committed special teams errors. With two minutes remaining, Atticus Sappington’s fake field goal attempt was denied. It will be interesting to see how Johnson deals with the team’s opportunistic defense.
Read more about the running backs exploits against Northern Iowa in What Does Nebraska Need To Address Against Illinois?
Ceyair Wright
The Los Angeles native played inspired football against his former team. His homecoming began when he intercepted USC sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. And in the fourth quarter, he was able to block Michael Lantz’s field goal to give the Huskers some much-needed momentum. It wasn’t enough to win the game, but Wright can certainly build on his play against Wisconsin. The Badgers offense has been struggling under sophomore quarterback Braedyn Locke. One of the main reasons for this is his uneven play. Through five games, the Texas native has thrown as many interceptions as he has touchdowns. This bodes well for Wright and the Cornhuskers secondary. But can they make it a reality? John Butler’s unit missed multiple interceptions against the Trojans.
Dylan Raiola
The true freshman has had trouble stringing consecutive drives together for the Nebraska offense. His troubles began late in the second half when he was intercepted on a pass that was intended for Isaiah Neyor. Raiola was not on the same page with Jahmal Banks either. He underthrew the Wake Forest transfer in the red zone and was intercepted by Trojan defensive back Greedy Vance on the last play of the game. But there’s faith that he can break out against Wisconsin. He just has to make the easy throws. The Huskers had success with this strategy throughout the second half. Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer had a one-handed grab, and Banks was able to separate from a defender to gain a first down. Sophomore Janiran Bonner also got involved as well. The Georgia native ran for several first downs on designed screen plays. It’s proof that Raiola can develop a rhythm on offense. Nebraska’s skill players need to use their speed to get open versus Wisconsin.
Emmett Johnson is just too fast 💨@HuskerFootball ties things back up in Los Angeles 💪 pic.twitter.com/ru8skUHSC2
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 16, 2024
Jacory Barney Jr
The freshman from Florida was a spark plug in Marcus Satterfield’s offense. The jet sweep game made him a legitimate weapon in the Cornhuskers offense. But in the last three games, he’s not provided Nebraska with the same impact. After other Big Ten opponents created a game plan against him, he hasn’t been the same player. Luckily Holgorsen’s fresh set of eyes can help fix this problem. The former Houston head coach has a wealth of experience with talented wideouts like Justin Blackmon and Michael Crabtree. This might be what Barney needs to continue wreaking havoc in Lincoln. But it will all depend on if he can block. In Holgorsen’s address to the media on Tuesday, he challenged the wideouts to be aggressive on the perimeter. If he’s successful, he’ll be allowed to thrive in Nebraska’s duel versus Wisconsin.
