Nebraska handled its business against the Northern Iowa Panthers in a 34-3 win last weekend. This performance moved the Cornhuskers up to #22 in the Associated Press Poll. Unfortunately, it also brought up glaring issues with Matt Rhule’s squad. Let’s break down what the team needs to address before they face a ranked Illinois on Friday.
Run Defense
Tony White’s Blackshirt defense was solid in the first two games of the season. However, it seemed that they were confused by UNI’s rushing attack. On 10 carries, Tye Edwards pushed through the Huskers defensive line to notch 37 yards on the day. Omaha native Amauri-Pesek Hickson also helped out as well. The 225-pound senior finished with 39 yards on the ground. This allowed junior quarterback Aiden Dunne to confuse Nebraska’s defense by hitting them with small chunk plays down the field. However, it wasn’t built to last. Senior defensive back Marques Buford batted down a ball intended for senior wideout Sergio Morancy. A 31-yard field goal by Cade Palmer followed. Illinois’s offense could take advantage of these mistakes by utilizing sophomore running back Kaden Feagin. He’s a bruising back that knows how to create space in the open field. Nebraska will have to fix its tackling issues if it wants to limit his work toward the endzone.
Read more about how the Cornhuskers defense performed against their rival in Goals Reached: Nebraska Wins Against Colorado
Second Half Offense
In the first half against Northern Iowa, true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola scored at will. Freshman wide receiver Carter Nelson used his 230-pound frame to rumble into the endzone for a 24-yard score. And early in the second half, he hit Isaiah Neyor for an 18-yard touchdown on a slant route. These two touchdowns were great for boosting the Cornhuskers lead. But he should have kept the pedal on the gas in the second half. In the three possessions to start the third quarter, he failed to reach the endzone. Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr can take advantage of this. But junior quarterback Luke Altmyer has to lead senior Pat Bryant to another strong performance. Against Central Michigan, he had seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Nebraska’s veteran secondary will be tested against the 6’3 senior. Ole Miss transfer Zakhari Franklin is another name to watch. The 190-pound target has averaged 12 yards per catch in each contest.
The Running Game
After having solid performances against UTEP and Colorado, Nebraska sophomore running back Dante Dowdell was largely absent against Northern Iowa. On just six carries, the Panther defense only allowed him to gain 55 yards. The Mississippi native should be able to rebound against Illinois. But he’s going to have to create space against Illinois’s front four. This should be quite an undertaking for the young back. Terrance Jamison’s defensive line isn’t the same unit that played Nebraska in 2023. In fact, they’ve been one of the Illini’s strengths early in the season. Last week, they only allowed Central Michigan running back Myles Bailey to rush for 49 yards. Will Dowdell be the next back to get terrorized by the Fighting Illini? Or will the Cornhusker’s stable of running backs confuse Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry? Sophomore Emmett Johnson could take the lead role. He’s produced in each of the program’s three games. And he had a 36-yard touchdown run to slam the door on the Panthers.
.@EmmettJohnson_ breaks one loose. 💨 pic.twitter.com/CLm73dqzlW
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) September 15, 2024
Raise The Bar
It’s clear that Nebraska didn’t play to its standard in the first half against UNI. The Big Red kept missing tackles on Panther players and they gave Dunne plenty of time to make decisions in the pocket. In his postgame presser, NU senior linebacker Issac Gifford said that the energy bothered him. This should be an easy fix for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska will have its 400th consecutive sellout on Friday against Illinois. The crowd in Lincoln was electric. And as a result, it disrupted what Colorado was able to accomplish on offense. We should expect the atmosphere at Memorial Stadium to confuse Illinois as well.
