Nebraska heads into Week 2 with plenty of confidence after a 49-21 victory over Ohio, and the oddsmakers clearly expect the Huskers to keep the good times rolling.
Bowling Green comes to Lincoln on Saturday night at 0-1 after falling 20-13 to Tarleton State in Week 1. According to FanDuel, Nebraska is currently a 28.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 51.5 points.
On paper, this looks like another opportunity for Matt Rhule’s team to continue building momentum before the schedule gets considerably
tougher.
The offense is starting to find its identity
Husker fans should be reasonably happy with the full body of work from Week 1, even if the opening half against Ohio provided a few nervous moments.
Nebraska eventually found its rhythm and pulled away, leaning heavily on the running game. Freshman Jamal Rule showed some surprisingly mature touches and looks like he could quickly become an important part of this offense.
That has to be particularly encouraging following the departure of former Husker running back Emmett Johnson, now with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Huskers appear to have plenty of options behind Rule, with Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee also giving Dana Holgorsen plenty to work with. If that group can continue to produce behind a veteran offensive line, Nebraska could have one of its deepest running back rooms in years.
That is exactly what you want heading into Big Ten play.
The Huskers don’t need Anthony Colandrea to throw the ball 40 times every Saturday if the running game can consistently create explosive plays.
Colandrea provides some much-needed calm
Colandrea also looked like the veteran presence Nebraska hoped it was getting when he arrived in Lincoln.
The former UNLV quarterback looked comfortable running Holgorsen’s offense and, perhaps most importantly, avoided the type of dangerous throws that had some fans concerned during the offseason.
There was plenty of talk about Colandrea’s gunslinger mentality, but against Ohio he showed that he doesn’t need to force the issue.
That is a very good sign.
Of course, this is still early. Ohio isn’t exactly the most intimidating defense, and Colandrea will eventually have to prove that he can make the right decisions against some of the conference’s best defenses.
But he doesn’t have to carry this offense by himself.
If Nebraska can establish the run and consistently create manageable down-and-distance situations, Colandrea should have plenty of opportunities to pick his spots.
There may also be a few more tricks in Holgorsen’s playbook that we haven’t seen yet.
The defense still has questions to answer
If the offense provided reasons for optimism in Week 1, the defense remains a little harder to figure out.
The biggest concerns remain on the interior defensive line and with the pass rush.
Nebraska simply didn’t show a consistent ability to generate pressure without bringing extra bodies, and that could become a significant issue once Big Ten quarterbacks start getting comfortable in the pocket.
Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich appears to still be figuring out the right combination along the defensive line.
There is plenty of rotation, with different players bringing different skill sets, but Nebraska doesn’t currently have an obvious game-wrecking presence who can consistently win one-on-one.
That means the pass rush is likely going to have to be a collective effort.
Against Bowling Green, Nebraska should have enough talent to overcome those concerns. But the coaching staff needs to use these early-season games to figure out exactly which combinations work best on the critical downs.
By the time Big Ten play arrives, there won’t be much room for experimentation.
This one should never be in doubt
Saturday night should ultimately be about Nebraska taking care of business.
The result should never really be in doubt, but that doesn’t mean the game is meaningless.
These are the games where a team builds chemistry, develops younger players and figures out which pieces are going to be trusted when the stakes get higher.
For Rhule, the challenge will be keeping his team focused on improvement rather than simply looking at the scoreboard.
Nebraska wants to be an eight-win team this season, and if that is the goal, the Huskers need to look better in Week 2 than they did in Week 1.
The 28.5-point spread is a big number, but there is enough firepower on the Nebraska offense to expect the Huskers to clear it.
The running game looks deep, the offensive line is experienced and Colandrea appears comfortable running the offense.
Now it is time to see whether Nebraska can put together four quarters of football.
The Huskers should roll.
GBR
