Nebraska's season opener was mixed, to say the least. The team entered halftime up 14-13 after trailing 13-7 at one point. Though the team rebounded in the second half en route to a 49-21 win, the first half left a sour taste.
But such mishaps can be expected in a season opener. However, for the beginning of year four in the Matt Rhule era, the first-half struggles are a bit concerning. Granted, Ohio was one of many MAC teams to go toe-to-toe with the Big Ten, but it still doesn't change the fact that this was a nonconference clash.
The Huskers did finish with over 500 yards of offense and held the Bobcats to just over 300 yards. But again, much of Ohio's success and Nebraska's struggles came in the first half. Whether this ends up being a fluke
or a trend doesn't change that fact. Thus, it needs to be addressed now.
Here are the position grades for Nebraska's season-opening win against Ohio.
Quarterback: B
Anthony Colandrea’s Nebraska debut was an overall successful outing. However, it wasn’t a flawless one. He totaled 275 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. However, he finished 18-of-32 and took two sacks, which included an 18-yard intentional grounding penalty. He also fumbled on the opening drive but did fall back on it.
The two sacks and fumble especially negated Colandrea’s solid rushing game, which was 60 yards on seven attempts when excluding the sacks and fumble. He also scored on the ground, giving him four all-purpose touchdowns in the win.
Though the low completion percentage and sacks were not solely on Colandrea, and he kept his composure throughout the game. Colandrea also extended plays and even took off a number of times, leading to some key Nebraska scores.
His challenge was to show he could take over after Dylan Raiola’s departure. He did, but he still needs to get settled in. Overall, a good start for what will hopefully be a big season from the former Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
Running Backs: A-
After Emmett Johnson’s departure, some wondered how the void would be filled this season. A trio of Husker backs earned a touch of the ball in the game and, after the disjointed first half, they put together a statement. Isaiah Mozee, Mekhi Nelson and Jamal Rule combined for 217 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.
Rule and Nelson especially delivered heavy blows on the day, each finding the endzone on the ground and through the air. Rule led the way, totaling 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. The true freshman also picked up 47 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Nelson scored on a 51-yard checkdown pass, helping the Huskers bust open their lead when it appeared Ohio was mounting an upset. He finished with 65 receiving yards on two catches and 64 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Mozee earned 31 rushing yards on six carries but did break out a 24-yard run.
However, much of the action occurred in the second half of the game. In the first half, Nebraska totaled just 60 rushing yards. But once the trio found their footing, they took off.
A rocky start to say the least, but the upside shown by this group provides reassurance that the Johnson void is not severe.
Wide Receivers: C+
Nebraska receivers were targeted 27 times, but only totaled 14 catches, with a good number of throws hitting the target yet not being wrangled in. Though the group still combined for 163 yards, they left opportunities on the board.
Kwazi Gilmer especially seesawed back and forth on the day, catching five passes on 10 targets and recording a drop. His five receptions did stand out, however, and he did finish with a touchdown and an average of over 10 yards per reception. But, as Colandrea’s top target of the game, the catch average needs to go up.
Jacory Barney led the group in receiving yards, tallying 60 on just five catches. However, he also cost Nyziah Hunter a major touchdown due to a blindside block penalty. The penalty ended up costing Nebraska the drive, which in a conference game could be the critical factor. Hunter, due to the penalty, also ended the game with just one catch for 17 yards. Though he too also coughed up a penalty, getting flagged for a holding call.
Luke Lindenmeyer picked up 22 yards on two receptions. Quinn Clark hauled in one catch for six yards. Keelan Smith was targeted once, but the pass slipped through his hands.
These numbers need to be better. Otherwise, some Big Ten games that will come down to a crucial catch will not go Nebraska’s way.
Offensive Line: C+
The pipeline from the start managed to open up holes for the running backs to run through. Though the run game took time to get going, the offensive line being able to present rushing opportunities is a good sign.
However, the same cannot be said for the passing game. Colandrea’s two sacks were the result of the Bobcats breaching the backfield within the blink of an eye. But it wasn’t just those two plays where Ohio managed to get through.
Colandrea was flushed out of the pocket numerous times and even faced a Bobcat or two when he rolled out. Though he managed to get rid of the ball or avoid the initial defender, the line needs to step up and prevent Colandrea from facing more danger than needed.
But again, if there is a positive that the line can take away from this game, it’s that they carried over the strong run game from last year.
Defensive Line: C+
The Blackshirts’ battle in the trenches was an overall mixed performance. The Bobcats only totaled 18 rushes by running backs and only produced 55 yards. But quarterback Nick Poulos ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
The line’s two sacks also should have asterisks next to them, with Poulos slipping in the backfield and backup quarterback Matt Vezza taking the other sack. Outside of those two plays, the line rarely got to Poulos, only causing him to get rid of the ball or take off downfield.
This is one of the major issues that plagued the group last season. So, this is already something that the line needs to figure out before every Big Ten quarterback marks Nebraska as a prime running opportunity game. The group also suffered a couple of penalties, a false start and a facemask.
But with the group managing to slow down the run and prevent any major plays, there are already signs of improvement.
Linebackers: C+
Much like the line, the second level did a good job in preventing the running backs from taking off. However, Poulos slipped some tackles to pick up yardage, which again cannot continue to happen down the line.
Granted, the Huskers were without Owen Chambliss for the game, so it’s tough to say what this group will look like with him on the field. But without him, Dexter Foster produced three quarterback hits, and Vincent Shavers earned five tackles.
But again, Poulos on the run was a problem. On his touchdown run in the fourth, no one was on him during the option play, allowing him to walk into the endzone, something Iowa can easily replicate at the end of the regular season.
Similar to the front line, there are signs of improvement. But this group needs to keep going in the right direction if they want to make an impact.
Defensive Backs: C+
Ohio got a 68-yard slant on the opening play of the season. That already is a very alarming problem. It also doesn’t help that Riley Neer, who caught that slant, finished with six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Granted, he was the only true receiver for the Bobcats. But regardless, one receiver doing a number on Nebraska is problematic.
Poulos only finished 14-of-31 through the air, but not every incompletion was from blanketed coverage. That’s not to say there was a lack of coverage, though. The secondary challenged Ohio’s receiving corps throughout the day, forcing eight pass breakups and flying around, making it difficult for any proper completions.
However, the Bobcats did find some holes in the zone coverage and managed to snag a few passes despite the man coverage, including a key grab in the red zone and a two-point conversion. Even the Huskers’ lone interception of the game came off the throw of Ohio’s backup quarterback, so it wasn’t a true pick by the group.
Though Nebraska finished high in the nation for passing defense last year, part of that came from its lack of rushing defense. Now, the group is going to face more challenges this year if the Huskers manage to slow down the opposing team’s run game.
Special Teams: B+
Special teams were indifferent in this game. Nothing too drastic happened that caused any game-changing moments. No missed extra points, no field goal attempts, nothing crazy happened on punt or kick return, or punt or kickoff.
However, there were a couple of near-catastrophic moments. A punt was almost blocked early on, which could have added fuel to the fire in an already disjointed first half. Also, there was one bad kickoff return attempt that set Nebraska up inside its own 10. Fortunately, the Huskers scored a touchdown on that drive, but it can’t always start inside their own 10.
There were also a couple of offside penalties on kickoff, which is a fundamental error that cannot continue if the third phase wants to be disciplined.
Overall, this group didn’t make any headlines, which can be fine so long as the third phase doesn’t need to be the difference maker. However, if special teams does need to make something happen in a game down the line, it needs to step up.
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Report card from Nebraska's unbalanced season-opening win over Ohio
