Rabbit or Duck? Seeing the Good and Bad in Nebraska's Victory

Dave Feit says the win over Michigan State offers many reasons for optimism and things to be concerned about.

Nebraska pressures Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles during the first quarter. Chiles had limited success passing but did some damage with his legs. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

As I tried to digest what I saw in Nebraska's 38-27 win over Michigan State, I was reminded of a well-known image. I'm guessing you've seen it before. It is a sketch of a duck’s head facing the left. Wait… or is it a rabbit’s head facing the right? Or is it both?

The “Rabbit and Duck” is an example of an ambiguous image, a type of optical illusion that offers two different realities for our minds to process. The "Rubin's Vase" illustration is another famous ambiguous image. Some people see a white vase on a black background. Others see two black silhouettes facing each other on a white background.

Rabbit or duck? | Fliegende Blätter / Public domain

On one hand, Nebraska had multiple contributions from all three phases. The offense scored 31 points, had three rushing touchdowns, and made electric pass plays. The defense had four sacks, two interceptions, and held the Spartans under 100 yards passing until the final drive of the game. The special teams scored on a blocked punt, nearly returned another punt for a touchdown, and got a turnover on a kickoff.

If I offered that to you every week, you'd likely take it. That performance is the rabbit.

But many people saw something different. An offense that couldn't move the ball on a suspect opponent. An offensive line that once again got pushed around. A defense that was incapable of tackling a mobile quarterback and could not get stops on fourth down. A freshman punter who struggled to kick the ball and a busted fake punt that led to points.

This version is the duck.*

*Because it made me want to say words that rhyme with duck.

Which one do you see?

With ambiguous images like Rabbit and Duck, Rubin's Vase, or NU's win over Michigan State, I would hope fans are able to see both images, even if they need a little assistance. Because both things that we saw on Saturday are true. Nebraska played well AND they played poorly.

Ultimately, what matters is the end result. Nebraska won the game rather comfortably. In the end, I'm not going to apologize for winning, especially by 11 points over a conference foe.

I guarantee Penn State, Maryland and several other schools would gladly trade results.

Things I believe

Special teams won this game.
Saturday was special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler's birthday. But Husker fans got the presents.

Jamir Conn got the party started with one of the most impressive punt blocks you'll ever see. He was back there so quickly he practically took the snap. Carter Nelson scooped up the ball for a gift-wrapped touchdown.

On a third-quarter kickoff, Ekeler saw that same thing I did: a blocker on the Spartan return unit who looked like he'd struggle catching a ball that was being blown away from him by a 25-mph wind. John Hohl had a perfect kick, the attempted fair catch was muffed, and Nebraska was there for the recovery.

Nebraska's Carter Nelson celebrates with his teammates after scoring on a blocked punt during the first quarter. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Jacory Barney Jr. had a great game returning punts. If not for an unnecessary block in the back, he would have scored Nebraska's first punt return touchdown since… Johnny Rodgers?

Nebraska made all of the extra points and a 27-yard field goal. A year ago, these would have been noteworthy accomplishments. On Saturday, they were expected, even with that nasty wind.

The wind did play havoc with most of Archie Wilson's punts. But in the fourth quarter when it mattered most, he launched a 46-yard kick inside the 10-yard line. Even though Nebraska's fake punt didn't work, I liked the call. Give credit to the Michigan State player for making a good play.

After Michigan State got a late score and tried to onside kick, Nebraska's hands team fielded it cleanly.

Nebraska's special teams unit should get the lion's share of the credit for the win. When was the last time you could say that?

The Blackshirts are starting to find themselves.
There were moments where John Butler's defense played some of their best ball of the season. Twelve tackles for loss! Four sacks! Three hurries! Two interceptions!

But the Blackshirts were not perfect. Michigan State was 4 of 5 on fourth down. In the first and third quarters, NU's defense spent over 10 minutes on the field. Several Huskers got juked out of their jocks trying to bring mobile quarterback Aiden Chiles to the turf. There was a few running plays that were dangerously close to becoming long scores. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back DeShon Singleton celebrates one of his two interceptions against the Spartans. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

After falling behind 21-14, the Blackshirts stepped up. On Michigan State's next three possession - with the game in the balance - the Spartans ran a total of 10 plays for -5 yards. I'm sure giving up a late touchdown left a bitter taste in their mouths. There is still much to work on.

The identity of Butler's defense may be starting to reveal itself. They want to swarm and rally to the ball on running plays. On passing downs, they're willing to blitz to generate pressure because they have confidence in their talented secondary. Against some of the mid-tier offenses of the Big Ten, that should be enough.

Nebraska needs to be better at taking advantage of their field position.
Not counting the onside kick at the end of the game, the Huskers had six possessions that started in Michigan State territory.

The good news is that Nebraska scored a total of 17 points on three of those possessions.

The bad news happened in the other three possessions in plus territory. Nebraska ran a total of 13 plays and somehow managed to lose 23 yards.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola loses his helmet as he is sacked by Michigan State defensive lineman Jalen Thompson. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

The worst example occurred in the second quarter. A 57-yard punt return gave Nebraska first-and-10 at the MSU 26. After two sacks, a false start, and a bad snap, Nebraska had fourth-and-42 from their own territory. A shanked punt gave the visitors the ball back at their own 40.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Huskers had first-and-goal from the seven in a tie game. They had momentum and a golden opportunity to take the lead. But the next three plays (two incompletions and a curious pass to Heinrich Haarberg on the short side of the field) had little chance of success. The Huskers lost two yards and settled for a field goal.

Nebraska's defense and special teams are much better about giving the offense better field position this season. Now the offense has to take advantage.

Things I don't know

How did Nebraska turn it around?
After a disastrous second quarter, things somehow got worse in the third quarter. Michigan State scored to tie the game. On Nebraska's next play, Raiola threw an interception. The Spartans drove down and scored to take the lead.

Nebraska gets the ball back. The first down throw hits Barney in the hands, but he can't corral it. Thankfully, the ricochet fell harmlessly to the turf. On second down, Raiola faded back with pressure in his face. He made an off-balance throw that landed in the vicinity of Dane Key.

As the Huskers lined up for their third down play, the only thing I knew for sure was that another incompletion (or a sack) would result in a very loud chorus of boos. As the ball was snapped, Raiola was under pressure. He stepped to his right and found Barney alone down the field for a 45-yard gain.

Two plays later, Emmett Johnson found a lane for a 23-yard game tying touchdown.

On the kickoff, John Hohl hit a lob wedge into the wind that Michigan State could not catch. First down Nebraska. That drive sputtered, but the Huskers regained the lead with a field goal.

Mekhi Nelson celebrates after recovering the ball when Michigan State mishandled a Nebraska kickoff late in the third quarter | Cory Edmondson, KFGE

The opportunity for this game to spiral out of control was there. We've seen it far too many times over the years. But somehow NU found a way to make a play and create their own energy. Honestly, I don't know how it happened.

Was it a culmination of Rhule's culture of focusing on "what's next?" and expecting players to make plays? Was just dumb luck or a defensive bust by a team that may not make a bowl game? Sometimes the result matters more than the how and why.

What I really like about this team is how they are much less prone to panic than previous squads (and especially the majority of Husker fans who spent the better part of three quarters freaking out). When things were at their worst - the offense struggling, the defense unable to get a stop, etc. - the sideline demeanor seemed calm. No heads down, no "here we go again" storm clouds, just a get back up and try again resilience that has been absent for a long time.

How much did the weather forecast impact Nebraska's play calling?
It was windy on Saturday. Really windy. 25 mph winds with gusts in the 40s. The goal posts were swaying throughout the game.

When the Huskers were heading into the teeth of the wind, they simply could not get anything accomplished.

Between Nebraska's opening touchdown and the late third quarter pass to Barney, Nebraska's offensive performance was putrid. Brace yourself for these numbers: 18 carries for zero yards and 5-9 passing for 32 yards with an interception. Simply put: Nebraska gained 32 yards on 27 plays.

But how much of that offensive impotence was result of the actual winds blowing at the time of the snap, and how much of it was due to Nebraska's staff getting in their heads about the wind?

Since Rhule has been at Nebraska, he's frequently commented about the wind here (and in Memorial Stadium). Maybe things are truly windier here on the great plains than they are in Philly or Waco, Texas. But at times it feels like Rhule makes a bigger deal out of the wind than it actually is. Did that impact the team's offensive game plan?

The reality is that this offense should have been able to move the ball with - or against - the wind. Nebraska may throw it a lot, but Raiola isn't being asked to throw deep balls and long out routes. Most of what he throws are short passes designed to get the ball to a playmaker in space. That type of system should work on windy days.*

*A quick pause to note that Lubbock, Texas - birthplace of Mike Leach's Air Raid passing offense - is the third-windiest city in the United States. Lincoln did not make the top 10.

This is not the first really windy day of Rhule's Nebraska tenure, and I guarantee it will not be the last. He and his staff need to work together to move the ball in all kinds of weather.

(That noise you're hearing is the guy in the Run the Dadgum Ball shirt reminding us that the wind has never slowed down an I-Back running an iso behind a fullback.)

Which is the bigger concern moving forward: offensive line or rush defense?
There are two glaring deficiencies on each side of the ball. Dylan Raiola was sacked five times* and the three running backs barely broke 100 yards on a day where "pound the rock" would have been a wind-proof offensive strategy.

*As we'll discuss in a bit, some of those sacks should go on Dylan's tab instead of Uncle Donnie's. That said, on the times where Dylan didn't throw it away, he wasn't exactly working with a clean pocket.

Defensively, the Spartans had success running the ball - both in traditional runs and with quarterback Aiden Chiles. There were no big busts like in the Michigan game, but there were a few that were close.

As Nebraska nears the midpoint of the season, which is the bigger worry?

The rush defense is a definite liability. As good as Nebraska's pass defense has been - and they've been excellent - it doesn't really matter if the Blackshirts cannot stop the run or contain a mobile quarterback.

That said, I currently do not have a ton of faith in the offensive line. They are capable of good things, but the consistency - play over play, drive after drive - has been sorely lacking. Regardless of who we want to blame, Raiola cannot take five sacks a game and expect to be healthy for the November stretch run. Nebraska's best chance for a great season is with 15 taking the snaps.

Huskerigami Update

A “Huskerigami” is a final score combination (win or lose) that has never happened in the 130+ year history of Nebraska football.

Final score: 38-27

Is that a Huskerigami? YES! This is the 581st unique score combination in Nebraska history.

Jacory Barney Jr. returns a punt 57 yards during the second quarter. | Cory Edmondson, KFGE

5 Things I loved

1. DeShon Singleton. On Friday, Nebraska's amazing social media team released a powerful video about DeShon, his brother DJ, and the battles they have gone through. On Saturday, the elder Singleton had one of his best games as a Husker: two interceptions, six tackles, and a large leadership role in helping keep Michigan State's passing attack in check.
2. Javin Wright. Speaking of inspirational stories… Wright, the first seventh-year senior in school history, had an amazing game of his own. Ten tackles, including 3.5 for loss. His sack on the game's opening possession - where he hurdled a would-be blocker - set the tone for the Blackshirt pass rush.
3. Jacory Barney Jr. His 45-yard reception was the spark that finally got Nebraska's fire going. It was absolutely crushing that his punt return touchdown was called back (it was the correct call), because he has been so close to popping one all season long. I would have liked to see Barney get an attempt on a jet sweep or the push pass they like to run.
4. Nyziah Hunter. Shoeless Nyz Hunter had a great game. Four receptions, including the 59-yard screen pass that allowed Husker fans to finally exhale. Hunter was so fast one of his shoes could not keep up. The explosiveness of Nebraska's receiving corps has been a pleasant upgrade.
5. Emmett Johnson. 120 total yards and three touchdowns. He ran hard, even if the lanes weren't always there. Johnson is very high on the list of most indispensable players (especially since the RB2 candidates got a total of four carries).

Honorable mention: Jamir Conn, Vincent Shavers Jr., Williams Nwaneri, Cameron Lenhardt, Mekhi Nelson, Kyle Cunanan, John Hohl, Andrew Marshall, Carter Nelson, Rex Guthrie, Elijah Jeudy, Donovan Jones, Dasan McCullough, and the fan who took advantage of the tailwind in the $5,000 field goal challenge.

5 Areas for improvement

1. Offensive line. The line play continues to be a Jekyll and Hyde operation. There are times where they block well and open running lanes or give Raiola time to throw. There are times where they cannot block anybody. On Saturday, 25 of Nebraska's 44 penalty yards came from offensive linemen. Also, several of the snaps from center Justin Evans were low, wide, or both. It is ironic that one of the biggest things keeping Dylan Raiola from being elite is the play of his uncle's unit.
2. Dylan Raiola. As noted above, he does not always get great protection. On one or two of his five sacks, he didn't have any open receivers. That said, there are times when Raiola holds it too long or is gun shy about trying to make a play. The vibe I get is that he is choosing to be overly cautious in avoiding big mistakes like a forced interception. My suggestion: when the walls are closing in, find your uncle on the sidelines and throw it over his head. Avoid turnovers, but don't lose yards.
3. Referees. College football can talk all they want about protecting players, but when a quarterback's helmet is ripped off - in front of the referee - and no flags are called, I struggle to believe that player safety is truly a concern. I'd like to see potential facemask penalties be added to the list of things coaches can challenge.
4. Finishing games. With 4:27 to go, Nebraska took a commanding 38-21 lead. At that point, it felt like the Huskers took their foot off the gas, content to coast in for the win. But Michigan State had other plans. The Spartans marched down the field, completing four straight passes, to cut the lead to nine. Thankfully, Nebraska recovered the onside kick (and the Spartans wasted all three of their timeouts) otherwise things could have gotten unnecessarily interesting. Take notes from the Nebraska volleyball team who knocked Penn State down in a 25-6 first set and never let them stand back up.
5. Traffic-beating fans. A noticeable number of fans headed for the exits with the Huskers down seven in the third quarter. Hopefully they successfully beat traffic, because they missed a really fun fourth quarter.

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