Despite Big Wins, Nebraska Will Still Search for True Identity

Tom Brady, who should know, said something interesting about football and relevant to Nebraska the other day.

During Sunday’s Eagles-Commanders broadcast, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and former Michigan quarterback said that teams use the offseason and preseason trying to become what they want to be, but it’s not until they face strong competition until they find out who they really are.

Hmmmmmm.

Brady didn’t specify, but he was talking about NFL teams. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize Brady’s theory also was made a ton of sense for college teams, too.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said a team needs to play strong competition to find out who it really is. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nebraska hasn’t yet faced the kind of competition it will soon enough in the Big Ten. The Huskers’ dazzling offensive displays against Ohio and Bowling Green aren’t likely to be duplicated when their Big Ten schedule begins Sept. 26 at Michigan State.

This Saturday, Nebraska plays FCS North Dakota (6:15 p.m., Big Ten Network). ESPN’s matchup predictor gave the Huskers a 96.5 percent chance of winning Saturday.

Huskers’ overpowering offense

Nebraska’s offense has rolled up the points and yards in its first two games. The Huskers defeated Ohio, 49-21, and routed Bowling Green, 56-7, on Saturday. That’s an unsustainable average of 52.5 points per game.

Speaking of unsustainable, Nebraska’s offensive stats are staggering:

* Total yards: 1,069
* Average yards per game: 534.5
* Third-down conversions: 14-of-22 (63.6 percent)
* Total passing yards: 557
* Average passing yards per game: 278.5 yards
* Passing: 44-of-64 (68.7 percent)
* Interceptions: 1
* Touchdown passes: 8
* Total rushing yards: 522
* Average rushing yards per game: 256

Enjoy while it lasts

So far, it’s been all fun and games for Nebraska. Memorial Stadium has been bumping — as the kids say — with not just big wins but exciting ones filled with offensive fireworks.

With FCS North Dakota coming to Lincoln on Saturday night, there’s a chance some of that powerful offense will continue.

Nebraska true freshman Jamal Rule is the team’s leading rusher with 210 yards. He looks strong and fast, with an ability to quickly burst through the holes opened by the offensive line. Will that continue? It might, as Rule looks like the real deal. It might not when stronger Big Ten defensive lines won’t be as yielding, and speedy linebackers close gaps more quickly.

And it’s not just Rule. Mekhi Nelson has rushed for 112 yards, Isaiah Mozee has rushed for 86 yards. As expected, dual-threat quarterback Anthony Colandrea has run for 56 yards.

This is a powerful Nebraska running attack. Sustainable? We’ll see.

Colandrea has brought his talented game from UNLV, undeterred by the big crowds at Memorial Stadium. He looks quick and fast, with an accurate, big arm. When he takes off on a run, it looks planned, not because he’s under duress.

He was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, and he looks like it.

The rebuilt offensive line has looked strong and well coached.

After the first half against Ohio, the defense has looked dominant.

Searching for who they are

Everything we’ve said about Nebraska is true — mostly facts, some viewpoint. Still doesn’t change anything. Brady’s point was excellent and something we never considered. Whether you like Brady or not, he’s a smart guy who knows football. His point about teams gaining their identity is well considered.

Nebraska doesn’t yet know what kind of team it has. Coaches and players like what they see, right? What’s not to like? But they don’t know for sure. If they’re honest, they know this kind of offense is not sustainable and everything will change in a hurry later in the month and through October.

On the daily grind, Nebraska is tweaking, fixing errors. Across two games, Huskers have had 16 penalties for 130 yards. Yeah, that’s not cutting it in conference games. That needs to be cleaned up.

Coaches are a picky lot and that’s probably good to keep grounded a Nebraska team that has to be feeling pretty good about itself these days.

Beyond the nitpicking, coach Matt Rhule and his assistant coaches are focused on North Dakota but probably looking at the big picture, too. And that big picture has plenty of questions, no matter how swimmingly the first two games have gone.

How good are the Huskers? What do we have, really, the coaches ask themselves?

Those are the big-picture questions —and more — being asked deep in the coaches’ rooms and in the locker rooms.

Nebraska will continue to search for its identity.

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