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McMaster’s Keys to the Game: Nebraska at Minnesota
A football game is a long, 60-minute grind.
It is truly a game of inches and that comes down to hours of practice and tedious preparation. Games in college football are not just won by talent on the field but by strategy and weeks of game planning.
Husker football will begin a new era Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Here are a few things they will have to do if they want to ensure they walk out of Minneapolis with a win.
Contain Spann-Ford
There is a ton of turnover on the offensive side of the ball for the Golden Gophers.
They will be without quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim for the first time since 2018. They also must replace three starting offensive linemen and Mike Brown-Stephens and Dylan Wright, their third- and fourth-highest receiving leaders in 2022.
One key piece Minnesota returns to the gridiron is tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. The first-team All-Big Ten preseason selection took a massive step forward in 2022, leading the team with 42 receptions and compiling 497 yards and two touchdowns. Spann-Ford will be the lead weapon in the passing game for Minnesota and a safety blanket for new starter Athan Kaliakmanis, who has thrown only 111 passes in his college career.
If Nebraska can find a way to contain the 6-foot-6 senior from St. Cloud, Minnesota, it will make Kaliakmanis’ life increasingly difficult and allow the Huskers to focus on stopping the relentless Gopher run attack.
Be aggressive up front
As mentioned earlier, Minnesota will replace three offensive linemen from last year’s team.
AP first-team All-America center John Michael Schmitz was drafted 57th overall in the NFL draft by the New York Giants, and guards Axel Ruschmeyer and Chuck Filiaga, a pair of All-Big Ten third-team selections, have graduated. While the star-studded interior offensive line will be filled with upperclassmen, it will not have much experience.
Out of six potential players who will line up for the first snap against Nebraska, there are just 26 total starts at their projected positions.
With their versatile 3-3-5 defense and lack of Gopher experience, the Huskers can potentially cause massive confusion in the trenches. Even though Nebraska lacks major experience on the defensive line, the right game plan can make it a long day for Kaliakmanis in the backfield.
Settle down early
The first game of the Matt Rhule era will take place in a very hostile environment.
While Huntington Bank Stadium is not considered an insanely difficult place to play like Tiger Stadium, Death Valley or Beaver Stadium, it’s not a walk in the park either. Excluding a fanless 2020, teams are 11-24 in the last five seasons when they play in Minneapolis.
You also account for potential nerves from Nebraska. Thursday will begin a new era in Nebraska football history; it will be a day many players and staff have been waiting for.
While Rhule said in his final press conference before the game that he’s not worried about getting out to a quick start, the Huskers must make big plays, settle down and silence the Gopher faithful in the first quarter.
They cannot afford to dig themselves a hole with careless mistakes and allow the pressure of the game to mount upon them.
