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McMaster's Keys to the Game: Nebraska at Wisconsin
A football game is a long, 60-minute grind. It is truly a game of inches 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.
Nebraska football, for the third week in a row, has an opportunity to attain bowl eligibility. Here's what the Huskers will have to do to accomplish that.
Get to the ground
This Cornhusker football team loves to run the football with its quarterbacks, regardless of who's behind center. Nebraska QBs have led the team in rushing attempts in six games and rushing yards in four.
While the QB run game has produced results, it also has put the most valuable position on the field in danger. Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims have missed time this year due to injury. While both injuries were on pass plays, the two quarterbacks have taken a beating in the run game. There have been significant concerns from fans and coaches about the unnecessary punishment they take, especially regarding Haarberg.
There’s a possibility that we could see Haarberg, Sims,l and Chubba Purdy as we did in the last game. Seeing that all three have shown subpar play, all three must be available throughout the contest.
One way to improve the odds that none of them will get injured is to get to the ground.
Take the yards that are given to you and then slide. The quarterback run game cannot be eliminated from this offense, but it can cause more harm then good if the players executing it do not protect themselves.
Eyes to the sky
This isn’t your grandparents' Wisconsin football team. The Badgers throw the ball … a lot. Luke Fickell has fully implemented his style of play in Madison, and the Badgers are throwing the ball the second most in the Big Ten.
You might ask, “Matt, who’s first?”
Well, it’s Nebraska’s last opponent, Maryland. Fortunately for the Blackshirts, there’s a big gap between Taulia Tagovailoa and Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai.
Mordecai had an okay year, completing 64%, but has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 1/1. The Huskers' secondary, while not as stout as their defensive line, is playing good football. They will have opportunities to cause turnovers. They must ensure the ball doesn’t end up on the turf when it hits their hands.
Convert in the red area
The Big Red has the worst red zone conversion rate in the Big Ten. When getting within the opponent's 20-yard line, NU scores 67.9% of the time. Nebraska’s offense lacks firepower. They’re the type of team that cannot waste opportunities to score.
They’re also a team that must be okay with kicking field goals. Despite freshman Tristan Alvano’s early struggles, he’s hit six of his last seven attempts.
All points are at a premium whether they come in the form of three or seven.
