Nebraska vs. Rutgers: A Must-Win for the Huskers

There’s a new dawn in Lincoln.

Well, sort of.

Dana Holgorsen is out, Glenn Thomas is calling the plays, and Nebraska fans are once again entertaining the possibility that their football team might actually do something revolutionary.

Like get back to scoring touchdowns.

Or avoid penalties.

Or - stay with SMQ here - run the damn football!!

This week, Nebraska travels to Rutgers for what should be one of the more straightforward games on its schedule. Rutgers is battered, undermanned, and not particularly good.

The question? Is Nebraska still suffering from “shell shock” from their last four games?

So here we go…again.

Eleven Personnel. Eleven Thousand Problems.

SMQ has been digging into Nebraska’s offensive philosophy, and one thing keeps jumping out: Holgorsen's love affair with 11 personnel - one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers.

It's a perfectly legitimate offensive formation. It's also not necessarily the best way to play football in the Big Ten, where enormous human beings spend four quarters trying to beat the other team senseless.

Nebraska has the personnel to play bigger. Big offensive linemen. Big tight ends. A big running back.

So why not use them?

Put two tight ends on the field. Maybe even a fullback. Run some 12 personnel. Run some 22 personnel. Hell, dust off the I-formation while you're at it.

Nebraska has a 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end in Eric Ingersoll. Put him on the line and let him eat.

The goal isn't to re-create 1995. It's to establish a physical running game that forces defenses to react.

And perhaps, just perhaps, stop asking the offensive line to pass protect on seemingly every meaningful down.

The Discipline Problem Starts in Practice

Nebraska's offensive struggles aren't entirely about formations.

They're about discipline.

False starts. Holding penalties. Mental mistakes. Drive-killing stupidity.

Luke Lindenmeyer offered an interesting glimpse into the problem this week, acknowledging that some of the mistakes showing up on Saturdays have also been happening in practice.

Apparently, the prevailing philosophy was that those mistakes wouldn't happen during games.

So much for that philosophy…

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If players aren't held accountable for mistakes in practice, why would anyone expect better results with thousands of people screaming at them?

Nebraska has repeatedly found ways to lead games late, pile up offensive yards, and somehow lose anyway.

At some point, that's not bad luck.

That's coaching.

Thomas has an opportunity to simplify the offense, establish some physicality, and perhaps make the entire operation look a little less like a panic attack.

Rutgers: Weak and Getting Weaker

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is coming back in 2027...but 2026 has been a disaster.

Now, the Scarlet Knights are hurting. Standout receiver KJ Duff is out for the season following ankle surgery, and quarterback Dylan Lonergan is also out for this game.

Nebraska should be able to control the line of scrimmage, shut down the running game, and force Rutgers into daring Rutgers to beat them with the pass.

On the bad news side for the Blackshirts, both Owen Chambliss and Andrew Marshall are out for this game. Still, there is simply no acceptable excuse for losing this game.

Matt Rhule's buyout makes replacing him an enormously expensive proposition. But another inexplicable defeat would make the questions about his leadership considerably louder.

SMQ Predictions

Bob: Nebraska 27, Rutgers 17. The Huskers win, but naturally make things more interesting than necessary.

Jay: Nebraska 31, Rutgers 14. A more convincing victory, assuming Nebraska remembers which direction it's supposed to be moving.

And if a nor'easter arrives? Expect an uglier, lower-scoring affair.

The formula isn't complicated.

Get big. Get physical. Stop committing stupid penalties.

And run the damn ball.

Go Big Red.

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