Tad Stryker: Restoring Pride to the Blackshirts
In the midst of what may be Nebraska’s finest stretch of defensive football in a decade, while Husker Nation is counting down the wins to nail down a long-awaited bowl berth, it’s worth stopping to appreciate what is unfolding right in front of you. The Blackshirts are returning the honor to their name, and they’re doing it while giving meaningful roles to a ton of young players.
Behind all-conference-level play from nose tackle Nash Hutmacher and safety Isaac Gifford, and maybe Luke Reimer and Quinton Newsome for good measure, the Husker defense continues to carry the team, cleaning up almost every mess its offensive brethren make and extending hope of winning every game remaining on the schedule.
And while the cynics among us often have real reason to avert their eyes when the offense comes on the field, it’s only fair to note that Heinrich Haarberg and his young cohorts contributed something to the cause on a cold, windy day in Memorial Stadium. It was sometimes astounding for all the wrong reasons, but the Husker offense made a few things happen. Let’s leave it at that for a minute.
The Huskers just wrapped up their first undefeated October since Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch’s senior season in 2001, going 3-0 in a month that has been sluggish at best for the Big Red the past six years, when they went a combined 7-12. They did it because the Husker defense held a conference opponent to fewer than 200 total yards for the first time in six years. They kept their opponent below 100 rushing yards for the seventh time this season, something the Huskers hadn’t done since Ndamukong Suh suited up.
In improving to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten, the Huskers won their third consecutive game for the first time since 2016, when they won their first seven games of the season coming off a Foster Farms Bowl win over UCLA. They’ve won five of their last six, and they’re doing it with negative turnover margins almost every week.
Despite averaging almost minus-two turnovers per game, under Matt Rhule, the Huskers are not only starting to build a healthier culture, they’re winning games at the same time. You have to shake your head, though, at how they’re doing it:
- The Huskers fumble the opening kickoff away? No problem. Taking over at the Husker 32-yard line, Purdue went four-and-out, missing a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
- Second-string punt returner Alex Bullock muffs a punt inside his own 20-yard line? No sweat, Newsome dives on the loose ball to preserve a possession for the Huskers.
- Haarberg fumbles on their first play of the second half, setting up the Boilermakers at the Nebraska 13? Not a problem. Another three-and-out set up a Purdue field goal attempt, which Elijah Jeudy blocked and Newsome returned 68 yards for a touchdown.
Ever since the Huskers got their turnover problem under control, Tony White’s defense has made a living making big plays when they matter most. They finally started getting takeaways against Purdue, with Tommi Hill picking off two passes and Jimari Butler forcing a fumble which Newsome recovered.
Under control? I spoke too soon. NU fumbled five times Saturday, losing four. And yet, thanks to the Blackshirts, the Huskers were never in danger of losing control of the game. Gifford, with 10 tackles, including two for losses, was masterful once again.
The thing is, somebody has to be on the field while the defensive platoon and the kicking units are resting, so with the “Scoring Explosion” four decades in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a close look at this curious thing known as the Nebraska offensive unit. But before we get too critical — and there’s plenty to criticize — it’s worth looking at the big picture.
- It was the first time the Huskers scored 30-plus points against a conference foe since Trey Palmer went crazy (seven catches, 237 yards, two touchdowns) in West Lafayette last October, a 43-37 loss to the Boilermakers. (Yep, that blocked field goal return counts for the Husker offense and Marcus Satterfield, if all Iowa’s defensive and special-teams scores count in the fine print on Brian Ferentz’s contract.)
- Using three new offensive linemen after injuries took out Turner Corcoran, Ethan Piper and Nouredin Nouili, the offense did something Rhule prioritized in the preseason, rushing for 75 yards in the fourth quarter (actually 76 yards on 19 carries). Teddy Prochazka, Justin Evans-Jenkins and Henry Lutovsky had a reasonably steady first start, committing only one penalty among them as the Husker running game picked up momentum late.
Haarberg threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions, but he fumbled twice.
The Huskers, who had been utterly unable to put together a drive, reeled off 15-play, 87-yard drive that consumed 8:52, wrapping up the first quarter and carrying over into the second. It was the longest drive by Nebraska this season in plays, yards and time. Briefly, you could say the phrases “Husker offense” and “in rhythm” together. It didn’t last.
With the offense as unpredictable as it is, Tristan Alvano’s 55-yard field goal — combined with his 47-yarder last week — takes on added importance. Alvano’s placekicking might be the difference sometime before the end of November. The kick tied the true freshman for the second-longest field goal in school history. And punter Brian Buschini continued to be steady, kicking five times for a 41.8-yard net average, twice pinning the Boilers inside their 20-yard line.
Haarberg, for all his toughness and occasional big-play capability, is becoming more turnover-prone, which is a real concern, and he seemed less decisive than ever running the ball behind his newly constructed offensive line. But his 73-yard touchdown pass to freshman Jaylen Lloyd — who was even wider open than classmate Malachi Coleman was last week on his TD reception — provided some much-needed margin in the game.
That said, it would help a lot if the Huskers developed a dependable running back. Their best candidate at this point is redshirt freshman Emmett Johnson, who had a career-high 76 yards rushing, including a game-clinching 28-yarder (see video above). Puzzlingly, Anthony Grant continues to recede into the background after rushing for more than 900 yards last season.
Truthfully, the offense may not need to do much more than stay out of its own way for the Huskers to finish the season strong, not with the Blackshirts looking strong at all three levels and gaining momentum for the future with only three senior starters, a host of sophomores and strong showings from freshmen Cam Lenhardt, Princewill Umanmielen and Riley Van Poppel. The Huskers are ahead of schedule under an up-and-coming defensive coaching staff.
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