IOWA CITY, Iowa – After an embarrassing home loss to Illinois, the Nebraska football team will try to get back on track against Iowa on a short week.
The Hawkeyes have won three games in a row after starting out the season with close losses to Purdue and Northwestern.
Here are today’s keys to victory for the Huskers over the Hawkeyes, along with our HuskerOnline weekend score predictions. Nebraska enters today’s game as a 13.5 point underdog to Iowa. Kickoff is set for Noon on FOX.
KEY 1: Once again the start
This is a reoccurring key every week for Nebraska, but the start is once again where we start. The Huskers simply cannot afford a start like last week where they dug themselves in a hole. If they want to have any chance today, they need to come out swinging.
KEY 2: Rush defense
Iowa has one of the best offensive lines the Huskers have seen this season. Their center Tyler Linderbaum is having an All-American year and is graded a 91.2 on PFF. All of their other offensive linemen grade between 70.8 and 79.3. On top of that, they have two very good running backs in Tyler Goodson (5.5 yds per carry) and Mekhi Sargent (6.3 yds per carry). The Hawkeyes are going to test the teeth of NU’s defense early and often. I imagine that first drive of the game they are just going to try to ram Goodson and Sargent right at the Blackshirts to see how they hold up.
KEY 3: Watch the tight end
Like always, Iowa is going to try to feature the tight end in their offense. Sophomore Sam LaPorta leads the Hawkeyes with 17 catches for 165 yards on 30 targets. They will look for him on a lot of third and short type plays. The Huskers have to be ready. Eight of his 17 catches have gone for first downs.
KEY 4: Figuring out a way to run the football
Will it be through the quarterback? Dedrick Mills? Wan’Dale Robinson? All of the above? Regardless, the Huskers need to figure out a way to run the football on Friday. Without a respectable ground game, NU is going to have a very hard time winning this football game. Iowa has a very good front seven that has had their way this season stopping the run.
KEY 5: Find big plays
Last week Luke McCaffrey missed on multiple big plays down the field. The Huskers need to figure out a way to find those types of plays on Friday, whether that be through McCaffrey or Adrian Martinez. They are not good enough right now to have a lot of long sustained drives on offense. They need to find ways to score with some explosive plays.
Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Publisher
This game will go into the fourth quarter just like Scott Frost’s other two match-ups with Iowa, but the Huskers will have a hard time running it consistently and stopping the run. There are just too many questions and unknowns going into today for anyone to pick Nebraska at this point.
Iowa 31, Nebraska 23
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Robin Washut – HuskerOnline Senior Writer
I have zero confidence or trust in Nebraska to win a game like this. Iowa is playing its best football of the season, and the Huskers are coming off their worst performance of the Scott Frost era. Hawkeyes in a blowout.
Iowa 35, Nebraska 14
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Nate Clouse – HuskerOnline Lead Recruiting Analyst
Nebraska heads to Iowa to take on a Hawkeyes team that is not very flashy, but is very efficient and good at not getting in their own way. Following last week’s performance against Illinois, it’s hard to say the same thing about the Huskers. This will be a physical game just like it typically is, but in the end I think Iowa will be able to take advantage of one too many Nebraska mistakes to win the game.
Iowa 30, Nebraska 21
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Mike’l Severe – 1620 the Zone
Iowa has had a greater than normal amount of success running the ball vs Nebraska the last four years. This year the Hawkeyes actually enter that game running the ball well at five yards a carry. NU needs to slow down the Iowa run game and force a struggling Spencer Petras to beat them. Iowa secondary is susceptible to down field passing if the Husker OL can give Martinez some time.
Iowa 34, Nebraska 17
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Andy Kendeigh – KETV Channel 7 Sports Director
In Iowa’s two games against Scott Frost-Nebraska teams the Hawkeyes gained 225 yards on the ground in 2018 and 266 yards on the ground last season. The Blackshirts gave up 265 last week against Illinois. Nebraska’s turnover margin is -5, Iowa is +7 that adds up to a long afternoon in Iowa City.
Iowa 31, Nebraska 19
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