Nebraska football defeats UTEP: Grading the Huskers

It was good to see Nebraska find a groove in the run game with its … running backs. Watching quarterbacks absorb punishment game after game has gotten a little tiring around here. Dante Dowdell was getting the lion’s share of carries early in the game but was relegated to the sideline after fumbling. Emmett Johnson had the day’s best run, a 42-yarder.

I’ll step out on a limb here and say Dylan Raiola throws a nice ball. His touchdown pass to Jahmal Banks had a veteran’s touch, lofted to a position where only his guy could get it. The newcomers at receiver — Banks and Isaiah Neyor — looked like everyone had hoped. Raiola’s pocket presence was particularly impressive. He seemed completely comfortable letting routes develop. Exciting.

It was going to take a stunning effort from UTEP’s undersized offensive line to carve paths out for an unsettled rotation of running backs. It didn’t happen. The Blackshirts swarmed at every turn, especially Ty Robinson, who made a highlight-reel play in blowing up a UTEP play in their own end zone to force a safety.

Malcolm Hartzog lost a one-on-one battle that resulted in a UTEP touchdown but later responded with an interception. Marques Buford made a couple of nice stops in coverage. We didn’t really hear Tommi Hill’s name at all, which is optimal for a defensive back. A strong showing from John Butler’s group, by all accounts.

Nebraska has something in Jacory Barney, a true freshman who was one of the darlings of fall camp. He took a kickoff 35 yards, and was awfully close to breaking off a big one. Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda handled the punts and actually tried to return them, which was refreshing after a season of fair catches. Tristan Alvano made a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and was perfect on extra points.

Nebraska was clean in this area, the only thorn being a couple of offensive pass interference penalties on pick plays. Bryce Benhart had a false start on the Huskers’ first drive, perhaps overly excited about becoming Nebraska’s all-time leader in games started by an offensive lineman. 

Who is a true freshman quarterback’s best friend in his debut? Well, probably his offensive line. But next in line is his play-caller, and Marcus Satterfield put Raiola in a position to succeed. The pitch pass to Barney was slick. Heinrich Haarberg lined up as a Wildcat QB, which was fun. Repeated attempts at getting Thomas Fidone the ball on screen passes weren’t fruitful, though.

What else could you want? After UTEP tied the game 7-7, the Huskers imposed their will and ripped off 33 straight points, making for a breezy second half. Now, here comes Coach Prime and the Buffs. Hello.