Nebraska football respecting Northern Iowa’s run game

When defensive coordinator Tony White turned on the film, he saw a Colorado offense line that appeared “discombobulated” at times. But just like the message head coach Matt Rhule passed down on Monday, White was quick to point out that NU’s past success won’t impact its upcoming matchup with Northern Iowa.

“It’s Tuesday, so right now we’re the worst defense in the country, right? It comes back to (that) you can’t preach the process on one day and then do something different,” White said. “It’s Tuesday and it’s a physical day (because) we’ve got an opponent coming in here who rushes for 250-plus yards per game. All that stuff will go for naught if you don’t prepare the right way.”

The preparation Nebraska is putting in place for Northern Iowa will look different than its preparation for UTEP and Colorado. That’s because of a run-heavy UNI offense that White said “is a good preview to Big Ten ball.”

The Panthers’ leading rusher, Tye Edwards, averages 155 yards per game.

“They might be the best running backs that we’ve seen to date.”

Northern Iowa’s defense works in conjunction with its steady offensive game plan, with the Panthers trying to limit possessions, big plays and force mistakes when possible.

“They’re not going to put themselves in horrible situations,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said. “They’re going to make you try to drive the football for 10, 11, 12 plays, which is really hard to do in football without making a mistake.”

* With linebacker Mikai Gbayor suspended for the first half of the UNI game due to his targeting ejection last week, Nebraska is evaluating who will fill his spot in the defense. Either junior Stefon Thompson or freshman Vincent Shavers could fill in for Gbayor.

“They’re going back and forth, they’re both playing special teams and battling it out right now,” White said. “I truly don’t know who it is.”

* Defensive lineman Ty Robinson is playing at an “extremely high” level at the moment according to White, who praised Robinson’s attitude and performances so far this season. Robinson had a sack and key field goal block in NU’s win over Colorado — though discussions have taken place internally about who should be credited for the block.

“There’s some discrepancy in there amongst the D-line group about who really blocked the kick,” White said, adding that Robinson still insists he blocked the kick.