Nebraska vs Minnesota prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 16
Nebraska vs Minnesota How To Watch
Date: Saturday, October 16 Game Time: 12:00 ET Venue: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN How To Watch: ESPN2 Record: Nebraska (3-4), Minnesota (3-2) – Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
Mohamed Ibrahim was one of the Big Ten’s best backs, but he went down in the Ohio State game with an Achilles tendon injury. In came Trey Potts, he ran for 552 yards and six touchdowns in five games, and now he’s out for the year.
Minnesota doesn’t have the passing game to make up the running game if the freshman backs aren’t able to fill the void, and it doesn’t have the explosion to keep up if and when the Huskers start hitting the home runs with the passing game and when QB Adrian Martinez gets free in the second left.
The offense is working, and the team has been really, really close to a wonderful season, but …
Forgive the complete lack of substantive research and analysis on this, but …
Nebraska just doesn’t seem to know how to win when it has the chance.
You could see it on head coach Scott Frost’s face right as the Michigan game was ending. His team had the monster W right there for the taking, and once again, it couldn’t get it done.
It’s good enough to roll in a few blowouts here and there, but it screwed up just enough to matter against Illinois. It couldn’t quite rise up when the chances were there against Oklahoma, the Michigan State game came down to who blinked first late, and it was all there for the taking against Michigan, and …
Loss, loss, loss, loss.
There are a whole lot of strong parts to the improving Huskers, but the special teams are just okay – to be kind – the O doesn’t move well enough when Martinez isn’t doing something amazing, and there isn’t enough of a pass rush to get through the giant Minnesota offensive front.
Is it the one that fought through its worst day of the season running the ball to beat Purdue, or is it the one that didn’t get off the bus in a stunning loss to Bowling Green, or is it the one that totally stoned Colorado on the road?
The Gopher defensive stats are great, but it also helps that there weren’t any teams on the slate after Ohio State that could run the ball.
There won’t be anything spectacular about it, but Nebraska will come up with a very good, very measured, and very business-like performance.
It will get two big pass plays to open things up a bit, the run defense will be just fine, and the season that desperately needs a win at this point to keep bowl hopes alive will march on.
Nebraska will have the chance in a close game, and finally, it will win.
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