Revamped O-line paves the way as Huskers steamroll Northwestern 56-7 | Football

The Wolverines will provide a substantial upgrade for the new-look offensive front, but the fresh left-side combination of freshman tackle Teddy Prochazka and guard Nouredin Nouili passed their first test against the Wildcats.

The Huskers ran the ball at will against Pat Fitzgerald’s defense, racking up 241 yards and five touchdowns on 28 carries in the first half alone. All told, Nebraska scored touchdowns on seven of its first eight drives of the night to the delight of 87,364 in attendance. In total, the Huskers ran for 427 yards and scored seven times on the ground.

Frost said he wanted to see an improved pad level up front, and he got it. Martinez still dealt with some pressure on passing plays — he was efficient nonetheless, completing 10 of 16 passes for 164 yards in the first half with his full complement of receiving options available for the first time this year — but the Huskers’ front pushed Northwestern’s defense around, and the backs benefited.

Martinez punched in three first-quarter touchdown runs. Yant, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound freshman with just five late-game carries against FCS Fordham to his name, rumbled for 109 yards on seven bruising first-half carries and redshirt freshman Rahmir Johnson rolled to 74 and a pair of touchdowns on 12 carries before intermission.

Going into the locker room, Frost told the Big Ten Network broadcast that he was going to “get after” his team at halftime because he was unhappy that Martinez put the ball on the ground on an option pitch (Nebraska recovered but lost 7 yards and stalled on its lone first-half drive that didn’t end in a touchdown) and that the defense let up some after jumping ahead 21-0 in the opening 10 minutes, 46 seconds.