What a boring game.
Nitpicking a defense that only allowed three points.
Murmurs about drives that end in field goals and not touchdowns.
I know it’s been a long time, but do you remember this feeling? If you’re too young to recall, believe me when I tell you this used to happen dang near every fall Saturday in this state.
There was once a time when a 34-3 win over a non-conference opponents was commonplace, was expected, was the standard for Nebraska football. So was the Sunday morning quarterbacking.
Well, there it was, a 34-3 victory for Nebraska over a scrappy Northern Iowa outfit that made life just difficult enough on the Huskers that some will be disappointed with the result. Just like back in the day.
Never mind that the offense was boring because they were so efficient with each possession, methodically moving downfield without tons of explosive plays. And while you certainly want to finish them off in the end zone, they did end every drive but the interception inside the Panthers’ 25-yard line.
Sure, the Blackshirts had a bit of trouble getting off the field on third down. But even as they faced five UNI drives of nine plays or more (four by the starters), those yielded merely three total points, two fourth down stops, and a red zone interception.
You could even argue that special teams was boring since there was less drama Saturday night as Tristan Alvano nailed both field goal attempts and Brian Buschini never had to punt.
In 2024, college football’s first three weeks have been littered with surprise outcomes. Oregon defeated Idaho by just ten points as a 40+ point favorite. Colorado squeezed by North Dakota State by five. Penn State had to engineer a second half comeback by 34-point underdog Bowling Green and won by seven.
And here’s Nebraska, in Matt Rhule’s second year in charge, 3-0 for the first time since Obama was president and covering the spread in each game along the way. NU has scored 100+ points and allowed 20 or less for the first time since 1999. Dylan Raiola is the first Husker quarterback to complete 70% of his passes in three straight games since Jeff Quinn in 1980.
As for the Northern Iowa performance, there will be improvements to make. It won’t be good if NU allows a Big Ten team to control long stretches of clock as UNI did. You can tell their run game is what they do, they’re used to it and they excel at it. Can Big Ten teams commit to a scheme like that and emulate it against NU? Perhaps.
Will Big Ten defenses present unique problems for Raiola in the pass game? No question. He’s going to see things he hasn’t seen yet, talented defenders will win reps against he and his guys. They’ll have to adjust and continue to improve.
That’s the other side of the coin. While boring, winning football unfolds on Saturdays, it’s usually due to incremental growth throughout the week. Watching the film and learning from their mistakes. Matt Rhule and staff breaking the team down after a win so they can then build them back up throughout the week of preparation for the next opponent.
In fact, that’s literally what Rhule wants. “The narrative of losing close games comes from ‘when you get a lead and not trying to put the game away,’” Rhule said postgame. “The questions I get asked about a lot are ‘Why didn’t you guys do more of this in the second half?’ and I’m like ‘well, that’s what led to a lot of close losses.’ We want to score, get a lead if we can, play defense, and run the football. And then I want everyone to say, ‘Why are you guys so boring in the fourth quarter?’ And we win.”
You can be boring when you win. That muscle memory within this program has been long gone for some time, but Rhule is building it back up.
As for my advice to fans who are bored with a 3-0 start? It’s that old Midwest adage when someone asks how it’s going:
Can’t complain.
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