Nebraska takes on undefeated Rutgers in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. The Huskers are looking to make it two straight after winning their first road game at Purdue last weekend. Rutgers comes into the game at 4-0–their best start since 2012–having most recently defeated Washington 21-18.
On behalf of the Common Fan podcast, here are three keys to victory for the Huskers, and three keys to victory for all the fellow Common Fans.
Nebraska’s Keys to Victory
Get Ready for a Street Fight. I must admit, when Rutgers joined the Big Ten, I didn’t think much of the school’s football program. But especially since Greg Schiano took over in his second stint as head coach in 2020, the Scarlet Knights have been a tough matchup. Schiano is a heck of a coach, and his teams are always tough and physical. While Nebraska owns a 5-0 record historically vs. Rutgers going back to 2014, this has not been an easy out for the Huskers.
The two games during Schiano’s tenure tell a similar story. During the 2020 COVID season, the teams played on a cold night in Piscataway in December. Nebraska trailed for most of that game, in what was a sloppy, turnover-filled contest, before finally eeking out a 28-21 win. The most recent game in 2022 was an absolute rock fight. The Huskers trailed 13-0 at halftime, and their first seven possessions in that game went like this: punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, interception, punt. It was an extremely physical contest, and Nebraska had a hard time getting anything going. The Big Red was able to piece together two 2nd half touchdowns, and hold on for a 14-13 win.
Bottom line: I expect another brawl in Lincoln on Saturday.
Get a Lead and Hold Onto It. Schiano’s teams are known for blocking field goals and scoring non-offensive touchdowns. They’re also excellent defensively in the red zone. Throw all of that in a blender, and they are the type of team that can punch above their weight, beating more talented teams even when it appears they are being outplayed. Case in point: last Friday night’s game against Washington. The Huskies had 521 total yards (314 through the air and 207 on the ground), while the Scarlet Knights only accumulated 299 total yards. Washington seemingly moved the ball at will, but they missed three field goals and failed to convert a 4th and goal opportunity at the 2 yard line. Rutgers is 2nd nationally in opponents’ red zone conversions, and they thrive on opposing team’s mistakes.
The Rutgers offense is not overpowering. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was a rather pedestrian 14 for 24 for only 115 yards on Friday. But their rushing offense is #12 nationally, and running back Kyle Monangai is an absolute beast. The Huskers will need to capitalize when they have the opportunity to get points, and that includes cleaning up the mistakes we’ve seen recently on special teams. They do not want to get into a situation where they are playing from behind, struggling in the red zone, and Rutgers is taking chunks of time off the clock with every possession. Nebraska needs to exploit their talent advantage, get a lead, and force Kaliakmanis to try to beat them.
Contain the Run Game. The aforementioned Kyle Monangai has 589 rushing yards on the season, going for an impressive 6.1 yards per carry. He’s big and powerful, but also has the speed and elusiveness to go with it. The Knights have two other backs–Samuel Brown and Antwan Raymond–averaging over 5 yards per carry. Not allowing Rutgers to establish a consistent run game will be job #1 for the Blackshirts on Saturday. This will be a fascinating matchup, as the Huskers come in with the #15 rushing defense in the country, so it will be a case of strength-on-strength. We saw the Nebraska defense rise to the occasion against Purdue. While the Boilermakers aren’t very good, they had seen some success running the ball coming into the Nebraska game. The Huskers bottled up running back Devin Mockobee, and quarterback Hudson Card wasn’t good enough to carry the Boilers offense. This is a similar challenge for the Blackshirts–albeit a stiffer one.
Common Fan Keys to Victory
Common Fan Maintenance. This is the sixth game of the season, so everyone has some bumps and bruises. Maybe you lost your voice during the Colorado game; maybe you broke something during the loss to Illinois (accidentally of course); maybe that appetizer you made for the neighborhood watch party went over about as well as Purdue’s train whistle. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable season so far, but nobody gets to this point in the year completely unscathed. Let’s prioritize the three and a half hours of game time on Saturday. Whether you’ll be in the stadium or watching on TV, this might be a week where you don’t tailgate as aggressively. Drink some water, conserve your energy, and make sure you’re ready to roll at kickoff, whether that means yelling “DEFENSE!” at the stadium or yelling at the TV at home. We’ve got a bye week after this, so do what you need to do to be able to bring it during game time on Saturday.
Manage the Heat. Speaking of drinking some water…let’s be smart out there, Common Fan. The forecast for Saturday is in the low 90s. This reminds me of last year’s Michigan game, where it was about 95 degrees in late September. Thanks to Matt Rhule’s vision, Nebraska switched sidelines and will be in the shade, and it will be Rutgers baking in the sun. But you might also be baking in the sun, at least for part of the game. Wear a hat, wear some sunscreen, get something cold to drink…do whatever you need to do to make sure you’re on your feet and screaming when it’s 3rd and long.
Let’s Get to 5-1. Yes, the loss to Illinois was disappointing, but this is still Nebraska’s best start since 2016, and the boys in red are on track for their first bowl game since the same year. How great would it feel to be 5-1 going into the bye week? The schedule gets more difficult in the second half of the season, and there are many challenges on the horizon. All the more reason why we need to get this W. So let’s do our part to bring it home. Wear your lucky socks, sit in the same spot on the couch on 3rd down, perform your time-honored tailgate ceremony, or bring the noise if you’re at the stadium…whatever it takes to bring home the victory.
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