Opponent View: Nebraska at Purdue
Before the bye, the previous two games hadn't gone well for Nebraska.
Of course, playing Wisconsin and Ohio State in back-to-back games will do that to a lot of teams. Now, the Cornhuskers feel they can get back to winning football, starting with a trip to Purdue.
For an Opponent View of the game, we talked to HuskerOnline.com's Sean Callahan.
GoldandBlack.com: What was the main focus for Nebraska coming off the bye week?
Callahan: "Just getting better and winning a football game. This team really struggled against Wisconsin and Ohio State after looking good in wins against Illinois and Rutgers.
"They also have gotten healthier, as they played without their three top safeties against Ohio State, and they will all be back this week at Purdue. I think the time off has been good just for this team to reflect on the last two weeks and work on getting better in practice."
GoldandBlack.com: With the change at the top for Nebraska, is there anything Mike Riley can do at this point to save his job?
Callahan: "That’s really the million-dollar question, but typically when the guy that hires you as an 'out-of-the-box' hire gets fired, it’s not a good thing. Everybody knows the deal right now. This has not looked like what it’s supposed to look like in Year 3, and I think for Riley he will need something like a 4-1 finish with wins over Purdue, Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern to show people he’s got things in the right direction.
"That’s a big if, but not out of the question. Those will all be point spreads of seven points or less either direction. Even if he finishes 4-1, it may be too late, as the damage could already be done in Bill Moos’s mind."
GoldandBlack.com: What can Nebraska's defense do to keep an already laboring Purdue offense from coming alive?
Callahan: "Nebraska has made very bad offenses looks bad. They held Illinois and Rutgers under 200 yards and nearly held Northern Illinois under 200 yards as well.
"In those three games, they only allowed one play over 20 yards as a unit. It’s when they saw College Football Playoff teams like Wisconsin and Ohio State when they go exposed. They just don’t have the playmakers to cover elite skill guys in space. Even against Oregon it was the same thing, and Oregon was a top-15 caliber team until they lost their starting quarterback.
"That’s why in a lot of ways this will be a much more favorable match-up for Nebraska, as this was a defense that allowed touchdowns on 11 straight possessions to Wisconsin and Ohio State over the span of two games. (I don’t count Wisconsin’s final victory formation as a possession)."
GoldandBlack.com: Nebraska's rushing offense has been fairly pedestrian. What can it do to be better?
Callahan: "A lot of it has been the nature of the last two games. They ran for over 100 yards in the first half against Wisconsin, and then scored on a pick six to make the game 17-17. From that point they gave up 21 straight points and that put them in a catch-up mode where they had to throw every down.
"The same thing happened against Ohio State. The game was completely out of hand in the second quarter and they were forced to throw way more and abandon the run.
"When they run for 200 yards or more, Mike Riley is undefeated at Nebraska. That’s kind of the magic number. Even when they got a very solid 150 from the tailbacks, they are hard to beat because it gives the offense the balance it needs to succeed. We saw that against both Illinois and Rutgers. Keep in mind they also lost their starting running back Tre Bryant for the season after the six quarters, and that set the running offense back some as well."
GoldandBlack.com: QB Tanner Lee seems to be improving as he gains experience. True?
Callahan: "Yes, very much so. Since a third-quarter pick six interception against Rutgers that put Nebraska down 17-14, he’s only thrown one pick over his last 14 quarters and has only been sacked twice over that same period. He’s completing about 61 percent of his passes over that period as well.
"He had a two-year layoff from playing in games, and I think it took some time for him to adjust, but he’s actually been solid the last month. He’s got an NFL arm, and he will make throws the scouts will be watching closely. It’s more can they protect him consistently and can they have the running game to complement him."
GoldandBlack.com: What do you predict happens on Saturday?
Callahan: "I really like this match-up for Nebraska. Purdue’s struggling offense is a great match-up for Nebraska’s struggling defense. The Huskers have also gotten healthy off the bye week and Tanner Lee is playing his best football right now. I think the Huskers find a way to gut out an emotional 27-23 victory in West Lafayette."
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