Purdue opponent preview: Nebraska

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Nebraska is still waiting on Scott Frost elevating the program.

As Year Three dawns, Frost is still looking for his first bowl bid at his alma mater. Heck, Frost hasn’t even had a winning record, going 4-8 in 2018 and 5-7 in 2019. And Frost is 0-2 vs. Purdue. None of this can sit well with Cornhuskers fans. The last time Nebraska went three straight years without a bowl game? It was 1959-61.

Time to win.

Nebraska should get to the postseason—if there is a postseason. But questions loom in Lincoln. Facts are facts: Frost hasn’t had the hoped-for golden touch on offense. He seems to have left his magic at UCF, his former job. It would help if quarterback Adrian Martinez takes the proverbial next step in his development as a junior. He has been dogged by inconsistency. Maybe Luke McCaffrey is the answer. Who knows?

Unknowns at wideout only complicate matters. JD Spielman transferred to TCU. Wan’Dale Robinson—who also took a lot of hand-offs in 2019—lived up to the hype as a freshman. He needs to star. And a raft of newcomers—freshmen Zavier Betts, Marcus Fleming, Alante Brown and JC Omar Manning--needs to hit the ground running.

Good news: The o-line has five starters back. Tackle Brenden Jaimes is the star. He will block for fellow senior Dedrick Mills, who began his career carrying the ball at Georgia Tech.

The defense has been an even bigger disappointment under Frost than the offense … and that’s saying a lot. Where are the playmakers? Nebraska was 10th in the Big Ten in total defense in 2019 and 11th in scoring defense. Not championship-caliber.

The d-line lost NFL picks in the Davis brothers: Carlos and Khalil. Massive Damion Daniels is a building block inside.

Even with corner Lamar Jackson gone, the secondary may be the best part of the squad led by senior cornerback Dicaprio Bottle. Safeties Cam Taylor-Britt (junior) and Marquel Dismuke (senior) are savvy vets.

Staffers need Will Honas and senior JoJo Domann to pace a linebacking unit that lost Mohamed Barry and Alex Davis. Domann is a former safety who may be Nebraska’s best defensive player.

Bottom line: The Cornhuskers long ago lost their mojo. The 1990s aren’t coming back. Nebraska has sunk into mediocrity with no tangible signs of rubbing shoulders with the Big Ten elite. At this point, a win vs. the Boilermakers and a trip to a bowl—any bowl—would look good in Lincoln. But Nebraska remains very much a work in progress.

The Boilermakers have won the last two meetings. And if not for blowing a 24-12 fourth-quarter lead at home in 2017, Purdue would have won the last three meetings.

The clash between Scott Frost and Jeff Brohm is good theatre, as each fancies himself as an offensive guru. These are two coaches and programs trying to climb over each other to the Big Ten West summit. And this is one foe Purdue needs to keep under its thumb.

The importance of this contest for both schools and coaches can't be overstated. This. Is. A. Huge. Game. Even if it doesn't come in the first week of the season.

Series: 4-4, even

Last Purdue win: 2019, 31-27 at Purdue

Last Nebraska win: 2017, 25-24 at Purdue

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