As Nebraska’s players, coaches, fans, media, and even casual followers take a collective breath during this bye week, I am evaluating the biggest storylines emerging from the conclusion of NU’s 43-37 loss to Purdue.
There are always some outlier views on the state of the program, which I will not be discussing here. Instead, let’s look at a couple items that matter most, and one that is more than a bit misleading, all while looking ahead to the final stretch of games in 2022.
First: “Nebraska’s offense – especially Palmer and Grant – is explosive.”
TRUTH.
Trey Palmer did some things to the Boilermaker secondary. Not only did Palmer smash the Nebraska single-game receiving record with 237 yards, he only needed seven receptions to do it, good for 33.9 yards per reception. Add in 60 rushing yards on a 3rd-quarter reverse, and that’s nearly 300 yards of total offense. On eight touches!
Anthony Grant, while bottled up by Purdue, is still averaging 97.4 rushing yards per game. Grant helped steady an uneven attack against Indiana with 32 carries for 136 yards on the ground, leading to a win. His trucking of a Rutgers defensive back on the second play of the second half may have changed the trajectory of that contest.
The dynamic duo has proven capable of leading the Huskers to victory in Big Ten action, and Casey Thompson has demonstrated the ability to deliver touches to each of them.
When you include the caveat that Thompson needs to be both healthy and upright, you could get yourself excited about the potential for this group over the final five games.
Putting all your eggs in one basket makes it easier for defenses to stop, but NU has two legit threats each play. Load up to stop Grant, and Palmer can win deep. Commit more to pass coverage, and Grant can light up light boxes.
Both Palmer and Grant rate at or near the top of the conference in receiving and rushing. They can be counted on down the stretch in this offense, regardless of opponent.
Another: “Nebraska’s blocking and tackling – or lack thereof – is a B1G problem.”
TRUTH.
You know all that stuff I just said about Nebraska’s explosive offense? None of it may matter if NU can’t block.
The offensive line was in trouble before the season even started. Would-be-returning left guard Nouri Nouili was suspended for the season after a failed drug test. High-ceiling left tackle Teddy Prochaska wasn’t quite fully recovered from a 2021 knee injury by the season opener, only to be lost for the rest of 2022 after a shoulder injury. Backup Kevin Williams is also out for the season.
Bryce Benhart and Turner Corcoran – both big regional recruiting wins – continue to struggle with consistency. Benhart has been benched, and Corcoran has shuffled between tackle and guard while ejecting himself from the Indiana game.
Henry Lutovsky and Hunter Anthony started as RG and RT at Purdue, each for the first time in the scarlet and cream.
NU has now started four different OL combinations over seven games.
Combining the ineffective depth with an unproven offensive line coach in Donovan Raiola has created a recipe for disaster up front. Purdue sacked Casey Thompson four times and hurried or hit him plenty more. Nebraska has given up an average of 2.7 sacks per game.
The going does not get easier, either. Four of NU’s last five opponents rank in the top five in average points allowed.
Defensively, the Huskers have struggled through a lack of experienced defensive line depth as well as injuries at linebacker and cornerback. Missed tackles may have started in Ireland, but they flew back with the team on the plane home.
Through seven games, NU’s front four has been unable to control the line of scrimmage. That also means the inside linebacker tandem of Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich have had to deal with more blockers instead of clean shots at running backs.
The result has been fewer tackles and longer days at the office. Last Saturday, the defense was on the field for 101 Purdue plays, surrendering 608 total yards and 38 first downs.
As if that wasn’t enough, injuries have piled on.
Reimer did not play against Purdue after suffering an injury at Rutgers. Henrich, who already missed two non-conference games, left in the second quarter at Purdue and was on crutches after the loss.
Cornerback Quentin Newsome missed almost all of the Rutgers game after leaving early with his own injury but was able to go against the Boilermakers.
Can the extra week help alleviate some of the bumps and bruises? Even if it does, can they learn to tackle better?
Last one: “Nebraska would have quit and been blown out by Purdue under Scott Frost.”
LIE.
Yes, Nebraska fought to the end. Yes, we’re proud of the players and coaches for not giving up.
That being said, let’s not rewrite history about the Scott Frost era in order to prop up Mickey Joseph’s interim tenure.
Frost was not fired because his teams got blown out. His final 13 losses, infamously, were decided by single-digit margins! On top of that, of the six wins in that span, only one was a single-digit victory.
I am not suggesting anyone should downplay the effort of the squad we saw mount a valiant comeback attempt in West Lafayette Saturday night. It would have been easy for the dam to break like it did in Joseph’s first game at the helm against Oklahoma. Indeed, many were also quick to praise how NU continued to fight to the bitter end over and over under Frost.
At the same time, those last few defeats before Frost’s firing revealed not simply bad luck, but a general lack of preparedness and organization that reflected the traits of the now-former head coach. Those late-game situations are when a team is tested the most, and it was obvious which sideline had the coaching advantage by the end.
It would not be fair to now let these players off the hook in a close loss simply because there’s a different head coach.
Winning games is still the standard, which is why the wins over Indiana and Rutgers – regardless of perceived quality of competition – matter. Those are the games to point out. Second half shutouts in both games. A methodical rushing attack behind a maligned offensive line against the Hoosiers, followed by an opportunistic comeback over the Scarlet Knights.
In two wins, Joseph’s team has already done the job in two different ways. Frost won his games mostly in the same manner, by getting up and staying up.
All this is to say two things can be true at once: You can be explosive offensively and fight to the end, but it may still not be enough to win.
It is encouraging that Nebraska has a 2-1 Big Ten record under Mickey Joseph. It’s even more impressive in context, as Frost went 10-26 in conference games.
Now let’s judge the rest of the season the same way – by wins and losses.