Rohr’s Four: Four reactions, impressions, reflections, concerns and questions after Nebraska’s 31-10 win over Michigan State.
1-Did Nebraska find a pass rush?
There were plenty of justifiable concerns about Nebraska’s pass rush after the first two games in the season. Just four sacks against two inferior MAC opponents will do that. The Cornhuskers had five sacks against North Dakota, but c’mon. That’s an FBS school. That indicates nothing, right? If Saturday is any sign, as it turns out, the win over the Fighting Hawks was beginning of the Blackshirts under Rob Aurich, because they got after Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, sacking him five times. They also took down Cam Fincher once, for a total of six sacks.
And they were important sacks, too. The first one thwarted the Spartans’ opening drive. The next two came to push Michigan State from the Nebraska red zone into a long field goal attempt. The next one sidetracker Fincher’s drive, forcing him into a must-pass situation on second down, in which he was picked off. The sack in the third quarter resulted in a fumble, recovered by the Huskers, stuffing a Spartans drive just as it seemed Michigan State had seized momentum and was starting to crawl back into the game.
A sack is an inherently big play. But it seems like Aurich has a knack for dialing up pressures at just the right time, leading to the sack that stops a drive finding its legs. Whether Matt Rhule will admit to it or not, it also feels like the defense has been more aggressive the last two weeks. The situation has helped, to be sure: Nebraska took an early lead on North Dakota, forcing the Hawks to abandon their running game and allowing the Blackshirts to tee off. Similarly, NU took a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter. With the Spartans’ top running back, Cam Edwards, out with an injury, that allowed Nebraska to disregard the MSU run game and hone in on the quarterback.
But good on Aurich for using favorable circumstances to his advantage and for taking a good-looking situation and making it better. It’s not quite a question answered, but it looks like Nebraska has at least a serviceable pass rush, a notable step up from last year.
2-Special teams were good
The fear coming into this game is that, while Nebraska possessed clear advantages in both offense and defense, Michigan State would do enough to hang around, leaving the game up to one game-breaking special teams play, which the Spartans would make and the Huskers would allow. After all, that’s precisely the formula LaVar Woods, MSU’s special teams coordinator, had used as Iowa’s special teams coordinator, to ruin a decade of Thanksgiving weekends.
For a moment Saturday, it looked those fears were realized. Nebraska had gone three-and-out on its first two drives while Michigan State had tallied a field goal. Then, the Spartans punt-block got back to Archie Wilson, whose rugby, roll-out style of punting was engineered specifically to avoid this mess. Punt blocked. Michigan State ball at the NU 26, with the specter of a 10-0 Spartans lead creeping closer. But there was a flag on the play. Holding, MSU. Blocked punt: erased, and first down Huskers. Three plays later, Anthony Colandrea hit Kwazi Gilmer for a 44-yard touchdown pass, Nebraska took the lead, and never gave it back.
From there, the Huskers won the special teams battle. Michigan State’s Liam Boyd was 2-for-3 on field goals, and even had one blocked (albeit from 52 yards), while Kyle Cunanan hit his field goal. All of John Hohl’s kickoffs stayed in bounds, and Nebraska covered them well, not allowing former Kenneth Williams to get loose for a big return. And Archie Wilson was his usual self after the blocked punt, averaging 43. 7 yards per punt on his three boots while allowing his first punt returns of the season, a whopping seven yards of territory gained by the Spartans. The Huskers average drive starting position was its 34, compared to Michigan State’s 25.
In short, the one area where Nebraska seemed at a clear disadvantage coming into the game, they won. Of course, it helps when your biggest mistake of the day is erased by your opponent’s mistake, but a win’s a win, and Brett Maher and Nick Humphrey beat LaVar Woods, a master of the art of special teams.
3-Winning ugly
While the defense and special teams had positive signs, the offense took a half-step back, which seems strange to say after the Huskers scored 31 points in a road conference game. And yet, the offense felt a touch off all day Saturday. Jamal Rule got hurt early in the game. Jacory Barney, Jr., also went down. Hopefully, both injuries are minor. Plus, NU’s vaunted offensive line sprung a leak or two. Paul Mubenga in particular seemed to have a tough game.
So the Nebraska offense was not at its best Saturday at MSU. But as we know, life in the Big Ten requires you to win games where your offense is not humming at peak efficiency. Colandrea was decent, but closer to the bumpy ride of game one than the surgical operation of the last two games, hitting 55 percent of his passes. But he was called on more in the run game, and delivered, the Huskers’ leading rusher with 66 yards on 10 carries. Perhaps most importantly: No negative plays from Colandrea. He was not sacked and he didn’t throw an interception, though I’m sure everyone’s heart was in their throat as that ball popped out of his hands and toward the sideline on his fumble. Mehki Nelson was good enough; 11 carries, 61 yards and a TD. And Kwazi Gilmer again asserted himself as one of the top receivers in the Big Ten, clearing 100 receiving yards while snagging the biggest play of the game, the 44-yard bomb from Colandrea that flipped the game on its head.
But perhaps the biggest story of the game was Vincent Genatone. He’s a Husker hero out of central casting. Small town, hard-working, weight-room-warrior sort who labored away for year on Nebraska special teams, getting an occasional ooh or ah for a big hit, but not much attention otherwise. On Saturday, though, he was needed when the Huskers were on offense. Without Rule in the lineup, Nebraska was looking for a short-yardage mudder back to deliver when they were close to the goal line, either as a lead blocker for Colandrea or as the ballcarrier. Genatone delivered with a one-yard touchdown run and a 13-yard touchdown catch. On this day, he was precisely what the Huskers needed.
He may never have a two-touchdown game again at Nebraska, but when he was called on, he was ready, and it’s tough picturing the Huskers winning this tough game on the road without him. To win on the road in the Big Ten, you need to win games like this, and to win games like this, you need guys like Genatone. He delivered on Saturday.
4-Brightening skies
This was a unique and perhaps troubling offseason for Nebraska football. The optimism that seemed to come with the late July humidity and back-to-school sales just wasn’t there after three blowout losses to end last season and the under-the-radar spring football period.
But after four wins, a promising Saturday ahead–Maryland lost 54-3 to UCLA at home, they can’t be good, and a softening Big Ten slate in the distance, is the sun starting to shine on Husker Football again?
Not only has Nebraska won all four games, but they’ve answered the questions about the defense to a certain level. Then you see the other action in the Big Ten: The Terrapins hammered at home. Indiana looking vulnerable, to the point that Northwestern coach David Braun said the Wildcats gave IU the game. Oregon’s star quarterback Dante Moore going down to a concussion on a vicious hit against USC. Illinois struggling through the first month. Washington getting throttled, at home, by a Minnesota team that looked terrible against Mississippi State. Rutgers being Rutgers.
Is this daunting Big Ten schedule starting to look manageable? Sure seems like it.