Kenny Larabee, NRG Media
Rohr’s Four: Four reactions, impressions, reflections, concerns and questions after Nebraska’s 34-7 win over North Dakota.
1-Taking care of business
We knew that non-conference would be easy, that blowout wins by Nebraska wouldn’t guarantee much of anything and that a loss to any of the three outmatched opponents would set off panic alarms. Well, three wins by the Cornhuskers by a combined 139-35 kept the alarm bells silent, and maybe quietly raised hopes.
All week, Nebraska players and coaches underscored how solid a team the Fighting Hawks were, preparing both themselves and us for a greater challenge than UND’s FCS status would indicate. And yet, the Huskers won the toss, took the ball, marched down the field, scored a touchdown, surrendered one first down on North Dakota’s first drive before forcing a punt, then marched down the field 90 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead. With the possible exception of the first half against Ohio, Nebraska came out, more or less did what they wanted to do, and controlled the game throughout non-conference play.
That doesn’t mean a CFP appearance is in the offing, but it does say that this team can take care of the games it’s supposed to, the so-called winnable games that Scott Frost could never consistently reel in. And winning those games mean you’ll consistently go to a bowl game, and have a chance to have your good seasons elevate you to national championship contention. It’s the first step toward rebuilding this program.
2-Jamal rules. Seriously.
The fun of a first-game depth chart is that while the coaches have all the information and the media and public have very little, maybe 30 minutes of individual drills in practice, tops. So, in theory, coaches can put pretty much whatever they want out on a depth chart, especially with an unproven position group, and it’s tough to dispute it.
But now we have three games to evaluate for ourselves. And they can put on the depth chart that Isaiah Mozee, Mehki Nelson and Jamal Rule are all on the same level all they want, but one running back has clearly separated himself from the other two.
Rule has vision and strength that belie his status as a freshman, to go with the explosiveness that freshmen running backs generally have. Rule rarely goes down with the first hit, finds hidden yardage and can be weapon as both a runner and receiver. He is clearly a cut above Nelson and Mozee. Neither Nelson nor Mozee have Rule’s vision or his ability to run through contact.
That’s not to say there isn’t a role for either Nelson or Mozee. Nelson is a perfectly serviceable backup, and Mozee could deployed as either a third running back or as a slot receiver. The latter would seem be Mozee at his best. But Rule is ready to be the bellcow. He can be the consistent force at running back that Emmett Johnson was last year. At the very least, he’s earned the first call and the lion’s share of the carries. Now that it’s conference play and the rubber is meeting the road, Nebraska needs to put its best on the field. Its best at running back is Rule, and it’s not close.
3-A pass rush?
Maybe the most encouraging development from the North Dakota game was the arrival of Nebraska’s pass rush. Five sacks were recorded by six different defenders, after the Huskers had mustered just four in the first two games. There were certainly factors that helped the pass rush. The Fighting Hawks were down 14-0 through the first quarter of the game and had to move toward their air attack, allowing the Blackshirts to tee off on UND quarterback Jerry Kaminski. And it felt like Rob Aurich opened up his playbook a little bit, bringing more exotic pressures.
I’m skeptical that this means that Nebraska will consistently harass opposing quarterbacks. The opportunities to get a 14-0 lead out of the chute and tee off on a quarterback like the Huskers did Saturday will be few. But at least Saturday showed it’s possible.
4-Special special teams
Much of the offseason, I assumed that Nebraska’s special teams would take a step back after the departure of special teams guru Mike Ekeler to USC. I think it’s safe to say after three games, that assumption has been proven out. Save a blocked punt against Bowling Green, the Huskers have not made any game-changing positive plays in special teams. A slew of penalties on returns have marred otherwise pedestrian work. Kyle Cunanan is only 2-for-4 on field goals. John Hohl launched a kickoff out of bounds Saturday. Archie Wilson is averaging under 40 yards per punt, though, to his credit, the Huskers haven’t given up a single yard on punt returns yet this year.
But they better have their notebooks out Saturday in East Lansing. LeVar Woods bedeviled Nebraska for years leading the Iowa special teams that have ruined a decade of Thanksgiving weekends. It was strange to me that he left his alma mater and his college coach, Kirk Ferentz, with the latter seemingly in the last few years of his career, and Woods a worthy successor to the throne. Did he leave just to get the influence of a different coach in his system before he took the big chair? Was it to live the dream of most of the Big Ten media apparatus, the chance to live and work with Pat Fitzgerald on a daily basis? Had he just gotten bored with all the punts and finally wanted to see good QB play? Whatever compelled Woods to leave, he takes his knowledge as the best teacher of special teams play with him to a new school.
Maybe it’s the past pain of the 2021 game at MSU, where a wrongly-placed punt led to a late touchdown return for the Spartans. Wilson hasn’t uncorked a boomer yet, but he seems to know where to put the ball. But especially with former Husker Kenneth Williams back returning kicks for Michigan State, I just worry that the Spartans will swing the game on a big kick return. It’s a big-time test for Brett Maher and Nick Humphrey, and if they’re able to hold serve against one of the masters of the art, chalk it up as a win for Nebraska.