To say the game started off different than most would have predicted is an understatement. Ohio took the lead in about three plays and held it to a one-score game going into the third quarter. The Huskers were able to pull it together late, which is hopefully a sign of the team’s true potential going forward.
Here are my three takeaways:
Sloppy Play Headlined the Majority of the Game
It’s Week 1, so some sloppiness can be excused — to a degree. Penalties were a major factor in the game staying as close as it did for as long as it did. So was the defense not quite gelling and being out of position at times.
The defense played better late, including a 35-yard interception by safety Rex Guthrie. They ultimately gave up 164 passing yards and 139 rushing yards to Ohio, whose quarterback Nick Poulos accounted for most of them on off-script runs. The Huskers struggled mightily to stop those QB runs.
It’s important to remember the Huskers are on their third defensive coordinator in three years and installing a new scheme. It may take a few games for everything to come together.
The Trenches
Let’s start with the defensive line. It underwhelmed at points, especially at containing or getting to Poulos. It only managed two sacks on the day. While they were able to collapse the pocket and get pressure at times, there needs to be improvement there.
On offense, I thought for the most part the offensive line did pretty well. Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson will get a lot of credit for 248 yards on the ground, but the offensive line opened some good holes for them. That said, Colandrea was still sacked twice.
The Offense’s Potential
We got our first real look at the offense with new quarterback Anthony Colandrea. For the first half, it was certainly pretty pass-heavy. From what I saw, Colandrea throws a fast, accurate football and is not scared to rip it down the field. Jacory Barney was super shifty, and Kwazi Gilmer was clearly one of his favorite targets.
The second half saw a better lean into the run game, and it clicked. That should probably be more of the focus going forward.
True freshman Jamal Rule was elite in his debut — 122 rushing yards, two touchdowns, plus 47 receiving yards and another touchdown. Mekhi Nelson didn’t hold back either, rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown while adding 65 receiving yards and a score of his own.
Teams generally get better as the season goes on. The Huskers aren’t the only ones who showed some Week 1 sloppiness — just ask Oregon, Rutgers, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, and a few others.
Overall, a win is a win. Clean it up and keep moving. GBR.
