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Nebraska: 5 things I’d like to see from Cornhuskers vs. Hawkeyes
By Jim Tomlin
Published:
Nebraska ends its season against Iowa for the eighth consecutive season this week (noon ET Friday, Fox) when the teams meet at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
The Cornhuskers (4-7 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) look to end their season on a high note with their fifth win in their past six games. The Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-4) fell out of the B1G West race with a three-game losing streak but bounced back last week by hammering Illinois 63-0 on the road, tying the worst margin of defeat in Fighting Illini history.
As this season-ending Nebraska-Iowa rivalry continues to blossom, here are 5 things I’d like to see from the Cornhuskers against the Hawkeyes:
Better run D early
Nebraska did a decent job of run defense last week in a 9-6 victory against Michigan State, allowing 143 yards on 38 carries (3.8 average). It was only decent, though — the Spartans were one-dimensional because of their passing woes, and that one dimension was weakened because running back LJ Scott was still out. Nebraska allowed 56 rushing yards in the first quarter and 97 in the first half, with a long of 27 yards by Connor Heyward. The Cornhuskers’ front seven needs to get off to a better start against Iowa’s ground attack.
Ball security
Nebraska was fortunate to keep the turnover category even at 2-2 against Michigan State. The Cornhuskers fumbled five times but only lost two and Adrian Martinez, though inefficient at 16-for-37, was not intercepted. Nebraska’s quarterback was responsible for a lost fumble in the second quarter when he hung out the ball way too loosely and a defender jarred it loose. Earlier, Martinez and running back Maurice Washington fumbled on back-to-back plays but Nebraska did not lose the ball either time. The Cornhuskers did lose it on the next drive when Kade Warner had the ball jarred loose after catch. All of this happened before snow started falling heavily in the second half so weather was no excuse.
More marks for Morgan
Senior receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. is on the cusp of several school records. Last week he broke Kenny Bell’s Cornhuskers mark for career receptions with his 182nd. Morgan, a senior in his final game, needs 63 yards against Iowa to break his own mark for receiving yards in a season (986) and 77 to become the first Cornhusker to reach 1,000. And he needs 23 yards to break Bell’s Big Red record of 2,689 career receiving yards. For good measure, Morgan has tied Johnny Rodgers’ school mark of 37 consecutive games with a catch so Morgan has a chance to stand alone in that category.
Pickering proves strong again
Kicker Barret Pickering has had an up-and-down freshman season but stood out against the Spartans, accounting for all nine Nebraska points with three field goals including a career-long 47-yarder in snowy, windy conditions. For that he was named co-Big Ten freshman of the week. If Pickering can have another solid game against Iowa, he can put a lot of minds at ease regarding the position for the 2019 season.
Strong finish for Ozigbo
One of Nebraska’s best stories this season has been the way senior running back Devine Ozigbo has emerged as a star after a three-way position battle in camp where he was not considered the favorite. Ozigbo has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season. With 64 yards against the Hawkeyes, Ozigbo would vault into the top 25 in Big Red history for both single-season and career yards rushing. The guy at No. 25 on the single-season chart? His head coach, Scott Frost, who ran for 1,095 yards in 1997 as the starting quarterback on Nebraska’s last national championship team.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.