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BTN’s Gerry DiNardo isn’t a fan of pumpkin spice cold brew, but he does like Huskers defense, Hunter Johnson
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Former Indiana Hoosiers head coach and current Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo shared what has stood out to him in the Big Ten West in 2019.
Here is the video, courtesy of BTN:
You can tell it's "before the show" because @gerrydinardo hasn't tied his tie yet. Good to know it's not a clip-on. 👔
He weighs in on some B1G West surprises, including how Nebraska's defensive scheme is ahead of its offense so far: pic.twitter.com/ukbBWRnG5c
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 19, 2019
Allowing 31.2 points per game, the 2018 Huskers ranked 88th in America. This year, they are holding opponents to 21 PPG (52nd).
Led by redshirt senior Mohamed Barry and redshirt junior Will Honas, Nebraska will look to improve to 3-1 on Saturday vs. Illinois in Champaign (8:00PM ET, BTN).
Northwestern (1-1) defeated UNLV, 30-14, on September 14. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Johnson completed 12-25 passes for 165 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Not great, but marked improvement over his Wildcat debut in Stanford: 6-17, 55 yards, two interceptions.
The key for Johnson will be to show continued progress, but the test will be tough on Saturday vs. Michigan State (12:00PM ET, ABC). Giving up just 11.3 PPG, the Spartans have the nation’s 13th ranked defense.
For what it’s worth, I’m with DiNardo on the cold brew: Hot, black coffee is the way to go.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.