Nebraska assistant Evan Cooper is helping turn around the Husker defense in Year 1 under Matt Rhule. Already, that unit has produced a 9-point improvement through the first games of the season.

After a win over Louisiana Tech, Nebraska is allowing just 18.5 points per game after the unit gave up over 27 points per game a season ago. However, the task gets notably tough this weekend.

The Huskers will face No. 2 Michigan and Jim Harbaugh’s well-known offensive approach. Cooper addressed what he expects to see from the Wolverines this weekend during a radio appearance.

“This is not a spread offense. This is not a get the ball on the perimeter. They might, they may throw some screens out, but really they’re gonna look you in the eyes, run at you, and see if you quit,” said Nebraska’s secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator. “If you do, the score will be lopsided. If you don’t, you’ll have a chance at some point.”

At the end of the day, Cooper likes that offensive approach and compared it to an NFL style:

“That’s really how I like it, it’s more like an NFL offense. They’re gonna run their plays, they’ll throw some tricks at you. But pretty much, they’ll give you a heavy dose of let’s see if you’re tough or not,” Cooper explained. “Let’s see if you’re strong. It’s what I think of when I think of the Big Ten.”

Michigan is currently riding a 3-game winning streak in the head-to-head series and blew out the Huskers last season. However, the two sides produced a 32-29 thriller the last time they played in Memorial Stadium during the 2021 season.