Nebraska comes out of Week 9 riding high and feeling strong heading into Week 10. The Cornhuskers are also in an unusual spot for the recent history of the program.

When the Huskers take the field on Nov. 4, the team will be above .500 (5-3) and riding a 3-game winning streak. Nebraska is also 3-2 in the B1G and stands tied for first in the B1G West standings.

While Matt Rhule’s group focuses on the day-in and day-out process, fans surrounding the program are experiencing a bit of honest hope for the first time in a while. Now, Nebraska enters Week 10 with a legitimate shot at a bowl game with just one more win needed to get to the postseason.

Here’s how the full stock report for the Huskers looks after the 31-14 win over Purdue:

Player of the Game: RB Emmett Johnson

The standout player in this game could have gone to any number of Huskers, but Johnson is deserving this week. With the run game bogging down at times against the Boilermakers, Johnson led the program with 76 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.

Johnson’s latest effort follows what was a new career-high established against Northwestern with 12 carries for 73 yards. And in a game that featured a number of fumbles by Nebraska, Johnson produced a clean game and looks more and more like the go-to running back.

Newcomer of the Game: WR Jaylen Lloyd

Similar to Malachi Coleman vs. Northwestern, Lloyd did not see many opportunities against Purdue, but the true freshman made the most of them. That includes a 73-yard touchdown reception for his first score with the Huskers. Lloyd’s touchdown came halfway through the second quarter and gave the team a 14-point cushion.

Biggest surprise: 31 points scored

Nebraska has been winning, but the team has not been lighting up the scoreboard in the process. Saturday’s win was just the second game this season with at least 30 points scored by the Huskers.

How the team got there is also noteworthy. The Huskers did score 24 points offensively but the other touchdown came on special teams with Quinton Newsome returning a blocked field goal for 68 yards.

At this point, there’s no point in questioning how Nebraska gets its points or finds a way to win. Matt Rhule has reiterated at various points the Huskers are a defensive-minded team, and that formula will keep the team in games down the stretch.

Biggest concern: Losing turnover battles

Rhule said himself last week that Nebraska’s winning record with a -8 turnover margin is “stupid.” Somehow, that trend continued once again with a -1 turnover margin and 4 total turnovers in the win over the Boilermakers.

Nebraska has played well for large stretches and has some confidence after winning 5 of its last 6 games. Nevertheless, turnovers are a team’s worst nightmare, and continually losing the turnover margin is playing with fire for a team that does not light it up right now offensively.

Developing trend: Bowl game within sight

While Nebraska will not focus on a bowl game before the time comes, the Huskers can finally entertain the thought of playing in the postseason. The team will also be a slim road favorite against Michigan State in Week 10.

To be fair, Nebraska is not the kind of team that can take anything for granted, even if the Huskers are traveling to face a team in the middle of a particularly disastrous season. Rhule will look to get his team ready for a fight in East Lansing. But, if Nebraska does stay focused, the team should come out on top and secure a trip to bowl season this Saturday.

Key stat: Time of possession

Considering what went into Saturday’s game, it’s hard to see how Nebraska pulled away with a 17-point win against Purdue. The ground game was inconsistent while the Huskers turned the ball over 4 times.

In the end, the time of possession battle proved to be a major factor with Nebraska controlling the ball for 33 minutes of the action. By contrast, Purdue held the ball for right at 27 minutes.

Despite the other issues impacting the game, Nebraska’s ability to hold the ball and control the clock ultimately led to the double-digit win.

First impressions for Week 10

Next up, Nebraska heads to East Lansing for a showdown against Michigan State. The Spartans are 2-6 overall and winless in the B1G while playing most of this season under interim head coach Harlon Barnett after the midseason firing of Mel Tucker.

While the team continues to fight, it is hard to pinpoint one area in which Michigan State has been consistently playing well over the course of the season. The offense is averaging just 18 points per game while the defense is giving up 27.8 points per game.

Most recently, the Spartans gave up 27 points and 204 yards on the ground to Minnesota’s Jordan Nubin. That type of performance plays right into the hands of the Huskers as a team looking to grind the ball and eat up the yardage in the ground game.