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Rapid Reaction: Aside from blocked kicks, Nebraska plays complete football game in win over Northern Illinois
Published:
Final Score: Nebraska 44 Northern Illinois 8
Brief Recap: There were literally five blocked kicks in the first half of this game. Five. Nebraska had two of them and Northern Illinois had three. Aside from the Huskers’ woes there, the team had an all-around performance both offensively and defensively. The offense was able to establish a running game, while the defense was lights-out for most of the night. Adrian Martinez had over 300 yards of total offense with three TDs and zero turnovers as well.
Key Moment: Nebraska running back Maurice Washington ran for a 60-yard TD to make the game 16-0 early in the second quarter. The 16-point lead didn’t exactly put the game away, but it became clearly evident that Nebraska had far more talent than the Huskies. Washington wasn’t the only back to have a quality night.
Key Stat: Nebraska ran the ball 33 times for 238 yards. That’s a 7.3 yards per carry average. If the Huskers can establish a rushing attack that is that efficient against better opponents, maybe they can live up to all the preseason hype. If it struggles a bit, like it did against Colorado a week ago, you can see more than just a couple losses going forward.
Key Player: Nebraska running back Dedrick Mills. Mills ran for 116 yards and a TD on just 11 carries. He was extremely efficient, but that’s not why he’s getting the nod here. He’s getting the nod because he is the first player to rush for over 100 yards against Northern Illinois in 18 games. The Huskies know how to slow down good backs. They couldn’t slow down Mills.
What it Means: Nebraska needed a confidence builder and that’s exactly what this was. Scott Frost has said to put blame on himself on the past. Martinez has said the same. How about Nebraska just goes out and plays a dominant football game? They did that on Saturday night against Northern Illinois. The Huskers are now 2-1 going into conference play, which begins in Week 4 at Illinois.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.