The DN’s soccer protection is introduced by Celerion.
It was an extended sport for Nebraska soccer in opposition to Indiana in Bloomington.
The Huskers got here into Saturday hoping to win their first ranked street sport since 2011, nonetheless, their goals have been swiftly crushed by the Hoosiers. Indiana may merely do something it wished on the way in which to its 56-7 win. Anytime Nebraska discovered an oz. of momentum, the Hoosiers or the Huskers themselves discovered a strategy to cease it.
Listed below are three takeaways and a query from the catastrophic loss:
Protection has an extended strategy to go
Nebraska’s protection entered the sport as probably the greatest items within the convention and emerged trying horrible.
Indiana had 12 drives within the sport and eight of them resulted in a landing. Hoosiers’ senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke torched the Huskers all sport. Indiana scored a landing on 4-of-6 drives that Rourke was in for and a kind of would’ve doubtless resulted in one other rating if his receiver didn’t drop a wide-open catch.
The Hoosiers’ receivers discovered house all sport and Rourke hit them each single time. Regardless that Nebraska’s standout senior cornerback Tommi Hill returned from harm, the secondary had a tricky time containing something Indiana drew up. Even when the Hoosiers’ backup quarterback, sophomore Tayven Jackson got here in, there was no pushback from the protection.
The Husker defensive backs had a tough time tackling, permitting Indiana’s receivers to show brief catches into large performs. They’ve struggled at containing receivers in house and that subject was obvious immediately.
Nebraska’s poor tackling additionally seeped into the group’s poor try to cease the Hoosiers’ dashing assault. Coming into the sport, the Huskers had not allowed a single dashing landing all 12 months, nonetheless, senior operating backs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton gashed Nebraska all day.
The duo mixed for 17 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns within the blowout win. Each time both of them touched the ball, Nebraska appeared helpless making an attempt to deliver them to the bottom.
There’s just one phrase to explain this efficiency: Embarrassing. The Huskers’ protection appeared stable many of the season however absolutely crumbled below the stress of an actual offense. Indiana has probably the greatest offenses round and used the Nebraska protection as a punching bag to ship a message to the remainder of the nation.
Huskers’ run sport is nonexistent
Regardless of how dangerous the Blackshirts performed, the Huskers’ dashing assault by some means contended for the worst a part of the sport.
Nebraska’s run sport has been inefficient all season, but it surely was absolutely proven on show in opposition to the Hoosiers. The Huskers fed sophomore operating again Dante Dowdell early and he continued to be as inexplosive as he normally is. Dowdell already appeared poor, however a fumble that ended one in every of Nebraska’s few good drives opened up a spot on the bench for him.
Fellow sophomore Emmett Johnson got here in to alleviate Dowdell, however even he couldn’t do a lot as he had a measly 24yards on eight carries. Johnson has appeared like the perfect again within the operating again room, however even he has didn’t have a real breakout sport.
The Huskers’ incapacity to discover a movement within the operating sport flat-out received’t lower it within the Large Ten. The air assault has been alright, even in dangerous video games, but it surely isn’t adequate to complement the operating sport.
Opposing defenses don’t even must sport plan for the bottom sport at this level.
Offense wants to complete drives
Though it wouldn’t have made an affect in opposition to Indiana, the Huskers struggled to complete their few good drives. Nebraska had three drives of 10 or extra performs, nonetheless, it solely mustered seven factors between them.
It appears the Huskers’ turnover points from final season might have returned as they gave up the ball twice within the purple zone. The very last thing Nebraska can do, particularly in video games the place possessions are scarce, is hand over the ball in enemy territory.
The Huskers’ lack of a reliable placekicker additionally doesn’t assist in the case of ending drives. Sophomore kicker Tristan Alvano missed one other sport and Nebraska didn’t give freshman John Hohl an opportunity to doubtlessly whiff a kick in entrance of the opposing crowd.
After final season, the Huskers are nonetheless adjusting to the sensation of being on the opposing group’s facet of the sphere, however they should begin performing like they’ve been there earlier than.
How does Dylan Raiola bounce again?
Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has been dreadful these previous two video games. Raiola has not thrown a landing since week 4 in opposition to Illinois and has thrown 5 interceptions in his final two begins. With a visit to Columbus to play top-five Ohio State on the schedule, Raiola might want to regroup.
Raiola was requested to do lots immediately, as he threw the ball a season-high 44 instances and he didn’t ship. It didn’t assist that he didn’t have a run sport to fall again on.
As the sport went on, it was straightforward to inform that Raiola was carrying down. The freshman appeared considerably poised regardless of an early deficit however faltered as the sport progressed. Raiola didn’t throw any interceptions within the first half, however a awful effort within the second half led to him throwing three.
Raiola appeared like a celebrity within the first chunk of the season however has proven he’s nonetheless a freshman. Opposing coaches are determining scout him and he has but to regulate. Raiola doubtlessly has an extended profession of soccer forward of him however might want to use his final two performances as a studying software to do this.
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