Profizer’s Pigskin Preview: Northwestern vs Nebraska

Each week, the Profizer sits down to read the tarot cards. Dip his toes into the Sea of Red. And put his fingers on the pulse of college football. Though his glasses may be dangerously rose colored and he continues to drive with an open container of Rhule-aid, he can see clearly what must be done each week. This is the Profizer’s Pigskin Preview: Northwestern vs Nebraska.

Northwestern vs Nebraska

Stop me if you heard this story before -- because every season’s becoming a recurring nightmare. The names change, the coaches come and go, but one constant remains. A catastrophic collapse somewhere along the way. It is strikingly similar to last season. Instead of getting our plums bashed in by an upstart Indiana, we get our teeth kicked in by a mediocre Minnesota team.

We all saw the debacle that occurred in Minneapolis. Go back and read the Pigskin Preview from last week [Profizer’s Pigskin Preview: Nebraska vs. Minnesota]. Know that I had a few drinks, so some of the signs may have been misinterpreted, but it was as if I spelled out exactly how Minnesota was going to carve us up. Gave them the blueprint and they executed it flawlessly. Pounded it straight at us, over and over again. Held the ball and suffocated any chance Nebraska had a comeback. Not that the offense was putting up any kind of fight. I think the worst part is, PJ Fleck, the circus master himself, beat us again. Six times in a row. Read that again. Six. Times. In. A. Row.

We can’t act like the signs weren’t all around us that this was possible. Continually treating the redzone like the friendzone, never able to cash in. Consistently sleepwalking through the second and third quarters like they were first period study halls. Handing out sacks like beads at Mardi Gras. But there were no nice scenic rewards for these handouts. Only the oh so familiar pain of a good ole fashioned ass whooping. Minnesota flooded our cornfields and rowed their boats right over the drowning remnants of our CFP hopes. They’ve sent us into a tailspin of despair, the same tailspin that saw us finish 1-5 last year. Does this young team have pilots that can pull us up and out of this tailspin? Or will it be another emergency landing for bowl eligibility? Good news. The Profizer has logged an hour or two in flight simulators. Dabble in some air traffic control. Rest assured he has the flight plan. This is Northwestern vs Nebraska. This is the Profizer’s Pigskin Preview.

1.      Paper or Plastic? – The answer is simple. Neither. The sacks need to stop. Nine sacks were allowed last Friday night to a team in Minnesota, let’s not forget, that had a whopping zero sacks the previous two games. This ranks Nebraska 133^rd in sacks allowed on the year, and in case you are wondering, there are 136 FBS schools in the nation. This is bad. This is really, really bad. This is going to a steakhouse and ordering a vegan burger. The fact of the matter is that it is very hard to complete a forward pass when you are lying on your back. And in today’s game, if you can’t pass the ball, odds are you aren’t winning many ball games.  

Yes, this is not the Joe Moore award winning offensive line that we heard about in the offseason (man, those were good times), but there is plenty of blame to be passed around. Balls need to get out quicker. Backs need to pick up their protection assignments. Communication needs to be sharper. And pockets need to be climbed. But at the end of the day, it just needs to be fixed. Northwestern is sitting in Evanston licking their chops right now, thinking about brunch in Lincoln Saturday morning. The Husker offense cannot allow them to feast. Whether it be quick hitters, blitz beaters, screens or a consistent running game, it doesn’t matter. Anything and everything should be on the table at this point. Raiola must stay clean so that this team can wash away the taste of Minneapolis.

2.      Usain Bolt – Nebraska has to get out of the gates in a hurry. It is imperative that the team gets out to a hot start. Kill any thought of an upset bid early. If you let a team like Northwestern stick around for too long, they will bite ya. You better believe they will come into Lincoln confident. They want to slow play you just like Minnesota did last week. Control the ball and play solid defense. Well, there is a remedy for that. Score early and close fast. Just like, Usain Bolt doesn’t settle for silver medals. The Huskers cannot take field goals when we get in the red area. The ‘skers gotta go and get their tuddys, just like Usain goes and gets his gold. And at this point of the season, we are out of the qualifying races. It’s go time. No more second and third quarter lulls. It’s time for full throttle, balls to the walls, all out football, all game long. And when that fourth quarter hits, we close like the Lightning Bolt himself.

3.      Butler Service – John Butler came out and said his defense was “vanilla” last Friday night. Well, it’s about time this Butler loosen his tie and let his hair down. The Blackshirts need to wreak havoc Saturday afternoon. There is no better medicine for a struggling offense than a defense that can put them in advantageous positions. A defense that can generate turnovers. That can get off the field on third downs. Maybe even a defense that can score? Let’s see what the offense can do when they get the ball in plus territory. Let’s hear what this crowd sounds like when Williams Nwaneri comes around that edge for a strip sack. The Sea of Red craves a ball hawking defense. Salivates at the thought of an attacking, no mercy style of play, and takes pride in a tough, physical defense. And that is exactly what the Blackshirts are going to have to bring to the game. Physicality like we haven’t seen too much this year. If you can stop the run, you will be more than happy to force Preston Stone (10 TDs vs. 7 INTs) into throwing the ball. The defense needs to set the tone for this game. Bring the energy to the offense, hell, to the crowd, as it could be a bit of a nervous fanbase coming to Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. One big play can turn that tide fast.

These Huskers have been punched. They’ve been knocked down. They can hear the chatter getting louder. But there is only one thing to do. Pick their collective asses off the canvas, put one foot in front of the other, and start punching back. Too often, in the past, the Huskers have turned away from a fight or been unwilling to punch back. But I have seen what will happen when this bell rings. Heard what the little birds have been saying. Tasted the sweet elixir of tomorrow. And, unfortunately for Northwestern, they’re in the way this week. Haymakers will fly. Bombs will be dropped. EJ will jump cut someone’s jugular. So, mouthpieces in and seatbelts fastened, Husker Nation. We are pulling up and out of this tailspin and we are fighting back. These Wildcats are going home with their tails between their legs, licking their wounds. Nebraska 28 – Northwestern 17.