Conference Championship Week Reflections

      Welcome to Bowl Season football fans... or at least, what's left of Bowl Season. The wacky and crazy 2020 season pushes on with a bowl game this afternoon! Before we get to that prediction though, I must recap a busy Conference Championship weekend and a Husker victory first. Let's do this!

     Despite every effort in the first half to give the game away to Rutgers, Nebraska was able to battle back and actually play better in the second half to win 28-21 on the road in Piscataway. With 620 yards of total offense, the Huskers dominated the line of scrimmage in one of their most impressive performances under Scott Frost, even with 4 turnovers and 9 penalties. This was a much needed high note to end the 2020 season for the Huskers and I've got your full breakdown below with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories.

GOOD - Dedrick Mills, the offensive line and second half play-calling. These all go hand in hand, but whoever convinced Scott Frost to give the ball to Dedrick Mills in the second half and actually stick with it needs to get a raise, promotion, as many Christmas presents as possible and I will personally bake them cookies. With what looked to be an adjusted play script in the second half, Mills ran absolutely WILD. The "bell-cow" finally was given a chance to live up to the title with 25 carries for 191 yards and a staggering 7.6 yard per carry average. The man was gashing the Scarlet Knights defense in every direction, and this was thanks to a big push up front. A tip of the cap to the offensive line, especially with some new pieces and young guys getting some game action due to injuries and Brenden Jaimes sitting out to prepare for the draft. They Husker O-line had easily one of their best games of the last couple seasons rumbling for 365 yards on the ground. They did give up 3 sacks early in the game, but settled down in the second half to give Martinez time to throw. This is a big piece of the offense that has been missing under Scott Frost, and after a performance like this you have to wonder why Mills wasn't used against Minnesota when he was back last week. The only issue is that he didn't get a touchdown on the night, but that will be discussed in a section below. Good job running the ball Huskers, I hope to see more of that consistency next year.

EXPECTED - The two types of Adrian Martinez and a stout defensive performance. It's well known by now that we may never know which Martinez we'll get to start each game, and that same QB can change before the game ends. The Huskers went into half time with nearly 250 yards of total offense but just 7 points to show for it. Six of the first seven drives by the Huskers were split between a Martinez turnover and a punt. He ran well, but fumbled twice in the opening quarter. He took some hits to cause the fumbles, but if he's going to run like he does, the ball has to be secured. The first interception was a phenomenal catch by Rutgers DB Christian Izien, who would later get another. However, the ball was just a hopeful heave by Martinez who was trying to make something out of nothing after hitting Wan'Dale Robinson for a 38 yard gain just one play before. With so many early mistakes, it felt like another dreadful day for the Husker offense, and Luke McCaffrey wasn't available, standing on the sidelines in street clothes. However, Martinez calmed down and was able to find some rhythm in the second half. He eventually finished the game with 412 total yards and 3 TDs. Martinez was 24/28 with the two picks, but was able to hit open receivers downfield with some nice throws. He showed flashes of his old self with this performance, especially in the second half. I hope we get more of the second half Martinez in 2021, but overall it was nice to see his talent shine through.

Switching to the defense, they've been solid all year and once again put up an impressive performance and stat line. I had serious doubts about this unit coming into 2020, but they proved me (and many others) wrong with an impressive season, keeping the Huskers alive in almost every game. Against Rutgers, they had to deal with a short field for most of the first half, but were able to hold the Scarlet Knights to just 14 points. In the second half, the Blackshirts completely shut down the Rutger offense and created havoc in the backfield, recording 2 sacks and 8 tackles for loss throughout the game. Cam Taylor-Britt was stellar yet again and the defensive line forced Rutgers QB Art Sitkowski to struggle throwing the ball all night long. Great game and even better season by the Blackshirts defense.

BAD - Noah Vedral not being able to play and just about everything the Huskers did in the first half and goalline offense. While I'm glad he didn't have a chance to go crazy and beat the Huskers in a revenge game, it would've been really fun to watch the QB battle between Vedral and Martinez. The Ex-Husker was sidelined with an ankle injury from their game against Maryland, and you could tell how badly he wanted to play. First of all, the injury from the Maryland game was similar to the Colorado ankle twist on Martinez in his freshman year, so that's just terrible all around. Nonetheless, Vedral has been a special spark to the Rutgers offense this season, and I think he and the Scarlet Knights could turn some heads in 2021. I gave Noah one of his first recruiting tours to UNL during the Riley era and it was clear how excited he was just to play college ball. All the best to him in a speedy recovery.

Now looking at the issues on the Huskers' sideline, the first half was a disaster. I was able to correctly call 5 out of the first 6 Husker plays the offense ran, and the easiest one was the dreaded swing pass to open the game. I've been saying it all year long, but the offensive playbook is way too predictable. Separate of the 3 first half turnovers, Rutgers forced 3 first half punts by the Huskers. Frost either needs to give up the play-calling duties to Matt Lubick (that's why he was hired) or start re-designing some of his opening drive scripts. Most importantly, the goalline offense needs a complete overhaul. As I mentioned earlier in the post, Dedrick Mills dominated the game with 191 rush yards, but was left without a TD, why and how is that possible? Well that's because whenever he would carry the offense on his back inside the 5 yard line, he would be pulled from the game. Now I understand the need to give a guy a breather for a play or two, but you should not take your "bell-cow" running back out of the game when you are trying to score. The bigger issue was watching 180 pound Wan'Dale Robinson run into the middle of a pile of lineman, getting smashed back for a two yard loss while trying to punch it into the endzone. Why would you not run Dedrick Mills (who's shown his tremendous ability to break tackles and run through defenders) at the goalline? Robinson nearly got a concussion on his first TD as a Linebacker popped him as he fought in for the score. My Tweet from Friday night accurately sums up my feelings (and probably Mills') for the situation, but there has to be a factor of common sense here. It's a bummer he was injured for a good part of the season, but it's even more of a bummer knowing he was healthy last week against Minnesota and wasn't given the opportunity to make an impact, much like other games. If he does decided to come back for a 2021 campaign, this kid needs to be a focal point of the offense, not a compliment. Re-worked play design will certainly help the 2021 Huskers, and it will fix a number of the consistency and penalty issues that continue to plague this team.

Quick hit thoughts from around College Football:

- The Ducks upset previously undefeated USC on Friday night to claim back-to-back PAC-12 Title games, despite not even technically winning their division. With Washington out with Covid-19, Oregon was able to slid in and force Kedon Slovis into 3 costly turnovers for a 31-24 victory.

- In some under the radar games over the weekend, both UAB and Ball State pulled upsets in the C-USA and MAC Conference Championship games over the heavily favored Thundering Herd of Marshall and Bulls of Buffalo.

- In a Saturday full of Playoff implications, we got what we expected. The Final Four Playoff teams remained the same due to some impressive title game performances.

- Ohio State erased a small halftime deficit by doing what Scott Frost learned on Friday night and ran the ball to victory in the second half. Buckeye RB Trey Sermon set a BIG 10 Title game record, rushing for 331 yards and 2 TDs, demolishing what was the 5th best run defense in the nation. Northwestern certainly had their shots to put this game away, but the lack of offensive firepower and bad turnovers by Peyton Ramsey in the second half led to their demise. Ohio State gets into the playoffs with just a 6-0 record after their 4th straight BIG 10 Title.

- Over the in the Big XII, the Cyclones were looking to make a statement for their CFB Playoff push, but had to square off against the Sooners for the second time this season. One of my biggest rules in College Football is that you never want to play a team twice, and with a 24-7 halftime deficit, it was looking like Iowa State was out early. Matt Campbell lost his mind and went ballistic on the refs after a number of unfavorable and questionable calls in the first half. Unfortunately for Campbell, the second half comeback wasn't meant to be as Purdy's late game heave was intercepted to seal the Sooner's 5th straight Big XII Title.

- Texas A&M played a game, but it really didn't matter, no matter how much Jimbo argued about their record, Ohio State was still going to get in despite playing 3 fewer games.

- The game that did cause some hubba was the rematch between Clemson and Notre Dame for the ACC Title. Notre Dame was looking to get their first ever conference title in program history as they are traditionally independent, but Clemson wasn't ready to let their streak die. Trevor Lawrence had some feelings to let out after not being able to play in the first game, and the Tigers rolled the Irish 34-10. Lawrence showed yet again why he's (arguably) the best player in the nation, totaling 412 yards and 3 TDs by himself. The Clemson offense racked up nearly 550 yards of total offense while their defense (back at full strength) held the Irish to just 263 total yards and sacked Ian Book 6 times with 10 total tackles for loss. Despite the beat down, Notre Dame only fell to #4 and hung onto the final playoff spot to face Alabama.

- Speaking of the Tide, they finally faced someone with a top 30 offense and were actually challenged a bit! The Gators put up an impressive fight, especially being doubled up 35-17 in the first half. Their defense came out strong in the second half, but a 17 point 4th quarter by the Tide was too much as Florida lost by 6. Both QBs had Heisman-worthy performances, but Alabama looks unstoppable and the Clemson-Bama saga will likely continue in the Championship game down in Miami.

- Cincy hit a late field goal to seal their American Conference Championship and 11-0 season, but it's been clear the Playoff Committee couldn't care less. There needs to be some changes and this year really highlights some of the issues the CFB Playoff is going to need to look at.

- San Jose State won their first ever conference title behind the arm of Nick Starkel. The ex-Mississippi State Bulldog threw for 453 yards and 3 TDs to help beat the Broncos of Boise State 34-20.

And last but not least, bowl games do start today so I need to make sure I get my prediction out!

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Appalachian State vs. North Texas

     There's not too much to say about this game when the Mountaineers are favored by 21, but if you like offense this could turn into a bit of a shoot out! The Mean Green average just over 35 points per game while App State puts up 31.8. Both teams have solid QBs, but the running back battle will be the key to watch. Camerun Peoples for App State averages over 5.5 yards per carry and UNT will need to find a way to replace their top RB DeAndre Torrey. The Mean Green will also be without wide receiver Jaelon Darden, who's 3rd in the nation with 1,190 yards and leads the nation with 19 TD catches. I would expect a lot of points, and North Texas to cover the spread, but App State gets their 6th straight bowl victory with a 45-35 win.

Thanks for reading my game reflections and Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction! We've got more bowl games all this week so watch for more posts soon. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Conference Championship Week Predictions

      Happy Friday football fans, and welcome to a very unique Conference Championship weekend! In addition to the regular conference championship games, we have a number of conferences playing some extra games for teams, which includes my Huskers! Unfortunately we do have some cancelations, including the Sun Belt Championship rematch between my adopted Chanticleers and the Ragin' Cajuns. Nonetheless, there's still a lot of big games with some playoff implications, so let's get to the predictions!

Week 15(ish) Predictions: 6 - 9

Overall Prediction Record: 72 - 44

UAB vs. Marshall (C-USA Championship)

     The Thundering Herd were upset by rice two weeks ago, ending their unbeaten season. While they won't be pushing for a New Year's Six bowl anymore, they can still claim their first Conference Championship since 2014. They'll be up against the Blazers, who have been to the C-USA Championship for the third year in a row after reviving their program in 2017 and just beat Rice last weekend. They won the 2018 C-USA title on the back of RB Spencer Brown. Brown rushed for 156 yards and 1 TD in the 2018 championship, and will look to better that performance against a tough Marshall defense. The Herd give up just 11.4 points per game on average, and hold opponents to 73 rush yards per game. It could be tough sledding for Brown and the Blazers in this one as I am willing to bet big money Marshall comes out hot after sitting on their only loss of the season for two weeks. The Herd will thunder on to a 28-24 victory.

Ball State vs. Buffalo (MAC Championship)

     The Cardinals narrowly edged out the Broncos of Western Michigan last week to punch their ticket to Detroit. They will meet the Bulls of Buffalo there and the dynamic running attack led by one of the best backs in the nation, Jaret Patterson. Patterson has been phenomenal this season, rushing for 1,025 yards and 18 TDs in just 5 games. His best performance was a NCAA record-tying 8 TD game against Kent State with 406 yards. Patterson is averaging a staggering 8.3 yards per carry and has helped Buffalo to be one of the best offensive attacks in the nation, averaging over 500 yards and 50 points per game. Ball State has played well this year, but no one is stopping Patterson, and he better be taking home the Doak Walker award for best RB or there will be problems. Bulls route the Cardinals 45-20.

Oregon vs. #13 USC (PAC-12 Championship)

     Despite being 5-0 like Ohio State, the Trojans aren't even close to sniffing out a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Originally, the PAC-12 hoped Oregon would be their chance, but after back to back losses to the Beavers and Golden Bears, Oregon fell quickly out of the rankings. USC has been able to win all of their games, but most of them have been pulled out of the fire. This game really has little meaning, especially when you consider Washington was unable to play and replaced by Oregon, those two teams didn't get to play last week because of covid-19 and USC and Colorado never played in the South Division. Nonetheless, this game will come down to the QB battle. Both offenses have been able to put up points this season, averaging around 35 points per game for each team. Kedon Slovis leads USC with 1,601 yards passing and a 15 to 4 TD to INT ratio. Tyler Shough will try to get the Ducks' offense back on track with his 1,389 yards and 11 to 4 TD to INT ratio. Neither team has much on defense, so it will likely be a high-scoring affair. On one hand it would be interesting to see how the committee disregards USC despite a 6-0 win, but it would also be entertaining to watch the Ducks pull the upset. I really don't think either team is that great this year, but I'll take the Trojans since they're +7 in turnover margin while the Ducks are -7. Fight on as USC wins 38-28.

Boise State vs. #24 San Jose State (Mountain West Conference Championship)

     The Broncos are making their fourth straight appearance in the Mountain West Conference Championship game while the Spartans will be making their first. While Boise State has been here plenty of times, they haven't been quite as dynamic as usual this season. Sophomore QB Hank Bachmeier is still trying to find his rhythm as QB1, throwing for just 929 yards, 6 TDs and 2 picks so far this season. He'll need some help from his defense in this game as the opposing QB has been tremendous this season. Ex-Mississippi State Bulldog Nick Starkel has provided a big spark to the West Coast Spartans' offense with nearly 1,500 passing yards and 13 TDs compared to just 4 picks. He's supported by a defense that ranks 34th in the nation. The Spartans give up just an average of 17.5 points per game, and have 9 takeaways on the season. I like the Spartans to continue their undefeated season in this one and they will win their first ever Mountain West Championship behind the arm of Nick Starkel. San Jose State 34, Boise State 24.

#23 Tulsa vs. #9 Cincinnati (American Athletic Conference Championship)

     Cincy has been getting screwed by the CFB Playoff Committee over the past month, and also screwed by covid-19, having their last two games canceled over that time period. I still think they're one of the better teams in the nation and deserve a shot against some of the bigger teams. If only the BIG 10 wasn't so dumb and Cincy and Ohio State could've played a game last week with a very simple travel plan to get both teams a big resume boost. Nonetheless, the Bearcats finally get a chance to flex their muscles again and it will be against the Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa. The 6-1 Hurricanes have pulled off numerous 4th quarter comebacks this season, but Cincy is a different monster. We should see some rugged defenses in this one as both teams give up fewer than 20 points per game on average. The Bearcats have been nearly impossible to move the ball on, ranking 9th in total defense with just over 300 yards per game on average given up to opposing offenses. As for the Tulsa defense, they have been able to hold down some dynamic offenses this season, but they have yet to see anything like Desmond Ridder and the Bearcats. I've got Cincy rolling big in this game and hopefully moving ahead of Florida and Georgia (where they should be) in the rankings. Bearcats 42, Golden Hurricanes 20.

#14 Northwestern vs. #4 Ohio State (BIG 10 Conference Championship)

     Thanks to a quick eraser and re-writing of the rules, Ohio State has made it into the BIG 10 Championship despite only playing 5 games. They will take on the Wildcats who are making their second conference championship appearance in just three years. The Buckeyes are heavily favored, but don't count out Northwestern too quickly. This team took Ohio State to the wire two years ago in Indianapolis, and their defense in 2018 ranked 64th in the nation compared to 13th this season. Pat Fitzgerald always seems to have his teams ready to play. The Wildcats will be lead by graduate-transfer QB Peyton Ramsey, who's struggled at times, throwing for just 1,218 yards with 9 TDs and 6 picks. The lack of a rushing attack has limited the Northwestern's offense to just over 350 yards per game on average and 25.3 points per game. Luckily, their stout defense makes up for it well with just 14.6 points per game given up and dominating all areas of the field with veteran linebackers and secondary players. Look for them to lock up the run game and really make life difficult for Justin Fields. Northwestern has 12 interceptions on the season, and Fields will be pressured by LBs Paddy Fisher, Chris Bergin & Blake Gallagher all day. They Buckeyes trust Fields though, and there's good reason for it. The Hesiman hopeful has accounted for 20 total TDs already in this short season. One stat to watch is the sacks though, because Northwestern will certainly bring pressure. Fields has been sacked 15 times in the 5 games played by the Buckeyes, and the ground game hasn't been very dynamic for Ohio State. It would be amazing to see Northwestern pull this upset and show the CFB Playoff Committee how dumb it is to rank Ohio State #4 with minimal data to go off of, but I fear they don't quite have the offense to make it happen. Defense doesn't quite win championships anymore, and when you're playing Ohio State you need to score points. Should be a tighter game than the experts think, but much like the 2018 BIG 10 Championship, I don't think the Wildcats will pull off the victory. Ohio State moves onto the CFB Playoffs with a 30-17 victory.

#10 Oklahoma vs. #6 Iowa State (Big XII Championship)

     The Cyclones are likely the biggest Notre Dame and Northwestern fans around this weekend as they look for a chance to hurdle Texas A&M and get into the CFB Playoff mix. But first, they must get through Oklahoma for the second time this season, this time for a Big XII Championship. The Sooners are familiar to this setting, looking for their 4th straight title in their 12th overall appearance. This is Iowa State's first appearance, but Matt Campbell has some thing special cooking in Ames. Senior QB Brock Purdy has been great this year with 2,272 yards and a 17 to 6 TD to INT ratio. He's complimented by one of the best running backs in the nation with Breece Hall. Hall has 17 TDs of his own to go along with 1,357 yards rushing and a 6.1 yard per carry average. The Sooner defense has really turned things around since losing to the Cyclones back in October, now ranking 16th in total defense. Both teams match up really well statistically, which means it comes down to playmakers making plays. Spencer Rattler has been dynamic for the Sooners and is completing 68.5 percent of his passes. I would expect a full shootout, and I'm going to go against my heart and follow one of my major rules in college football. You never want to play a team twice, and that favors the Sooners in this case. I really hope Iowa State can beat them twice, they have the talent to do so and I would expect a fun game down in Arlington. However, if I'm going to follow the rule I have to say Boomer Sooner in this one. Oklahoma avenges their loss in the form of a 35-30 victory for yet another Big XII Title. Hoping for Matt Campbell and the Cyclones to prove me wrong in this one!

#1 Alabama vs. #7 Florida (SEC Championship)

     Despite losing to the unranked LSU Tigers thanks to a shoe throw and last second field goal last week, the CFB Playoff Committee showed their SEC bias yet again by sliding Florida down just 1 spot to #7. We'll have a battle of Heisman candidates in Atlanta as Kyle Trask and Mac Jones look to throw bombs all game long. The SEC defense mantra will be challenged in this game as both teams average more than 40 points per game and over 500 yards of total offense. Starting with the Gators, they'll be looking to get back into the playoff picture with a big win. Trask has the arm to get them there as he's thrown for 3,717 yards with 40 TDs and just 5 picks. He's hoping to have start TE Kyle Pitts back for this game who's missed time with an injury. He's a nightmare for every defense and a favorite target of Trask, especially in the redzone with 11 TDs thrown his way already. Bama has plenty of playmakers on their sideline though, and it all starts with the QB-WR duo of Mac Jones and Davonta Smith. While Jones only has 27 TD passes this season, 15 of them are to Smith who's averaging a staggering 16 yards per catch. Complimented by another 22 TDs and nearly 6 yards per carry by Najee Harris on the ground, the Tide have rolled everyone on their schedule. This should be an entertaining game to watch, but the nod always goes to Bama. Roll Tide as they win 49-42 in a wild shootout.

#3 Clemson vs. #2 Notre Dame (ACC Championship)

     The much anticipated re-match of the Tigers & the Irish will take place in Charlotte, NC for the ACC Championship. This is Notre Dame's first ever chance at a conference title as they are traditionally an Independent school. They joined the ACC for this season due to covid-19 and knocked off the Tigers in South Bend back in early November. Clemson was without star QB Trevor Lawence and 3 key players on defense during that game though, so this rematch will be a different game. Starting with the Irish, they have been one of the most complete teams all season long. Ian Book has been tremendous at QB, throwing for 2,382 yards with 15 TDs and just 2 picks. He's added another 3 TDs on the ground and has been an incredible leader for this team. Kyren Williams has provided a strong boost on the ground with over 1,000 yards and 12 TDs. Williams ran wild against the Tigers in November, racking up 140 yards and 3 TDs. He'll have some of their best defenders tracking him down in this one since James Skalski, Mike Jones Jr. and Tyler Davis return to the field. As for the Tiger offense, they had no issues moving the ball in round one of this matchup, where backup QB DJ Uiagalelei threw for 439 yards and 2 TDs, adding a third on the ground. The big achilles heel was Travis Etienne being bottled up for just 28 yards. Even with Trevor Lawrence back, Etienne must be part of this offense for the Tigers to get the win. I'm still resisting the bandwagon despite my Uncle's attempts, but I have to follow my rule of never wanting to play a team twice in one season. With a Clemson victory in the ACC Championship we may even get a third matchup of these two teams in the Playoffs! Tigers win the rematch and their 6th straight ACC Title with a 38-34 victory.

Nebraska at Rutgers

     Obviously the biggest game of the weekend takes place out in Piscataway, NJ on Friday night as the Scarlet Knights host the Scarlet & Cream Huskers. Scott Frost will try to end the season on a high note as the Huskers face their fourth straight losing season. This sets up to be an interesting game as the Scarlet Knights and Nebraska both have a rotating system at QB. Ex-Husker QB Noah Vedral has split time with Artur Sitkowski, but leads the team with 1,253 passing yards. (Un)Surprisingly that is only 13 yards short of the combined passing yards for Husker QBs Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey on the season. The TD to INT ratio isn't much better. Vedral has 9 TDs and 8 Picks while the Husker duo has just 4 TDs and 7 picks combined. Forgive me if I take a little bit of pleasure in these numbers as it shows the glaring issue of the abysmal Husker passing attack. I've said it all season long, but Nebraska won't be winning games without a downfield passing attack, and it looks like the QB who is semi-capable of it plays for their opponent tonight. Regardless, looking at this game it all sits on the Husker offense. This is a game where the teams' combined wins is only half of their combined losses, so it's all about who cares more to be here. The Husker defense has shown they can keep Nebraska in just about every game on the schedule, but the offense has not lived up to the hype. I hate bringing out this statistic, but the 2009 Zac Lee-led Husker offense is statistically better than the 2020 squad. They averaged 3 more points per game, which is horrifically mind-blowing. If the Huskers want to show any sort of improvement and momentum toward 2021, they need to score points. Rutgers' defense ranks 84th nationally and has been vulnerable against the run. Without the ability to pass the ball, Nebraska needs to rely heavily on the run game with Martinez, McCaffrey and Mills. Jet sweeps with Wan'Dale Robinson and Betts mixed into an option attack out of the backfield would be chaotic for the defense and nearly impossible to stop with the ball in any of those five players' hands. I doubt that will happen, but hopefully we'll see a little more emphasis on the run. I just pray the Husker defense can get a touchdown and make life a little easier. I'll take the Huskers since it's the final game of the season, but don't be surprised if Vedral has a breakout night and the Nebraska offense looks even more incompetent. Please just keep it simple tonight Huskers. Nebraska 28, Rutgers 23. GO BIG RED!

Thank you for reading all of my predictions and I hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend of football!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 15(ish) Reflections

     Well, here we are yet again football fans. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the Huskers have yet again put a dismal performance on tape as they fall at home to the covid-stricken Gophers 24-17, ultimately losing the Broken Chair Trophy for the second straight year. There are a number of family members and friends who texted me during and after this game, all with a similar thought... Is this one of the worst coaching performances we've ever seen? I'll break down all of that along with the highlights from a wild weekend in College Football below. Read on!

     After bouncing back from yet another sluggish start, the Huskers looked primed to take this game over and were ready to turn that proverbial corner everyone in Nebraska hears so much about. Unfortunately, the offense still lacks the ability to move the ball (or score) in any form of consistency, resulting in a second half that didn't really feature a collapse, but more just a mundane routine of going through the motions of what looks like a football team, but never yielding any results. The undermanned Golden Gophers walk out of Memorial Stadium with the Broken Chair in hand while the Huskers are still trying to figure out how to make their opening play of the game a positive gain rather than a loss. I've got the full breakdown with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below, enjoy!

GOOD - Husker Defense and batted balls. These two go together, but the Blackshirts stepped up against Minnesota, despite every attempt by the Husker offense and special teams to make life hard on them. Late the in the game Minnesota ran away with it thanks to momentum and a strong push up front, but if the defense for Nebraska can consistently hold teams to 24 or fewer points, they should win most games. The Huskers were able to slow down the Gopher passing attack with 7 batted balls on Saturday, 3 of which came from the d-line. This does highlight the lack of pressure on the QB from the front seven (just 2 QB hurries), but at least they were able to make an impact on the play. The front seven did play well against the run early on, ultimately recording 6 tackles for loss in the game. Coverage in the secondary was good for the most part, even with Cam Taylor-Britt out for the second half due to targeting. Overall, the defense has improved quite well since last season and while they're far from what is needed to win championships at Nebraska, they are much closer than the offense. A hat tip for the Blackshirts and their performance on Saturday.

EXPECTED - Mohammed Ibrahim and Adrian Martinez. The star running back for the Gophers didn't disappoint, despite being limited in the game with an injury. Ibrahim bested his total from a year ago with 108 rushing yards and 2 TDs against Nebraska on Saturday, helping the Gophers for over 200 yards on the ground for the third time all year (Maryland & Illinois). The potential All-BIG 10 RB has 925 yards and 15 TDs so far this season. He'll be a headache to deal with during his senior year.

For the Huskers, we saw the bad Adrian again. It seems almost inevitable that once the confidence starts to build for this team and most importantly the QB, it's cut away twice as fast. AM2 had a rough outing, completing just 59 percent of his passes for 111 yards and 1 TD. Martinez did rush for 96 and another score, but I've said it all year long, the Huskers won't win without a downfield passing attack. Now we've established that Martinez is the better passer between him and Luke, but weeks like this show that's not much of a compliment. Inaccurate passes are a given with him and it cripples the offense into a handoff and QB draw corner that they can never seem to get out of. I like Martinez a lot, and he's had a couple of good games throwing the ball, but there needs to be someone else under center (in the shotgun) next year. Move Martinez to running back since apparently someone doesn't think Mills is enough and find a QB who can accurately throw a 15 yard pass. This has been an issue all year and will continue to be an issue until the Huskers have a QB who can throw the ball. Adrian is a fantastic runner and will continue to be QB, but the Huskers will not improve with him throwing passes.

BAD - Play-calling, play design and the Scott Frost 2 minute drill. These all go hand in hand yet again, but there's a few issues of play calling and design separate of the 2 minute drill. I might as well start with the opening play of the game because the Huskers refuse to start with positive yardage. Once again, opening the game with a ill-advised bubble screen resulted in a near turnover and set the Huskers up with 2nd and 19. I understand the desire to get a "quick and easy" completion, but there has to be another play that actually moves the ball forward. I honestly think the best version of the bubble screen in the last 3 seasons has gotten Nebraska -2 yards rather than the typical -6 to -12 yards. There's no excuse for play calls like this any more. I can script this offense in my sleep and it's completely obvious what plays are working and not working. The lack of a downfield passing attack cripples this offense into short yardage routs, basic handoffs and QB draw, we've known this for a while. The bigger issue is how those plays are being run. It's not ideal, but with how well the defense has played this season, Nebraska could have won a couple more games even with the limited play script I just mentioned. This is where the design flaws come into effect. If you're going to run the ball on 3rd & 2, looking for a push up the middle, it should be given to Dedrick Mills, the 220 lbs. Senior running back who has no issues running through any defender who steps in front of him. The ball should NOT be given to the 185 lbs. speedster in Wan'Dale Robinson who is better suited for making defenders miss in space. At the very least Frost can call a QB Power with Martinez following Mills through the hole. Another example of poor play design leads into the horrific 2 minute drill we see every couple weeks. Running a 4 yard crossing route to start a two minute drive when you only have 1 timeout isn't the best option, but if you're going to run that play it should most certainly be with your aforementioned speedster, Wan'Dale Robinson. The 4 yard crossing route should NOT be run with Kade Warner as he is extremely unlikely to make defenders miss if he does catch the ball (which we've seen can be a big IF). Getting your ball to your playmakers is key, but getting your ball to playmakers in position to make plays is actually unlocking the door with said key. The two minute drive before the half where the Huskers had 1:16 seconds to drive down the field against the 2nd worst defense in the conference and score some points to gain momentum into halftime was terrible. It resulted in a 5 play drive that gained just 13 yards, and due to poor clock management ended with a punt that gave the ball back to Minnesota with a few seconds remaining. Despite the Gophers taking a knee (knowing they would receive the second half kickoff thanks to Frost always taking the ball to start the game), the Huskers weren't even good enough to run out the clock on a failed two minute drive. Minnesota shouldn't have gotten the ball back for those few seconds, but due to poor play calling and design Nebraska wasted yet another opportunity to score points. This offense lacks a lot more than consistency, and those issues will need to be addressed along with everything else.

     In today's age of College Football, and especially in the BIG 10, the team who scores 30-35 points first wins a majority of the time. I'll have to run some numbers to get a solid percentage, but unless you're competing against the likes of Ohio State, almost every BIG 10 Conference games can be won if a team scores 30-35 points. The Huskers have fallen to 104th in the nation this year, averaging just 22.4 points per game. This is a downward trend from 30 points per game in 2018 and 28 points per game last season in 2019. During the Scott Frost Era, Nebraska has averaged 26.8 points per game each season. Now I was one of the first to admit that Frost would need to be ready for a shift in the BIG 10 coming from UCF where they led the nation with 48.2 points per game in 2017, but a 20+ point drop is not due just to the tougher competition. This offense has talent and it has play makers, it needs better play design and smarter play calls.

Quick hit thoughts from around CFB:

- Kicking off the weekend on Friday night, the Sun Devils won the Duel in the Dessert by demolishing the Arizona Wildcats 70-7. Arizona fired Kevin Sumlin the next day, but the true highlight of this game was Junior RB Jackson He scoring a TD by driving his legs to run over the defender into the goal line late in the 4th. Jackson He is believed to be the only Chinese born football player in the FBS and the first to score a TD.

- Also making history (again) was Sarah Fuller from Vanderbilt, becoming the first woman to score for a Power 5 football team in a game with 2 extra points in their game against Tennessee.

- Bama had no issues with Arkansas and Georgia rolled Missouri.

- My adopted Chanticleers had a scare against Troy, but another great performance by Freshman QB Grayson McCall keeps them unbeaten at 11-0. Someone get them AND Cincy into New Year's Six Bowl.

- The Hawkeyes have continued their winning streak after romping Wisconsin 28-7 to win all of their trophy games in 2020.

- Utah upsets Colorado on the road with a dominating 28 point second half. This ruined our chances to see how the PAC-12 screwed up their conference, but oh well, they were never really relevant this season.

- I once again was bested by Oklahoma State as they rubbed my Baylor prediction in my face with a 42-3 beat down. I can never figure out the Pokes.

- Penn State and Jahan Dotson turned on the jets in the second half with 21 unanswered points to beat Sparty 39-24.

- A (narrow) forward lateral negated one of the wildest finishes you will ever see as Western Michigan tossed the ball all around the field and Ball State failed to fully recover a fumble that led to a premature rushing of the field by the team while the play was still going! The Mustangs eventually got the ball to the endzone amongst all the confusion, but Ball State maintained the victory after finding the forward lateral. Still, it's worth the watch if you haven't seen it yet!

- Army beat Navy 15-0 in their first meeting at West Point in 77 years. Great uniforms, great game and a special rivalry.

- Memphis knocked through a game-winning 47 yard field goal to defeat Houston.

- Auburn defeated Mississippi State to finish 6-4, yet still decided to fire Gus Malzahn to the tune of a 21.4 million dollar buyout.

- Lovie Smith is also out at Illinois, meaning his final victory as Head Coach of the Illini was against my Huskers. Ugh.

- UCLA nearly pulled the upset with a 43 yard field goal with less than a minute left, but the Trojans weren't going to let the Bruins spoil another undefeated season. After returning the following kickoff out past the 50, a couple of big passes from Kedon Slovis led to a USC touchdown and 43-38 victory. Great game, but again, the PAC-12 was out before we even started.

- My sincerest apologies to UNC for picking Miami. They also rubbed that prediction in my face with a 62-26 victory over the 'Canes which featured 554 yards rushing by the Tar Heels, mostly done by Michael Carter (308 yards 3 TDs) and Javonte Williams (236 yards 2 TDs).

- The best thing I saw in College Football this past weekend was Florida DB Marco Wilson throwing the shoe of an LSU player after stopping them on 3rd down when the game was tied at 34. The shoe throw prompted a penalty that gave LSU a 1st down and led to a 57 yard field goal (in the fog). Florida was able to get into field goal range to try a walk-off kick of their own, but the kick sailed left and the Gators have thrown themselves out of a Playoff possibility. HE THREW A SHOE!! LOL

Thanks for reading all of my week 15(ish) Reflections and be sure to look for my predictions post coming on Friday this week!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando