What a great first weekend in College Football! We had a number of upsets, overtime games, and a few thrillers. This post will have my reflections on the Husker game, as well as my thoughts on a few of the other teams around the nation from what I saw this weekend. Enjoy!
There's not too many things you can complain about when you win 43-10 in your opener! The Huskers looked pretty good, a little stale during the second and third quarters, but were very consistent throughout the entire game, especially in the run game. Nebraska finished with 292 on the ground and 5 rushing TDs. Eight different Huskers carried the ball, lead by Devine Ozigbo who finished with 103 yards. I was very happy to see a heavy emphasis on the run game, and that the coaching staff did not switch out of their game plan when it stalled for a few drives. I think a little more creativity will be needed against Oregon and during conference play, but this was a good game to show that we can move the ball and to get a young offensive line experience on where there blocks should be lined up. Tommy looked very good running the ball, but still concerned me with his passing on a few plays. He only dropped back 10 times, so there isn't a very large sample size, but with only a 50% completion rating against a very sub-par secondary isn't exactly what I was hoping for. I noticed that he still tends to lock into one man and not go through all of his progressions. If he takes more time in the pocket, I think he'll see that he has some other open wideouts around the field. He also threw into heavy coverage a number of times, so progressing through his reads would be very helpful.
On the defensive side of the ball, the linebackers were all over the field. I expected them to be the strength of the Blackshirts, and I was very impressed with their penetration in the gaps, how well they wrapped up hard, and how well they played in coverage over the middle. As for the rest of the defense, they looked like the talented, but inexperienced group I pegged them to be. Starting up front, the defensive line really got a great push and were a big part in holding Fresno State to only 31 yards rushing. However, they were not getting any pressure on Fresno State's QB. I didn't expect them to be in the backfield every play, but the pocket seemed to hold for too long throughout most of the game. That put a lot of pressure on a young secondary that was already without thier Senior leader. I was very impressed with the play of Aaron Williams at Safety, but he does need to save his celebrations for the sidelines! Kalu and Jones seemed to be out of position on a number of simple, underneath routes. I could tell fairly early in the game that the Bulldogs would not be throwing deep very much, so I'm not sure why the coaching staff had our DBs playing off so far from the ball. This left the underneath throws to be very open. The swing passes out to the side were very painful to watch because Nebraska did not have anyone within 10 yards of the receiver. Secondary play will be another huge focus this season, but it starts up front with pressure from the defensive line. Overall, a solid start for the Huskers, especially holding the Bulldogs out of the endzone late in the game.
My final word on the Husker game is on the humbling punt formation with only 10 players lined up. It's rare for a punter to have that powerful of an impact on a team, let alone the fan base of that team, but that is truly one moment that I will never forget. I want to personally thank the Fresno State program for thier support in our loss and honoring Sam with SF stickers of their own and for declining the penalty. There are moments that are bigger than football, and for them to respect that moment was very kind and honorable. I know Sam will be with our program this fall, and I look forward to our team honoring him throughout the year.
As for the rest of College Football.... What. A. WEEKEND!! I was very happy to see the Houston and Wisconsin upsets. I couldn't bring myself to pick them, but I'll definitely be reconsidering my future picks! Georgia really impressed me as well, I did not think that Nick Chubb would be that big of a factor so soon after his knee injury last season, but he honestly looks a step or two faster from a year ago. My biggest concern is Alabama. They look almost as scary as thier running back Bo Scarbrough. If you haven't seen a picture of him, hide your kids and do a quick search on Google. I honestly don't know how you could have a back bigger than Derrick Henry, but Bo is just a Monster. I'm a little nervous that Nick Saban said they didn't play thier best football in the 52-6 thrashing they gave to the Trojans. Texas pulled out the stunner on Notre Dame and Florida State had an incredible comeback performance against Ole Miss. This was a great opening weekend in College Football, and I cannot wait for more! Thanks for reading and GO BIG RED!!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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