Week 1 Reflections

      Well... I've avoided writing this long enough. After a week-long reflection I've narrowed down my thoughts on the Huskers' loss to Minnesota. It was another heart-breaker for Nebraska as they found a way to lose a 4th quarter lead and allow Minnesota the opportunity to win the game with a last-second field goal. As usual, I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories broken down for you below along with some highlights and observations from the rest of Week 1 across College Football.

GOOD - Husker Defense and Rushing YPC. Starting with the Blackshirts, they once again gave Nebraska a great chance to win the game up until the last few minutes. I am disappointed they couldn't close things out and gave up that late game touchdown as well as the last-minute drive to allow the Gophers a field goal. However, more often than not, if you hold a team to 13 points you're going to win the game. They held Minnesota to just 55 rushing yards but did allow two 4th down conversions. They will need to stay aggressive if Nebraska's offense continues to take a while to gel. Speaking of the offense, one thing they did very well was run the ball. The Huskers averaged 4.9 yards per carry and probably could've had more if they hadn't abandoned the run in the 4th quarter. Star RB Gabe Irving had just 7 carries but averaged nearly 8 yards per carry while QB Jeff Sims led the team with 91 yards on the ground. The Husker rushing attack was looking great (apart from Anthony Grant's fumble) and needs to be a focal point moving forward.

EXPECTED - Passing game struggles. Coming into the game I highlighted the need for Nebraska to focus on the run game. The offensive line is nothing to write home about, the receiver corps is young and inexperienced and Jeff Sims cannot throw an accurate ball. Unfortunately this led to three interceptions, two of them at very inopportune times. The passing game will not be a strength of this team in 2023, so the simpler Marcus Satterfield can make it the better.

BAD - 4th Quarter Coaching Decisions. The Huskers had multiple chances in the 4th quarter to put this game away and walk out of Huntington Bank Stadium with a victory, but poor decisions late in the game allowed Minnesota to come back and win the game. Throwing three straight passes on a drive early in the fourth when the run game could chew the clock is a poor decision. Having Anthony Grant, who was moved down the depth chart for fumble issues, run the ball in the fourth quarter is a poor decision. Asking Jeff Sims to throw deep over the middle rather than short, high-percentage throws for a potential game-winning drive is a poor decision. I was really hoping for better decision-making from this staff and it's only one game, so hopefully those are coming soon.

Other thoughts from CFB Week 1:

- Colorado has a lot of flash and made a big statement against TCU. I don't think they are the national powerhouse all the sports media outlets are calling them, but their offensive execution was damn near perfect. Should be interesting to watch this team in 2023.

- I said Florida State was a playoff contender of mine and Jordan Travis was a dark horse Heisman candidate, I think I could be right on this one. The 'Noles looked very good on Sunday night, running OVER LSU in the second half to a 45-24 victory.

- Wyoming had a surprising double OT victory at home against Texas Tech, but don't discount the Red Raiders in making a splash this season. Bit of a stumble out of the gate, but this is a young and talented team. Also, the Cowboys are always a tough opponent and will do some damage in the Mountain West.

- Utah was without Cameron Rising, but looked to be in mid-season form as they romped the Gators at home in Salt Lake City.

- The ACC has caught up to Clemson. Duke's defense shut down the Tigers while their offense ran wild in the second half for just shy of 200 yards rushing for the game.

- North Carolina proved to be the true Carolina after routing their Southern counterparts. Drake Maye looks poised for a big year and Mac Brown earned his 100th victory at his second school, the only coach in history to accomplish that.

- Illinois escaped a stumble with Toledo in town and Purdue fell to Fresno State at home. There could be more BIG 10 teams with non-conference issues as we move through September.

- Alabama and Ohio State both have question marks at QB, but Jalen Milroe for the Tide looks to be locking in that QB1 spot. The Buckeyes struggled mightily in their passing game, so we'll see who emerges as QB1 in that offense.

- Penn State and Washington are teams to keep an eye on this season. Veteran experience with a lot of talent.

- Iowa only scored 24 points in their opener against Utah State, so they are currently UNDER the 25 point average that would allow OC Bryan Ferentz to keep his job at the end of the year.

Thanks for reading my Week 1 Reflections and watch for my Week 2 Predictions post on Saturday Morning!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando