Week 2 Reflections

     Good evening football fans! I hope you're all enjoying the week thus far and ready to reflect back on the weekend of football we just saw. Despite the lack of big games on the slate, we saw some upsets and have a number of teams looking very intriguing early on in the season. This post will cover the Husker victory against Buffalo at home and the rest of the major happenings around CFB, enjoy!

     The Huskers stifled Buffalo on a hot day in Lincoln for a 28-3 victory. This was a very slow moving game, especially since running the ball wasn't much of an option for either team. Penalties were abundant for both teams in this one, and there was a very inconsistent play on all sides of the ball. This was a better looking game for the Huskers, but there are still some glaring issues of concern, so we'll see what improvements are made. Here are my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD of last week's game.

GOOD: Big plays and the Blackshirts. The Husker offense struggled to put up points apart from their big plays in this game, but when they hit, the big plays looked great! Some of them (like Adrian Martinez's 71 yard run out of a near sack) came off broken plays, but the long passes were very well drawn up. The receivers got over the top of the defense and both Martinez and Smothers hit them in stride. This won't be the case every game, but it's always nice to see some fireworks when we can. On the defensive side of the ball, very few big plays were allowed. The pass rush has dwindled since the opening game against the Illini, but 6 tackles for loss were still recorded. Luke Reimer had a fabulous game with 16 total tackles, 7 of them solo and the interception down to the one yard line. The Blackshirts will be tested in Norman this weekend, but hopefully they walk in with some confidence after two solid performances at home against lower competition.

EXPECTED: Adrian Martinez and the lack of a run game. I highlighted how difficult the inside run game (and overall run game) would be in this matchup, and it showed. Outside of Adrian's 71 yard scamper, the Huskers averaged 3.7 yards per carry as a team and totaled 149 rushing yards. The trio of backs with Gabe Ervin Jr., Sevion Morrison and Markese Stepp have been very pedestrian so far this season, and most of that blame goes to the offensive line. The Huskers continue to miss blocks up front and cannot create holes for these backs to get through. There are far more imposing defensive lines ahead for the Huskers, and this problem never goes away easy. Luckily we have an Adrian Martinez. Now I certainly have been one to criticize the 4th year starter, but I will give him his marks this season, he's not (much) of the issue. It's clear that no one else in that QB room comes close to his abilities, and this offense would be a lot worse off without him. He's continued to run the ball well and makes some great plays in touch scenarios. I will still grumble at the amount of time he takes to hold the ball on pass plays, but he has yet to throw an interception this year and is starting to hit his receivers with better passes. Hopefully he can stay healthy and keep making big plays because I'm not sure who else will on this offense.

BAD: Do I even need to say it? SPECIAL TEAMS! This week we'll focus on the horrendous kicking of FORMER ALL-BIG 10 Kicker, Connor Culp. Now, full credit to this man for owning it and talking to the media after missing 3 field goals from 32, 42 and 34 yards respectively. However, there is no reason he should be trotted out there for another field goal attempt this season unless every other kicker is hurt. I've heard rumors of injuries for Culp, but at this point he's in his own head. These are not kicks a 6th year college football player should miss. Freshman Kicker Brendan Franke has booted 12 of his 16 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks, I don't think it's unwise to at least try him at a field goal attempt. The entire special teams unit has never shown improvement under Frost and is unlikely to this season. My last note on this is that Cam Taylor-Britt should never go back for a punt again. He had his shot and there needs to be a changing of the guard.

     Overall this was a good, confidence-building win for the Huskers. We'll see if it does much for them as they travel to take on the Sooners this weekend, but nonetheless it was a strong performance, especially defensively. The offense still struggles to put complete drives together and special teams isn't worth the words to type. Hopefully there are some building blocks here, but no matter what just appreciate Adrian, he's possibly the only true offense the Huskers have right now.

Quick Hit Topics from around CFB:

- Texas is not back, and it's wonderful. The future SEC bottom dwellers thought they'd show a quick preview of what's to come after they part ways with the Big XII, but ended up getting ROUTED by Pig Sooie as the Razorbacks (who've won just 4 conference games in the last 4 years) crushed them 40-21. Welcome to the SEC Longhorns.

- The Ducks upset Ohio State in the Horseshoe with a fantastic performance on the road. Even without their top two defensive players, Oregon was able to hold off the Buckeye's just enough to get the 35-28 victory. C.J. Stroud played very well, throwing for 484 and 3 TDs, but his late pick (and the lack of a supporting run game) led to the Ducks victory. Oregon also ripped Ohio State's defense for some big plays, so look for that to be an area of focus quickly for Ryan Day and his team.

- Colorado gave Texas A&M all they could handle in the 10-7 victory for the Aggies up in Boulder. Neither team could get much going on offense, but A&M was able to score late in the fourth to steal the victory away from the Buffaloes.

- USC's Kicker was ejected for targeting & Clay Helton was fired following the loss to Stanford at home. The Cardinal are always upset minded when facing the Trojans, and they showed it with a 42-28 romp.

- Iowa & Iowa State battled for the Cy-Hawk Trophy and the Cyclones fell short yet again. In the first ever battle as top 10 teams, Iowa dominated the line of scrimmage, putting a lot of pressure on Brock Purdy who threw 3 interceptions and was benched. I don't believe Iowa is the #5 best team in the nation, but they are playing good football right now.

- BYU upset #21 Utah at home in Provo to win the Holy War for the first time in 10 meetings between the schools. The Cougars are out to prove last year's run wasn't a fluke and Jaren Hall has been a worthy replacement of Zach Wilson thus far.

- Michigan has an impressive rushing attack with Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. They will be a force in the BIG 10 East if they can run the ball this well all season.

- The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame had to come back and then fend off Toledo in order to secure their 32-29 victory over the Rockets. The biggest highlight from this game came when Jack Coan dislocated his finger, had it popped back in and then ran back in the game to throw the game-winning touchdown.

- Last but not least, we have the wonderful saga of Florida State. After taking the Irish to overtime and nearly knocking off a top #10 team in their season opener, the Seminoles lost to Jacksonville State on a last second Hail Mary pass where the receiver easily could've been tackled, but wasn't. Those poor fans in Tallahassee felt that one DEEP.

Thanks for reading my reflections post and get ready for GAMEDAY in Norman this week Husker Fans. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 2 Predictions

      Good morning and happy GAMEDAY Football fans! We're into Week 2 of College Football and while there aren't as many big games this weekend, we've still got some fun matchups to watch. I've got all your predictions here and will break down the keys to victory for the Huskers as they take on the Bulls from Buffalo today. There is likely to be a number of special celebrations around the nation today as we honor the 20 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Should be a very special day and there's no better way than to celebrate with football, enjoy!

Week 1 Record: 14 - 7

Overall Record: 17 - 8

#12 Oregon at #3 Ohio State

     Week 2 opens up with a big non-conference matchup between BIG 10 and PAC 12 Powerhouses with Ohio State hosting Oregon. Both teams survived a bit of a scare in Week 1, but the stakes are much higher for anyone looking to get to the playoffs. Oregon comes into the game a bit hobbled as their star player, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, sprained his ankle in the win against Fresno State. Thibodeaux is projected to be one of the top draft picks and even make a run for the Heisman, so not having his pass rushing presence could be detrimental to the upset-minded Ducks. He's currently questionable for the game. What's not questionable is the talent of the Buckeye receivers. This is easily one of the best receiving corps in the nation, so even if Stroud is still going through some growing pains at QB, he has plenty of help to lean on. The Buckeye defense struggled to stop the run against the Gophers in Week 1, so this could be a high scoring affair. I'll take Ohio State at home though, Buckeyes beat the Ducks 45-24.

#5 Texas A&M at Colorado

     The Aggies travel to Boulder to face an old Big XII foe in the Buffaloes. Colorado's best shot in this game is to get their ground game going in a hurry. A&M can put up points quickly, but are still rebuilding the pieces to their offense. Defensively the Aggies could be one of the best in the nation this year. They struggled in their first outing against the run, so if the Buffs can create some holes they could keep this one close. I think the Aggies will start to flex their muscles before they head into conference play though. Texas A&M 38, Colorado 21.

#10 Iowa at #9 Iowa State (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy)

     The Battle for the Cy-Hawk is more heated than ever as both teams are ranked in the top 10. The Cyclones are looking to make a run in the Big XII and possibly push for a spot in the CFB Playoffs. Iowa is looking to do the same in the BIG 10 West, and after a strong showing against Indiana in Week 1, they look like they could be tough to beat this season. Iowa rarely makes mistakes, and has a stout defense that defends the pass well. Matt Campbell will need a really good game plan to move the ball and put points up on a team that ranked 8th in total defense last season. Both teams will rely heavily on their ground game with RBs Tyler Goodsen and Breece Hall going head to head for their respective squads. ISU definitely has the edge in QB play with Brock Purdy Looking ready to make some elite throws. This is always a tough fought game, but the Cyclones seem to always make a crucial mistake or two. Iowa loves to capitalize on those, and although my heart wants the Cyclones, my head says stick with the Hawkeyes. This one should be a very fun game to watch. Iowa 27, Iowa State 24.

#15 Texas at Arkansas

     The Longhorns handled a tricky game with the Ragin' Cajuns at home, but now travel to Arkansas to take on their future SEC foe. The Razorbacks have looked better in the first year under Sam Pitman, but theres still a long way to go before they're causing any upsets. The defense is young in the secondary, but they will challenge the Texas run game. Plus hearing that Woo Pig Sooie cheer all day can really get in your head. Texas needs to ground it out with Bijan Robinson again as Hudson Card gets used to the QB1 spot. I'll take the Longhorns with a 30-21 victory.

Washington at Michigan

     It's not often you get a night game at the Big House, but when we do the Wolverines have the spotlight. Washington comes to town for another interesting BIG 10 vs. PAC 12 matchup. The Huskies stumbled big time in their season opener, falling to Montana 13-7. The offense has fallen off quite a bit since the Jake Browning-Myles Gaskin days, but that was a tough performance to watch for Husky fans. Dylan Morris threw 3 picks, matching his total from the covid season in 2020. Michigan is breaking in a lot of new talent, including a young QB of their own in Cade MacNamara. He's got plenty of weapons to his disposal on offense, but the Huskies do still have a stout defense. This could be a tricky game for Michigan, and Jim Harbaugh has a habit of losing games he shouldn't. I'd like to see the Wolverines stand out a bit in this one, as I don't think Washington is quite up to snuff. That season opener could be a fluke for the Huskies, but I like the Wolverines to get it done at home. Michigan wins it under the lights 31-20.

#21 Utah at BYU (Battle for the Beehive Boot)

     The Holy War is renewed as the Cougars and the Utes meet for the first time since 2019, looking to extend their win streak in this rivalry to 10 games. Charlie Brewer looked good in red as he threw for 233 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick in his first game as a Ute. He'll look to take advantage of a BYU secondary that gave up nearly 350 yards through the air in the opening week against Arizona. The Cougars are breaking in a new QB to replace the #2 Overall Draft Pick, Zach Wilson. Sophomore Jaren Hall has the reigns and threw the ball fairly well in the first game. He'll be facing a much tougher defense with Utah though, as Kyle Whittingham's crew usually doesn't give up many points. I think BYU has a few too many holes to replace from last season to keep up with Utah. This one is always a battle, but I'll take the Utes with a 34-28 victory over BYU.

Stanford at #14 USC

     Traditionally this is always one of the feature games in the PAC 12 Conference. The Cardinal travel to the Coliseum to take on the Trojans after falling flat in Manhattan, Kansas against the Wildcats last week. USC had a strong performance against a tricky San Jose State, but Stanford is always a different challenge. David Shaw usually has his team primed for an upset, but this one favors USC well. Kedon Slovis is out to prove he's an elite QB in the PAC 12 and has a lot of weapons to help him. Stanford really struggled to get their ground game going last week, and the Trojans gave up just 68 yards on the ground. I like USC to make a statement in this game, 36-14.

Buffalo at Nebraska

     The Huskers host the Bulls of Buffalo for their second non-conference game, and this one carries a bit more weight than Fordham last week. The Rams were a good confidence boost, but Buffalo is not an easy team to host. The Bulls have a new head coach, but a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Quian Williams is a difficult wideout to cover, and with a veteran QB at the helm, the Husker secondary will be tested again. The Blackshirts have a great opportunity to make a statement in this game, but creating pressure with a pass rush will be key. That was missing a lot last week against Fordham. Defensively for the Bulls, they pose a big threat to the Huskers at the line of scrimmage. Their D-line is big and love to plug up running lanes. This will force Nebraska to try and get the ball to the edges, which has not been very successful under Scott Frost. The O-line needs to give Adrian Martinez protection today and open up some rushing lanes. If Nebraska can get a few turnovers with a short field, that will help tremendously so the offense doesn't have to put together a long drive against this tough front of Buffalo. Hopefully the execution continues to improve and the Huskers can win this one at home 33-21.

Quick Hit Predictions from around CFB:

- Missouri at Kentucky: An SEC East Battle that probably won't mean much at the end of the year, but could still be a fun game to watch in the mix today. Based on last week with these teams, this should be a high scoring affair. Ex-Penn State QB Will Levis is settling in nicely to the Wildcats' system, so I'll take them over the Tigers 41-35.

- Pitt at Tennessee: Kenny Pickett is somehow still the QB at Pitt, and throwing the ball all over the place. Josh Heupel now runs the show for the Vols as Head Coach, and has a lot of young talent to build up. Both teams looked good in the opening games against weaker opponents, but I'll go with the experience. Pitt 31, Tennessee 24.

- Cal at TCU: The Golden Bears still can't get their offense going and Chase Garbers has not been able to improve much at QB. The Horned Frogs are looking to rebuild back, but Max Duggan should get things done at home. TCU 34, Cal 17.

Thank you for reading all my Gameday Predictions and GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando

Week 1 Reflections

      Hey Football readers, I hope you all are having a great week! This post is a bit delayed from the holiday weekend, but we had a fantastic weekend of opening football with some close games, big blowouts and even a few upsets! This post will recap everything from the first weekend of a full CFB schedule and give my breakdown of the Huskers' victory over Fordham. Feel free to drop any questions and comments on other teams you'd like my reflections on and enjoy!

     The Huskers put together a much needed 52-7 victory against the Rams of Fordham. Now this was certainly a game Nebraska needed to dominate in order to gain some credit among the fanbase once again, and they were up to the task. Husker fans saw a much more competent offense than on the road at Illinois, and were even able to watch some backups get playing time as the Huskers dominated both sides of the ball. There were some blunders here and there, but luckily the Huskers played like a Power 5 school should when in a non-conference game like this. I'll break down all my key findings of the game with my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD categories below.

GOOD - Adrian Martinez and offensive execution. It's not the execution Brian Kelley talked about during his post-game press conference for Notre Dame, but the Husker offense played very well on Saturday, racking up 52 points and over 600 total yards of offense. This performance should give a much needed confidence boost to the offense as they prepare for tougher competition. Just the reps of well executed plays and spreading the ball around the field was good to see. I really enjoyed Adrian in the passing game and while there are still some scary moments, he's throwing well so far this season. his ability to throw a good pass is directly related to his protection however, so that will be a key factor to watch moving forward. Samori Toure had a great game and is starting to show why his name was so hyped up during fall camp. My favorite part of Saturday was the offensive play calls to get Tight-End Austin Allen the ball. He's a great athlete and should be looked to more often in this offense. It was great to see some of the backups and get everyone some playing time. The Husker offense will need to use this game as a boost heading into Buffalo to keep the offense humming and executing at a high level. I do want to give a GOOD shout-out to Fordham Linebacker Ryan Greenhagen who ended the game with 31 total tackles. Absolutely INSANE!

EXPECTED - Predictable play-calls and strong defense. While the offense did play very well, the play calls are still extremely predictable. The run game is very simple and unimaginative and you can see the swing passes coming from a mile away. The option mixes were a nice touch, but still not run the best with a lack of perimeter blocking. I've highlighted this issue before, but if I can sit in the stands and call the plays out then I'm sure the defense has a good idea of what's going on. The execution on the simple plays is one thing, but this offense needs to get a bit more creative if the Huskers want to break out in the BIG 10. There were a couple of plays that were run multiple times throughout the game I picked up on as well. One of them was a quick shot-gun pass where Toure was stacked in the slot behind Austin Allen and another receiver out wide to them on Adrian's left side. The far wideout (Martin or Manning) would run the corner off with a deep route while Allen cut underneath with an out route toward the sideline. Toure would do a short hitch into the middle of the field behind Allen and have a quick 5-7 yard bubble around him for an easy pass. A good route combo, but very easy to pick up and cut under for an interception if the defense watches the game like I do. Something to be cautious of moving forward. On the other side of the ball, the Huskers held the Rams to just 1 TD. I was skeptical this would be the case early in the game as Fordham was moving the ball up and down the field quite easily with how soft the Huskers were playing in their zone. The Blackshirts were clearly told not to get beat over the top with Fordham's passing attack, but probably could've played a little tighter coverage with the quick passes the Rams were taking advantage of early in the game. A couple of key interceptions helped stop some big drives and the second half the Blackshirts flexed their muscles. Strong performance to hopefully give them some confidence as well.

BAD - Cam Taylor-Britt trying to return punts. That's it, that's the bad. The senior captain once again tried to field an ill-advised punt and muffed it off of the bounce into the hands of a Fordham defender before going out of bounds. I'm not sure how he still has the punt return job (although Brody Belt didn't do too much better back there), and I'm not sure how much longer the Huskers can survive having him back there. I find it very difficult to believe there's no one else on the roster who know's how to field a punt and make some decent return out of it, but the special teams woes continue for the Huskers. At least they didn't miss any PATs this week!

Quick-hit Notes from around College Football:

- Virginia Tech locked down UNC with a dominant performance on defense. They could make a push for the Coastal Division this year if they find a bit more firepower on offense.

- Miami did not stand a chance against Alabama (just as I predicted) and I doubt many teams will. The Tide are going to roll through a majority of their schedule in 2021.

- Minnesota put up a good fight, but Ohio State is too talented and will outlast most teams in the BIG 10. The Buckeyes do look vulnerable on defense, but as long as Stroud can play pitch and catch with any of those receivers, they're going to put up a lot of points.

- Boise State and UCF was a phenomenal game and both teams will be very strong in their respective conferences.

- Big win for Charlotte as they knock off Duke in their first ever Power 5 victory.

- Mel Tucker has the Michigan State offense running tough. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 264 yards and 4 TDs against a rebuilding Northwestern defense, but Sparty could be a sneaky team.

- My home-state Jackrabbits went into Colorado State and demolished the Rams 42-23.

- Tulane made OU work for it, maybe the Huskers have a chance after all!

- Georgia's defense was extremely impressive, but so was Clemson's. I imagine we'll see both at the top of the rankings when the end of the season rolls around.

- Oregon had to pull one out late against Fresno State and star DE Kayvon Thibodeaux left the game with an ankle sprain. Neither of those bode well for their game this week in the Horseshoe.

- Iowa looked very impressive against "INDINIA", especially on defense. The Hawks have a good path to the BIG 10 Championship if they keep up that kind of play.

- My first I TOLD YOU SO moment of the weekend was UCLA upsetting #16 LSU in Pasadena. I really think the Bruins could win the PAC-12 this year.

- My second I TOLD YOU SO was Nevada beating Cal on the road. This may not seem like a big game, but watch the Wolfpack this season, they're going to be good.

- Texas had a strong start to the Sarkisian era, we'll see how the season goes in Big XII play.

- Notre Dame had a scare down in Tallahassee and we had one of the greatest comeback stories of College Football with McKenzie Milton returning to the field after recovering from a terrible leg injury nearly 3 years ago. He helped the Seminoles battle back and take the Irish into overtime. FSU has a terrific ground game and could certainly cause some upsets in the ACC.

- Last but not least we had a couple of fun upsets with Montana over Washington and UTSA over Illinois.

Thank you for reading my reflections post and get ready for the game predictions coming on Saturday morning. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando