Rutgers football is staring down a nearly two-touchdown spread this weekend, listed as a 13.5-point underdog at home against Nebraska by FanDuel, with the over/under sitting at 53.5 points. Talk about a tough spot. They’re still hunting for their *first ever* win against the Cornhuskers, who currently hold a perfect 7-0 record over the Scarlet Knights.
A Tale of Two Losing Streaks, But Not Quite Equal
Last weekend was brutal for Rutgers, getting absolutely thrashed 31-10 by Wisconsin. That loss puts them on a three-game skid, including blowout defeats to Northwestern and Wisconsin, plus a loss to a Michigan team that’s been struggling themselves. It’s not pretty. But don’t think Nebraska is coming in hot either. They are on their own four-game losing streak, dropping games to Indiana, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois. The key difference here, though, is that three of those Cornhusker losses were by a touchdown or less. That’s a tight margin. Rutgers’ recent struggles, especially those blowout losses, feel a lot more concerning.
Nebraska’s Offense: A Mobile QB and Two-Headed Monster Backfield
Nebraska’s starting quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, has put up decent season numbers overall, racking up 2,100 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. But, let’s be real, his play has taken a serious nosedive during this four-game losing streak. He’s only thrown for three touchdowns against five interceptions over that stretch. The yards are still there, but they aren’t translating into points. His top target is wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, who’s pulled in 46 catches for 603 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
What’s really going to be a problem for Rutgers, a team that historically struggles against mobile quarterbacks, is Colandrea’s ability to run. He’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry and has four rushing touchdowns on the season. Add to that Nebraska’s two solid running back options, Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson. Rule has carried the ball 88 times for 632 yards and five touchdowns, while Nelson has 78 carries for 348 yards and five touchdowns. With those two, you know Nebraska is going to try and grind it out, and that increases the likelihood of them wearing down the Knights’ already poor rush defense. On the other side of the ball, Nebraska’s defense is led by linebacker Owen Chambliss, who’s their tackles leader, and lineman Jahsear Whittington, who leads their pass rush with 4.5 sacks.
Can Rutgers Finally Get Right, Or Will Nebraska Use Them For It?
In most years, you’d look at a free-falling Nebraska team and think, “This is it! This is the perfect chance for Rutgers to finally get that first win against them!” But that’s just not the case here. Rutgers is *also* in a free fall, and to make matters worse, they might be missing several of their top offensive talents again. That’s a massive blow. Given all that, it’s hard to imagine Nebraska not using this game as a chance to “get right” and snap their own losing streak. The final score differential is probably going to hinge heavily on who actually suits up for Rutgers.
So, get ready for some Big Ten action. Rutgers hosts Nebraska at home this Saturday, November 14, at 12:30 p.m. ET. You can catch all the drama live on the Big Ten Network. Will Rutgers finally break the curse, or will Nebraska pour more salt in the wound? We’ll find out soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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