Those weren’t typos: 49-21, 56-7, and 34-7. Those are the scores Nebraska has been dropping on opponents through their first three games of the season, and yeah, they were supposed to win these. But if you think that means nothing, you haven’t been watching the Cornhuskers’ offense go absolutely bonkers. This isn’t just about winning; it’s about how they’re winning, and it’s got me feeling a whole lot better about their conference play kicking off next week against Michigan State.
Nebraska’s Offense is Just Different This Year
In all three games, the Nebraska offense wasn’t just good, they were putting on a whole darn show. They’ve been racking up yards and points like it’s a video game, averaging a staggering 521 yards through these first three matchups. You can’t help but be amazed at how much better this unit looks compared to previous seasons. A lot of that credit goes to a massively improved offensive line and some serious upgrades in the skill positions. But let’s be real, a lot of it also boils down to quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who’s played a ton of football and is absolutely feeling it. Dana Holgorsen’s offense has defenses on their heels, blending physicality with explosive plays that are just fun to watch. Maybe it’s that “Colandrea effect” everyone is talking about, or maybe it’s just a perfectly cooked recipe, but it hasn’t looked this good in Rhule’s first three seasons, and that’s a fact.
The Blackshirts Showed Up Big Time
Going into the North Dakota game, I’ll admit, the defense was still giving me a bit of pause. North Dakota was no joke, averaging 50 points and 500 yards per game. But Rob Aurich’s Blackshirt defense came out and absolutely shut them down. That’s a massive statement right there! The offense continued to provide hope, sure, but seeing that defense step up and stifle a high-powered unit? That’s what you want to see as things get tougher. They’ve been relatively vanilla with their schemes so far, which makes you wonder what else they have in the bag.
The Real Test Starts Now
Alright, so with all that said, the moment of truth is next Saturday. Nebraska is hitting the road to face Michigan State at 4 p.m. Central time. Michigan State just went up against Notre Dame, one of the best teams in the country, and “kept it close” in a 27-10 loss. That tells you they can hang in there. But here’s the kicker: I think Holgorsen has been holding back Colandrea in the run game. We haven’t seen a whole lot of that yet, and that could be a huge weapon. The defense has been vanilla. What happens when they unleash the full playbook? I don’t know what the next nine games hold; it could be rough, or it could be incredibly exciting. But I can tell you this: for the first time in over a decade, I am genuinely pleasantly surprised by what I’ve seen from this Nebraska team. It’s actually kind of refreshing to say that. Get ready, because next week is going to tell us a lot.
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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