Nebraska wrapped up its nonconference season a perfect 3-0, clinching it with a dominant 34-7 win over North Dakota on Saturday night in Memorial Stadium. If you were watching, you saw a team that played absolutely *crisp* football, especially in that opening quarter. They punched in two drives for two touchdowns and 14 points, making North Dakota look completely lost from the jump. Yeah, the second quarter cooled a bit, but you don’t need sixty perfect minutes against an FCS squad; you just need to take control and never let go, which is exactly what happened.
The Balanced Attack That Will Keep Defenses Up At Night
Talk about an offense that can hit you from anywhere! Nebraska piled up 493 total yards, splitting it almost perfectly with 277 on the ground and 216 through the air. And get this: zero turnovers. That balance is HUGE because we all know there will be Big Ten teams that can shut down the run. When that day comes, you need a quarterback who can sling it, and Anthony Colandrea proved he absolutely can. AC went 15-of-21 for 195 yards and a touchdown, plus he ran one in from 10 yards out on the opening drive. His passer rating was somewhere around 160. This guy is a truly wonderful quarterback, and I’m done hedging on that. It was awesome to see TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin get some reps too; those are crucial for backups. Ten different players carried the rock, and eleven different guys caught a pass. When you spread it around like that, you are not a one-trick pony, and defensive coordinators are gonna have nightmares.
Jamal Rule’s Vision and a Defense That Just Said ‘Nope’
Let’s talk about that stable of running backs. Jamal Rule absolutely exploded for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a ridiculous 55-yarder right out of the gate in the second half. What makes Rule special, especially for a freshman, is how he uses his blockers. Most young guys just hit the hole; Rule lets his blocks develop, getting every single yard available. Add in Mekhi Nelson, who started that opening drive, and Isaiah Mozee, and you’ve got three backs who can take it to the house. That depth is gonna matter big-time come November. And the defense? Man, they showed up. North Dakota came into this game as one of the most explosive offenses in the FCS, scoring 50 points a game on everybody. Nebraska held them to a measly 205 total yards, including just 99 rushing on 2.8 yards per carry, and only 106 passing yards. They stacked up five sacks and held North Dakota to an insane 1-of-13 on third down. That’s a serious defensive stand against what was probably the best nonconference team they played.
The Huskers are heading into conference play with an undefeated record, an offense that is hitting on all cylinders, and a defense that just locked down a team that previously couldn’t be stopped. Get ready for some high-stakes football, because this team looks primed for a serious run.
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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