Behind Enemy Lines: Nebraska edition

John Gugs
1 day ago
4 min read

Looking to flush the first loss of the season, Maryland football will host Nebraska for just the second time since joining the Big Ten and first since 2019. Maryland will have a chance to secure its second straight win against the Huskers after pulling out a 13-10 win in Lincoln back in 2023, but what does Maryland need to do and who do they need to be mindful of? To learn more, we go behind enemy lines with HuskerMax to take a look at this year’s Nebraska team and see what to expect come Saturday afternoon.

IBG: Nebraska went 1-4 on the road last season with their only win being against a Purdue team that did not win a single game against an FBS opponent last season. What went wrong in the road games last season and how will the Huskers fix those mistakes in their first road test of the 2025 season?

HM: On the surface, those four losses on the road last year came against two CFP teams, on the West Coast, and to a rival that has clipped the Huskers in close games over the past decade. Three of the losses were by one score, which has become a habit at Nebraska.

As for this game, Nebraska is changing its travel routine by leaving on Thursday instead of Friday, which is the normal travel schedule. When the game begins, this team has played late into contests in a way that teams in the first two seasons were unable to really do. Against Cincinnati, Michigan, and Michigan State, Nebraska won the fourth quarter by a combined 34-16. In those four road losses in 2024, the fourth quarter went to the opponents by a combined 38-8.

IBG: Nebraska has forced at least one turnover a game while the Terps offense has only turned the ball over three times in five games. What has Nebraska done to cause so many turnovers and how can they continue that success against the Terps?

KH: The Huskers have played with the lead in every game they've won this year, forcing opponents to play into the strength of this edition of the Blackshirts: pass defense. Nebraska has the only defense in the nation that is allowing fewer than 100 yards through the air per game. That has only yielded three interceptions (one vs. Cincinnati, two vs. Michigan State), but that has allowed the pass rush to be more active in attacking the quarterback and forcing the ball out.

The easiest way Nebraska can continue this trend is to get an early lead. Although Michigan is a run-first, run-second, and run-third team, by getting ahead early in Lincoln, they were able to continue running the ball, which is far and away the weakness of the Husker defense.

IBG: The Huskers' defense is allowing just 91.8 passing yards a game. What has led to Nebraska's success with stopping the pass so well?

KH: The pass defense is a blend of John Butler's scheme and a veteran secondary. Even with some redshirt freshman sophomores mixing in, this is the oldest position group on the defense, with upperclassmen starting at each spot. Rover DeShon Singleton had both picks against Michigan State, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Corners Andrew Marshall and Ceyair Wright have been stellar in coverage, and safety Marques Buford has started 36 games over his career.

A big question is whether senior nickel Malcolm Hartzog Jr. will even make the trip. He had the game-sealing interception against Cincinnati in the final minute of the game, but has missed the last three contests with a lingering injury.

IBG: Maryland has registered 19 sacks and 35 tackles for loss on the season. Nebraska has allowed 15 sacks on the season, tied for 119th in the country. What has led to Nebraska giving up so many sacks? And how can they slow down the Terps' front four from causing havoc in the game this Saturday?

KH: The sacks against Michigan were from elite edge rushers who too often had 1-on-1s with a rotation of struggling tackles. Against Michigan State, the blame was more shared between a missed assignment and quarterback Dylan Raiola holding onto the ball for too long.

Nebraska can mitigate the pressures in two ways: calling pass plays that require the ball to leave Raiola's hand sooner and establishing a run game. The first one is something that offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is likely to go to, which he did through the fourth quarter against Michigan State to a high degree of success. Establishing the run game has seemed to be something Nebraska and Holgorsen want to do, but the MSU game showcased a 13-play stretch without a run. The Huskers do have a solid running back in Emmett Johnson, who has the third-most rushing yards in the Big Ten this season.

Another way Nebraska tried to slow down the Michigan pass rush was to add a tight end. Both Luke Lindenmeyer and Heinrich Haarberg have shown themselves to be capable blockers as well as pass catchers. If Maryland is getting pressure on the edge, expect to see Nebraska add distance to the outside with an extra man on the line, even if that man still goes out on a pass route.

IBG: Score prediction + why

KH: I'm hesitantly going 27-24, Nebraska. Perhaps there is some homerism in that one, but I've also seen how good the offense can look when clicking. If Nebraska can get the lead and not have to press offensively, that should allow for them to get the road victory.

What gives me pause is the athleticism of Malik Washington, another quarterback who can give Nebraska fits with his legs, not only running for yardage but by extending plays and giving his receivers time to find space. This is also Nebraska's first true road game of the season, so nobody knows for sure which aspects of their game will travel after spending the last four games at home and only leaving Lincoln for a neutral-site contest just down the road in Kansas City.

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