Southern Miss passing game takes aim at Nebraska’s defense
Coming into Saturday’s match up with Southern Miss, the Nebraska Cornhuskers hold a 4-1 lead in the all-time series. However, the records mean nothing if Nebraska can’t slow down the Southern Miss passing game. The first game of the series was played in 1999, with Huskers winning 20-13. Southern Miss’ lone win over Nebraska came in 2004 under the tutelage of Huskers’ favorite Bill Callahan. In 2013, the Huskers defeated Southern Miss 56-13 for their second straight victory. It was head coach Todd Monken’s first season with the Golden Eagles, and they finished (1-11).
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However, the Golden Eagles are on their way to accomplishing their goals. After winning three games in 2014, Southern Miss has already won two contests this season. In addition, they are looking the part of a viable college football team, especially on offense. Given the way the Huskers have struggled defensively, the Southern Miss passing game might be a lot to handle on Saturday morning. What’s another 300-yard passing day, when opposing quarterbacks are having fun?
Averaging 41.3 points per game, Southern Miss has exploded for over 50 points in back to back games. Southern Miss averages 513 yards per game this season. Nobody’s been able to stop them from moving the ball. Nebraska has given up 511 yards in both of their losses this season, so there is a number to avoid for the Huskers’ defense.
Nick Mullens
Quarterback Nick Mullens has been fantastic for the Golden Eagles early. He’s completing 71/111 passes for 919 yards, and eight touchdowns. Mullens also has three interceptions coming into the Nebraska game. Can the Huskers’ secondary cause multiple turnovers? If not, it could be another long day for the “Blackshirts.”
While the Golden Eagles’ passing game is good, their ground game makes the team special. Led by Jalen Richard and Ito Smith, Southern Miss averages over 200 yards per game on the ground. Richard already has four rushing touchdowns this season. Last week, Nebraska gave up 125 yards to Joseph Yearby, so they will be looking to get back to a dominant performance. Once again, it will be important for Nebraska’s defense to force Southern Miss into a one-dimensional attack. Otherwise, the defense will play tentatively instead of attacking Southern Miss’ offense.
The Golden Eagles’ most dangerous receivers are Casey Martin and D.J. Thompson. They both have two touchdowns so far, but they produce in different ways. Martin is a small elusive receiving threat, while Thompson has size and ability on the outside. Nebraska has struggled with downfield threats, so they are likely to be tested in another long day. The Huskers can’t afford to have the receivers running free like the Miami receivers were early on.
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This is the most important game of the season for Nebraska’s defense. While the two losses hide the fact of how well the Huskers have played in spots, they also highlight how inept the defense can be at times.
For example, watching Daniel Davie get beat on deep routes against South Alabama was a precursor to what the Nebraska secondary would face against Miami. Before anybody could get settled, Nebraska was down 14-0 last Saturday. It was impossible to ignore the Miami receivers gashing the secondary. There’s no question the Southern Miss passing game is salivating at the chance to get some early scoring opportunities.
Where Nebraska can kill their dream is up front. Coming into Saturday’s game, Nebraska only has six sacks. Two of them have come from Freedom Akinmoladun. He’s been a fantastic replacement for the injured Jack Gangwish, but they’ll need help from Maliek Collins in the middle. Teams are averaging 44 pass attempts and 357 yards against the Cornhuskers this season. There’s a weakness Southern Miss sees on film, and the Huskers will be exploited until the deep pass is contained.