Nebraska Cornhuskers ready for the real De’Mornay Pierson-El
Coming into the Nebraska Cornhuskers game with Illinois, there were unrealistic expectations for De’Mornay Pierson-El‘s first game of the season. Knowing he wasn’t going to get many opportunities to make plays, there was hope Pierson-El would burst on the scene right away. Instead, he was part of the first Huskers’ miscue of the game, and it was as predictable as Nebraska giving up a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
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After Nebraska’s first of many defensive stops, Pierson-El was back to receive his first punt of the season. The ball promptly touched his hands, while misjudging the trajectory of the punt. There were no flashes of brilliance on the play. He didn’t make Illinois’ punt team look foolish with an electrifying return. All he did was give the Illinois offense a chance at early points. However, the Nebraska defense forced an unsuccessful field goal attempt, keeping the score tied at zero.
After the play, Jordan Westerkamp became the primary punt returner for the rest of the game. It doesn’t mean Pierson-El won’t make his mark this season. In fact, he should have plenty of opportunities to make plays in the return game this weekend. With a week under his belt, one of the best punt returners in college football should be ready to finally have his breakout game.
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Offensively, Pierson-El only made one catch for six yards. However, the Huskers expect his production to increase in his second game. Pierson-El wasn’t a big part of the game plan, but he’s now a co-starter with Alonzo Moore at the WR position. Therefore, Mike Riley and the coaching staff believe Pierson-El is ready to make an impact for the Huskers’ offense. He better be.
Through the first four games of the season, the wide receivers were playing splendid football. Coincidentally, the receivers played their worst game of the season upon the return of Pierson-El. Maybe they were waiting to see what he was capable of doing. Maybe it was just a bad game. Whatever it was, three combined catches is not a formula for winning games in 2015. Hopefully, the rotations weren’t the cause of the wide receivers dropped passes.
De'Mornay Pierson-El
With all that said, Pierson-El and the rest of unit should be more comfortable. However, they are playing one of the toughest defenses in the country on Saturday. The Wisconsin Badgers only give up 183 passing yards per game, and they give up 95 yards on the ground. That means no teams are consistently driving the ball on the Badgers. It maybe up to Pierson-El to provide those big plays offensively. If not, it could be a long day for the Huskers’ offense in consecutive weeks. Currently, the Badgers’ opponents average 9.6 points per game.
Even if Pierson-El and the offense make some big plays early, they’ll need to show some consistency throughout. Last season, the Huskers turned a 17-3 second quarter lead into a 59-17 deficit. The Huskers got hit with a sledgehammer, and it wasn’t the first time.
Six of Nebraska’s receivers have caught touchdown passes this season. They all need to play exceptionally well. If they are able to make plays, their success will take pressure off of Pierson-El. If the offense is stagnant early, the pressure will mount on Pierson-El’s shoulders. This is especially true if the Huskers continue to throw the ball excessively.