Nebraska Cornhuskers: Tommy Armstrong helped by play calling
Last week, the Nebraska Cornhuskers asked less of Tommy Armstrong and received more. The third year quarterback returned to form the Huskers, helping lead Nebraska to their first Big Ten win of the season. However, as well as Armstrong played, the coaching staff did not overwork him during the 48-25 victory.
Armstrong finished the game, completing 18/26 passes for 261 yards. His 69 completion percentage in the game came as a great surprise for the Huskers. During the prior two conference losses, Armstrong only connected on 35 percent of his passes. However, his receivers made plays this time around.
Three of Armstrong’s passes went for touchdowns last Saturday. In the first quarter, Armstrong found Alonzo Moore for a 32 yard touchdown pass. It was Moore’s fifth touchdown of the season, and he leads the Huskers in touchdown receptions.
Read More: Breaking Down Nebraska’s offense vs. Minnesota
During the second quarter, Armstrong didn’t have to produce too much on offense. The Huskers continued to use the running game. Eventually, Terrell Newby broke loose for his second touchdown run of the game. The score came right before halftime, and it gave the Huskers a 24-14 lead. How important was the score? It answered Minnesota’s touchdown drive, giving the Huskers breathing room at the break.
Therefore, Armstrong didn’t have the pressure he faced previously. There’s no telling what a three-point lead would have meant to Nebraska’s chances for a victory.
Armstrong threw his second touchdown pass late in the third quarter. Following the lead of a strong defensive effort, Armstrong led a 99 yard touchdown drive to give the Huskers a 31-14 lead. He found Cethan Carter for the 10-yard pass to end a flawless drive. While the Huskers only scored seven points in the third quarter, it was their lack of turnovers that made the difference.
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Armstrong threw third quarter interceptions against Southern Miss, and Illinois. With the Huskers holding leads in both games, those turnovers changed momentum. Against Wisconsin, the Huskers were unable to move the ball in the third quarter. Once again, the Huskers were holding a lead. Nebraska ended up losing the latter two games, so it was critical for Mike Riley‘s squad to have a strong third quarter.
Despite holding a 17 point lead, the Huskers continued to improve offensively. In the fourth quarter, Armstrong finally found De’Mornay Pierson-El for his first touchdown of the season. While the throw may have been ill-advised, Pierson-El made the type of plays needed for the Huskers to win big games.
Overall, Armstrong played well. In fact, he played better than average, but it means nothing if he displays more inconsistency. His 15 touchdown passes lead the Big Ten, and he’s also leading the conference with 1761 passing yards. Considering Armstrong couldn’t break the 130 yard mark in the first two conference games, his numbers are astounding. However, Armstrong is also second in the Big Ten with six interceptions.
The biggest factor in the Huskers’ resurgence was play selection. The Huskers ran the ball 39 times, and only passed the ball 26 times. While they only rushed for 203 yards as a team, that number might have been good enough to get a few more wins this season. The solid rushing attack continued to keep Armstrong locked in, and they didn’t have to rely on a quarterback capable of going through bad stretches.
Next: Nebraska's defense made plays in fourth quarter
Currently, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are (3-4), and they need a win over Northwestern to reach .500. They still have a long way to go just to be in contention for a bowl game. Therefore, Armstrong has to be even better this Saturday.