Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Wisconsin Badgers: Five Players to watch
Terrell Newby
1. I-backs: The Nebraska Cornhuskers average 35.8 rushing attempts per game. They also average 5.4 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, the ground game is producing 193 yards per game. None of these numbers are good enough for the Huskers.
There’s no way the Huskers should average less than 200 yards rushing per game. It wouldn’t take much effort to reach the benchmark, but Nebraska refuses to stick with the ground attack for long stretches. Sometimes, you need to pound the rock.
With the inconsistency in the running game, the Huskers haven’t been able to establish any of the I-backs. Terrell Newby leads the team with 414 yards on 75 rushing attempts. Newby also has 3 of the 6 rushing touchdowns for Nebraska. However, the Huskers bailed on the plan to feature Newby over the long haul.
Devine Ozigbo seems like the new I-back ready to be featured in the offense. Still, he only has nine carries in his college career. Ozigbo scored his first touchdown last week, while averaging 10 yards per carry. However, he only had seven rushing attempts in the game. Therefore, we don’t know if he’s ready to carry a huge load. The Huskers should try to find out on Saturday.
In another bit of shocking news, Mike Riley is going to dress Jordan Stevenson for the first time this season. He will be the sixth I-back to suit up for a game. Is there a chance to see Stevenson is on the offensive side of the ball?
Whoever gets the chance to carry the ball must make the most of their chances. Against Wisconsin, it’s likely to be tough sledding, but somebody has to take the job as the No.1 I-back. If not, there will be another disappointing evening, wondering where the offense is going.