Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Minnesota Gophers: Five Players to watch

Terrell Newby

2. Terrell Newby – I-back: Terrell Newby led the Nebraska Cornhuskers with 15 carries for 59 yards. His role in the offense was kind of unexpected last week, but he ran hard throughout the game. Still, Nebraska didn’t use the running game enough to get the win.

Newby is averaging 5.3 yards on the season, and leads the Huskers with three rushing touchdowns. That’s a huge problem. Overall, the Huskers have eight rushing touchdowns, and we are six games into the season. How are you supposed to win games with such ineptitude?

This is Nebraska. You’re supposed to ‘pound the rock’ at Nebraska. In fact, Andy Janovich’s 55 yard touchdown run proved how times would change if the Huskers stuck to the running game. The whole atmosphere around Memorial Stadium was different during that fourth quarter touchdown run.

Instead, the Huskers’ offense is content with their leading rusher carrying the ball 15 times per game. It might be fine if the Huskers were winning games. It also might be fine if the next leading rusher didn’t have 7.5 carries per game. However, we’re in mid-October, with the Huskers stuck on two wins, and no running game.

Newby was supposed to be part of an electrifying I-back committee. They might be the biggest disappointment, but not of their own doing. After Devine Ozigbo ran for 70 yards in the Big Ten opener, he only earned three rushing attempts against Wisconsin. It shows the Huskers are not committed to running the ball at all. Until then, expectations won’t change for the ground attack.