Huskers Commitment to the Run Game

The Big Red capped off the 2015 season with an impressive 37-29 victory over the close to a touchdown favorite, UCLA Bruins. Many Husker fans were hoping they could keep this game close as most local and national pundits had the Bruins checked off as the more talented team. I myself was in agreement with that sentiment, thinking that the only way the Huskers could pull off the victory was if they had a decisive advantage in the turnover battle.

They did win the turnover battle, but only by a 2-1 margin. Not exactly a decisive advantage, but I’ll take that advantage after any game. What was most impressive was the way that they physically imposed their will on the thin, smaller Bruin front. Like most Husker fans, I was shocked that the Coach Riley and Coach Langsdorf not only committed to the run, but stayed with it throughout the game. 81 offensive snaps — and 62 of them were run plays!

Watching that game brought back memories of past Cornhusker teams that we’ve all seen time and again, impose its will, marching up and down on the opposition. And for a brief moment (it’s okay admit it) it brought a little smile upon your face. In a season that has given us more than a fair share of bad moments, that win certainly was the perfect send off for all of the fans, heading into the off-season. Does it mean that all that ails this team is fixed? No, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Since the debacle down at Purdue, the

Huskers

have appeared to make a concerted effort to commit to the run game. However, it appeared at times earlier in the season that if the backs did not pick up at least 3-4 yards on first down, Langsdorf would quickly scrap the run and go back to the air. That didn’t seem to be the case over the final 4 games of the season and especially in the Foster Farms Bowl.

Dec 26, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Devine Ozigbo (22) leaps over UCLA Bruins defensive back Marcus Rios (9) at Levi /

I’ll be a little more specific and put it into better context. As we all know, the Cornhuskers finished the season at 6-7 overall, and over the course of the season they ran the ball 52% of the time. Through the first 9 games, the run to pass percentage was 48 – 52% while compiling a 3-6 record. Of course, because the team fell behind on several occasions, they had to air it out a little bit more than expected.

However, it can be argued though that if Langsdorf hadn’t abandoned the run as often as he did early on, Big Red might not have had to go to the air as often as it did. During the final 4 games that included the bowl game, they ran the ball at a 60% clip, going 3-1 during that span.

That’s a pretty big change in commitment to the run game. During the off-season, there will be many questions that need to be answered. Riley has been vocal about wanting to be top 3 in the Big Ten conference in rushing the football. For that to occur, the commitment made to the run game over the final 4 games of the season will need to carry over into Spring ball. During his career at Oregon State, Riley has had some pretty good running attacks, but his propensity is to pass the ball more often than not. So, the question “whether or not he can do it” still remains to be seen.

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We will miss the backs who graduated – Seniors Imani Cross and Andy Janovich. Rumors are that there will be some more attrition in the backfield, but both Terrell Newby and Devine Ozigbo are set to return to a position that seems to be completely wide open. At this particular moment without any departures and current highly touted Husker commit, Tre Bryant yet to be enrolled, my bet is that the position will go down to the wire through fall camp. I give Ozigbo the slight edge based on how he stepped up down the stretch, specifically the bowl game.

In the meantime, go catch some basketball, CONGRATS to the Husker Volleyball National Champs, and only 49 days until Big Red Baseball. In the meantime, GO BIG RED!

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