Nebraska Football feistiness and recipes for Northwestern

Nov 11, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Jack Stoll (86) rushes with the ball after making a catch for a first down in the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Jack Stoll (86) rushes with the ball after making a catch for a first down in the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska Football should be in for a good one against Northwestern.

This is that team that always makes me uneasy. They are wily. They don’t make mistakes. They wait, like a Wildcat would do (not really an animal but go with me on this) in the weeds, waiting for you to slip up so they can POUNCE on you and make you pay. With two fumbles and a plethora of other little things going wrong in the first game, Nebraska loves to make mistakes. These need to be cleaned up in order to come away with a W on Saturday.

Nov 29, 2019; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost watches during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2019; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost watches during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Assuming nothing shady or weird happens until then, Huskers play football on Saturday at 11 am. The game is televised on the B1G Ten network. Weather will be sunny and warm which is unusual for November. Wildcats are sitting pretty at 2-0 having beaten Maryland and Iowa (insert wink here). Huskers are 0-1. I’ll say it…this feels like a MUST-win for Nebraska Football.

Winning isn’t for a bowl game (an automatic if they have them) it’s a must-win because of the mental part of things. Huskers need this W like Wisconsin needs a vaccine. One of the reasons the Huskers need this win is that they need some kind of proof they are actually improving. They need to know that all the hard work they are putting in is paying off. How else would you know that other than see some Ws in that column?

In this crazy 2020, people may have forgotten to do the little things to take care of their peace of mind. For me, that is tailgating and hanging out with my fellow Nebraska fans.

I tailgated recently and can tell you that I had a smile pasted across my face, even when it came time to clean up. For the Husker athletes, what’s the point of running drills, lifting weights, eating right, putting yourself in a virtual bubble since August unless you get to prove things on the field and get a W? They fought so hard to be able to play, they need to play. LET THEM PLAY and let them WIN.

As for my commentary on Northwestern, they have a grad transfer QB from Indiana, Peyton Ramsey, that is good. He’s an accurate passer and spreads the ball around. With Nebraska secondary still having to serve out their targeting and ejection sentences thus missing the first half, it will be dicey back there for the Blackshirts in my opinion. Linebacker Paddy Fisher, leads the league in career tackles (333) and is still a handful. He causes fumbles and is a disrupter of epic proportions. Purple people are favored at 3.5.

As for the Huskers, I’d better see some receivers catching balls. If it weren’t for Wan’Dale Robinson catching things last year, the Huskers wouldn’t have won. Let’s get those running backs involved too. Ronald Thompkins and Dedrick Mills need to be carrying the load, not our QBS. I look for Nebraska to start fast. Frost has a history of doing well in his first scripted drives.

If Nebraska limits the turnovers and stays clean, I see them winning. I see the running backs being keys to controlling the amount of time the Huskers have the ball and keeping Northwestern off the field. With an improved D line, I see Big Red doing good things and bringing home the W.

Northwestern plays a spread offense like Ohio State, and relies on the run so far this year which may give Nebraska an edge having seen some of the best do it already. But again, without the real secondary until the second half, let’s hope Northwestern keeps long tosses to a minimum.

Since it’s another early game (yeah, bite me B1G Ten) I’m thinking sliders are the way to go. One of the best things about them is that the temperature isn’t critical. Cold or hot, I love them. Just like the HUSKERS! Grab a package of Hawaiian Rolls and cut them in half. Slather on whatever mustard, mayo combo you like, then the toppings (ham, egg & cheese) (turkey, egg, pastrami, and cheese). Put the top back on and pour melted garlic butter over it. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

As for beverages, you know the morning drill by now, Bloody Mary with bacon stir sticks or coffee with one or more of the assortment of creamy alcoholic additives. If you want a Wildcat cocktail, because at some point it’s noon somewhere, whip up this blueish martini because nothing purple is ever really tasty. Mix, chill and drain, 1.5 oz. Vodka, 1 oz. cream of coconut, and 1.5 oz blue curacao.

At the end of the day, it will be rinse and repeat if the Huskers lose this one. Nebraska needs to purge the big loss this season and start the pendulum swinging the other way into the WIN column. It’s possible to really string a group of wins together. Penn State is next week at 11 and they need some momentum going into that game.

In the meantime, wake up early and get ready for Nebraska to turn the page. It’s been a long time coming…. If you have comments or photos you want to share, hit me up on Twitter at @Kelian_NE and as always, GO BIG RED!