Nebraska football needs to change this statistical trend in 2021.
As the new year is upon us, so too is a new Nebraska football season, it’s interesting to look at some of the numbers from last season. As noted in a piece from Brian Christopherson of 247Sports, Nebraska’s quarterbacks accounted for most of the team’s rushing yardage.
If you are a numbers person, I have a number for you. They counted for 54.9% of the team’s total rushing yardage. That definitely needs to change, as there are capable running backs in the stable for Nebraska.
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This goes back to something that I found very frustrating throughout the course of the season. Scott Frost and his staff did not utilize his running backs enough, and that affected the offense. Many could say that the running backs were ineffective, and to some extent I agree.
However, it’s hard for them to be effective when they cannot even get into a rhythm.
Yes, I know Nebraska and its offense thrives on passing the football. That much is certainly true. However, it’s hard for the running backs to even get into a rhythm when they don’t get a sustained amount of carries in the first place.
In terms of rushing yards, Dedrick Mills led Nebraska football in that category with 396 yards on the season. His best game came in the finale against Rutgers when he ran the ball for 191 yards. It was the kind a game that made you wish Mills could have done that the entire season. However, wasn’t entirely his fault.
A Scott Frost offense expects the quarterback to be able to run the football quite a bit. In my estimation, that needs to change and he needs to get the running backs a little more involved in the offense.
I need to see more from the likes of Sevion Morrison and Marvin Scott III. I’d also love to see a little bit more from Ronald Thompkins. Nebraska recruited all these running backs for a reason, and it’s time to see what they can bring to the table on a consistent basis.
For me, this is a huge goal for Nebraska football for the 2021 season for Nebraska. If Scott Frost can get them involved a little bit more, the quarterbacks will not have to rush the ball so much. Instead of 54.9% of the team’s total rushing yards belonging to the quarterbacks, I’d love to see that number flipped the running backs.
In what is going to be a tough schedule for the 2021 season, Nebraska needs to have a more balanced offense. Giving the running backs the rock would be a great start to that. An offense like 2020’s is not sustainable for long-term success.