Nebraska Football: 3 questions going into the Purdue game

Can Nebraska Football’s Run Defense Hold The Line?

Yes, Purdue’s passing offense is certainly more powerful and more explosive than their run game, but so was Georgia Southern’s. The thing that has killed the Huskers this year has been when they can’t stop either attack.

When the Nebraska Cornhuskers are able to limit at least one aspect of an offensive attack, they’ve had much better luck.

It seems like a forgone conclusion that Aidan O’Connell is going to have a decent day. The Boilermakers have a passing attack that depends on getting the ball out quick. Against a Huskers defense that’s had problems finding a pass rush, the key to a win on Saturday night is going to be finding a way to make Purdue one-dimensional.

Jeff Brohm’s squad has tried to have a semblance of a running game, at least when it’s been able to find a way to get yards on the ground, it’s been a much better team. Against Minnesota, they rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns while averaging just 5.9 yards a carry.

Against Syracuse, they managed just 61 yards and 2.9 yards per carry. O’Connell through for 424 yards that game. Against Penn State, they averaged 3.1 yards a carry while their quarterback threw for over 300 yards. The outcome of those games? Two losses.

Nebraska has won two straight games largely by making sure that the run game isn’t there. At least in any real way. Rutgers averaged 3.0 yards per rush, while Indiana got just 2.3 YPC.  That was quite the change from when Oklahoma went for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.

The Huskers are still dead last in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game at 186. But they’ve managed to flip the script of late and they’re going to need to do it again if the Nebraska football team wants any chance at a victory on Saturday night.