Nebraska Football Tailgate Talk: Taming the Terrapins

Nebraska Football plays the Maryland Terrapins Saturday at 11 am in Lincoln, Nebraska. Don’t bother searching your channel guide, the people who make ton$ of money decided it should stream on Peacock.

On the bright side, the weather will be FABULOUS for a November home game so get to the stadium. They are saying 45 (now 50) degrees at kickoff with a high up to maybe 60 in Lincoln.

Last week’s game was a big pile of steamy crap. Admittedly, the lack of competent officiating brought back memories of when Eric Crouch almost got his head ripped off his neck.

This strengthened my lack of trust issues with anyone in a black and white uniform to do their job correctly. The solution is for Nebraska Football to just be better and keep it out of their horrible hands and mouths.

Nebraska Football was flat last week, perhaps being lulled into a sense of security from these past games and thinking a team can turn it over more than twice and still come out with a W. Punter Brian Buschini was off his game.

I feel like Emmett Johnson should have been on the back of a milk carton in the second half. He rips off an 11-yard gain at the start of it and they treat him like the Elf on the Shelf until 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter.  Even the usually stellar Blackshirts were rather gray last week. The Defensive backs were definitely off their game. They MUST rebound this week.

The Offensive (adjective more than title) Line leaked worse than the Titanic luggage compartment. Gritty Quarterback Heinrich Harburg was off his game too. Although, it has to be hard staring at 7/8-man coverage with no time to read the field all game. The fearless Big Red leader endured 7 sacks, and 21 pressures on 37 passes (with only one blitz being dialed up). Those numbers will make you reach for the Tums. Is he beat up? Of course. Is he complaining? Hell no! Good on that Kearney kid. When you compute the full math of it all, we have a Class C former high school Quarterback in his first season of actual practice time and being thrown into D1 B1G Ten competition. He’s still our guy! Last week wasn’t on him.

I also don’t expect last week’s game to beat us twice. If you’ve paid any attention to the coaches this year, you know they have a good handle on the mental part of this game. If you want to see proof, check out Huskers Head Coach Matt Rhule’s presser on Monday.

So you want to know about these east coast animals? Maryland started the season 5-0 and are now 5-4, but they are also favored by 3 points against the Huskers. They have this great quarterback with a name that begs for more consonants, and who loves to throw it around the yard. He’s thrown for more yards than the entire Huskers offense has produced this year.

Grab the Tums, again. He’s dynamic, athletic and can move with his feet a little too. Huskers will need to put some pressure up the middle to cramp his style and shake him up on Saturday. Perhaps the Blackshirts can get him to cough up the ball a bit as well.

If I’m calling plays (because Satterfield isn’t earning his 1.4 mil salary), I’d dial up some early short passes with a quick release (saving Harburg bacon) and as a confidence builder for HH. I put in some extra bodies for pass protection since the starting 5 are having some issues.

Nebraska Football Tackle Teddy Prochazka needs to find his rhythm. He can do it. On special teams, Rhule admitted he should’ve given Huskers returner Ethan Nation more of a chance, and punter Brian Buschini will be back to flipping the field like a Sunday breakfast pancake. As for the defense, Huskers will be back to top form. DC Tony White admitted they decided to play more coverage than attack last week, and “that’s on me.” Blackshirts will muddy the Maryland jerseys.

In order to walk off some postgame stress last week, I wound up at that Toys R Us place that’s now a liquor store. I came home with this little gem. Banana Peanut Butter whiskey at 35 proof! I mixed it up with some green apple jello for a VERY tasty get right jello shot. Because it’s so strong, you will only want to mix in 1/2 cup of alcohol to 1 1/2 cups of water or it won’t set up. I call it the Dirty Green Monkey!

Nebraska Football squares off against the turtle

Keys to the game: Limit our turnovers (rinse, repeat). Cause them on the other side of the ball. Make the Terrapin Quarterback more uncomfortable than a 4-inch stiletto heel. Get the Huskers favorite 4th string running back involved early and often.  WIN THE GAME and qualify for the bowl season.

It’s also the military appreciation game on Saturday so don’t forget to thank those who serve, have served, and those that support them. I’ll be enjoying another chance to hang out and tailgate without 7 layers of clothes on my body. Make sure to yell loudly so as to rattle the turtles. Be good Nebraska Football fans, and as always, GO BIG RED!