In less than 2 days, the Nebraska football will open their 2025 season against Cincinnati, out of the Big 12 Conference. Here are 3 X-Factors that I see, that the Huskers need to do in order to secure the victory.
Tackling, tackling, tackling is most important for Nebraska football
As the season opener looms, one of the main focuses for the Cornhuskers has been being able to tackle in open space. Defensive Coordinator John Butler has tried to drill into the players' heads the importance of tackling in the first game of the year. You hear that repeatedly from other coaches on the staff...all the way up to the head man, Coach Rhule!
It makes all the sense in the world. With only 9 fully padded practices, it's something that HAS to be emphasized over and over again for Nebraska. The coaches even had some tape from the Week 0 games this past weekend, just to show how much bad tackling there was.
Nebraska football special teams is a big X-factor
To say that Special Teams play needed to have an overhaul is an understatement, to say the least. In 2024, Nebraska averaged just 18.3 yards per kickoff return, which ranked 14th in the 18 team Big Ten. Punt returns was even worse, if that's possible. In 13 games (including the Bowl game) Nebraska had just 15 punt returns total. Of those 15 returns, they managed to get just 73 total yards, a 4.87 per return average.
The punt returns were the worst in the entire conference. Punting wasn't much better. Nebraska averaged 41.04 yards per punt, good for 17th in the Big Ten, and their Net Punting was dead last at 32.29 yards. Place kicking wasn't nearly as bad as punting and the return game, but there were bad snaps at times. Collectively, as a team, Nebraska went 13 for 19 on field goal attempts, with a long of 53 yards against Ohio St.
Newly hired Special Teams Coordinator Mike Ekeler has promised improvement in ALL areas of Special Teams. And has said "If anyone messes up, you can write what a bad coach I am". With a guy like Coach Ekeler, Special Teams can go nowhere but up!
Nebraska football must control the line of scrimmage
Does anybody remember when Nebraska would "wear down" teams in the 2nd half? I can remember countless games in the 80's & 90's where games would be fairly close (10-14 points), and by the end of the game Nebraska would win by 31 to 35 points.
That's because our offensive Line would tire out the defense. Big farmboys would pound on you play after play, and eventually the other team would have to tap out! We haven't had that type of O-line in a long, long, time. But this year, Coach Donovan Raiola has enough depth to get the job done. Guys from the transfer portal in tackle Elijah Pritchett from Alabama & guard Rocco Spindler from Notre Dame, to the beef we already had in Henry Lutovsky at Guard, Justin Evans at Center, and Tackles, Teddy Prochazka, Turner Corcoran, and Gunnar Gotulla. I want to see us flex against Cincinnati in the late 3rd/early 4th quarter, and by sheer will, end their night!
If the Nebraska football team can do these 3 things on Thursday night, I expect a very nice start to the season. Are there going to be mistakes...of course. But just remember this, both teams are playing their first game in 2025. A lot of Husker fans seem to forget that. Some only think that we're the ones playing. But trust me, Nebraska is the more talented team...I predict a 38-17 victory for Nebraska!