Nebraska football running back Emmett Johnson had a fine game against Cincinnati on Thursday night. While the Huskers did fine with Johnson getting the bulk of the carries, it's hard not to claim they wouldn't have been a bit stronger with Dante Dowdell in their backfield as well.
Unfortunately, for the Cornhuskers, Dowdell is plenty happy in his new Kentucky home. Even if his first game with the Wildcats didn't start off all that well, he found his footing in the second half against Toledo and showed why UK paid all that money to bring him to the SEC.
Why Nebraska football still misses Dante Dowdell in the backfield
Dowdell, after one season with Nebraska, got the start on Saturday in the backfield next to Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada. The Wildcats relied heavily on the run Saturday afternoon in their 24-16 win against the Rockets.
He finished the game with 14 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. On the Wildcats' second drive of the 4th quarter, Dowdell took no time to find the end zone. The junior running back took a carry up the right sideline for a 79-yard touchdown, which ultimately won the game for the Wildcats.
Not only were the 129 yards a career high for Dowdell, but he also had the most rushing yards for a Kentucky player in the season opener since Boom Williams' 135 yards vs. Louisiana Lafayette in 2015. As Alex Afari told the SEC Network this week, "Dante Dowdell runs like he’s angry at the ground."
The Nebraska football team will likely be fine, but there's no debate that the Huskers would be better off if they had the 1-2 punch of Johnson and Dowdell. Hopefully, the coaching staff can find someone else to step into the departed back's shoes. Against UC, it's clear they're still looking.