Nebraska Tailgate Talk: Homecoming and 5-0 is the perfect pairing with Turtle soup

The Maryland Terrapins swim into town at kickoff, warming to 73 by halftime, then cooling for a Homecoming weekend. Game time is 3:00 CDT and will be televised on FS1. The weather should be a great fall afternoon, with a partly cloudy 69 degrees by kickoff, warming to 73 by halftime, and down to 70 to end the game. It may be a little chilly at the start of the tailgate (58 degrees by 10:00 am), so layers are key. The red balloons are back for Homecoming and will look great as they fly in the sky! Nebraska is favored by 15.5, and the odds say it’s a high-scoring affair, with the over at 52.5.

Big Red is coming off a beautiful 31-13 victory over the Michigan Spartans. Not gonna lie, I felt like Coach Fitzgerald was reliving some of the past Husker game nightmares of too many bad calls, the in-game injury bug train, and things just not falling your way. There were huge momentum swings in that game, largely because the Husker defense looked like real Blackshirts last week. Linebacker transfer Owen Chambliss lived up to the hype, with his interception coming at a critical juncture of the game. And Donovan Jones's strip sack and recovery were morale-crushing. Hashtag sorry, not sorry. Sparty completed the day with only 39 rushing yards. BINGO!

The Huskers did have their share of injuries too. (Rule/ ankle, Barney/who knows, and Black/nondisclosed). I do think it may have been a good lesson having Michigan State blitz early. I don’t think they will miss that the next time it happens. I also think they practiced tempo this week.

On to this week. Which team will show up? Maryland may already feel defeated after firing their defensive coordinator on Monday. Head Coach Mike Locksley is on the chopping block too, but I don’t think the 9.2 million-dollar buyout has been funded quite yet. Will it be a Maryland team that wants to valiantly fight for their coach, much like Penn State, who rallied for their interim coach at the dismal end of Husker season last year? Or will it be a defeated Terrapin team willing to phone it in after being hammered 54-3 last week? (That score is a little misleading, as there were 4 interceptions,h two of which were pick-sixes.) It wasn't as bad as the score suggests.

I think Maryland will come in fighting. I’m also pretty sure the Huskers are preparing that way. No Minnesota-esque letdown with these coaches. MD still has a very good pass rush and a really good overall defense. Their run defense is solid, mostly because of a solid linebacker core. Don’t forget that Nebraska couldn’t get a run game going against Sparty last week. (It’s never good when your QB is the biggest rusher.) Speaking of is still slippery, hard to sack at 6' 5", and has a big arm. I remember sweating that game last year. They lost it more than we won it. However, from what I’ve seen so far, I think DC Aurich is up to the task, and so are his guys. I’m counting on some more picks! Go Blackshirts!!

I think the biggest key to the game for Big Red is to get on top quickly and often. They need to steal the souls from the Terps and put them to bed by halftime. Letting them linger is not a good idea. Nebraska will also need to cut down on the penalties, and for the love of football Saturdays, put better “stick-um” on the wide receivers’ gloves this week. I still wasn’t happy with the amount of “in-the-hands drops.” Y’all are getting paid now, gentlemen. Earn it! Pretty sure Anthony Colandrea wasn’t happy either.

I feel like the Husker running backs are interchangeable at this point if Rule is out. I would want to hold him back for Indiana anyway. Heck, keep putting Vincent Genatone in! Love that story. Linebacker to RB and scout team to walk-on star of the game! WOOHOO! I think End Zone Genatone has a nice ring to it. Feel free to use it. The defense will need to be better against tempo. I’m sure Maryland will try to test them early. Look for that “cumulative effect” to happen for Nebraska, taking Maryland to the woodshed in the 4th quarter.

Homecoming takes me down memory lane. With the weather finally feeling like fall, it’s comfort food time too. This brings me to the jello shot for the tailgate, Butter Rum Lifesaver flavor! It’s orange Jell-O, butterscotch schnapps, and kissed caramel vodka! Mix 1 cup of hot water into the Jell-O and combine with ½ cup of the schnapps and ¼ cup of the caramel vodka. Chill and enjoy. I’m also cheffing up a Hot Crab dip and pita chips for the tailgate. Recipe here.

It’s a great start time and great weather this weekend. Take advantage of it, get out to the tailgate, and support your team. Be polite to the ones who travel here from out east, yell loudly, get your balloon early, and as always, GO BIG RED!

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