Husker Football Begins Second Half at 5-1

Nebraska needs just one win to become bowl eligible.

Oct 5, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Ty Son Lawton (17) runs against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

What if we had been told before the season that midway through the '24 schedule, the Husker would have a 5-1 record?  Most fans would have taken that all day.  The only thing they would want to know is, who did Nebraska lose to?  As long as it wasn't Colorado, Husker fans would be pretty dang happy.

And what if we were also told that the Huskers would be a plus six in turnover margin?

Husker fans would be in disbelief, but they would lap it up.

With six games to go to get reach bowl eligibilty, Nebraska seems on its way to reaching that goal.

But wait a minute, Danny Boy.  Wasn't it almost a year ago (October 28th to be exact) NU stood with five wins (5-3), needing just one win over the next four to go bowling?  "Only" Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin and Iowa stood in the way.   As we all remember all too painfully, the Huskers lost all four games.

This year, with two very tough games next on the schedule (@Indiana and @Ohio State), NU could be 5-3 once again.  After those two games, NU hosts UCLA the week before another bye week.  

After that, Nebraska travels to USC, then hosts Wisconsin before closing out the season at Iowa.

To be sure, the second half of the Huskers' schedule is filled with landmines.  Another bowl less season is a distinct possibility.

So how do the two halves of the season compare with each other?

The first half of the Husker '24 season, the Husker opponents had a winning rate of just 44.4%.  The next 6 games are against two ranked opponents:  #16 Indiana and #4 Ohio State.  The combined record of the remaining Husker opponents is 62.8%.

Big difference.

Illinois is the only currently ranked team the Huskers faced in the first half of the season.  That's been NU's only loss of the year.

So what does NU need to do to get a couple more wins this fall?

Great question. As every Husker fan knows, there are two glaring problems that face the Huskers in the second half of the schedule.

Number One:  Special Teams (C-)

Special teams miscues have plagued Nebraska most of the season.  There have been multiple blocked kicks (punts and field goal attempts).  Embarrassing is the word that comes to mind to describe how bad the play has been.

Injuries and poor execution have been the bane of Husker special teams this fall.  I watch a lot of football.  Why is it that high schools can field effective special teams?  Why is it that a program that spends as much money on football as Nebraska, can't seem to field consistent kicking teams?

Thankfully, all the ST problems are correctable.  NU just needs to fix them as soon as possible.

Number Two:  Inconsistencies on Offense (C+)

Nebraska's offense sometimes resembles the Kansas City Chiefs' version. When it's clicking on all cylinders, the Husker O is hard to stop.  But NU continues to experience scoring droughts even against poor defenses.

Some of the cause can be chalked up to injuries on the Husker O-line. Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran have been sidelined at LT.  

Filling in at that position is Gunnar Gottula.  At RG, Micah Mazzccua was benched for a couple of games.  Taking his place was Henry Lutofsky.  Both subs have performed weil, but the O-line is still not where it needs to be.

The Saving Grace:  The Defense (A-)

Let's hear it for the Blackshirts!  Without them, there is no way NU would be sitting at 5-1.

Calling Cpt. Obvious

NU needs to stop the bleeding on ST and correct the problems on offense. The rest of the season is daunting, to be sure.  But with that schedule, Nebraska has a huge opportunity to take the next step toward the restoration of a once proud Husker football program.  

I think NU will find ways to win enough games to engergize the program. The time to begin is this Saturday morning at Bloomington, Indiana.

Attn:  Readers

Once again, I'm calling on Husker football fans for their input regarding how they think the rest of the Husker football season will go.

For the second half of the schedule, Nebraska will go:
A)  6-0
B) 5-1
C) 4-2
D) 3-3
E) 2-4
F) 1-5
G) 0-6

Be sure to include the reason for your prediction.  Send your responses to huskerdan@cox.net. I'll post some of them in one of my next columns.

How 'Bout Them Huskers!

Grandson Will and I review the first six Husker games and give our predictions for the remaining games.  We also salute the #2 ranked Nebraska volleyball team!  Congrats to John Cook, the players and staff for their success!

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