Tad Stryker: Baby Steps for Nebraska Football

Huskers use 300-yard rushing day to even their record with win over Louisiana Tech

Tad Stryker | Sep 23, 2023

Kenny Larabee, KLIN

In this story:

You want option football? You’ve got it.

You want to see the Huskers line up in the I formation and run power? You got some of that, too.

Nebraska got enough out of its running game to hold off Louisiana Tech 28-14 Saturday in Memorial Stadium and even its record at 2-2 going into the Michigan game next weekend. The Big Red ran for a season-high 312 yards and had two backs rush for more than 100 yards.

They needed every bit of that running game, considering that passing was a difficult concept for Nebraska against a Bulldog defense that came into the game rated 27th in the nation in that category. The Bulldogs got three sacks and made throwing the ball a dicey proposition for NU. Pass blocking is still a mystery to the Cornhuskers.

Well into its second year of tutelage from Donovan Raiola, and with the most experienced position group on the team, the Husker offensive line is still learning how to survive, still not ready to handle any decent defensive front. It’s way too wobbly-kneed, like a toddler that ends up on its butt more often than not, but then surprises you with how far he just got. Let’s just say that baby steps are not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you consider just how awful that unit looked last year. Going from incompetent to inconsistent, well, you can call that progress.

The line looked best when Marcus Satterfield called the old-school speed option that looked a lot like the play Eric Crouch made famous. There were some sizable holes for Heinrich Haarberg, who started his second consecutive game at quarterback. Maybe that’s something for Raiola to build on.

The Huskers emerge from the tunnel to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule greets officials before the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie (right) walks with assistant coach Marquez Gollman before the game against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.

Matt Rhule and athletic director Trev Alberts.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg passes against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the first quarter of the game.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg is brought down by Louisiana Tech defensive back Cecil Singleton Jr.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV runs against Louisiana Tech defensive back Cecil Singleton Jr. and defensive back Willie Roberts during the first quarter of the game.

Nebraska defensive back Omar Brown corrals Louisiana Tech's Smoke Harris in the first quarter.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner passes against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first quarter of the game.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner sets up to pass against the Nebraska defense during the second quarter.

Louisiana Tech wide receiver Smoke Harris gets tackled by Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive lineman Justin Evans-Jenkins during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg fires a first-quarter pass.

Nebraska running back Anthony Grant rushes for a short gain in the second quarter.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule talks with a game official.

Nebraska wide receiver Alex Bullock is brought down by Louisiana Tech defensive back Cecil Singleton Jr.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield on the sideline during the game.

Holder Timmy Bleekrode runs for a first down on a fake field goal in the second quarter.

Nebraska place kicker Timmy Bleekrode dives forward on a fake field goal against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Nebraska place kicker Tristan Alvano and place kicker Timmy Bleekrode celebrate after a successful fake field goal run by Bleekrode.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV hauls in a first quarter catch.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV runs for a touchdown against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Heinrich Haarberg sprints for the end zone on a long touchdown run that was called back by penalty.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg runs for a short first-quarter gain.

Louisiana Tech running back Keldric Moody gets tackled by Nebraska linebacker John Bullock during the first quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg passes to Nebraska wide receiver Marcus Washington. The pass was incomplete.

Louisiana Tech wide receiver Cyrus Allen catches a pass against the Huskers during the second quarter.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV gains 14 yards on this catch in the first quarter.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner (10) passes as Nebraska linebacker John Bullock defends the pass.

Heinrich Haarberg runs the ball during the first half.

Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims runs against Louisiana Tech linebacker Zach Zimos.

A handful of Blackshirts combine to bring down Louisiana Tech's Dakota Williams for a short loss in the second quarter.

Nebraska defensive back Tommi Hill celebrates with teammates after downing a punt inside the 5-yard line during the third quarter.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner looks to pass against the Nebraska Huskers during the third quarter.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Anthony Grant and offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka celebrate after a touchdown by Grant during the third quarter.

Nebraska running back Anthony Grant runs against Louisiana Tech defensive back Myles Heard during the third quarter.

Nebraska wide receiver Billy Kemp IV runs against Bulldogs defenders during the third quarter.

Heinrich Haarberg ties to escape a Lousiana Tech defender.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg fumbles the ball against Louisiana Tech defensive back Willie Roberts during the third quarter.

Anthony Grant picks up 19 yards on a third-quarter carry.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg runs for a touchdown against Louisiana Tech during the fourth quarter.

Anthony Grant breaks free for a 34-yard gain in the third quarter.

Nebraska running back Anthony Grant gets brought down by Louisiana Tech defensive back Myles Heard during the fourth quarter.

Nebraska linebacker John Bullock pressures quarterback Jack Turner.

Anthony Grant celebrates his third-quarter touchdown run.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg takes off on a 72-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

Heinrich Haarberg runs 72 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg runs for a touchdown against the Bulldogs during the fourth quarter.

Herbie Husker wants the crowd to get loud.

Thomas Fidone scores on a 29-yard pass play early in the fourth quarter.

Billy Kemp and Matt Rhule on the sideline after Thomas Fidone's touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska defensive lineman Blaise Gunnerson rushes Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner during the fourth quarter.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs quarterback Jack Turner fumbles the ball during the fourth quarter.

Nebraska wide receiver Alex Bullock hauls in a 14-yard pass in the second quarter.

Nebraska fans watch the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs after play resumed following a lightning delay in the fourth quarter.

Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie and Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule meet on the field after the Huskers defeated the Bulldogs at Memorial Stadium.

Haarberg doesn’t quite have Crouch’s speed, but he can get out and move, and he broke two long runs for touchdowns Saturday. One of them was called back by a holding penalty, but Haarberg sprinted for a 72-yarder that counted for six points early in the fourth quarter that stretched Nebraska’s lead to 28-7. Haarberg led all rushers with 157 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown. He was not as effective throwing the ball, completing eight of 17 for 107 yards, but one of them was a 29-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Fidone just a few minutes before his long touchdown run.

Still, Haarberg played turnover-free for the second consecutive week, and that was enough for the Husker defense to keep Tech at bay for much of the day. The Blackshirts allowed 338 yards of total offense, but only 46 on the ground.

Tech put together its best drive of the day, a 10-play, 87-yard march that consumed five minutes, to tie the game 7-7 with 6:07 left in the first half. Tristan Alvano missed a 41-yard field goal try on the final play of the half to leave it deadlocked at halftime, and Nebraska needed a spark.

When they absolutely, positively had to have something on the first drive of the second half, the Huskers lined up in the I formation and ran Anthony Grant at the Bulldogs. It worked. It was the offensive line’s most consistent drive of the season. Behind the blocking of fullback Barrett Liebentritt, Grant carried the ball five times for 76 yards on the nine-play, 85-yard drive, which included nary a pass. Grant capped it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Huskers a 14-7 lead.

Grant, who also had a long touchdown run called back by a holding penalty, gained 135 yards on 22 carries. A lot of his yardage came when he bounced outside and ran to daylight — the sort of strategy that quicker, smarter Big Ten defenses took away from him last season.

It was enough against Louisiana Tech, finishing a two-game stretch that Nebraska absolutely needed to win. The Huskers did it by avoiding turnovers and getting an occasional big play. They’ll need more than that next week against the second-ranked Wolverines.

After the loss in Boulder, it was obvious that nothing Nebraska could do in the next two weeks would impress anyone. That’s exactly what has happened.

Baby steps — call it incremental progress if you like — won’t beat Michigan. That would take at least a plus-three turnover margin, and the Blackshirts haven’t shown a propensity to take away the ball this season — but it could beat Illinois the following week. Is there more growth in this team?

Published Sep 23, 2023

TAD STRYKER

Tad Stryker, whose earliest memories of Nebraska football take in the last years of the Bob Devaney era, has covered Nebraska collegiate and prep sports for 40 years. Before moving to Lincoln, he was a sports writer, columnist and editor for two newspapers in North Platte. He can identify with fans who listen to Husker sports from a tractor cab and those who watch from a sports bar. A history buff, Stryker has written for HuskerMax since 2008. You can reach Tad at tad.stryker@gmail.com.