Tad Stryker: Losing in the Trenches

Huskers can’t run the ball or stop the run against USC

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Woody Marks runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The new offensive coordinator for Nebraska and the new quarterback for Southern Cal got top billing. But the supporting actors — or more accurately, the lack of supporting actors — did in Nebraska in a one-score game. Once again.

Hollywood is where glitz and glamor reign supreme. But the same old demon came back to haunt the Cornhuskers in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They are weak on the fundamentals.

Nebraska is still winless all time against USC, not because it has a freshman quarterback who’s struggling, but because it has veteran offensive linemen who aren’t getting the job done.

The Huskers have senior wide receivers who can’t get enough separation often enough against man-to-man coverage. They have a tight end who has a lot of physical attributes, yet caught only two passes for nine yards on a day when his team desperately needed a playmaker to step forward. But those shortcomings, frustrating as they are, well, are not the core issue.

Nebraska lost 28-20 at Southern Cal because the Huskers don’t have a young quarterback’s best friend: a dependable running game. The Huskers lost because the Blackshirts couldn’t stop the run. The Trojans’ 182-119 rushing edge was the difference. Blocking and tackling still win games. There wasn’t enough of either for Nebraska.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola throws as offensive lineman Bryce Benhart blocks Southern California Trojans defensive end Kameryn Fountain during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Huskers lost because despite having one of the more veteran offensive lines in the nation, they are still not physical enough at the point of attack. Ben Scott and Bryce Benhart and Micah Mazzccua, despite their 120-plus combined starts, are not difference makers, and Benhart, right on cue, with the Huskers in the red zone and five seconds remaining in the game, false started. No surprise there. Sophomore Justin Evans and junior Henry Lutovsky and true freshman Gunner Gottula are underclassmen with promise, and another 30 or so combined starts among them, but the odds are stacked against their ever becoming difference makers under their current tutelage.

On the other side of the ball, the foundation is not all that stable, either. Late in the game, the Blackshirts buckled and gave way under the weight of Southern Cal’s mediocre running game, which behind a 19-carry, 146-yard day from senior Woody Marks, took control by gaining 71 yards in the fourth quarter. That’s precisely what Matt Rhule says he wants to do, but has been unable to do because after almost three full years under Donovan Raiola, the offensive line is perpetually behind schedule. I give Terrance Knighton and his d-line much more credit because they’ve been generally much more productive and consistent over the last 22 games.

Going into this contest, we were all wondering how Dana Holgorsen and Jayden Maiava would do in their respective debuts, and when the lights came on, both did a reasonably good job.

With Ty Robinson in his face, Maiava threw a pick-six to former Trojan Ceyair Wright to give Nebraska an early 7-0 lead, but after that, he settled in and played well. He threw three touchdown passes and ran for another.

As they so often do in their unending series of close losses over the last few years, the Huskers battled hard, but couldn’t make plays at crunch time. And there were very few breaks that went Nebraska’s way. Two lucky tipped passes both went the Trojans’ way, and both came on touchdown drives. A last-minute deep throw to Jacory Barney was deflected into the air by a Trojan defender, with Barney unable to make a catch in the end zone. A clear pass interference penalty against Nebraska’s Jahmal Banks at the pylon went uncalled, which meant a field goal instead of a touchdown for the Huskers. Big Ten officials once again did Nebraska no favors.

But after a strip sack by Robinson and recovery by Mikai Gbayor at the Trojan 16-yard line, officials didn’t cause Dylan Raiola to overlook a wide-open Banks at the goal line, a lack of field vision that cost Nebraska four more points. Right there, another touchdown turned into a field goal.

Par for the course for the Nebraska football program, which hasn’t gotten many breaks over the past seven years, but doesn’t make many of its own breaks, either.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell jumps over Southern California Trojans safety Zion Branch during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The concept of Holgorsen calling plays less than two weeks after coming to Lincoln showed some promise. Nobody can work miracles with the Husker offense in two weeks, but maybe this game film will lead to some meaningful tweaks in the days before Wisconsin comes to Memorial Stadium. The pace was better, plays were being called faster, Dylan Raiola was delivering the ball more quickly, and seemed to have regained some confidence he’d lost over the last month. Throwing horizontal passes to Janiran Bonner makes more sense than throwing them to Thomas Fidone, because Bonner has much more quickness and lateral speed.

On a do-or-die two-minute drill, the Huskers got the ball into the red zone, That’s incremental progress, but the offense scored only one touchdown all day long, so no significant gain.

Nebraska ran out of game clock with a time out still in its pocket. That shows little to no progress by Rhule on game management. He continues to have trouble figuring out when to use his timeouts.

Holgorsen will have to huddle with Donovan Raiola to give his nephew some help. Job One is coming up with a run game concept that makes sense. The Big Red are not going to beat anyone, anytime, by throwing 38 passes and running the ball 25 times. Dylan Raiola completed 27 of 38 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions that likely wouldn’t have occurred if anyone trusted the Husker o-line. And 5.0 yards per passing attempt is not going to get it done for the Huskers.

Nebraska and Wisconsin, two frustrated 5-5 Big Ten teams that used to have punishing run games, will meet in Lincoln on Nov. 23, and one that runs the ball better will walk off the field bowl-eligible.

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