Can Northwestern's Floundering Defense Slow Down Nebraska's Top-Ranked Offense?
The Northwestern defense will have a tough match up on its hands when the Wildcats line up against a top offensive team in Nebraska this Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Nebraska (2-3) is riding a wave of momentum despite coming off of two tight losses. The first loss came against No. 19 University of Oklahoma who topped the Cornhuskers 23–16, and the second was against No. 17 ranked Michigan State University, who won 23–20 in a game so neck and neck that it went to overtime.
A pair of tightly-contested games against top teams in the country has proven that Nebraska can hang with anyone. Now the question Northwestern’s defense has to answer is can they hang with one of the top offenses in the country?
To that end, the Cornhuskers are currently the No. 25 overall offense in the country and they have earned that spot with a very balanced attack this season. Nebraska averages 473 total yards per game. Of those 473, 274 of them come in the air which is fifth best in the Big Ten. Their running game is largely unexceptional. They rank seventh in the conference, rushing for 199 yards per game.
A large part of the Cornhuskers’ early offensive success this season can be attributed to the quick start from junior quarterback J.T. Martinez. In five games Martinez has already thrown for 1,261 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also shown that he is a dual threat on the field, rushing for 362 yards and six touchdowns.
Looking at the Northwestern defense, the Wildcats may run into some problems trying to stop Nebraska. The Wildcats’ defense allows the ninth most passing yards per game in the Big Ten (210.5) and against a team with the passing ability that Nebraska has, it would not be surprising at all for the Cornhuskers to finish way north of their 274 passing yard average. Northwestern also ranks dead last in rush defense. They allow 186 rushing yards per game which could incite Nebraska’s mediocre run game to have their best game of the season.
Overall, this could prove to be a very difficult matchup for Northwestern as its defense has not been anywhere near as strong as a year ago. That coupled with Nebraska’s offensive firepower could make this a difficult one to sit through for Wildcats fans.
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Jonathan Fernandez is a reporter and writer for Wildcats Daily Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Fernandez is also pursuing his master's degree in sports media at Northwestern Medill.