2020-21 Season Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers
By: Dakota Isgrigg | June 17th | @dakota_isgrigg | @BoilerInTexas
***Here is the link to the podcast preview for Purdue’s match up with Nebraska! (The Runaway Train Sports Podcast)
We are officially on the countdown to the 2020-21 Purdue football season! Even though there are still a lot of details to be figured out because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems as though the precautions taken in early 2020 will allow us to have college football in some form or fashion. So we here at Boiler In Texas will continue on as if the season will be taking place and Purdue will be suiting up this fall. So over the weeks leading up to the presumptive start to the season, we will be going week by week and taking a look at the season for our Boilermakers and their opponents every week.
Purdue 2020 Football Schedule:
9/5: @Nebraska
9/12: Memphis
9/19: Air Force
9:26: @Boston College
10/10: Rutgers
10/17: @Illinois
10/24: @Michigan
10/31: Northwestern
11/7: @Minnesota
11/14: Wisconsin
11/21: Iowa
11/28: @Indiana
The Purdue football season is set to begin on September 5th with the Boilermakers making a trip west to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers in a season-opening, Big Ten opening battle for a leg up on the west division. Purdue has a short history with the Cornhuskers as the series is currently tied at 4-4 with Purdue taking the last two in the match up. Purdue got their first win in Lincoln ever in 2018 and in 2019 they earned a well-fought come from behind win at home in Ross-Ade Stadium. With both programs in the process of rebuilding, it has made for some very interesting games and I have the feeling 2020 will be no different.
Nebraska hired Scott Frost before the 2018 season and he has not seen the same success that he did at UCF. He was able to turn that program around quickly and the fans in Nebraska were hoping he would be able to replicate that success in Lincoln. That being said, he currently sits at 9-15 after two seasons at the helm and it has been disappointing, to say the least. They are 6-12 in Big Ten play with Frost and, despite the national media predictions, have not competed for the Big Ten West. In 2019, they finished at 5-7, but that wasn’t the strongest 5-7 out there. A couple of wins against Maryland (3-9, 1-8 B1G) and Northwestern (3-9, 1-8 B1G) bolster the win column along with non-conference games against Northern Illinois (finished 5-7) and South Alabama (finished 2-10). They will certainly be looking for more this season in Frost’s third year.
Nebraska 2020 Football Schedule
9/5: Purdue
9/12: Central Michigan
9/19: South Dakota State
9:26: Cincinnati
10/3: @Northwestern
10/10: Illinois
10/24: @Rutgers
10/31: @Ohio State
11/7: Penn State
11/14: @Iowa
11/21: @Wisconsin
11/27: Minnesota
Nebraska Offense
The Nebraska offense returns plenty of experience going into the 2020 season. They return 11 players with five or more starts, including the interior OL and TE who started every game for the Huskers in 2019. They do take a big loss in the form of JD Spielman. Spielman left the team for personal reasons and eventually, his name found its way into the transfer portal indicating his stay in Lincoln was over. Spielman led Nebraska with 898 yards receiving in 2019 and with his departure it will add some question marks surrounding the WR group going forward.
Adrian Martinez: QB
They have two-year starter Adrian Martinez returning at the quarterback position where last season he had a pair of rushing touchdowns against the Boilermakers. On the season he threw for 1,956 yards, 10 TDs, and 9 interceptions while completing approximately 60% of his passes. He was also second on the team in rushing with 626 yards and 7 TDs on the ground. Martinez is always such an interesting player to watch from an outside perspective. He had points in the season where he looked unstoppable and had control of the offense and was making superhuman plays; but on the other hand, he would also just as likely go through a stretch where he looked lost. He wouldn’t be able to make simple throws or would turn the ball over in critical situations. Going into his third year in the program, with fans already clamoring for the backup Luke McCaffery to take the reigns.
Dedrick Mills: RB
Mills returns in 2020 after rushing for 745 yards and 10 TDs a season ago. With the core of the offensive line returning, Mills is set up to have a good season in Lincoln. Last season, Purdue was able to hold him to 18 yards on 6 carries and 1 TD.
Wan’Dale Robinson: WR/RB
The versatile Wan’Dale Robinson returns once again as the versatile do-it-all player for Nebraska. Many make comparisons to Purdue’s Rondale Moore in what he brings to the Nebraska offense. He was third on the team in rushing last season with 340 yards and 3 TDs while also adding 453 yards and 2 TDs on 40 receptions as a receiver. Expect to continue to see a very healthy dose of Robinson going forward, especially with the loss of Spielman in the off-season.
Overall, the Nebraska offense seems to be in a solid position with returning talent on the offensive line and some key pieces at the skill positions. The question will be whether or not they will be able to find the consistency necessary to put up points. In 2019 they were able to rack up googles of yards but weren’t able to get into the endzone enough to show anything for it. If they are able to convert those yards into points, they may have a chance to punch above their weight class a bit more in 2020.
Nebraska Defense
The Cornhusker defense has certainly fallen quite a ways from their “Blackshirts” nickname. In 2019 we saw a lot of close games as the Nebraska defense gave up 27.75 points per game, were gashed in the rush game to the tune of 188 yards a game, and generally could not get the big stop when they needed it most. Their biggest loss of the off-season is probably Khalil Davis who was a solid pass rusher.
Linebackers
Honas is Nebraska’s top returning tackler going into 2020. In 2019 he recorded 73 tackles, 5 TFL, and a sack. Collin Miller is next in line with 67 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack, 4 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles. These two should form a nice foundation for the core of the defense.
Secondary
With the departure of Lamar Jackson in the cornerback slot, look for Cam Taylor-Britt (Last season: 49 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 INT), and Decaprio Bootle to take the helm of the cornerback positions. Senior Deontai Williams is also returning to the safety position after suffering a season-ending injury in the 2019 season opener.
Defensive Line
The defensive line should be a bit in flux as some turnover means some new faces being elevated to the starting spot in their base 3-4 scheme. Damion Daniels (6’3” 340 lbs), younger brother to Darrion Daniels who you should remember as the nose tackle who almost pick-sixed Jack Plummer in last seasons match up in West Lafayette, should take over the starting role at nose tackle. Joining Daniels along the line are most likely Ben Stille and Deontra Thomas.
The defense will need to take a step forward if Nebraska is going to find success in 2020. Last season they were unable to get the necessary stops in crucial moments (see: Purdue game) in order to come out on top. If the defense is able to force more stops, that gives them a better chance to come out on top in those close games.
Nebraska Special Teams
2019 was a turbulent time to be a part of the Nebraska special teams unit. They were ranked 13th in the conference, only ahead of Purdue, in kickoff returns last year with 18.13 yards per attempt. With Spielman handling the majority of kicks last year, and with his departure, it will be interesting to see who lines up on kickoffs for the Cornhuskers. In another bizarre stat, the kicking duties were a revolving door for Nebraska as they somehow had six players kick on the season with five of them making at least one field goal. The committee went 12-of-20 on the year and you have to believe that Scott Frost and co. are looking for more consistency from the kicking department. The last thing you want in close games, Nebraska has had 12 games over the last two seasons where the final score was seven points or fewer, is to have inconsistent kicking.
Game Outlook
This may be one of Purdue’s most important games of the entire season. Taking on a Nebraska program that is in the process of figuring itself out going into Scott Frosts’ third season in Lincoln to start the season could set the tone for a good season. Having the early season test should provide, the still young Purdue roster, some valuable experience that they should be able to take going forward through the rest of the season. There is also the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that will play a part as well. It’s generally been accepted that in order to have college football this fall, there will have to be limitations on the number of fans that are allowed to attend games in person. For a program like Nebraska that takes such pride in selling out their home stadium, how much would the limited capacity affect both teams? I think Purdue has the best case scenario for having to go to Lincoln to start the season. The Boilermakers should be fully powered with all players healthy and may be able to take advantage of a Nebraska team that is trying to figure things out still due to the pandemic. Either way, whoever comes out on top on September 5th will have some major momentum going into the non-conference, and a leg up in the Big Ten West race.
Score prediction
Purdue has lost every season opener since Jeff Brohm has taken the reigns of the program. Can 2020 be the trend-breaker? In the previous three season-openers, Purdue has had a chance late to come away with the win and dropped the ball. No more an example than last year’s game against Nevada in Reno, Purdue was the more talented team and should have won that game, but mental errors and the lack of a running game doomed the Boilers. Can Purdue get over the hump against fellow Big Ten West team Nebraska in Lincoln? The offensive weapons that the Boilers return would rival many elite programs, the question marks surrounding the transition to the Bob Diaco 3-4 defense may be the crux as to the outcome of this game.
I believe that a healthy Purdue team can take advantage of a Nebraska team that may still be in the process of self-discovery on September 5th. Purdue, at least on offense, knows exactly what they want to do. Feed Rondale Moore, and then do it some more. When Nebraska decides to try and take Moore away, David Bell, Milton Wright, Jared Sparks, King Dorue, or any of the incoming freshman to make it out of camp with playing time are still there to take advantage. I believe that the way the QB position played out last year with the injuries and how the next man up responded each time, it is less important as to who is throwing the ball as long as they can get it into the hands of the skill players. As mentioned, the defense may be the side of the ball that will set the tone for the season, and if they can get it figured out early enough to cause Nebraska problems… I like Purdue’s chances.
Score Prediction: 38-27 Purdue
What do you think will happen on September 5th as the Boilers kick off the season?
As Always, Boiler Up, Hammer Down, Hail Purdue!
