Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
2017 Record: 4-8 (3-6 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Scott Frost
2018 Record: 0-3 (0-1 Big Ten)
All time record vs. OSU: 1-5
What happened thus far in 2018:
After the first game of the season against Akron was cancelled due to an ongoing rain delay, the first game of the Scott Frost-era at Nebraska was against Colorado, an old Big 12 rival. Nebraska kept pace in the first half in a back-and-forth affair, leading 21-17. However, a second half filled with turnovers helped push the Buffaloes to the 33-28 win. The Cornhuskers continued their poor performance in Week 2, falling to Troy at home 24-19. In Week 3, Nebraska suffered its worst loss of the season, losing 56-10 to Michigan, largely due to inconsistent quarterback play and crucial turnovers.
Impact Player:
Wide receiver Stanley Morgan appears to be emerging as a solid pass catcher for Frost. He has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise struggling Nebraska offense, tying wide receiver J.D. Spielman for the team lead with 13 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown.
Strengths:
Despite the rough start to the season, Nebraska’s offense is beginning to improve under Frost’s new spread system. With Morgan and Spielman in the receiving game, Nebraska quarterbacks have completed 63.8 percent of their passes. If the Cornhuskers can get consistent quarterback play from sophomore Andrew Bunch and freshman Adrian Martinez, then they might have a chance to improve throughout the rest of Big Ten play.
Weaknesses:
A lot of things have gone wrong for the Cornhuskers this season. First, they were held to just 61 total yards of offense through three quarters against Michigan. Nebraska did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter and were held to 132 yards by the end of the game. Second, the defense has struggled, surrendering 300 passing yards in each game. They also have struggled to stop the run, allowing 200 yards rushing against Troy and Michigan. This is a young team under Frost and they will look to improve and start making progress over the course of Big Ten play. In order to do this, they will have to have playmakers step up on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
