Husker offensive line looks to keep improving in 2020
Over the last several years one of the biggest issues for Nebraska football has been their offensive line. An inability to block defiantly affects the productivity of everybody on the offense as a whole.
In 2019, the tide started to change at the position over the second half of the year. Individuals started stepping up and Nebraska became more competitive in games after the 34-7 smackdown at Minnesota.
Cameron Jurgens from Beatrice, Matt Farniok, and Brenden James were huge in the improvement along the line.
Jurgens became the first freshman to start at center for Nebraska since the NCAA restored freshman eligibility back in 1972. It was a learning curve to start the season, but once he got going midway through the season he became a brick wall.
Farniok had the most experience on the line, as it was his third season cemented up front for the Huskers. For the work he did at right tackle he was awarded Nebraska Offensive Lineman of the Year Award for 2019.
James was another force on the Husker line at left tackle. He started all 12 games and was Nebraska’s Offensive MVP and honorable-mention All-Big Ten for the second straight season.
Their work helped Nebraska finish third in the Big Ten in rushing offensive with 2,439 yards, and fifth in total offense with 4,990 combined yards.
Even with the improvements they have made, there is still work that needs to be done particularly in pass protection, sacks given up, and penalties. All huge issues for the Huskers in 2019 that turned out to be drive killers.
To put it in perspective Nebraska ranked fifth from the bottom in sacks against with 28 overall, 2.3 a game, and a total of 168 yards total lost on sacks throughout the year on offense. Nebraska was also in the middle of the pack in terms of penalties with 61 for 518 yards.
Not all those penalties were the O-Lines fault, but there were many times throughout the year where a costly false start hurt the momentum of a drive.
I will also say it wasn’t completely the offensive lines doing for the less than impressive passing stats in 2019. There was a lot of indecisiveness out of quarterbacks Adrian Martinez and Noah Vederal that resulted in overthrows or a sack.
But, there were also times that the quarterbacks were given no time to make a play. It seemed as if the defender was there to swallow them up right away. That is something the O-Line has to get cleaned up if the Huskers hope to improve on their 5-7 record a year ago.
Nebraska will also need the help of Trent Hixon from Omaha, Ne who started every game at left guard a season ago and earned a scholarship after entering the program as a walk-on.
On the other side, Boe Wilson started every game at right guard and will be leaned on heavily as one of two seniors on the line.
I think the prognosis for the blockers or big boys as they are sometimes called, is that they will be much improved in 2020. They will keep building on the success they started gaining towards the end of last year and in return, the offense will continue to improve and become very dangerous on the ground.
2020 could be a good year for the Huskers if COVID-19 doesn’t wreck it before it starts, and the main reason will be the resurgence of the offensive line.