Four things to watch
WILL THE SECONDARY HOLD UP? Nebraska wide receivers JD Spielman (23 catches, 252 yards and four TDs) and Stanley Morgan (17-269-1) have made big plays all season, thanks in large part to the skills of freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Caesar Williams (leg) and redshirt freshman cornerback Faion Hicks (thumb) aren’t healthy and it isn’t clear if both will be able to play Saturday night. That could mean a greater workload for redshirt freshman Deron Harrell and sophomore Madison Cone. Hicks has started all four games this season; Williams started the first three before the staff went with Harrell in the Big Ten opener at Iowa; and Cone has been the nickel cornerback. “You have to work them at a lot of different places,” defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “That is the hardest part right now, knowing that you’re an injury away from maybe two or three people switching roles. It is trying to give them a role they can manage. … If you start having to make adjustments, you still have to keep it in a role where they can have success. It can’t be too big for them. That is the trick right now with the youth that we have and the depth that we have.”
DRIVE THE BALL AND SCORE: UW managed only three touchdowns on 10 possessions in the loss to BYU. The numbers improved slightly at Iowa as UW scored four touchdowns on 11 possessions. That included touchdowns on the last two possessions, a 17-yard pass from Alex Hornibrook to A.J. Taylor and a 33-yard run by fullback Alec Ingold. Nebraska has allowed a combined 98 points in its two Big Ten losses, 56 at Michigan and 42 to visiting Purdue. UW should be able to move the ball on the Cornhuskers, particularly on the ground. The Badgers should win the battle for time of possession but they must finish drives with touchdowns, not field goals or missed chances.
A FAST START WOULDN’T HURT: Nebraska has struggled early in games this season. Opponents have outscored the Cornhuskers, 47-14, in the opening quarter and 46-21 in the second quarter. UW, curiously, hasn’t been efficient early. The Badgers have outscored their opponents by just 17-14 in the opening quarter. The second quarter numbers – 38-14 – are better but UW needs to establish control early.
ELUSIVE MOMENTUM? The off week after the victory over Iowa came at a good time in that it allowed several players battling through injuries time to heal. That includes outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (ankle), who was injured early against BYU and played only a handful of snaps at Iowa. Yet several players mentioned during the week that the time off after the victory at Iowa felt like an eternity. Will UW be able to build off that victory or will the layoff hurt? “You always like to carry momentum,” senior inside linebacker Ryan Connelly said.