Nebraska Must Fix Mental Mistakes Before Big Ten Conference Play

The clock is ticking for Nebraska. With Big Ten conference play only a couple of weeks away, the Huskers are running out of time to fix crucial errors.

It's not that Nebraska is a poor team. In fact, when all the pieces come together, it's a team that proves it could win the Big Ten West (especially with how the rest of the division looks right now). However, the Huskers are going to have to get out of their own way to make that happen.

For example, early in the second quarter against McNeese State, quarterback Tommy Armstrong was intercepted by defensive back Aaron Sam. That interception was then returned 98 yards to become the second-longest interception return against Nebraska in school history.

Armstrong could have easily had a couple of other passes picked off, too. It's not like Armstrong had a bad day, either. Instead, the quarterback passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns, as well as rushed for 131 yards for one touchdown.

In those moments, age and experience definitely showed. He was also just making mental mistakes, which Armstrong has taken responsibility for. That interception by Sam, for instance? “Threw the ball right in his hands,” Armstrong said, per Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald. “I’ve just got to make smarter decisions.”

It wasn't just Armstrong making those mistakes, though.

In the third quarter, for instance, Jake Cotton had a personal foul called against him for tripping. The worst part of that mistake? It negated a touchdown. The Huskers then settled for a field goal.

Even the linebackers had issues, which former Husker and NFL linebacker Jay Foreman pointed out.

For Nebraska to become a championship-caliber team, the mental mistakes need to be addressed and figured out. They have plagued the Huskers over the last few seasons, often making a difference in whether or not the team secures a victory.

That doesn't mean Nebraska isn't making strides in the right direction. As Hail Varsity pointed out, before the McNeese State matchup, Nebraska was turnover-free in a game for the first time since the 2012 season-opener against Southern Miss. Unfortunately, that statistic didn't last long.

Against McNeese State, Nebraska had a difficult time staying consistent. While the Huskers continued to deal with the temporary loss of Randy Gregory, it still wasn't enough reason to be such a close game. Armstrong was also quick to point out that the team isn't in a place to make those mistakes and expect to still win.

"Mistakes killed us," Armstrong said. "We went three-and-out a few times when we shouldn't have. We just didn't take care of the football. It's not good enough. We're not good enough to do that."

As for senior I-back Ameer Abdullah, he takes the mistakes personally. In the press conference following the McNeese State game, he wasn't quiet about what he felt the Huskers did wrong:

"

Football is a game that I love, that I have a lot of respect for, but the respect as a whole from the team needs to go up. Respect of the opponent, respect of our game plan, taking it seriously, and just executing. That all goes into respecting the game. I feel like our level of respect for the game this week was not good enough. It definitely showed. That's on me as a captain.

"

Going forward, Nebraska needs to learn from the mistakes they made against the Cowboys. Eliminating turnovers and penalties will make a significant difference. Respecting the game, as Abdullah put it, will help as well.

Nebraska doesn't have much time to get these issues figured out. Both Fresno State and Miami offer good opportunities to get back on track. Otherwise, the team is going to basically lose to itself against teams that can be defeated.

If the Huskers can't fix mental mistakes quickly, Big Ten play is going to be rougher than expected.

All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.