Miami vs. Nebraska: Complete Game Preview

One-time powerhouses renew a classic rivalry when the Miami Hurricanes enter Memorial Stadium to challenge the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPN2 will carry the the nonconference clash, which is highlighted by a pair of the nation's best running backs in Duke Johnson and Ameer Abdullah. According to Oddsshark, the 'Huskers are favored by seven points.

The last meeting between the programs was the 2001 BCS National Championship, where the 'Canes plastered Nebraska 37-14.

Miami Keys to Victory

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Capitalize on Tommy Armstrong's Mistakes

As noted by Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong has a tendency to force some throws.

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Armstrong is much too fixated on the middle of the field, while Ameer Abdullah—and later Terrell Newby—could have enjoyed huge gains on swing passes, if only Armstrong had checked to them instead of throwing into coverage. This go-big-or-go-home trait burned Armstrong last year, and it could burn him—and the Huskers—again.

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Miami must be ready to capitalize on any poor decision by the sophomore gunslinger. Along with cornerbacks Ladarius Gunter, Artie Burns and Tracy Howard, safeties Deon Bush and Dallas Crawford will have a couple legitimate opportunities to snag an interception.

The key for those players is making every chance for a takeaway count.

Contain the Read-Option Plays

Although the Hurricanes will probably not completely stop Nebraska on the ground, they need to contain Armstrong and Abdullah. Currently, the Cornhuskers boast the nation's third-best rushing attack, gaining 7.4 yards per attempt.

Nebraska's read-option calls are expected to cause fits among Miami's front seven, just like it has for opposing defenses all season.

Two weekends ago alone, Armstrong ripped off 42-, 24- and 34-yard runs during a win over McNeese State. He has multiple other lengthy gains, but those three carries totaled 98 yards—a stat the 'Canes cannot afford to allow.

And then there's Abdullah, who has registered 132 per game as the featured back. So yes, Miami has its collective hands full with the extremely talented combination. 

Nebraska Keys to Victory

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Establish a Passing Game

Despite a 7-to-1 touchdown/interception ratio, Armstrong has found his target on just 53.1 percent of his passes. Jordan Westerkamp and Kenny Bell have hauled in 23 of the 43 completions, accounting for 485 yards and three touchdowns in 2014.

The duo averages a stellar 21.1 per catch and will receive plenty of targets, but Nebraska cannot let the Hurricanes shut down Westerkamp and Bell.

If that were to happen, the Cornhuskers would be searching for a reliable third option—something it does not have at this point. Nebraska's No. 3 receiver is currently Abdullah, yet the running back only has four receptions.

Yes, the 'Huskers have an excellent running game, but making their offense one-dimensional still cautiously plays into the hands of the Miami defense—which will be extensively preparing for Armstrong and Abdullah all week.

Limit Explosive Miami Receivers

Freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya throws a beautiful deep ball, and the Hurricanes have one elite speedster to track it down. Phillip Dorsett just recorded the third 200-yard game in school history, notching three receptions of 50 or more.

Miami has tallied seven passing plays of 30-plus yards so far, though none belong to sophomore Stacy Coley, who had eight such catches last season.

Safeties Nate Gerry and Corey Cooper can provide over-the-top help, but corners Josh Mitchell, Daniel Davie and Byerson Cockrell will match up with Dorsett, Braxton Berrios, Herb Waters, Malcolm Lewis and Coley, if healthy.

Plus, 6'6" tight end Clive Walford has a pair of long receptions on wheel routes, so Nebraska needs to watch out for him, too.

Miami Players to Watch

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Ereck Flowers, Left Tackle

Ereck Flowers is a first-team All-ACC-caliber player, but his junior campaign has not resembled his potential so far. During the opening three games, the starting left tackle was flagged with two holding penalties and two false starts.

But he doesn't have time to slowly regain form; Miami needs Flowers to be the dominant blocker it knows he can be, and now.

Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, ranked by B/R's Matt Miller as the No. 4 overall prospect for the 2015 NFL draft, will test Flowers throughout the night.

Danny Isidora and Taylor Gadbois have struggled on the right, so the Hurricanes offense would be greatly hamstrung if the strong side breaks down, too.

Courtel Jenkins and Ufomba Kamalu, Defensive Tackle

Miami has been searching for marked improvement on its D-line, and Courtel Jenkins seems to be filling that void quite nicely.

The freshman has arguably been the team's best interior lineman, disrupting the line of scrimmage and forcing running backs to find a different lane. Jenkins has been credited with nine tackles, and he's been directly involved in a few more plays.

Ufomba Kamalu, on the other hand, has been an absolute menace to opposing quarterbacks. The junior has already notched three sacks, tallying eight total stops.

Nebraska exhibits an outstanding two-headed attack, and the duo granting Denzel Perryman and the linebackers any extra time to fill gaps is essential.

Nebraska Players to Watch

Ameer Abdullah, Running Back

This one is a no-brainer.

Nebraska nearly lost to McNeese State, but Abdullah essentially put the team on his back and shed five tacklers en route to a game-winning 58-yard touchdown.

That kind of playmaker doesn't come around often, especially considering the senior has compiled 19 career 100-yard games and scored in 11 of his last 16 appearances.

Somehow, McNeese State managed to hold him to a mere 3.2 yards per attempt, so it's possible for Miami to hassle Abdullah. But it won't be easy.

Zaire Anderson, Outside Linebacker

Roaming the weak side at the second level, linebacker Zaire Anderson will be responsible for stopping Duke Johnson from cutting back and breaking long runs.

Plus, he must keep an eye on Walford because Kaaya has found his large target for two touchdowns in addition to a 31-yard catch.

Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star calls Anderson "the defender with the most bite" behind Gregory.

The senior has tallied 15 tackles (including three for loss) alongside Josh Banderas, David Santos and a stout Nebraska linebacking unit.

What They're Saying

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Miami

Per Matt Porter of The Palm Beach Post, two of the Hurricanes' defensive leaders acknowledged that stopping Abdullah will be tough but are looking forward to the test.

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Senior defensive end Anthony Chickillo called Abdullah "a really explosive player."

"He's been making a lot of big plays for them for three years now," Chickillo said. "Everything they say about him is true. He’s that good. He’s going to be a tough one this Saturday."

"He’s a great back, man," senior linebacker Denzel Perryman said. "He's powerful for his size, he's a speed guy, he's elusive. He's an all-in-one back. Great footwork. It's going to be a nice little matchup. I'm looking forward to playing him."

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Nebraska

Following the 36-point win over Fresno State, B/R's Erin Sorensen noted Mitchell would rather show the team's improvement on the field than talk about it.

"We aren't good enough yet to take anybody lightly," the senior cornerback said. "We're not there, we're not even close. All we can do is bring it at practice and just not talk about it, but be about it."

Prediction

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Kaaya throws for 230 yards and one touchdown while his backfield counterpart Johnson scampers for 87 and a score. However, it's not enough for the Hurricanes to overcome the nonconference opponent on the road.

The Cornhuskers win the third-down battle, extending drives and sending the explosive Miami offense to the sideline. Abdullah leads the way with 135 yards and two scores on the ground.

Nebraska leads 13-10 at halftime before scoring a pair of touchdowns during the final 30 minutes, and the 'Huskers improve to 4-0.

Prediction: Nebraska 27, Miami 20

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.