Nebraska Football: Huskers Finally Becoming a Complete Unit

The Nebraska football team that faced McNeese State looked familiar. It reminded fans of a team they'd seen in the past. It felt all too familiar.

Nebraska fans are used to a roller-coaster ride. Since head coach Bo Pelini took over in 2008, the Huskers have battled significant highs and lows. The challenge has always been having the team play as a complete unit.

Against Florida Atlantic, Fresno State and Miami, that's the direction Nebraska has shown it is headed in. The offense, defense and special teams are all beginning to play equally with one another.

After the McNeese State game, Pelini commented on the team's wild ride against the Cowboys:

"

You can’t ride the waves of being way up and way down, how you feel when you win. The approach has to stay the same. Whether you win by 50 or whether you win with 20 seconds to go. At the end of the day, you’re approach has to be the same.

"

Since then, the approach has been looking better and better. While Nebraska's offense has gotten a majority of the attention—BTN.com called it one of the nation's best after the Miami game—the defense cannot be forgotten.

As of this week, the Blackshirts are ranked No. 31 nationally in yards allowed per game. Led by defensive end Randy Gregory, the Huskers are only allowing 329.8 yards per game.

Speaking of Gregory, he's a definite asset to building a more complete team for Nebraska. On defense, he had two sacks, a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and seven total tackles again Miami, per the Omaha World-Herald.

As a result, he was named the Week 4 Lott IMPACT Player of the Week.

On the other hand, what Gregory is to the defense, I-back Ameer Abdullah is to the offense. The senior's leadership and talent have pushed his Heisman Trophy campaign into high gear. NCAA.com's Brendan Bures even took a look at what Abdullah brings to the table for Nebraska, which is a lot to say the least.

Having Gregory on defense and Abdullah on offense has been vital. However, what the two are building on their respective sides of the ball can make an impact after they're gone.

The matchup with Illinois will provide the Huskers with another chance to show they're becoming more complete as a team.

With Brian Christopherson and Brian Rosenthal of the Lincoln Journal Star reporting that linebacker David Santos is doubtful for the game against the Fighting Illini, the Blackshirts will be forced to step up. In doing so, the defense will need to limit mistakes and breakdowns. How it responds will be very telling of the unit's growth.

Nebraska is 4-0 for the first time since 2011. That alone speaks volumes about where this team is at. It's not going to be an easy path, but the offense and defense are looking more complete than they have in years.

That alone should make fans tired of riding the roller coaster feel a little bit better.