Nebraska Defense Better Prepared to Handle the Northwestern Offense

Nebraska may have lost to Michigan State, but the defense had a lot to celebrate. The group proved it has what it takes to be titled the "Blackshirts." A bye week later, the Huskers defense is ready to handle Northwestern.

"[Trevor] Siemian isn’t as mobile as Kain Colter was so we have to worry more about his arm," cornerback Daniel Davie said, per Huskers.com. "We have to be prepared for the routes we are going to get. He is talented with his arm so that’s what we will have to prepare for the most.”

The loss of Colter is a major advantage for the Huskers. In 2014, Northwestern is 11th in total offense, averaging 361.7 yards per game. Siemian is doing a nice job settling in at quarterback for Northwestern, but as Davie pointed out, his strength is not on the ground.

That means Nebraska needs to be prepared to stop the pass. It wasn't the highlight of the Huskers defense earlier in the season, but it is improving. Against Michigan State, the Blackshirts forced three takeaways, which limited Spartans quarterback Connor Cook to only 11 of 29 passes.

What makes the matchup between Nebraska's defense and Northwestern's offense the most interesting is that the Huskers have a chance to make the Wildcats one-dimensional, as Examiner.com's William Harrison pointed out. With pressure up front, the Huskers can make it difficult for Justin Jackson or any of the Northwestern running backs to gain any ground, which forces Siemian to throw.

The trick is that throwing isn't a negative for Siemian. He has done a nice job of targeting multiple wide receivers, which Nebraska will need to be prepared for. By eliminating the running game, stopping the pass can become the focus, though.

Have the Blackshirts prepared properly for Northwestern? Senior safety Corey Cooper believes so.

"I think guys came to practice and practiced hard, but the test is this Saturday," Cooper said, per the Lincoln Journal Star's Brian Christopherson. "So we will find out."

The Nebraska defense proved against Michigan State that it knows how to win. While it may be giving up 21.5 points per game, it's by no lack of effort. Plus, Nebraska knows what it's up against.

“They don’t have a mobile quarterback in Kain Colter anymore so they pretty much have a guy that will sit back in the pocket and throw the ball," Cooper said, per Huskers.com. "But they still have the same principle as an offense but they just don’t have a dual-threat quarterback anymore.”

If the Blackshirts can take that knowledge and put it into action on the field, Northwestern's offense is the perfect challenge. It's a matchup that has the potential to be a close one like years past. It'll all come down to how the team plays as a whole on both sides of the ball.

As of now, it looks like Nebraska's defense has the tools to hold up its end of the deal to win.