Nebraska Football: Tommy Armstrong Must Sharpen Focus as Big Ten Stakes Rise

The Nebraska football team escaped Evanston, Illinois with a win. It wasn't just any win, either.

After three matchups decided by a total of seven points between the two programs, the Huskers secured a sizable 38-17 victory against Northwestern.

While there's a lot to celebrate, there's also a lot that needs to be addressed. One of those aspects is quarterback Tommy Armstrong. The sophomore was inconsistent on Saturday, and that must change as Big Ten play continues on.

Looking solely at the numbers, Armstrong didn't have a bad night. He ended with 221 passing yards, 55 rushing yards and one catch for 16 yards and a touchdown.

He also didn't throw any interceptions.

By the end of the game, he became the third player in Nebraska history to reach 2,000 yards of total offense in the first seven games of a season. The only two players to have done the same at Nebraska are Joe Ganz (2,081 yards) and Taylor Martinez (2,018 yards).

If the analysis ended there, it would seem everything is fine for Armstrong and the offense.

However, it doesn't end there. Instead, Armstrong will have to sharpen his focus in the coming weeks—especially with Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa on the horizon.

Armstrong and the offense struggled to find a groove until the third quarter. That wasn't a one-time deal, either. Against Michigan State, the Nebraska offense failed to find a rhythm until the fourth quarter.

"The first three quarters we struggled. Up front we struggled, out wide we struggled. Myself, I struggled," Armstrong told reporters after the Michigan State game. "We just couldn't get into the groove, couldn't execute and it came back to haunt us."

Against Northwestern, the Husker offense thankfully figured it out sooner. However, it could have easily become another game where early struggles haunted the team's outcome in the end.

Going forward, Armstrong will need to sharpen his focus early and find a groove sooner. Taking so much time to do so could make games against Wisconsin and Iowa much tougher.

It was also hard not to see Armstrong struggle with shorter passes, which is something he can put some focus on going forward.

Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald took note of that issue. "The shorter the throw, the worse Armstrong looks," Chatelain wrote. "He can take a lot of pressure off of himself by hitting a few more short throws."

Armstrong's numbers also don't show the passes that easily could have been intercepted. One issue Armstrong has is that he locks in on his receivers, which allows the defense to follow his eyes.

One example is when Armstrong completely missed an open De'Mornay Pierson-El and threw right toward a Northwestern defender. Had it not been for Lane Hovey breaking up the pass, it easily could have been an interception.

By finding focus, Armstrong can continue to lead and make big plays. After all, against Northwestern, he had two worth paying attention to.

The first came when Pierson-El took a reverse and threw to an open Armstrong in the end zone late in the first half.

"

VINE - End around trick play! Pierson-El pass to Armstrong Jr. for 16 yds and the TD #NEBvsNW https://t.co/Te3Hwyr6yP

— FanSided GIF (@FanSidedGIF) October 19, 2014"

Later in the game, Armstrong took it upon himself to hurdle a Northwestern defender into the end zone. While the touchdown was called back to the 1-yard line, the play itself showed a lot about Armstrong. It showed his potential and will to fight as a leader.

It's now about making that more consistent from start to finish.

No one expects Armstrong to hurdle defenders on every single play. However, what fans do expect is a quarterback who settles in much quicker than Armstrong has recently.

The Huskers now face Rutgers and Purdue, which should give Armstrong and the offense a chance to grow. After that, Nebraska has Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. All three games will require the Nebraska offense's focus to be sharper than ever.

It's all up to Armstrong to lead the way.