Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Complete Game Preview

It's been a month since the Nebraska Cornhuskers' last home game. Back home, the Huskers face Big Ten newcomer Rutgers.

1920 was the last time the two saw each other, and Nebraska won 28-0. That game was played at the New York Polo Grounds.

Ninety-four years later, the two programs finally meet again, but this time it's at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Rutgers is 5-2 on the season, while the Huskers are 6-1. Nebraska is looking to win again, as the team continues its fight to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game.

Will the Huskers defeat Rutgers at home, or will the Scarlet Knights find a way to take home a victory?

Where:Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska

When: Saturday, October 25, at noon ET

Watch: ESPN2

Listen: Husker Sports Network or Sirius Channel 84, XM 84

Betting Line via Odds Shark: Nebraska (-17)

Nebraska's Keys to Victory

USA TODAY Sports

1. Let Ameer Abdullah Run

Let the Heisman campaign begin again. After a disappointing performance against Michigan State, Ameer Abdullah was back at it against Northwestern. He had 146 rushing yards and 13 reception years against the Wildcats. Add the four career-high rushing touchdowns on top of it and it would seem Abdullah is ready to keep fighting for a trip to the Big Ten title game.

Rutgers is going to want to stop Abdullah. The Scarlet Knights are No. 67 in rushing defense right now, which is good news for Nebraska's running game. However, it's going to be important that the offensive line steps up.

For Abdullah to run like he needs to, the Nebraska offensive line will need to be on its game. If that means rotating the players as offensive coordinator Tim Beck did against Northwestern, then so be it. Abdullah needs the space to run, and it'll all start up front.

2. Stop Desmon Peoples and Justin Goodwin

Against Michigan and Penn State, Rutgers only had 176 yards on 61 carries, per Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media. That adds up to only 2.8 yards per rush. So nothing to worry about for the Huskers, right? Wrong.

Desmon Peoples and Justin Goodwin were bright spots in Rutgers' loss to Ohio State. Peoples had two touchdowns on the night, which were his first for the season. As Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood pointed out, the two showed good signs for the offense, per Sargeant:

"

I thought Des did a good job. I thought Justin Goodwin did a good job. Both guys averaged over five yards a carry. There are no moral victories but when you evaluate a tape when you lose you don't just evaluate it to be negative. You have to see the positives.

I thought one of the positives coming from the game was that we executed the running game we were very effective. That's exciting to me because we're doing that against a very good defense. For a majority of the game, it was their starting defense. So I feel good and I take some confidence away that when we execute we can be very effective.

"

The key for the Nebraska defense will be stopping these two from becoming effective. Northwestern's Justin Jackson showed that a team can run on Nebraska if it executes properly. The Huskers need to ensure Rutgers doesn't have the same luck.

3. Take Advantage of the Home Crowd

Nebraska has a definite advantage in the home crowd against Rutgers. First and foremost, this is the first time Rutgers will ever play in Memorial Stadium. That's going to be a challenge for the Scarlet Knights.

Plus, High Point Solutions Stadium holds roughly 52,000 fans. Compare that to the 90,000-plus that the Huskers host, and that can be quite the difference.

Rutgers may not feel like a big game to worry about, but the Huskers can't take any team lightly. That means fans need to show up and be loud. That will only help Nebraska's momentum.

Rutgers' Keys to Victory

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

1. Stop the Pass

Rutgers head Coach Kyle Flood thinks Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong can throw the ball. In fact, he thinks it's an area the sophomore has grown in over the last year.

“I think last year he was an excellent runner, a guy who could make plays with his feet, but now he’s added the element of being a much more accurate passer,” Flood said, per Ryler Barto of The Trentonian. “He’s a dual‑threat guy, for sure. He’s not just a run‑first quarterback.”

It's not just Armstrong that needs attention, though. Who he throws to—Kenny Bell, Jordan Westerkamp, De'Mornay Pierson-El, etc.—make for an interesting challenge for any opponent. The Rutgers secondary will need to be paying attention to these players, especially when Armstrong drops back to pass.

2. Limit Ameer Abdullah

Flood was also not shy when talking about Ameer Abdullah. From ASAP Sports, as published by the Omaha World-Herald, the Rutgers head coach understands the challenge his team faces against Abdullah:

"

And more challenging, a really, really fine football team with one of the premier players in the country, Ameer Abdullah, is a first‑round draft pick running back. I don't know what else you can say about him. Everybody in the stadium knows he's going to get the ball, and yet he still averages over six yards a carry. He's just a tremendous player, tremendous kickoff returner.

"

Abdullah has 1,024 rushing yards on the season, as well as 14 rushing touchdowns. His numbers make him an absolute threat. Rutgers is currently allowing 162 yards per game on the ground. However, against Ohio State, the Knights gave up 324 rushing yards.

Can Rutgers truly limit Abdullah? It's going to be crucial if the Knights want to win.

3. Ignore the Crowd

A 90,000-plus crowd isn't ideal on the road. However, the Scarlet Knights faced more than 100,000 against Ohio State. If anything, that should have prepared Rutgers a bit to face Memorial Stadium.

However, playing in front of 40,000 more players than your own stadium holds can be daunting. For Rutgers, it's all about blocking it out.

A benefit for Rutgers is the fact that it's a noon ET kick. A night game's environment is usually tougher, so the early kickoff does make things a little nicer for the Knights.

Nebraska Players to Watch

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Ameer Abdullah (RB, Sr.)

This didn't look great against Michigan State, but Abdullah put any doubts to rest against Northwestern. From 159 total yards to his four rushing touchdowns, Abdullah made a statement.

What exactly is that statement? It's that you can't ever count him out.

The senior is on the edge of Heisman talk, but if he keeps going like he did against Northwestern, he'll be back in it in no time. Rutgers will have their hands full with Abdullah. The Scarlett Knights know that. It'll now be interesting to see if they can stop him.

De'Mornay Pierson-El (WR, Fr.)

Were you not entertained by De'Mornay Pierson-El against Northwestern?

Most people knew he was great at punt returns, but he hadn't really made a mark at the wide receiver position yet. Against Northwestern, that changed.

On a reverse from Abdullah, Pierson-El made sure people remembered his name when he threw a 16-yard touchdown to quarterback Tommy Armstrong. The trick play made sure people knew who Pierson-El was. It also guaranteed that future opponents will see a lot of the freshman.

Keep an eye on him against Rutgers. There's no telling what tricks are up his sleeve.

Rutgers Players to Watch

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Desmon Peoples (RB, Soph.)

Sophomore running back Desmon Peoples hasn't had a bad 2014 so far. He's rushed for 409 yards and two touchdowns on 97 attempts. He's averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

The two touchdowns actually came against Ohio State. While the Scarlet Knights lost 56-17, his touchdowns were definitely a bright spot in the game.

What that says about Peoples is that he's a fighter. He's young and still learning, but he's a player opponents need to keep an eye on. If given the chance, he'll do all he can to find the end zone.

Justin Goodwin (RB, Soph.)

Alongside Peoples, Goodwin is also a player to watch. The sophomore has 261 yards and one touchdown on 57 attempts. In 2013, he had five touchdowns, which shows he has a lot of potential in 2014. He's averaging 4.6 yards.

What really makes Goodwin and Peoples the players to watch is the void they are currently filling. When junior Paul James suffered a season-ending knee injury against Navy, the two were tasked with keeping up and filling the void.

So far, the two have done a pretty good job at it. They're still growing (which means, as a result, there are growing pains), but they're making it work for Rutgers.

Watching Northwestern's ability to run against Nebraska had to give Goodwin and Peoples some confidence. All eyes will be on them to see if they can accomplish the same.

What They're Saying

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Head Coach Bo Pelini

On playing at home after being on the road for a few weeks:

"

It is going to be nice not playing a night game, five night games in-a-row wears on you, with three on the road. I am looking forward to playing some day games, especially with those three on the road. Our bye week came at a good time and really this fall break came at a good time for our kids to be able to take a breath.

It wears on you. You get back late at night. I know me – I was worn down. It just takes its toll on you. I am glad that we have that part of the schedule behind us. We might have a night game coming up, I don’t even know, as far as that is going to work as the season goes on.

It was a tough stretch, and I think I said it, it is going to be good to get home for these next couple of weeks.

 

"

On Rutgers:

"

They kind of do what they do. They are going to have one or two specific packages that they do. You see that week-to-week. They have 90 percent of something they do, and they are not going to change that, but the 10 percent changes depending on their opponent. They haven’t changed a whole heckuva lot.

You have to have a philosophy, and I know Coach (Ralph) Friedgen and Coach (Kyle) Flood, they have what they believe and do what they do. I am sure they will adjust some things because of our structures, but for the most part they are going to run their offense and their defense and try to execute it at a high level.

 

"

On any extra challenges a new opponent presents:

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I spent some of the bye week looking at them, prior to the Northwestern game, like you say, it is like we are playing a new opponent. We have not played these guys before. Trying to familiarize with what they are trying to do. I know Tim (Beck) got a little bit of a jump during the bye week.

It's one thing seeing them on film, then playing them and seeing them live and what they do. I am sure there will be adjustments that will have to be made on both sides, because we are new to them, too.

 

"

On Tommy Armstrong:

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What I know is he is learning something every day. I don’t think sometimes people realize how much is on a kid's plate. It is a hard position to play. He is still learning. He works very hard at it. He studies the game hard. Every week is a little different. He is seeing different structures and coverages every week.

I think it comes down to, and I think Tim (Beck) is conscious of this, week to week you have to find that happy medium between being able to attack and game plan for somebody and do something specific that can exploit what people are doing. But also not going outside of your quarterback's comfort zone.

There is a lot, as much as we use the quarterbacks in the run game and in the zone read, all those things can add up to a lot.

 

"

On ESPN's and the SEC's relationship:

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I don’t think that kind of relationship is good for college football. That’s just my opinion. Anytime you have a relationship with somebody, you have a partnership, you are supposed to be neutral. It’s pretty hard to stay neutral in that situation.

 

"

On the life of Brook Berringer:

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That’s a little bit before my time, but obviously I was fully aware. I have had a chance to meet his family and obviously he was a pretty special guy. Somebody who stands for the things he did will always have an impact on any program for ever. The people who knew him and the people he touched.

 

"

Wide Receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El

Om his touchdown pass to Armstrong:

"

It wasn’t anything too big really. I was surprised at how well I actually threw it. I didn’t warm up or anything so it actually came out pretty nice and I was shocked. I paused for a second. I was just like, "OK, here you go," and just threw the ball.

 

"

On Rutgers:

"

We watched film a little bit. We have to get after them. We have to be physical on our part. We have to throw the punches. We can’t let them dictate to what they do. We have to dictate to what we do.

"

Safety Nate Gerry

On the interception against Northwestern:

"

I wasn’t really surprised he threw it. I wasn’t really supposed to be involved. I was kind of more of a backside help protection and just on the release with the wideout, I got freed up a little bit and I look across the field and saw someone was running deep and I sprinted after him I guess, and the quarterback made a late decision and we got some great pressure and he just threw it up there and J-Mitch (Josh Mitchell) said I stole it from him, but I’m kind of glad I caught it because I've got a little better hands than he does.

 

"

On Rutgers:

"

We watched a little bit of them yesterday. Their quarterback is a good quarterback. He can throw the ball pretty well. I feel like I’ve seen their tight end is a pretty athletic kid. We didn’t really look at them that much just a couple plays here and there. I think they’re a pretty well(-coached) team, and I think it’s going to be a good one.

"

All quotes obtained from Nebraska's weekly press conference, per Huskers.com.

Prediction

Eric Francis/Getty Images

Nebraska is finally home. After a few weeks away, the Huskers are back in Memorial Stadium. With it, the team finally has an early kickoff.

However, the team coming to town is a team the school hasn't seen since 1920. That makes things interesting. Defensive end Greg McMullen isn't worried, per Huskers.com:

"

Our coaches do a great job of getting us prepared going into each game whether it’s the new kid on the block or a team that has been in the Big ten since the beginning of it. We’re going to approach the same way, do what we have to do today and tomorrow, get after it at practice and continue to progress towards our goal.

"

As of right now the Huskers are ranked 12th nationally in scoring (41 ppg) and 18th nationally in scoring defense (19.9 ppg). As NJ.com pointed out, that's pretty consistent. Can that consistency be used to beat Rutgers?

The answer is yes. Nebraska can use this matchup with the Scarlet Knights to prove it's more than just a second-half team. Against Michigan State and Northwestern, the Huskers found a groove in the second half. When it comes to Rutgers, Nebraska will have an opportunity to fix that.

Watch for a big game from I-back Ameer Abdullah (at least 150 yards on the ground). His numbers should be good enough against Rutgers to get the Heisman conversation started again.

But if nothing else, the Huskers will walk away with a big win over the Big Ten newcomers.

Prediction: Nebraska 41, Rutgers 17

For complete team coverage and everything Huskers, you can follow Erin on Twitter @erinsorensen.