Nebraska Football: Why Cornhusker Fans Should Be Excited

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are 6-1 and riding a bit of momentum heading into a cross-divisional showdown with Rutgers in Lincoln on Saturday morning. Running back Ameer Abdullah looks as though he's back to his highlight-reel self, quarterback Tommy Armstrong looks like he has more command of the offense, and the defense, led by a sometimes-dominating defensive line, should make the fanbase incredibly excited about welcoming the Scarlet Knights to Lincoln for the first time.

The air is filled more than anything with tempered excitement. While a good win over Northwestern, a team that had given Nebraska fits the previous three seasons, on the road would seem like something to build on, Cornhusker fans have been here before. They've been lulled into thinking their team is a cut above the rest.

Now they're waiting. They're waiting for the inevitable fall, the loss to the team that shouldn't happen. Nebraska fans have seen their team start the season 6-1 twice under head coach Bo Pelini, only to see each promising season fizzle.

In 2010, led by freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez, the Cornhuskers raced to a  9-1 record and a No. 9 national ranking before losing three of their final four games, including a 17-9 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl to end the season. The Huskers had beaten the Huskies 56-21 in Seattle in September.

In 2011, Nebraska was 7-1 and ranked No. 9 again before being upset by Northwestern at home. A loss at Michigan two weeks later would knock the Cornhuskers out of contention for the Big Ten title, and a season-ending 30-13 loss to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl again made for an uneasy winter in Lincoln.

That's why, even with the Big Ten West in a state of flux (Minnesota is on top of the division, for goodness sake), Cornhusker fans are slow to come around to this team. Maybe they should, though.

In years past, Nebraska's defense has been punched in the mouth. With the exception of the dominating 2009 group and a few games here and there, the Blackshirts wilted. That hasn't been the case in 2014.

In five of Nebraska's seven games this year, the opposing team has scored a touchdown on its opening drive. Only Michigan State and Fresno State did not. Each time, a collective groan of "well, here we go again" could about be heard across the state. 

Unlike previous years, the defense has seemed to learn from its mistakes. Northwestern drove the ball 89 yards in 15 plays on its first possession Saturday night to take an early 7-0 lead. Nebraska's defense looked stunned.

After that drive, Nebraska's defense stiffened. The Wildcats gained just 201 yards the rest of the game. Of those, 88 yards came on a 10-play drive to put Northwestern up 14-7 late in the first half. 

In the second half, with Northwestern leading 17-14 and receiving the ball, Nebraska held the Wildcats to just 30 total offensive yards. That isn't the way previous Cornhusker defenses would have played. A cursory glance at the Wisconsin and Michigan games in 2011 should validate that point.

The Cornhuskers also have a quarterback who is maturing before our eyes. Does Tommy Armstrong sometimes key on receivers? Yes. Does he sometimes throw off his back foot or across his body? He does.

Does he also throw with velocity and have confidence in his throws and his receivers' abilities to go up and get the football? That's obvious. It was incredibly obvious as the game wore on Saturday night. While usually dependable receiver Kenny Bell dropped a couple passes, Armstrong still went to him time and again, allowing Bell to find his rhythm. This allowed other receivers to get open and catch passes downfield. That, in turn, opened up huge running lanes for Ameer Abdullah.

Armstrong has also shown his ability to run when needed, but it's obvious Nebraska's offense relies on the amazing skill set of Abdullah. Whether in the I formation, in the pistol, in the slot or even in motion, Abdullah is the straw that stirs the Nebraska drink offensively. When he is in a groove, he's almost impossible to stop. As was pointed out during the second half of the Northwestern game, Abdullah seemed to get stronger as the defense tired.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck has found unique ways to get other players involved, including explosive playmaker De'Mornay Pierson-El. After a trick-play touchdown pass to Tommy Armstrong, Pierson-El became the first Nebraska player since 2000 to return a punt for a touchdown, catch a touchdown and throw a touchdown in the same season. He's also the nation's leader in punt-return yardage and is tied for second in punt-return touchdowns (two).

The schedule sets up nicely for the Cornhuskers. I know that doesn't mean much, especially with the way the team has flopped in the past, but Nebraska's lone loss at Michigan State should stand out to opposing teams as a warning that this year's team won't go down without a fight.

After hosting Rutgers, which lost 56-17 at Ohio State Saturday, and Purdue in back-to-back weeks, Nebraska has a bye before traveling to Wisconsin to face Melvin Gordon and the Badgers. This looked to be the marquee game in the Big Ten West before the season started, but the Badgers have been largely underwhelming on the field. 

The Cornhuskers then host Minnesota, which beat Nebraska in Minneapolis last season, before traveling to Iowa City for a Black Friday date with Iowa to close the regular season.

It seems as though this part of the schedule, which includes all divisional matchups outside of Rutgers, should be cause for concern among the Big Red faithful. I would actually be excited.

Minnesota and Wisconsin run the ball exclusively. Wisconsin is first nationally, averaging 343 yards per game. It will challenge a Nebraska defense that is stout against the run, allowing just 121 yards per game. Unless the Badgers can get the ball in the air, which they have not shown the ability to do, it will be tough to beat the Cornhuskers.

The same applies to Minnesota. While the Gophers are efficient running the football, the team lacks the offensive firepower to keep up with Nebraska's 41 points per game.

Nebraska had failed horribly in one major aspect of the game the past few seasons: turnover margin. The Cornhuskers were especially bad in 2013, finishing last in the country. This year, while the defense hasn't produced as many takeaways as teams in the past, Nebraska is No. 55 in the country with a turnover margin of plus-one. If you want to win close games, you have to win the turnover battle. That's something this team has shown it can do.

If the Cornhuskers can keep doing what they're currently doing—running the football, playing sound defense and winning the turnover battle—they will win football games. We've always known that. It's simply different this year because it's something this team has shown it can do.

Smile, Nebraska fans. Get excited. Your team has put itself in a great position to finish well. Fingers crossed it doesn't trip up this weekend.