Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Complete Game Preview
Where does the time go? After waiting months and months for college football to begin, the final home game for Nebraska is already here. Hard to believe, isn't it?
The Huskers will face Big Ten West foe Minnesota on senior day. Thirteen seniors, including Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell, will be honored before the game.
After a disappointing loss to Wisconsin, the Huskers are looking for redemption. While a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game is likely out of consideration, the bowl game Nebraska is invited to is still up in the air. That's what makes this matchup as important as any other.
Minnesota is Nebraska's most frequent opponent in the Big Ten, per Huskers.com. The Gophers even hold the lead in the series, which is currently 30-22-2.
The Gophers beat the Huskers in 2013, which is another reason Nebraska is out for redemption. Can the Huskers secure a win during the last 2014 game at home? Or will it be a repeat of last year in Minneapolis?
Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
When: Saturday, November 22, at noon ET
Watch: ESPN
Listen: Husker Sports Network or Sirius Channel 91, XM 91
Betting Line via Odds Shark: Nebraska (-10)
Nebraska's Keys to Victory
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1. Run the Ball
Ameer Abdullah looked healthy against Wisconsin. Up until when the team began struggling, he was handling Wisconsin's defense very well. There's no reason he can't do the same against Minnesota.
However, that will require a strong performance from the Nebraska offensive line and a solid game plan from offensive coordinator Tim Beck. If those two factors can happen, Nebraska will be in good shape.
However, it's when Nebraska fails to run the ball that things get messy. Beck has to allow what works to continue working. If quarterback Tommy Armstrong is struggling to complete a pass, have him hand off the ball to Abdullah.
Plus, in the two games Nebraska lost (Michigan State and Wisconsin) and the one where the Huskers struggled throughout (McNeese State), there was one common link: Abdullah. When he has been limited to less than 100 yards, the Huskers have struggled.
Again, a solid game plan and a strong performance from the offensive line will be crucial. Failure by either one could make for a long day for the Huskers.
2. Stop David Cobb
Nebraska's defense struggled to stop Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon. By the end of the day, he set an FBS record of 408 yards against Nebraska, which is something the Huskers would likely want to forget.
Except Nebraska can't forget. Not yet, anyway. Minnesota brings another powerful running back to the table, and Nebraska is going to have to stop him. That player is senior David Cobb.
Huskers defensive back Josh Mitchell understands that the Gophers likely think Nebraska gave them a foolproof plan. Per Huskers.com, he was clear Nebraska has to correct that: "They (the Gophers) run the ball a lot, and Wisconsin ran the ball a lot. After watching that film, I would imagine that they’re (the Gophers) going to try and duplicate some of the things that Wisconsin did. For them, it looks like a recipe for success. So we need to fix the little things that need to be fixed."
If Nebraska wants to sail to victory, stopping Cobb will be crucial. If not, he will only add to his season total of 1,350 rushing yards.
3. Enjoy Every Minute
OK, so this really isn't a "key" to victory. However, it's still very important. Not only is it the last game at home for 2014, but it's also senior day. As a result, the Huskers should take a minute to enjoy the game.
That doesn't mean players need to get lazy. In fact, realizing this is it in Memorial Stadium could be the motivation needed to beat Minnesota.
“We’re still brothers. The approach can’t change. The attitude of this team can’t change,” senior offensive lineman Jake Cotton said, per The Associated Press via the Star Tribune. “We still have a lot left to play for. You just play for each other and block everything else out and just do it for each other.”
And that's exactly what Nebraska needs to do. Enjoy the final home game and play hard for one another. Doing so will benefit the team overall.
Minnesota's Keys to Victory
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1. Let David Cobb Run
After Melvin Gordon ran all over Nebraska, there's no reason Minnesota shouldn't build a game plan around doing the same thing with David Cobb. This is clearly an area where the Blackshirts struggle, so why not take advantage of it?
Cobb has already rushed for 1,350 yards on 254 attempts this season. He also has an impressive 11 touchdowns. With three of those against Ohio State, there's reason to believe he can do the same thing, if not better, against Nebraska.
Minnesota can expect the Huskers defense to be more prepared to stop the run, but with Cobb's ability to run, there's no reason not to unleash him.
2. Put Pressure on Tommy Armstrong
Putting pressure on Tommy Armstrong usually means one thing: mistakes. Those mistakes also often lead to turnovers, which is exactly what Minnesota will want.
After all, the Golden Gophers defense has forced 19 sacks so far this season. For Armstrong, that kind of pressure can be enough to derail his confidence quickly. Also, while he has 14 touchdowns for the season, he also has nine interceptions. That's another area Minnesota can take advantage of.
Needless to say, Armstrong is still a young quarterback. Because of this, he's easy to frazzle. Once he gets pressured, the mistakes often follow. For Minnesota's defense, he needs to be a primary target.
"Our offense always does a great job after turnovers, usually converting (them) to points," Minnesota defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun said, per TwinCities.com. "I think when we get turnovers, the offense really thrives off that."
3. Stop Ameer Abdullah
When Ameer Abdullah gets going, he gets going. However, when he's limited, it usually means good things for the opposing team. That's why Minnesota needs to limit the I-back.
Minnesota's defense is currently allowing 350.7 yards per game. Abdullah has rushed for more than 200 yards in four games this season, which has to be a concern for the Gophers. For Minnesota to win at Nebraska, he must be stopped.
Keeping Abdullah to less than 100 rushing yards is the best bet to winning. It's not that one player is everything, but in his case, he plays a major factor in Nebraska's performance.
Nebraska Players to Watch
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Kenny Bell (WR, Sr.)
It's senior day for Nebraska, which is as good of a time to honor Kenny Bell as any other. In fact, he has been a player to watch for most of the season and most of his career. When the Huskers face off against Minnesota, that will still be the case.
After all, Bell holds plenty of records at Nebraska. He's currently the career leader in pass receptions and receiving yardage, per Huskers.com. With two more regular-season games and a bowl game to go, it seems very possible that Bell will just continue adding to those numbers.
He's been pretty consistent since 2011, too. After a year as a redshirt, Bell immediately made an impact by earning 461 yards and three touchdowns on 32 receptions. He never slowed down from that point.
| Season | Receptions | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
| 2014 | 36 | 591 | 16.4 | 3 |
| 2013 | 52 | 577 | 11.1 | 4 |
| 2012 | 50 | 863 | 17.3 | 8 |
| 2011 | 32 | 461 | 14.4 | 4 |
So keep an eye on Bell against Minnesota. Senior day is about all 13 seniors, but it feels like a particularly special day for the Boulder, Colorado, native who made Lincoln, Nebraska, his home.
Josh Mitchell (DB, Sr.)
Josh Mitchell isn't just a senior for Nebraska. He's also a leader. When asked if the defense should be wearing the coveted Blackshirts, Mitchell was clear.
"I think they stand for something better than what we put out there on film," he said, per Huskers.com. "I think it would be a disgrace to the former players who earned a right to wear them."
That statement is what makes Mitchell a leader, especially because he's been a strong player all season. To date, he has 28 solo tackles and two sacks, per ESPN.com.
After a disappointing performance against Wisconsin, expect to see a lot from Mitchell on senior day. It seems unlikely that the leader would let the performance against the Badgers be how anyone remembers him.
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Minnesota Players to Watch
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David Cobb (RB, Sr.)
Watch out, Huskers. David Cobb is another running back who could wreak havoc on the Blackshirts.
Against Ohio State, he had all three touchdowns for the Gophers. Plus, as CBSSports.com, put it, he shined despite the loss to the Buckeyes.
When Minnesota rolls into Memorial Stadium, the Blackshirts will have to be ready for Cobb. All eyes will be on him because, while he's not quite at Melvin Gordon's level, he's still an impressive running back. If given an opportunity, he'll run all over Nebraska.
Cobb has 11 touchdowns this season. Against Nebraska, he'll be looking to add a couple more if allowed.
Mitch Leidner (QB, Soph.)
Like Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner is young. As a result, he's still learning, which means there are moments of inconsistency.
Against Iowa, for instance, Leidner threw four touchdown passes in Iowa's 51-14 victory, per TwinCities.com. Against Ohio State, on the other hand, he only had 85 passing yards and no touchdowns.
Leidner will be an interesting player for Nebraska coaches, players and fans to watch because it's hard to tell which Leidner shows up. If it's the quarterback who played against Iowa, the Huskers could be in trouble. If it's the quarterback who faced off against Ohio State, the defense (primarily Randy Gregory) should have no problem stopping him.
So far on the season, Leidner has thrown for 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. While Cobb will help on the ground, Nebraska needs to keep an eye on Leidner, especially when he puts the ball in the air.
What They're Saying
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Head Coach Bo Pelini
On the team's demeanor after losing to Wisconsin: "Obviously upset. In some cases embarrassed. Mad. Especially after you look at the film. Disappointing. You put as much work into as you do, players and coaches alike, and obviously you don’t like a result like that."
On why the team was embarrassed:
"When I say embarrassed, I mean there were things technique-wise and execution-wise that you can’t explain. If you’ve ever played the game, you would understand that you make mistakes. Certain simple fundamental mistakes that hurt you. You have to figure out why it happens. I’m sure there are some guys going through that. There’s always that sense of embarrassment when you feel like you’ve let down your teammates.
"
On if the team lacked effort:
"It wasn’t effort. It’s not like they weren’t playing hard. Guys played hard, we just didn’t play smart. And like I told the guys going into the game, you have to have your focus each and every play. You can’t let down. You’re playing against a great back that’s going to hurt you, especially if you’re not in the right spot. A good example is the touchdown where Coop (Corey Cooper) missed a tackle on the sideline. They run that play earlier in the game and we tackled it for a either a loss or no gain. When you get two guys who lose what their responsibility is, lose their focus or are in a wrong spot? Boom. One guy is out of position and the second guy doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do, and boom. It hits you. Then we don’t get the guy on the ground. You know, playing great doesn’t mean doing anything out of the ordinary. It’s executing play after play after play. To a certain extent on both sides of the football that’s hurt us all year. That’s why I keep saying it every week. It’s about becoming more consistent, more accountable, more where we don’t lose our focus. Where we don’t find ourselves out of position on really a basic football play. It hurts us.
"
On Tommy Armstrong:
"I don’t think Tommy had his best game the other day. And I think he’s disappointed. Where he is in his career is that I still think he’s a good football player. He’s a competitor and he’ll get better as we move forward. I believe that. He’ll continue to work, he made some mistakes. I thought fundamentally he wasn’t great and it hurt him at times. And in some cases like I said before, we had to play better around him.
"
On how he responds to losses like Wisconsin:
"I don’t think it’s a leadership issue. To a certain extent, I don’t know. You sit there and think about it why it happened. It felt like déjà vu to me on some of the things I watched out there. I felt like we were almost in a worse situation at times during the Michigan State game. Our guys responded a certain way. At some point you have to make a play. Somewhere along the line, it was like we took turns. A guy here and a guy here were not necessarily blowing assignments, but in some sense blowing assignments. Putting ourselves in bad situation after bad situation and it just snowballed on us. I’ve been there as a coach before and I’ve been there as a player. In a situation like that, we were able to make plays in the Michigan State game to kind of keep it going and weather the storm and go. Here we couldn’t make a play. It snowballed on us. Obviously we’re very disappointed.
"
On if he feels he's hit his ceiling seven years in:
"No. You mean me personally? Because I’ve been around coaching and football long enough to know that you stay the course. It’s just like any given play. You have to keep working. You just have to keep fighting and keep working to do everything you can to play. Every single game, every single play, every single series, you have to keep working to try and get better. And that’s the case. Every season and every team is different. Let me tell you, what happened three and four years ago had nothing to do with what happened on Saturday. It’s a different time, different place, different team.
"
On what he thinks the perception of Nebraska football is: "Better than what it is locally. I think nationally, other people see things differently. Games like this or losing a football game isn’t just exclusive to Nebraska."
Senior Defensive Back Josh Mitchell
On watching the Wisconsin game film: "It was not easy to watch that film. But you just have to realize the mistakes you made, grade your effort, and get better. All you can do is get better. When you hit rock bottom like that, there is nowhere else to go but up. You just have to keep guys motivated."
On Minnesota's game plan after watching the Wisconsin game film: "They (Minnesota) run the ball a lot and Wisconsin ran the ball a lot. After watching that film, I would imagine that they’re (Minnesota) going to try and duplicate some of the things that Wisconsin did. For them, it looks like a recipe for success. So we need to fix the little things that need to be fixed."
On senior day:
"It hasn’t really hit me yet. People have brought it up and asked me about it. As far as my feelings towards everything right now, I am just taking it day by day and trying to get to this next game. I am sure when I get to the tunnel it’ll hit me then, and I will be able to reflect then. But right now I am just focused on being a leader and bringing my teammates up and making myself a better player.
"
On whether or not the defense should be wearing the Blackshirts: "Personally, no I don’t think we should. I think they stand for something better than what we put out there on film. I think it would be a disgrace to the former players who earned a right to wear them."
Senior Offensive Lineman Mike Moudy
On moving forward after Wisconsin:
"It’s about having a short memory. It is what it is. It’s in the past. You can’t control it and you can’t change anything about it. All you can do is get better. We are just going to worry about Minnesota. It is one game at a time. We gave ourselves yesterday to look at the film and analyze what went wrong and fix the mistakes that need to be fixed. It’s nothing new. We are treating this game just like anything else. It’s all about just going out there with your buddies and making sure you’re prepared for this week.
"
On Ameer Abdullah's mental toughness: "He (Abdullah) is one of the toughest guys I know. It was awesome having him out there. At the start of the week we weren’t sure if he was going to be there, but I was so happy he was. Regardless of how the game went, I was happy that he was back out there and I love blocking for the guy."
Quotes via the Huskers' weekly press conference, unless otherwise noted.
Prediction
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Minnesota isn't a team Nebraska can take lightly. After the team lost to Wisconsin on the road, it seems unlikely that the Huskers will. Plus, the Golden Gophers beat Nebraska in Minneapolis last year, which only adds an additional chip to the Huskers' shoulders.
That doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Minnesota running back David Cobb isn't Melvin Gordon, but he can still run the ball well. Against Ohio State, he racked up 145 yards on 27 carries. He also scored all three of Minnesota's touchdowns, per FoxSports.com.
For a Nebraska defense that looking to figure things out after Wisconsin, Cobb will be a concern. Can the Blackshirts handle him? Beyond that, can Nebraska keep it together when the going gets tough?
The answer is yes. Nebraska showed what it's capable of in the first quarter against Wisconsin. For whatever reason, the Huskers broke down and couldn't continue that level of play. Against Minnesota, that frustration from all the breakdowns will bring a reeling Cornhuskers team back to life.
There is likely no Big Ten Championship Game on the horizon now for Nebraska. However, the bowl game destination is still up in the air. Nebraska has a lot to play for.
On senior day, the Huskers will find a way to win, even if it's on the backs of players like Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell.
Prediction: Nebraska 27, Minnesota 20
For complete team coverage and everything Huskers, you can follow Erin on Twitter @erinsorensen.
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