Fresno State vs. Nebraska Football: Previewing the Huskers' Next Game

Now that the warmup is over, Nebraska gets its first FBS test of the season when the Fresno State Bulldogs come to Lincoln on Saturday night. Fresno took a tough loss to open the season, falling 36-21 at home to California. But Pat Hill’s squad has a history of being giant-killers, which could make the game interesting. Let’s take a look at what could make Nebraska fans happy and sad during the course of the game.

(Fair warning: There will be a liberal dose of dog-related puns sprinkled in throughout the slideshow. If that’s not your bag, you should go no further.)

Happy If...the Line Gets a Push

There was much hand-wringing after Nebraska’s performance against Chattanooga about the offensive line’s inability to create lanes and space for the running backs to move, particularly against the tackles. The coaching staff intimated that Nebraska was using the Chattanooga game as an opportunity to “test” some things out as opposed to running right at the Mocs.

Well, against Fresno State we’ll find out. The Bulldogs’ Logan Harrell is as good a defensive lineman as NU will see this year, meaning the young NU offensive line will get a much sterner test than last week. If the Nebraska backfield does have a lot of Bulldogs in it on Saturday, it’s a good sign for NU.

Happy If...the Dogs Can't Run

Fresno State has some bite (told you the puns were coming) on offense as well.

Running back Robbie Rouse has the speed to make life miserable for opposing defenses. He tallied 86 yards against California last week in Fresno State’s 36-21 loss, and went for 217 against Nevada last year. Although the totals weren’t impressive, the Mocs were able to move the ball in spurts against Nebraska.

If the Blackshirts are able to collar (yep, more to come) Rouse, NU should expect success on Saturday.

Happy If...NU Gets Up-Tempo

For the first time in years, the play clock has not been an issue for Nebraska’s offense. However, postgame quotes from players and coaches talked about wanting to increase the tempo even further. Given how rocky the offense looked in parts against Chattanooga, that’s a little bit of a scary thought.

Still, if NU’s offense is feeling confident enough to increase the tempo and take the Bulldogs for a run (I can do this all day), it should be considered a good sign for the Tim Beck Offensive Experience.

Sad If...the Option Falters

Nebraska’s back-to-the-'80s option attack against Chattanooga was a hit-and-miss affair. When it worked well, NU gashed the Mocs for big gains on the ground. But when it didn’t, the offense gummed up and failed to produce. Nebraska didn’t lose any fumbles from a botched option play, but the potential was there.

The risk of a quick-tempo offense is that the defense can be put back on the field in a hurry after a three-and-out. If NU can’t get its option-game working, fumbles or quick turnarounds could cause problems.

Sad If...the Corners Struggle Again

There has not yet been word as to whether senior Alfonzo Dennard will return from injury for the Fresno State game. If Dennard doesn’t play, Nebraska will be left with Andrew Green and Ciante Evans as their starting corners. Not only did Green and Evans struggle in those roles against Chattanooga, having them as starters pushed other players (such as Tyler Blatchford) into nickel and dime secondary roles.

The Bulldogs start Derek Carr, brother of NFL first-round pick David Carr, at quarterback. While Carr struggled against California last week, NU's corners need to play better to avoid David getting a week looking like his big brother.

Sad If...the Kicks Start Coming Back

Brett Maher had a dream start as Nebraska’s starting kicker and punter, making people forget momentarily about Alex Henery. But that was against Chattanooga.

Fresno State has blocked 59 kicks since 2001, the most in the FBS. Sure, the Bulldogs are the runt of the litter in this game (OK, maybe the puns are getting a little thin), but blocked kicks can be huge momentum swings and are a prime tool for an underdog to pull off a shock upset.

Fearless Forecast

Certainly we will learn a lot more about what the 2011 Nebraska team is made of after this game. Fresno State isn’t the team they have been in the last few years, but they have enough playmakers to give Nebraska headaches on both sides of the ball.

Ultimately, though, Nebraska should have too much speed and athletic talent for the Bulldogs to keep up. Don’t be shocked if this game is within 10 points at halftime, but NU should be able to put the hammer down in the second half and end up with a comfortable victory.

Nebraska's -24.5 number looks awfully high, though, so an investment in the plucky underdogs might prove fruitful.

Nebraska 31, Fresno State 13

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