Five burning questions heading into Rutgers week

Finally, the Huskers enter a game week coming off of a Big Ten victory following Saturday night’s 35-21 win over Indiana.

Here are five of the biggest questions facing Nebraska as it prepares for a short-week road trip to Rutgers on Friday night…

Nebraska finally has momentum. Now what?

Nebraska is riding the momentum of a Big Ten win for the first time in more than a full calendar year. Was the performance against Indiana just a flash in the pan? Or can the Huskers build upon arguably their most complete effort of the season?

There is also the added difficulty of turning around with a short week of preparation, as the schedule gets moved up a day with a Friday night kickoff at Rutgers.

Interim head coach Mickey Joseph said NU would continue to follow the “24-hour rule” and quickly move on from the celebration that went down inside Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

But the reality is that Nebraska hasn’t won consecutive conference games since November 2018, when it beat Illinois and Michigan State. Is this group capable of continuing Big Ten success and building upon some desperately needed momentum?

Can the defense keep it going?

Nebraska’s defensive performance against Indiana couldn’t have looked much different than how it played the last time out in a 49-14 beatdown against Oklahoma.

The Huskers’ open-field tackling was dramatically improved, as was its consistently effective pressure on the quarterback.

It’s certainly worth noting that the Hoosiers were without their two best wide receivers and were a significant drop-off in offensive firepower compared to the Sooners. However, NU now faces a Rutgers offense dealing with its share of issues, including some lingering injury questions at quarterback.

If the Huskers can replicate their defensive effort in Piscataway, they will have every chance to pull off another victory. Are they up to the task?

Will the Huskers clean up the penalties?

The only reason Nebraska could overcome a staggering 12 penalties for 111 yards was that Indiana was flagged almost as much (11 for 92).

Still, there is no question that the Huskers must clean up their play in all three phases if they plan on having any semblance of sustained success.

There were undoubtedly some questionable calls on Saturday night, but that doesn’t change the fact that NU was often its worst enemy with costly self-inflicted mistakes.

Casey Thompson was flagged for two intentional grounding calls. Turner Corcoran was ejected from the game one play after earning a personal foul.

Rutgers (40 penalties on the season) and Nebraska (35) are now the second and third-most penalized teams in the Big Ten this season, trailing only Maryland (41). The more disciplined team on Friday night will likely be the winner.

Is Anthony Grant ready for another big workload?

Anthony Grant didn’t have the explosive runs against Indiana he’d had in previous games, but he was as consistently productive as any player on Nebraska’s offense.

The Huskers hitched their wagon to the workhorse running back and rode him to the tune of 32 carries for a game-high 136 yards. That marked the most attempts by an NU back since Ameer Abdullah’s 35 against Miami in 2014.

He was also the first Husker to carry the ball 30-plus times in a game since Tre Bryant had 31 against Arkansas State in 2017.

Nebraska predicates its offense on Grant and the running game keeping drives on schedule. But after shouldering that volume and now having a day less of recovery this week, is Grant ready for more heavy lifting at Rutgers?

Can the Huskers’ special teams continue to be an asset?

For the first time in far too long, Nebraska’s special teams weren’t a complete liability against Indiana. In fact, they were a legitimate asset in the victory.

Highlighted by a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, the Huskers’ third element dominated the average starting field position (NU’s own 33-yard line compared to Indiana’s 21). They even got positive production in the punt return game through Trey Palmer (three returns for 37 yards).

Punter Brian Buschini had a few shanks but also delivered three critical punts inside the Hoosier 10-yard line. The kickoff and punt coverage teams allowed just 21 yards on one total return.

The Huskers have generally had to overcome their special teams play the past few seasons. Can that phase continue to be a difference-maker in the right ways this week?