Instant Takes: Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
There was no post-Akron hangover for Nebraska (3-0). The Huskers dominated Houston Christian (1-2) 59-7 in a back-to-back blowout victory.
In Nebraska’s first morning game of the season, the kegs and eggs were in full effect, fueled by more than 500 yards of total offense and a staunch run defense.
Here are four instant takeaways from Nebraska’s dominant showing.
Key’s big plays, Barney’s first score highlight offensive explosion
Dane Key did not have a double team on him this week, and he took advantage.
Cincinnati and Akron locked down the senior with a double team in the first two weeks, eliminating his big-play threat. Houston Christian settled for one-on-one defense, and it cost them.
The Lexington, Kentucky, native made his presence felt early with a big-play touchdown. Dylan Raiola found his No. 1 receiver with a 10-yard throw over the middle, and Key did the rest, finishing with a run to the end zone for his third touchdown of the season. Key had four grabs for more than 100 yards before there were 10 minutes left in the second quarter. That first-half performance pushed him over 2,000 career receiving yards, making him one of seven active players in college football to reach that mark.
Jacory Barney Jr. got the monkey off his back with the first receiving touchdown of his career. It took 70 receptions, but Barney finally caught one. Raiola found Barney off an RPO on a flat route for a 9-yard score. The sophomore was used out of the slot in motion, as he was accustomed to last season. He finished with three catches for 22 yards and the touchdown.
Kickoff unit still raising red flags
Memorial Stadium has had to wait two games to see Australian kicker Archie Wilson, who eagerly awaits his home-field debut. The kicking unit Husker fans are seeing is not one to be excited about.
Nebraska has sent out three place-kickers to handle kickoff duties, and all three have struggled. Those struggles did not stop Saturday. John Hohl’s first kick went out of bounds, which was his second of the season.
Sophomore Tristan Alvano has had one kickoff opportunity this season and booted it out of bounds. The former true freshman starter has not gotten another attempt. Kyle Cunanan, the current starting field goal kicker, appears to be trending toward taking over kickoff duties as well. He has 11 kickoffs, six touchbacks, and most importantly no kicks out of bounds.
Free returns and unnecessary penalty yards can make beating a Big Ten team like Michigan, which Nebraska faces in Week 4, difficult.
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Ives emerging as backup ball-carrier
Kwinten Ives is starting to separate himself from the rest of the running backs in the fight for the backup role behind Emmett Johnson. Nebraska went with tempo in the second half when TJ Lateef came in for Raiola, and Ives was the biggest beneficiary.
Ives tallied 12 carries for 85 yards, an average of 7.1. The sophomore also had two catches out of the backfield, including a 21-yarder to drive Lateef and the offense into the red zone. Mekhi Nelson did not play, and freshman Kenneth Williams saw the field before him. Isaiah Mozee added two catches for 23 yards.
The disparity in touches shows Ives, who was listed as No. 4 on the depth chart entering the game, is moving up and could be the go-to guy behind Johnson headed into Week 4.
Rush defense continues to improve
Houston Christian entered the game averaging 223.5 rushing yards per game. Starting running back Xai’Shaun Edwards came in averaging 7.4 yards per carry with four touchdowns.
The Huskies’ rush attack was stalled before the engine could even get going. Nebraska limited them to 10 first-half yards and only 1.7 yards per carry. The numbers were inflated when the second- and third-team units came in. Edwards broke away for a 45-yard touchdown to end Nebraska’s 113 unanswered points streak in the third quarter.
Despite what the backups allowed, the first unit dominated. That strong starting front line will be needed against a Michigan offense that found its stride in a 63-3 tune-up win against Central Michigan. The Wolverines tallied 381 rushing yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry in the win.
