Michigan vs. Nebraska: Keys to victory, HuskerOnline score predictions for Saturday
Nebraska will kick off Big Ten play at home against No. 21 Michigan (2-1) on Saturday. The Huskers (3-0) are 0-27 in games against ranked opponents since their last win in 2016.
As things get closer to kickoff, here are today’s keys to victory for NU over the Wolverines.
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Nebraska enters today’s game as a light 1.5-point underdog against Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
KEY TO VICTORY: Michigan vs. Nebraska
KEY 1: A sound plan to stop the run
We know what Michigan is going to try to do in this football game. They are going to test the teeth of this Husker defense. What will John Butler’s plan be to slow down their running attack led by Justice Haynes?
KEY 2: Recognize Michigan pressure packages
One thing you can expect from Michigan’s defense is a lot of different looks and pressure. They are going to bring a lot at quarterback Dylan Raiola and not let him get comfortable in the pocket. Raiola is 55-of-66 for 618 yards and seven touchdowns when teams only rush four at him, according to PFF. Both of his turnover-worthy plays have come when he’s been under pressure.
KEY 3: Contain Underwood’s QB scramble runs
Of quarterback Bryce Underwood’s 11 rushing attempts on the season, seven have been QB scrambles on pass plays that have gone for 96 yards. He’s had one zone read run and two gap-designed runs that have gone for 22 yards. Six of his 11 rushing attempts have gone for 10+ yards and converted first downs. A lot of it will come down to discipline up front for the Husker defense and not creating rush lanes for Underwood.
KEY 4: 25+ quality touches for Emmett Johnson
Nebraska has been gearing Emmett Johnson up for this day. The last two weeks, Johnson has taken a limited rep load. Today, they are going to need Johnson to probably have at least 25 quality touches on the ground and through the air to win this football game.
KEY 5: Make the crowd a factor like it was in Kansas City
With a true freshman quarterback and an interim head coaching staff, Nebraska needs to make the crowd a factor. In Arrowhead Stadium, NU was responsible for four false start penalties on third down. Three led to punts. You would love to see something similar again today, where the crowd can impact the game.
Expert takes
Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Publisher
Prepare for a four-quarter fight. This will be a back-and-forth ball game, but the difference will be the home crowd and QB Dylan Raiola. The Huskers will give up some yards on the ground, but Raiola will out-duel Bryce Underwood to lead Nebraska to a 3-point win.
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Nebraska 26, Michigan 23
Steven Sipple – HuskerOnline columnist
In order to win this game, Nebraska will have to defy the football axiom that the team that can run the ball best and stop the run best should generally be the pick. Nebraska will rely heavily on Dylan Raiola, special teams, its strong secondary, and what should be a roaring crowd. This one will go down to the wire, but the home team will defy the axiom and get a colossal win for the program.
Nebraska 31, Michigan 28
Robin Washut – HuskerOnline senior writer
This is a matchup where I think Nebraska has every opportunity to win the game and propel what could be a breakout season. However, I remain in the camp that until I see NU finally pull out a victory like this, I have trouble believing it will happen. Hopefully, the Huskers prove me wrong, but after years of watching them fall short in these situations, I’m taking Michigan.
Michigan 24, Nebraska 21
Andy Kendeigh – KETV ABC-Omaha
We can talk about Dylan Raiola’s 76% completion rate or his 8 touchdowns vs zero interceptions but what this Big Ten Opener comes down to is who wins the line of scrimmage. That means containing Bryce Underwood and Justice Haynes and Nebraska being able to run it with Emmett Johnson. Nebraska has the benefit of the home crowd which will play a huge role as the Huskers snap a losing streak against AP Top 25 Teams nine years in the making.
Nebraska 24, Michigan 21
Jim Rose – 1110 KFAB Radio-Omaha
Big, big measuring stick for the Big Red.
This is the game when we find out if Nebraska is truly ready to take a step into relevance. Everything seems to be falling Nebraska’s way… Two easy wins after a fairly tough opener. Home game against a name-brand team that doesn’t have the elite line play of the last five years.
If anything screams coming-out party for Dylan Raiola, it’s this.
Nebraska 31, Michigan 17
Mike’l Severe – Big Red Wrap-Up
I think there will be more points than what most folks expect. A combination of factors should lead to more scoring opportunities, like the Huskers being in the bottom 10 in defensive rush success rate despite having a 99th-ranked strength of schedule (Justice Haynes prop). Nebraska is in the top 10 in quality drives and improving its finishing drive rate (currently scoring 5.6 per successful drive). The one wrench in all of that is if the two teams can produce quality havoc plays with their defensive fronts.
Nebraska 30, Michigan 27
HuskerOnline Week 4 Score Predictions
| Week 7 | Sean Callahan | Steven Sipple | Robin Washut | Andy Kendeigh | Jim Rose | Mike’l Severe |
| Michigan at Nebraska (+1.5) | 26-23 Nebraska | 31-28 Nebraska | 24-21 Michigan | 24-21 Nebraska | 31-17 Nebraska | 30-27 Nebraska |
| Maryland at Wisconsin (-10) | 27-23 Wisconsin | 28-21 Wisconsin | 27-24 Wisconsin | 20-17 Wisconsin | 35-28 Maryland | 27-20 Wisconsin |
| Illinois at Indiana (-6.5) | 34-31 Indiana | 31-24 Indiana | 35-31 Indiana | 31-28 Indiana | 24-14 Illinois | 38-24 Indiana |
| Texas Tech at Utah (-3.5) | 34-30 Utah | 34-24 Texas Tech | 38-33 Texas Tech | 35-20 Utah | 42-31 Utah | 27-24 Utah |
| Auburn at Oklahoma (-6.5) | 27-20 Auburn | 24-21 Oklahoma | 21-20 Oklahoma | 24-14 Oklahoma | 31-20 Oklahoma | 35-28 Auburn |
| Florida at Miami (-8.5) | 41-34 Miami | 27-21 Miami | 38-28 Miami | 37-21 Miami | 35-24 Miami | 37-30 Miami |
HuskerOnline Score Prediction Standings
| Picker | Straight Up | Vs. Spread | Cumulative |
| Jim Rose | 12-6 | 12-6 | 24 |
| Sean Callahan | 11-7 | 10-8 | 21 |
| Robin Washut | 11-7 | 10-8 | 21 |
| Mike’l Severe | 11-7 | 10-8 | 21 |
| Andy Kendeigh | 10-8 | 9-9 | 19 |
| Steven Sipple | 10-8 | 8-10 | 18 |
Sean Callahan can be reached at [email protected] and is heard daily at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall, and each week, he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesdays at 7 pm.
