Northwestern vs. Nebraska: Keys to victory, HuskerOnline score predictions for Saturday
Nebraska (3-3) returns to action today against Northwestern (3-3), as both teams were on their bye last weekend.
As we get closer to kickoff, here are today’s keys to victory for the Huskers against the Wildcats.
NU enters today’s game as an 11.5-point favorite over Northwestern. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
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KEYS TO VICTORY: Northwestern vs. Nebraska
KEY 1: A clean start on offense
You would like to see Nebraska come out of the gates with a clean start on offense and finish off a drive. I think quarterback Heinrich Haarberg’s legs could give the Wildcats problems and open up a lot more for the Husker offense.
KEY 2: Getting off the field on third down
The top overall unit in this game is Nebraska’s defense. The Huskers must establish that immediately and find ways to get off the field on third down.
KEY 3: Create a play in the kick return game
Northwestern comes into this game with the lowest rate of touchbacks in the Big Ten. There’s going to be an opportunity for kick returns today. NU needs to create field position with its kickoff return unit.
KEY 4: QB pressure
Penn State produced 45 quarterback pressures in Evanston this season. Nebraska needs to get after the Wildcats up front and keep their quarterbacks off-balanced.
KEY 5: Make the crowd a factor
Northwestern’s road games have been at Rutgers and Duke this season. Nebraska needs to make the atmosphere a factor, as the Wildcats have played in next to no challenging environments.
EXPERT TAKE
Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Pubisher
At home, after a bye week, I expect the Huskers to come out fresh and energized. Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg will cause problems for Northwestern’s defense. NU will ride his legs and its defense to a 14-point win.
Nebraska 27, Northwestern 13
Steven Sipple – HuskerOnline columnist
The status of Ben Bryant is critical in this discussion. Keep in mind, the sixth-year senior Northwestern quarterback threw for 396 yards against Minnesota. He was 9-2 as Cincinnati’s starter in 2022. If he plays, I envision a much more difficult afternoon for the home team. However, there’s a bottom line in this discussion. That is, the matchup clearly favors Nebraska, especially in the ground game.
Nebraska 26, Northwestern 17
Robin Washut – HuskerOnline senior writer
Nebraska and Northwestern has, traditionally, always come down to the wire. Given how limited both teams are offensively right now, this one will be decided by defense, special teams, and ball security. I think the Huskers control the clock and take care of the football enough to pull out another win.
Nebraska 24, Northwestern 14
Andy Kendeigh – KETV ABC-Omaha
Matt Rhule preaches winning the fourth quarter, specifically the defense holding the opponent scoreless in the final quarter while racking up at least 75 yards rushing on offense. Nebraska’s come close in three wins but hasn’t checked both boxes in a single game yet. This feels like the game they do. Nebraska wears down Northwestern and wins the fourth quarter thanks to a rushing attack getting stronger by the week.
Nebraska 27, Northwestern 14
Jim Rose – 1110 KFAB Radio-Omaha
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have had so many breaks go against them the last 10 years, its about time they get one. They have. The schedule. This is the weakest six-game stretch for the Big Red since Big 8 days. Other than Maryland, none of them have scary playmakers. And if NU can just punt and play defense (which they can) and avoid the cataclysmic special teams blunder, I see six wins. However, they won’t be Rembrandts. But who cares? Not how by how many 😊.
Nebraska 28, Northwestern 10
Mike’l Severe – Big Red Wrap-Up
A big part of this game comes down to who Northwestern starts at QB. If it is Brenden Sullivan, then the Blackshirts will have to contend with heavy QB run game. If it’s Ben Bryant, then the secondary will be tested because he can spin it pretty well. Either way NU should be able to rack up more sacks vs the 2nd worst opponent sack rate in the Big Ten. I also think the Huskers will have a shot to return a kickoff for big yards on Saturday. NW has the lowest rate of touchbacks in the conference. In the end the Huskers pull away in the fourth quarter if they can avoid more turnovers in the red zone.
Nebraska 27, Northwestern 14
HuskerOnline Week 8 Score Predictions
| Week 8 | Sean Callahan | Steven Sipple | Robin Washut | Andy Kendeigh | Jim Rose | Mike’l Severe |
| Northwestern at Nebraska | 27-13 Nebraska | 26-17 Nebraska | 24-14 Nebraska | 27-14 Nebraska | 28-10 Nebraska | 27-14 Nebraska |
| Penn State at Ohio State | Ohio State 30 Penn State 23 | 28-27 Ohio State | 31-24 Ohio State | 27-24 Penn State | 31-27 Penn State | 30-27 Penn State |
| Minnesota at Iowa | 13-7 Iowa | 17-12 Iowa | 13-8 Iowa | 10-9 Iowa | 14-7 Iowa | 27-13 Minnesota |
| Wisconsin at Illinois | 27-24 Illinois | 24-22 Illinois | 20-17 Illinois | 17-14 Illinois | 24-17 Illinois | 23-13 Illinois |
| Tennessee at Alabama | 38-28 Alabama | 27-24 Alabama | 38-27 Alabama | 38-28 Alabama | 35-30 Alabama | 31-20 Alabama |
| Utah at USC | 27-23 USC | 28-24 USC | 28-25 USC | 31-27 USC | 38-28 USC | 28-27 USC |
HuskerOnline Pick Standings
| Picker | Straight Up | vs. Spread | Cumulative |
| Jim Rose | 31-11 | 27-15 | 58 |
| Sean Callahan | 32-10 | 24-18 | 56 |
| Andy Kendeigh | 30-12 | 25-17 | 55 |
| Steven Sipple | 28-14 | 25-17 | 53 |
| Robin Washut | 30-12 | 21-21 | 51 |
| Mike’l Severe | 29-13 | 22-20 | 51 |
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.
