GAME TWO
September 8th,
2007
11:00 AM CT
ESPN (TV)
Winston-Salem, NC
#19/#20 NEBRASKA (1 - 0) (0 - 0)
VS
WAKE FOREST (0 -
1) (0 - 1)
Player Breakdowns
Wake
Forest Offense
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons offense in 2006 enjoyed
an efficient balanced attack. Last week, however, the run game was
non-existent, while the passing game was solid, amounting for 366 of the 368
yards gained. Through one game, the Demon Deacons have 368 yards in total
offense, which is currently 62nd nationally. Wake Forest is ranked 6th in
passing (366 ypg), 57th in passing efficiency (123.91 rating), 111th rushing (2
ypg), 49th scoring offense (28 ppg), and 70th in turnover margin (-1).
QB: So. Riley Skinner (28 of 37, 236 yds, 1 TD, 3
INT), came in for the injured Ben Mauk in 2006, and with an efficient effort
(66% completion, 2,051 yds in 2006), led Wake Forest to the ACC title.
Unfortunately, last week against Boston College he separated his shoulder and
will not play this week against Nebraska. Skinner will be replaced by So.
Brett Hodges (17 of 23, 130 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT), who threw an accurate ball
against Boston College last week and has a little extra mobility that Skinner
lacks. Behind Hodges will be RFr. Zach McDowall, who had a big arm in high
school, but hasn't played a snap in college football.
RB:
So. Kevin Harris (4 carries, 10 yds) and Sr. Micah Andrews (7 carries, 7 yds)
are listed as the top two backs for the Demon Deacons, and are both typically
solid backs. Andrews is coming off some injuries and is more of a scat
back, while Harris is a guy that will run through an opposing tackler. The
tandem is expected to do well together this season, however, struggled mightily
in the opener last week. The running backs had their hands tested against
Boston College as Harris caught 3 passes for 25 yards and a touchdown, while
Andrews grabbed 5 passes for 24 yards. More production from the backs is
necessary for Wake Forest to be competitive this season. At Fullback, Jr.
Rich Belton (6 carries, 7 yds) starts. Belton is a solid blocker with fair
ball carrying skills. His top back-up is Sr. DeAngelo Bryant (1 catch, 2
yards), a speedy 239 lb. fullback.
WR/TE: Wake Forest's
receivers are their best offensive resource, with a lot of talent and
experience. The crew is led by Seniors Kevin Marion (5 catches, 46 yds)
and Kenneth Moore (15 catches, 126 yds, 1 TD). Moore changed positions
from running back to wide receiver in the off-season, and saw more passes headed
his way last week than anyone else. Marion is an absolute burner, but is
quite small at 5'10", 168 lbs. Top reserves include Jr. Demir Boldin (1
catch, 14 yds) and Jr. Chip Brinkman (5 catches, 30 yds). Boldin should
put a solid season together after missing all of last year to concentrate on
school work, while Brinkman looked like a quality target against Boston
College. At tight end, Sr. Zac Selmon (3 catches, 18 yds) and Sr. John
Tereshinski (6 catches, 75 yds) will each see a lot of action. Both are
big bodies with good hands.
OL: The Demon Deacon offensive
line starts four upperclassmen and plenty of experience. Starting on the
line at tackle is Sr. Louis Frazier (6'4", 315 lbs) at left, and So. Joe
Birdsong (6'4", 290 lbs) on the right. So. Jeff Griffin (6'3", 298 lbs)
will likely share a lot of snaps with Birdsong at RT. Birdsong and Griffin
are replacing last season's All ACC tackle Steve Vallos. At guard is Sr.
Matthew Brim (6'4", 294 lbs) on the left side, with massive and talented Jr.
Chris DeGeare (6'4", 362 lbs) starting on the right. Starting at center
will be Sr. Steve Justice (6'3", 285 lbs), one of the country's best.
There is little proven depth behind the starters, which will likely hurt in
games against teams like Nebraska this week. Last week, the line opened up
room for just 0.1 yards per rush for the offense, while giving up 2 sacks.
These are not satisfactory numbers for a unit that is supposed to be among the
best in the ACC.
Wake Forest Defense
Wake Forest's
defense held Boston College to a similar output offensively as their own offense
amounted last week. The Demon Deacons were tough against the run, but had
no answer in stopping the passing game. The Wake Forest defense ranks 93rd
nationally in total defense (462 ypg), 112th pass defense (408 ypg), 95th pass
efficiency defense (151.45 rating), 28th rush defense (54 ypg), and 94th in
scoring defense (38 ppg). The defense accounted for 14 of Wake's 28 points
last Saturday.
DL: Wake's defensive line was stout against
Boston College's run game last week. The Demon Deacons allowed the Eagles
a 2 yard per carry average. Starting on the line at end will be So.
Michael Lockett on the left, and Sr. Jeremy Thompson (6 tackles, 2 sacks) on the
right. Lockett, in addition to Jr. Anthony Davis (1 tackle) will be
replacing the injured Matt Robinson. Backing up Thompson is Jr. Antonio
Wilson. Starting at nose tackle is So. Boo Robinson (2 tackles). His
back-up is RFr. Michael Carter. At defensive tackle is Sr. Zach Stukes (1
tackle), with So. John Russell (2 tackles) serving as his back-up. This is
a pretty good line with quick ends and a stout nose tackle in Boo Robinson at
326 lbs. The depth will be an issue, however, against a very good Nebraska
offensive line.
LB: Wake Forest has a pretty solid group of
linebackers, however, the group is better against the run than the pass and
could use more speed. Starting at MLB and replacing 2006 tackling machine
Jon Abbate (120 tackles in `06) is Jr. Stanley Arnoux (4 tackles), who played
well last week. At SLB will be Jr. Aaron Curry (11 tackles) while Jr.
Chantz McClinic (8 tackles) starts at WLB and is the quickest of the
group. Curry is probably the best of the group and is looking for All-ACC
distinction this season. Top reserves in the linebacking corps include So.
Dominique Midgett (2 tackles) at SAM, RFr. Matt Woodlief (2 tackles) at MLB, and
RFr. Hunter Haynes (2 tackles) at WLB.
DB: Wake Forest's
defensive backfield was not so stellar in the opener, allowing for over 400
yards through the air. Starters at cornerback are Jr. Alphonso Smith (3
tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 PBU) at LCB and Jr. Kerry Major (8 tackles, 1 PBU) at
RCB. Smith is aiming for big things this season after a good close to 2006
and a quick start to 2007, getting a pick last week. So. Brandon Ghee (1
tackle) backs up Smith, while So. Channing Schofield (1 tackle) is Major's
back-up. At safety, Jr. Kevin Patterson (4 tackles) starts at SS and Jr.
Aaron Mason is the top reserve. Jr. Chip Vaughn (4 tackles,1 FR) starts at
FS, with RFr. Alex Frye as his back-up. This is a fast group of defensive
backs, but has had trouble against the deep ball dating back to last
season.
Wake Forest Special Teams
The Wake Forest
special teams units were very good in 2006, but didn't look up to par last week
against Boston College. The Demon Deacons rank 79th in net punting (31 yd
avg), 56th in punt returns (8.5 yd avg), and 84th in kickoff returns (16.5 yd
avg).
K: Jr. Sam Swank earned All-American honors in 2006
as place kicker. Last week, he averaged 63.8 yards on 5 kickoffs with none
going for touchback. Swank did not attempt a field goal last week,
however, was 23 of 31 in 2006, with a long of 53.
P: Jr.
Sam Swank also handles punting duties. He has punted 6 times for an
average of 31.3 yards through one game. One of his 6 punts were downed
inside of Boston College's 20.
KR/PR: Wake Forest's return game
was very average in the season opener last week. Jr. Kevin Marion (4
returns, 16.8 yd avg) and Sr. Kenneth Moore will handle kickoff return duties
this week. On punt returns, Sr. Kenneth Moore. (2 returns, 8.5 yd avg) is
the top return man.
Coverage: Wake's kick coverage team was pretty
good last week, allowing 20.2 yards per return on 5 kickoff return
attempts. Punt coverage was very good, with Boston College getting just 2
yards on their only return.
Nebraska
Offense
Nebraska's offense was phenomenal in week one against
Nevada. The passing game wasn't completely there, but the run game was
unstoppable. Nebraska ran up 625 yards last week, putting them 3rd
nationally in total offense. The Cornhuskers rank 56th in passing (212
ypg), 46th in pass efficiency (131.19 rating), 1st in rushing (413 ypg), 10th in
scoring offense (52 ppg), and 5th in turnover margin (0.00).
QB:
Sr. Sam Keller (14 for 25, 193 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT)
had a fair debut last week as starter, his first outing since October of 2005
when he was playing for Arizona State. The rust was evident, as his passes
were not consistent, and had a tipped ball returned for a touchdown early on,
but did get stronger as the game went on. Besides rust, his other problem
he encountered last week was receivers with a case of bad hands. Even
passes on the money were dropped, causing Sam some frustration. He will
now get his first road test as the Huskers' starter. Jr. Joe Ganz (1 for
1, 19 yds) is Nebraska's top back-up and saw action in mop-up duty last
week, even running an option for a 9 yard gain.
RB: Jr. Marlon
Lucky (30 carries, 233 yds, 3 TDs) is Nebraska's top running back and currently
leads the nation in rushing. Lucky was hitting the holes well and looking
shifty against Nevada. TFr. Quentin Castille (18 carries, 78 yds, 2 TDs),
a strong running power back also looked impressive against Nevada. Jr.
Cody Glenn (8 carries, 36 yds), another big back, is still on his way to getting
back to 100% from a foot injury. He's looking better, but his foot
movement is not quite back yet. TFr. Roy Helu (6 carries, 26 yds) and So.
Major Culbert (5 carries, 35 yds, 1 TD) are other backs that saw carries last
week, and should continue to see the ball through the season. This is a
deep talent pool of running backs that will be a handful for any defense to
tangle with. The backs catch a lot of passes in this offense, with Marlon
Lucky having the best hands of the crew, catching 3 passes for 33 yards and a
touchdown last week. Sr. Andy Sand is the starter at FB, a position that
has rarely touches the ball in Callahan's offense, but is of huge importance as
a blocker. Sand had one reception for 15 yards last
week.
WR/TE: Nebraska's receivers did not look too
spectacular in the season opener. Dropped balls were the main problem, as
the Senior leaders of this group had trouble hanging onto balls that hit them in
their hands. Sr. Maurice Purify (34 catches, 630 yards, 7 TDs in 2006) is
back after missing the season opener due to a suspension. His return
should be felt immediately, as Nebraska will have its best receiver back in the
mix. He will, however, be second string to begin at X, behind Jr. Nate
Swift (2 catches, 28 yds), who had a decent game last week. Jr. Todd
Peterson (1 catch, 8 yds), has good hands and should also see plenty of snaps
behind Swift and Purify. Starting Z receiver, Sr. Terrence Nunn (2
catches, 36 yds) will need to become more consistent with his ball catching
abilities if Nebraska hopes to have a lot of success through the air. His
route running is among the best on the team. Behind Nunn at Z is Sr.
Frantz Hardy (1 catch, 24 yds), a speedy deep threat that also has problems
catching the ball. Sr. Dan Erickson (1 catch, 19 yds), So. Menelik Holt,
and TFr. Niles Paul (1 catch, 6 yds) will also be in the mix. Tight end
has been a weakness for Nebraska for a few years, and very likely will be again
this season. Starting TE is Sr. J.B. Phillips who has decent hands and
speed. Jr. Josh Mueller is listed as the top reserve, but freshmen Dreu
Young (1 catch, 14 yds) and Mike McNeil (1 catch, 25 yds) looked the best of the
bunch.
OL: The Huskers' offensive line play was terrific
against Nevada, paving way for the running backs to average 5.9 yards per
carry. The line was also stout in pass protection, not allowing a sack all
day. Starting at tackle is Sr. Carl Nicks (6'5", 330 lbs) at LT, and Jr.
Lydon Murtha (6'7", 310 lbs) at RT. RFr. Mike Smith (6'6", 290 lbs) and
RFr. D.J. Jones (6'5", 310 lbs) will see their share of snaps as the top tackle
reserves. Jr. Andy Christensen (6'3", 300 lbs) will start at LG with Jr.
Matt Slauson (6'5", 335 lbs) starting at RG. Sr. Jordan Picou (6'3", 300
lbs.) backs up Christensen, while Jr. Mike Huff (6'4", 300 lbs) is Nebraska's
top RG reserve. Sr. Brett Byford (6'3", 300 lbs) starts at center, and
does a nice job. These linemen move around a lot as Huff played RG and LG,
Murtha played LT and LG, and Slauson played RT and RG. This group will be
up against better opposition this week, so the first real test for them begins
Saturday morning.
Nebraska Defense
Nebraska's
Blackshirt defense were stingy against Nevada last week against both the rush
and the pass. The Wolf Pack had trouble going anywhere. Nebraska is
currently 14th nationally in total defense (180 ypg), 18th pass defense (108
ypg), 5th pass efficiency defense (59.49 rating), 41st rush defense (77 ypg),
and 28th in scoring defense (10 ppg). The Huskers' defense hasn't given up
a touchdown, as Nevada's lone touchdown came from an 80 yard interception
return.
DL:
Nebraska's defensive line played well in the season
opener, considering 4 new starters were being worked in. Jr. Barry Turner
(2 tackles, 0.5 sack, 2 QBH) starts at open end. He is the quickest of the
group, a good pass rusher that put on some weight to play the run more
effectively. Starting at base end is Jr. Zach Potter (2 tackles, 1 QBH),
who did a nice job in his first start. Top reserves are Jr. Clayton
Sievers (1 tackle, 1 QBH) behind Turner, and RFr. Pierre Allen (1 tackle) behind
Potter. So. Ndamukong Suh (2 tackles) is a beast at nose tackle, with Jr.
Shukree Barfield (1 tackle) and Se. Brandon Johnson sharing back-up
duties. So. Ty Steinkuhler, the starter at defensive tackle, injured his
knee last week and was replaced by Jr. Kevin Dixon (1 tackle, 1 INT), who did a
more than adequate job in his absence. Nebraska held Nevada to 3.2 yards
per carry, a solid start. This line will do nothing but get better as they
get used to playing as a unit. Getting more pressure though will be
important as the weeks go by.
LB: Nebraska's linebacking corps
looked very good last week against Nevada. Jr. Corey McKeon (4 tackles, 1
QBH, 1 PBU) is in his third season as starter at MLB for the Huskers.
Back-up So. Phillip Dillard (2 tackles, 1 QBH) gets a number of snaps as well,
mostly when Nebraska lines up in 3-4 schemes. Sr. Bo Ruud (1 tackle)
starts at SLB, with TFr. Blake Lawrence listed as the top reserve. Jr.
Steve Octavien (5 tackles, 0.5 sack, 2 QBH) starts at WLB, and was dynamic in
the season opener, flying to the ball. Octavien has an injury riddled
history at Nebraska, but is an elite athlete when he's 100%. Jr. Lance
Brandenburgh (2 tackles), is the top back-up for Octavien, and plays a
lot.
DB: Nebraska's secondary also played tough in the season
opener. Still room for improvement, but a solid game for a much-maligned
group in 2006. Sr. Cortney Grixby (3 tackles), is in year four as a
starter at WCB. He is just 5'9" but typically doesn't miss tackles and has
a great vertical leap. Jr. Armando Murillo starts at LCB, however, back-up
Sr. Andre Jones (1 PBU) also sees a good share of the plays. Sr. Zack
Bowman (1 tackle, 1 QBH), who missed all of 2006 with a knee injury and suffered
a knee injury in spring ball this year, played in the season opener and should
only be a matter of time before he enters the starting line-up. Sr. Tierre
Green (1 tackle, 1 PBU) starts at FS and So. Larry Asante (4 tackles, 1 PBU) is
the starter at SS. So. Rickey Thenarse is the top FS reserve, while Sr.
Bryan Wilson (2 tackles) is the top reserve at SS.
Nebraska Special
Teams
Nebraska's special teams looked improved last week over
2006. Kickoffs and kickoff returns were very good, while the punt return
game can use some work. The Huskers are ranked 41st in net punting (37 yd
avg), 77th in punt returns (5.6 yd avg), and 28th in kickoff returns (24.33 yd
avg).
K: TFr. Adi Kunalic, made his only field goal
attempt of the game against Nevada, a 46 yarder. Kunalic's monster leg
pushed through an impressive 6 of 9 kickoffs for touchback, with a 68.6 yard
average. RFr. Alex Henery handles extra point
attempts.
P: Jr. Dan Titchener had a nice day punting,
following up on his solid 2006 season. He is averaging 44.5 yards on 2
punts with a long of 45. He has above average leg power, with solid
consistency.
KR/PR: Nebraska's return game was
fair in the season opener, some mental errors that occurred will need to be
addressed. Seniors Andre Jones and Cortney Grixby (2 kick returns, 33 yd
avg) are the top kickoff return team. Seniors Cortney Grixby (3 punt
returns, 1.3 yd avg) and Terrence Nunn (1 return, 0 yd avg) are the top punt
returners, however, Andre Jones (1 return, 24 yd avg) was the most impressive of
the three.
Coverage: Nebraska's coverage teams were decent against
Nevada. The kick coverage unit allowed an average of 23 yards on 3 kickoff
returns, while the punt return coverage team allowed a 7.5 yard average on 2
punt returns.
Unit
Match-Ups
Nebraska's Offense vs. Wake Forest's
Defense
Nebraska's offense gets WR Maurice Purify back this week,
and that could prove to be a big difference in this game, considering the
horrendous job Wake Forest did against Boston College's receiving crew. QB
Sam Keller will need to show that last week's lack of "wow" was due to knocking
some of the rust off and have a good game Saturday. Nebraska's receivers
simply cannot afford to keep dropping passes, especially when it is the Seniors
doing the dropping. If it continues, don't be surprised if the deep pool
of youth at receiver gets more looks. The Demon Deacon defensive backfield
must respond after their showing last week and play huge this week.
Last week, the Huskers converted 47% of their third downs and 88%
in red zone scoring. Nebraska's devastating ground attack in week one will
be up against a stiffer challenge this week. The Demon Deacons held Boston
College to 2 yards per carry while Nebraska gained 5.9 yards per carry, so
something has to give. One thing that might have a big effect on the
battle in the trenches is that Wake's top DE Matt Robinson is not likely to play
Saturday. Nebraska's offensive line looked as fluid as they've looked in
years last week and will be counted upon this week to be the difference
makers. Boston College was able to convert 42% of their 3rd downs last
week on Wake. Wake Forest had just 3 tackles for loss last week, including
2 sacks.
The Huskers will again a large size advantage up
front. Nebraska's average offensive lineman is 6'4", 309 lbs, while
Nevada's average defensive lineman stands at 6'3", 279 lbs. Boo Williams'
326 lb frame boosts that number, however. Nebraska's Marlon Lucky will
hope that this means the holes that were there for him last week will be there
again this week. That will likely be a deciding factor in how long this
game remains competitive. If Wake's DBs do not show rapid improvement this
week, and Nebraska is able to get over 4 yards per carry, there won't be many
happy people in the black and gold.
Wake Forest's
Offense vs. Nebraska's Defense
Wake Forest's offense is hoping
that QB Brett Hodges can be counted on to deliver a big game in his first
start. He was accurate coming in for the injured Riley Skinner last week,
passing for a touchdown, but also threw a key interception in the final
quarter. The Demon Deacons have good talent at wide receiver, and will be
up against what appeared to be a much improved group of Nebraska defensive
backs. Wake's third down conversion percentage last week was 32%, and had
a pedestrian 50% red zone scoring average.
Wake Forest's running backs
did not impress last week, earning just 0.1 yards per carry. Of course,
much of that can be pointed towards the lackluster offensive line rush blocking
and a solid game from Boston College's defense. That number should be
improved this week, as Nebraska's defensive front is still a little green, as
far as starting time goes and a knee injury to DT starter Ty Steinkuhler.
Nebraska had 6 tackles for loss and 1 sack last week. The Nebraska defense
was a force on 3rd downs, allowing Nevada to convert on just 8% of their
attempts. Wake's average offensive lineman is 6'4", 309 lbs, while
Nebraska's average defensive lineman stands at 6'4", 284 lbs. While that
may sound like Wake is much bigger than Nebraska, it isn't as large of a
discrepancy as it seems. Only two linemen for the Demon Deacons in the 300
range, with the largest being talented Chris DeGeare at 362 lbs.
If a team isn't capable of having a threat of a good run game, it
makes it very difficult to win a game. It makes it even more difficult
when you are playing a highly rated team such as Nebraska. Wake Forest
must find a way to run to pull an upset over the Huskers. The passing game
should find success as long as Hodges can deliver with the same type of accuracy
he showed against Boston College last week.
Keys to the
Game
For Nebraska to Win:
1.) QB Sam Keller
needs to have a solid day
2.) Pass protection to be as consistent as it was
against Nevada
3.) Minimize mental errors that caused penalties last
week.
4.) Offensive line needs to continue off of their dominant performance
a week ago.
5.) Turnovers are big. Nebraska had a number of plays last
week that could have gone as takeaways, but also had their share of near
giveaways. Wake scored two defensive touchdowns last
week.
For Wake Forest to Win:
1.) There needs to be
some sort of competent rushing attack.
2.) Interceptions need to stop.
Two ill timed picks in last week's game really cost the Deacons.
3.) Get into
the Nebraska backfield. Nebraska's line did not allow much penetration
last week, and that allowed them to pick and choose what they wanted
offensively.
4.) QB Brett Hodges will ideally be in the 65%+ completion
percentage.
5.) Defensive backfield must find a quick fix, Nebraska has
plenty of deep threats.
Gametime Weather
Weather
Report for Nebraska vs. Wake Forest
Latest
Line - Nebraska by 8.
Position
Advantages:
Position/Advantage
QBs:
Nebraska
RBs: Nebraska
WR/TE's:
Even
OL: Nebraska
DL:
Even
LB: Nebraska
DB:
Nebraska
Special Teams: Even
Coaching:
Even
Injury Report
Nebraska:
RB - Kenny
Wilson - leg - out for season
TE - Hunter Teafatiller - suspension - out
indefinitely
DT - Ty Steinkuhler - knee - questionable
Wake
Forest:
OT - Jeff Griffin - knee - day-to-day
QB - Riley Skinner -
shoulder - out indefinitely
DE - Matt Robinson - ankle - day-to-day
LB -
Mike Simmons - illness - out for season
Game Breakdown &
Outlook
This is the third meeting between Nebraska and Wake
Forest. Nebraska has won both previous games, 36-12 in 1970, and 31-3 in
2005. This will be the first meeting at Groves Stadium in Winston-Salem,
however. Groves Stadium, with its capacity at approximately 31,500, is
decidedly smaller than most venues than the Huskers are used to. Nebraska
enters this game following a 52-10 thrashing of Nevada, while Wake Forest comes
home after losing to Boston College 38-28.
Nebraska's offense was better than
anyone could have expected on the ground last week, tallying 413 yards
rushing. The passing game did struggle, but not to a worrisome
degree. As the game went on, Keller got more comfortable in the pocket,
but because the ground game was so effective, he wasn't counted on to throw a
lot of unnecessary passes. With Maurice Purify back it should be great
news for Nebraska. Purify was one of the top, if not the top target for
Keller in practices up until Maurice's suspension. Working against a
defense that gave up multiple receptions of over 10 yards last week, Purify
could have a big day. Wake struggled most with Boston College's smaller
receivers though, so Frantz Hardy might have a few big catches as well
Saturday. Nebraska's mix of excellent running backs will be of tremendous
advantage in games that come down to the fourth quarter. The Huskers have
5 backs that they can count on to step in and step up to the challenge.
This is a better group of backs than Boston College has and should be able to
exceed their 2 yard per carry average against Wake.
Wake Forest's
passing production shouldn't change much with Brett Hodges at the helm instead
of Riley Skinner. Both have a similarly accurate arm, the real difference
is that Hodges will make a few more plays with his feet than Skinner can.
Wake's receivers are above average playmakers and will look to do a better job
than Nevada's crew did last week in Lincoln. A player to watch for Wake
Forest will be WR Kevin Marion, who caught an impressive 15 passes last week
against Boston College. Marion is a small receiver that has great hands
and quick feet that leave opposing defensives looking silly. Nebraska's
defensive backfield is full of speed and it will be interesting to see them and
the Demon Deacon receivers against each other. Wake Forest has a pretty
good group of running backs, but they lack a true game breaker. There will
probably be more than 24 rushes in this game from Wake, as it is unlikely for
them to only get 0.1 yards per rush again this week.
With Wake
Forests' loss last week, this game seems to have lost some its luster it was
gaining in the off-season. Make no mistake, the Demon Deacons won the ACC
last year and are still a quality football team. A loss for Wake Forest
will drop them to 0-2 for the second time in three years, while a win will give
them a big boost for finishing out the non-conference schedule. For
Nebraska, a win will make next week's game against USC one of the biggest in
school history, while a loss would definitely crush some spirits. Nebraska
should be able to throw the ball with a good level of productivity in this
game. If Keller is able to get time to throw like he did a week ago, he'll
be poised for a very nice day. Wake Forest, too, should pile up some yards
with the passing game, but like last week, it will be a question of turning
those yards into offensive points.
Looking solely at statistics from week
one, it would appear that Nebraska should win this one handily. The
biggest question though, will be how well Nebraska runs the ball against Wake
Forest. If the Demon Deacons can keep Marlon Lucky and company in check
through most of the game, this will be a good contest. The more effective
Nebraska is on the ground, the further this game gets out of reach for Wake
Forest. With that said, it's hard to argue with picking Nebraska to win
this game. They simply have a deeper, more talented team. Nebraska
should cover the spread and chew down the clock in the second half after a very
competitive first half.
Nebraska - 34
Wake Forest -
17
|