3 keys for Nebraska football to beat Cincinnati

The Kansas City Classic, featuring Nebraska football and Cincinnati, is one day away. The Huskers are a 6.5-point favorite, and while this is supposed to be a neutral-site game, it’s a home game for the Big Red.

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule even said as much on Tuesday. He also said that dynamic linebacker Vincent Shavers will play. Another tidbit is that Cameron Lenhardt and Jaylen George are fighting for the 11th blackshirt.

We’ll see who gets the nod there. Defense will be essential for the Huskers, although the Bearcats have a large task on their hands trying to slow down Dylan Raiola. Brendan Sorsby is a talented quarterback in his own right.

With that in mind, here are three keys to a Nebraska win in the season opener.

Stop the run

It sounds simple, and it is. Football isn’t an overcomplicated sport. If you block and tackle better than your opponent, nine times out of 10, you’re going to win the game.

The Cincinnati wide receivers don’t scare me. The running backs do, though. Tawnee Walker was productive in the Big Ten last season, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt and rushing for over 800 yards for Wisconsin.

Evan Pryor was also dangerous for Cincinatti. He averaged 7.5 yards per rushing attempt and more than 10 yards per reception, on 15 catches. Add in the fact that Sorsby rushed for 448 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and there is plenty to be concerned about.

Sorsby threw for over 2,800 yards last season, just like Raiola. Nebraska is solid in the secondary, so I don’t see the pass defense getting torched, but if Cincinnati can pound the rock, it will spell trouble.

Show, not tell for Dylan Raiola

We have heard all offseason about how good Dylan Raiola is going to be for Nebraska football this season. Matt Rhule said he expects him to be one of the best players in college football this season.

Raiola, a five-star quarterback recruit coming out of high school, set the Nebraska freshman record for passing yards. He only had 13 touchdown passes last season. There were some ups and downs, but that was to be expected with a true freshman starting at quarterback.

Raiola found his groove late in the year under Dana Holgorsen, such as when he threw for 293 yards against Wisconsin. We need to see more of that Dylan Raiola this season, starting Thursday night against a Cincinnati defense that’s allowed 30 points or more six times in each of the past two seasons.

The expectations are high for the offense. Raiola is the maestro, and he needs to be on his game in the season opener.

Avoid mistakes

There will be errors in the first game. Nebraska will miss some tackles. There will be pre-snap penalties, among other things. What Nebraska can’t do is have a big special teams gaffe. Nebraska can’t fumble the ball away.

The Huskers are the better team. They are a touchdown favorite for a reason. Yet, turnovers are the great equalizer. Cincinnati only forced 1.2 takeaways per game last season, so Nebraska shouldn’t have too much trouble holding onto the ball, especially since the Bearcats’ pass rush should be neutralized.

Both teams have new special teams coaches. Mike Ekeler was brought in to fix the kicking game, and winning that third of the game, plus protecting the ball, will just about guarantee a Nebraska football victory.

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