3 predictions for Nebraska football vs. Iowa

Nebraska football has a massive game against Iowa on Black Friday and here are three predictions for the Huskers.

For Nebraska football, it doens’t get much bigger than Iowa on Black Friday with a bowl berth on the line.

Down the road, it will be nice if Nebraska is in contention for the 12-team playoff, but you have to start somewhere. A bowl win would make this season a resounding success. It would also give the Huskers more practices and even more momentum on the recruiting trail.

A loss would mean four straight to end the season. That would be a painful way for some of these seniors to end their careers. They deserve a bowl game and even if they don’t make it across that finish line, they have helped change the culture.

Hopefully, the results will reflect that on Saturday. Here are three predictions for Nebraska vs. Iowa.

More points than expected

The over/under is 26 points. Nebraska football is actually a slight favorite. The Huskers have a top-20 scoring defense and Iowa is ranked 124th in scoring offense.

Iowa has an elite defense though. It allows just 12 points per game. Scoring more than that is going to be difficult. However, this is going to be one of the better defenses Iowa has played this season.

Deacon Hill has been playing better though. He’s actually completing 50 percent of his passes and he’ll put some points on the board for Iowa. I think Chubba Purdy will do the same.

Both teams are probably going to get some of the best quarterback play they have gotten this season and I think that leads to Nebraska and Iowa hitting the over.

The kicking game delivers

Nebraska wasn’t great on special teams last week. Tristan Alvano missed a field goal and Nebraska gave up too much field position with punts. That can’t happen again, especially against Iowa.

And I don’t think it will. As long as Brian Buschini is healthy and I’m not sure he is, I believe he’ll deliver on Saturday as will Tristan Alvano.

The kid has made some big kicks this season. He also made a state championship-winning kick at Lincoln Memorial Stadium and call me crazy, I think he makes a kick that sends the Huskers bowling.

Nebraska exorcises some demons

I just have a feeling that Matt Rhule is going to have this team ready to play. He has the past three weeks — Nebraska just fell agonizingly short. There have been game management issues, turnovers, poor calls, and a number of other factors.

This team is close though and Iowa is beatable. How great would it be for the losing streak against ranked opponents to end with a win over Iowa that ended the bowl drought?

Scoring for both teams is going to be tough. Iowa will make some sort of Iowa play that makes this game interesting, but I see the Huskers starting fast and grabbing the lead.

They’ll have to hang on at the end. That’s where Alvano comes in, but Purdy, this defense, and all the guys who have struggled are going to right some wrongs on Black Friday.

That’s my prediction, based more on hope than anything, but at some point, this run of misery has to end and Friday seems like as good a time as ever.

Prediction: Nebraska 16, Iowa 13

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