5 things learned in Nebraska football’s adventurous win over Maryland

Only in college football does it make sense that the Maryland Terrapins lost by 51 points to UCLA last week but led Nebraska by nine points twice on Saturday.

You’re never as bad or as good as you seem. Maryland reminded us of that. The Terps scored a long touchdown in the first quarter, took a 16-7 lead, then a 23-14 lead, and drove late in the first half with a chance to go up 30-14.

That’s when Dwayne McDougle, the San Diego State transfer, intercepted a pass and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown. After a brilliant two-minute drill from Anthony Colandrea and the offense, that resulted in a touchdown pass to Luke Lindenmeyer, the Huskers were in front 28-23 at the half.

The pick-six started a 34-0 run by Nebraska. The start wasn’t perfect. The finish was, and here are five things we learned about the Huskers in the 48-23 win.

Nebraska needed Colandrea’s legs

For the first time this season, the Huskers struggled to get the running game going. Eventually, Nebraska football ran for 209 yards on 36 attempts. Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee carried the ball 22 times for 91 yards, so it was a solid day at the office.

Colandrea is the one who broke things open. He had a 51-yard run and finished with 10 carries for 108 yards. That was on top of completing 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards. There was one interception. However, he bounced back to throw three touchdowns.

Without the running QB, though, the offense would not have been as effective. Colandrea will need to run like that next week against Indiana, and he showed why his legs are an X-factor.

Kwazi Gilmer is the No. 1 receiver

What a pickup Kwazi Gilmer has been. The former UCLA wideout has clearly established himself as Nebraska’s No. 1 wide reciever. He was leading the team in receiving yards before the game, then went off for  147 yards on 11 receptions. Gilmer caught two touchdowns, giving him six for the season with 387 receiving yards (77 per game).

Over 13 games, that’s 1,006 yards. It’s been a long time since Nebraska football had a receiver with 1,000 yards in a season. Gilmer might score double-digit touchdowns, too.

The rapport between him and Colandrea is special. Remember, Gilmer is a true junior, so he could have as many as three seasons left to play. Nebraska should start working on his deal for next season, too, just like Anthony Colandrea’s. 

Blackshirts can overcome adversity

Nebraska faced true adversity for the first time this season, especially the Blackshirts, who allowed a 65-yard touchdown in the first half to Chris Durr, the Big Ten leader in receptions, as well as a 56-yard run in the second quarter that set up the second Maryland touchdown.

The Huskers held Maryland to three field goals. They also forced a critical takeaway in the red zone, giving them two interceptions on the day. The Huskers only had one sack and allowed 141 yards on the ground.

It was a worrisome performance. The encouraging thing was how Nebraska finished. Rob Aurich made some halftime adjustments, which has been a theme all year. Michigan State scored three points in the second half last week. Maryland didn’t score any. The Huskers have allowed just 25 points in the second half all season, which is five per game.

Some things need to get cleaned up before Indiana, but that’s a positive sign.

Rob Aurich makes life tough on quarterbacks

Malik Washington is the best quarterback Nebraska football has faced so far this season. We saw why many have a high opinion of his talent. Washington can make all the throws. He’s also prone to mistakes.

Rob Aurich got two from him, one of which completely changed the trajectory of the game. Beyond that, Washington and the Maryland offense struggled down-to-down. There were big plays; however, Maryland converted just 1-of-14 third-down attempts.

Washington threw for 257 yards. Yet, he averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt. He threw the ball 44 times. The Huskers need to be more efficient throwing the ball, too. Yet, if you take the Maryland TD pass away, and the Terps averaged 4.3 yards per pass.

Outside of the 50-yard plays, it was tough sledding even for a talented quarterback.

Nebraska is dominating in the red zone

One of the biggest improvements for this team has been red-zone efficiency. On Saturday, the Huskers were 5-for-5. That makes them 21 of 22 on the season in red-zone scoring drives. Even more impressive is that Nebraska has scored a touchdown on 17 of 22 trips.

That’s 82.7 percent and ranks fifth in all of college football. That’s one reason why this Nebraska team is scoring 43.6 points per game, and of all the things Anthony Colandrea has brought to this team, that might be the most impressive: The ability to score touchdowns in the red zone.

Nebraska will need more red-zone touchdowns against Indiana next week. You don’t beat the Hooisers with field goals, but so far, the Huskers have excelled in the red zone just like on third down.

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel.