Nebraska Football: Huskers need to pound rock vs. Buffaloes

It was a wild first Saturday in college football, as Colorado upset No. 17 TCU on the road by a 45-42 score. The Colorado passing attack kept them in the game, as Shedeur Sanders threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns.

However, there were some leaks to be had in Colorado’s game. Their run defense was not strong, as TCU was able to tally 262 yards on the ground. For comparison’s sake, Colorado recorded 55 of their own offensively.

It’s safe to say that Nebraska for will have a challenge ahead of them when they face Colorado next weekend. However, they could have an opportunity to win the game if they focus on running the football. That should be the top game plan offensively for the Huskers for a couple of reasons.

Nebraska football should feature the run

For one, it’s clear that quarterback Jeff Sims did not play well on Thursday. To say he looked uncomfortable during the game would be an understatement.

Right now, it would be a risky play to feature the offense around him passing the football. He had a good day on the ground, rushing for 91 yards on 19 carries. The quarterback may be better off running the football against Colorado.

For what it’s worth, the running backs played decently against the Gophers on Thursday. Gabe Ervin was particularly strong, carrying the ball seven times or 55 yards. He averaged 7 yards per carry.

Colorado is a solid team in the secondary offensively. However, their front seven is a bit thin right now. Emani Bailey had a strong day for the Horned Frogs, carrying the ball 14 times for 164 yards. Trey Sanders was able to get things done in the red zone, carrying the ball 15 times for 46 yards and a touchdown.

There’s no denying that the TCU running attack is very good. However, Colorado’s defensive line was weak on Saturday. They struggled particularly on the left side. The depth at the positional unit is not where it needs to be for Colorado right now.

This should give Nebraska football a chance to really establish the run game. Not only that, it may limit turnovers by taking the ball out of Sims’ hands

Of course, this all sounds good. Execution will be the biggest thing. Nevertheless, Nebraska would be wise to pound the rock, in what is going to be a tough road game in Boulder.