Lincoln, NE- What a beautiful night for football. Some might choose to remember the humidity and the spotty pass defense, but I’ll remember this game as the first step back to relevance for Nebraska football.I could feel the energy in the stadium standing down by the tunnel with my dad before the game watching the players and coaches come out for warmups. The student section was already full an hour before kickoff, and the rest of the stadium filled up soon thereafter. There’s no doubt about it – after four years of agony, Nebraska fans are ready for some quality football.
In the early going it was all Nebraska as the players rode the momentum created by the crowd to a 17-0 lead. The Nebraska offense looked almost unstoppable with a flawless mix of play calling that included everything from the spread to the option out of the I-Formation.
Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller was clearly affected by the noise early in the game because he missed a couple of throws that would have been sure touchdowns. One was on a trick play where the receiver got behind the safeties by about ten yards but Hiller “McCowned” it off his own helmet.
After an impressive two minute drill led to a touchdown pass to Nate Swift with 32 seconds left, Nebraska took a 34-10 lead into halftime.
The Nebraska defense put decent pressure on Hiller in the first couple series of the game, but once Hiller settled down in the second half he had all day to throw and was able to pick apart the questionable Nebraska secondary. There seemed to be a blown coverage in the secondary more often than not, which led to several instances of Western receivers running wide open and picking up significant yards after the catch. Once Hiller gained his poise he was able to lead two long touchdown drives in the second half that cut into Nebraska’s sizeable lead.
Western had no success running the ball though. The Nebraska front held the Broncos to 8 yards rushing (on 25 attempts) and swarmed to the ball. Those swarms were usually led by Cody Glenn, the running back turned linebacker. Glenn was clearly one of the best athletes on the field because he made plays all over it. He displayed the kind of speed and instincts Bo Pelini needs more of if he is going to get the defense back to respectability. Glenn is the real deal and will be a leader on defense this season.
In the second half Nebraska tried to work on their running game, but had little success. With the Broncos loading up the box to stop the run most of the game, Joe Ganz was called upon to kick start the offense again when Western cut into the lead. Ganz didn’t disappoint. Although he threw two picks and made a handful of off-balance throws to miss open receivers, he was able to provide a spark and a big play whenever necessary and Nebraska secured a 47-24 victory.
On the plus side for WMU, Hiller has good skills and won’t have to play in a hostile environment like this again the rest of the season. The defense isn’t as bad as the scoreboard indicated either. The Broncos were able to load up the box to stop the run thanks to a solid secondary that included Londen Fryar and E.J. Biggers.
HIGHLIGHTS
*The crowd coming to life when the defense took the field for the first time. You could tell the players and the fans were feeding off each other and it led to a quick three-and-out.
*Red balloons filling the sky after Marlon Lucky’s impressive 12-yard TD scamper on the second drive of the game.
*Nebraska linebacker coach Mike Ekeler flying through the air and landing on Cody Glenn, congratulating Glenn after he made a nice play to break up a pass near the Nebraska sideline.
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