♪♪ ♪♪ >>> IT WAS ANOTHER BIG WIN ON SATURDAY NIGHT, NOW IT'S TIME TO START BIG TEN PLAY AGAINST THE ILLINI OF ILLINOIS.

WE RECAP THE WIN, CHAT WITH MIKE SHERMAN FROM THE ATHLETIC, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE 400TH SELLOUT AND, OF COURSE, TALK SOME RECRUITING.

IT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON "BIG RED WRAP-UP."

♪♪ ♪♪ >>> HI EVERYONE, I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

WELCOME TO "BIG RED WRAP-UP" ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

AND NEBRASKA IS 3-0 AND PLAY A RANKED OPPONENT FOR A FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME AT MEMORIAL STADIUM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.

JOINING ME, OF COURSE, FORMER HUSKER JAY MOORE AND SEAN CALLAHAN.

LOOK, MAN, WE KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL IS FRIDAY NIGHT, RIGHT.

BUT THIS HAS THE CHANCE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERES WITH ALL THE STUFF HAPPENING LEADING UP TO THIS GAME.

>> YEAH, TOTALLY AGREE.

I GET IT.

I UNDERSTAND, I LOVE PLAYING FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES BUT THIS IS A UNIQUE TIME, UNIQUE MATCHUP.

TOP 25 MATCHUP WITH ILLINOIS COMING HERE ON FRIDAY, SELLING OUT A NIGHT GAME.

WE'VE SEEN -- THE FANS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC.

YOU KNOW, THESE LAST TWO NIGHT GAMES HAVE BEEN ELECTRIC.

EVEN WITH AN SCST -- IT WAS -- THE NOISE WAS OFF THE CHARTS.

>> YEAH.

>> I EXPECT THAT SAME RESULT.

THIS IS THE -- THEY GOT TO BRING IT.

THEY GOT TO BRING IT ON FRIDAY NIGHT TO DROWN OUT THE ILLINOIS PLAY CALLS AND MAKE A MARK ON THIS GAME.

>> THE WAY I DESCRIBE THAT WIN OVER NORTHERN IOWA WAS IT WAS WORKMAN LIKE.

THEY WENT TO WORK, THEY GOT THEIR JOB DONE AND THEY WENT OUT THERE WITHOUT ANY INJURIES AND TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS.

>> YEAH, THEY MANAGED THE SNAP COUNTS PARTICULARLY ON GUYS LIKE NASH HUTMACHER, NOT REALLY EXTENDED THOSE GUYS AND FORCED THEM TO PLAY.

AND NORTHERN IOWA HAS SOME SUCCESS, BUT NEBRASKA WAS LINED UP SCHEMATICALLY WHERE THEY WERE GIVING THEM SOME LOOKS.

AND NORTHERN IOWA EXECUTED, AND THEY WERE GETTING FOUR, FIVE, SIX YARD RUNS.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY HAD THREE POINTS.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN NITPICK AND CRITICIZE BUT NEBRASKA PLAYED PROBABLY A B-LEVEL PERFORMANCE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR BEST GAME OF THE YEAR BY ANY MEANS, AND THEY STILL WON 34 TO THREE.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE A QUARTERBACK ON THE OTHER END THAT CAN GO 75 YARDS, 75 YARDS, 80 YARDS, 21 POINTS, FIRST THREE POSSESSIONS, I LIKE YOUR CHANCES IN A HALF OF FOOTBALL THAT HAS FOUR POSSESSIONS.

>> RIGHT, BUT IT SCARES YOU A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING AGAINST A BIG BACK LIKE -- THIS WEEK OR LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD WITH SOME OF THOSE BACKS YOU GO AGAINST, OR QUARTERBACKS TOO.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND SCHEMATICALLY WHAT WE WERE DOING.

I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF GUYS PLAYING, A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACES.

NORTHERN IOWA CAME OUT AND PUNCHED THEM IN THE MOUTH A LITTLE BIT.

THAT'S WHAT I NOTICED.

OBVIOUSLY, I DIDN'T LIKE TO SEE THAT, BUT NORTHERN IOWA IS A BIG, PHYSICAL FOOTBALL TEAM, HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF THEM COME INTO THIS GAME.

I MEAN, THEIR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST OFFENSIVE LINEMEN WE FACED IN THREE GAMES.

WIDE RECEIVER IS BIG AND PHYSICAL.

RUNNING BACK IS BIG AND PHYSICAL.

QUARTERBACK WAS MOBILE, WAS ABLE TO PUT HIM ON THOSE BIG WIDE RECEIVER BODIES, BUT WE HUNG IN THERE.

WE MADE SOME PLAYS, THE KEY PLAYER STUFF THAT MADE SOME PLAYS.

BUT OVERALL, YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO SAY CONCERNING BUT IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING TO SEE THEM KIND OF COME IN HERE AND RUN THE BALL.

BUT IT HELPED, YOU KNOW, NEBRASKA DID SCORE SO QUICKLY ON OFFENSE.

AND THEY OBVIOUSLY CAME WITH A GAME PLAN TO SAY WE ARE SNAPPING THIS THING WITH ONE TO TWO SECONDS ON THE CLOCK.

AND IT CAUGHT THEM, A FEW TIMES, THEY HAD TO CALL TIMEOUTS.

BUT YEAH, I THINK, THIS GAME IS SUCH A LOSE LOSE IN MY OPINION.

YOU WIN 52-3, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "BIG DEAL, IT'S NORTHERN IOWA," BUT YOU STRUGGLE AT TIMES, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "OH, MY GOSH, YOU'RE STRUGGLING AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA."

YOU TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS, YOU LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES, YOU MOVE ON, YOU GET READY FOR BIG 10 PLAY.

>> YOU MENTIONED ABOUT DYLAN RAIOLA AND HIS EFFICIENCY, WHAT'S THE THING THAT STANDS OUT MOST TO YOU FOR THESE FIRST THREE GAMES?

>> WITH HIM, IT'S THE MANAGEMENT OF THE OFFENSE.

HE'S BEEN ABLE TO CALL AND MAKE CHECKS.

HIS DEEP BALL IS ALWAYS THERE.

I MEAN, IF HE MISSES, IT'S STILL THERE.

IT'S IN AN AREA WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

EVEN HIS ONE INTERCEPTION, YOU KNOW, IT'S A 50/50 BALL WHERE THE OTHER RECEIVER HAD IT AND GOT IT TAKEN OUT OF HIS HANDS.

SO THE LACK OF TURNOVERS THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THREE GAMES.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THERE WERE SEVEN QUARTERBACK TURNOVERS IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES ALONE.

WE'VE SEEN ONE FUMBLE FROM DANTE DOWDELL AND THEN ONE KIND OF FLUKY INTERCEPTION AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA.

SO THE MANAGEMENT OF WHAT DYLAN RAIOLA HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A DEFENSE LIKE NEBRASKA, THIS TEAM CAN GO PRETTY FAR IF THEY CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL AT THIS LEVEL.

>> NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

THERE'S LOTS TO COVER TONIGHT, AND WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.

WE HAVE OUR PHONES STANDING BY.

THEY WILL WORK THIS WEEK, I'M SURE THEY WILL.

READY FOR YOUR CALLS?

IF YOU PREFER, YOU CAN ALSO TEXT OR EMAIL US COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO "BIG RED" AT NEBRASKAPUBLICMEDIA.ORG.

WE'RE ALSO MONITORING THE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TONIGHT, SO SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE "BIG RED WRAP UP" FACEBOOK PAGE OR THE X ACCOUNT AND WE'LL ANSWER AS MANY OF THE QUESTIONS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

AND, OF COURSE, DON'T FORGET TO HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE 2024 NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE POSTER.

YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT, PUT IT AT HOME OR IN YOUR OFFICE AND KEEP UP TO DATE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON WITH ALL THE FOOTBALL SCORES SO FAR THROUGH THREE GAMES.

TIME NOW FOR OUR SIDELINE SURVEY.

LAST WEEK, WE ASKED YOU WAS NEBRASKA RANKED IN THE RIGHT SPOT?

53% SAID JUST RIGHT.

37 SAID DOESN'T MATTER UNTIL AFTER NOVEMBER 5TH.

AND THEN, 7% SAID TOO HIGH AND 3% SAID TOO LOW.

THIS WEEK'S ALL-NEW SIDELINE SURVEY, WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE ILLINI COMING TO DOWN, THE KIND OF DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK, THEIR BIG RECEIVERS, THE POWER RUNNING GAME OR NOTHING.

SO FAR, 39% SAID DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK.

NOW, OMAR IS NOT EXACTLY A DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK, BUT LIKE MORDECAI LAST YEAR AGAINST WISCONSIN, HE CAN GET YOU A QUICK FIRST DOWN.

HE CAN GET AWAY FROM SOME PRESSURE, AND ON A THIRD AND FOUR, GET THAT FIRST DOWN AND KEEP DRIVING.

>> YEAH, I THINK HAVING CONTROL OF YOUR RUSH LANES IS IMPORTANT.

NEBRASKA HAS DONE THAT SO FAR THROUGH THE FIRST THREE GAMES FOR THE MOST PART.

AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE REALLY TRY TO TUCK AND RUN.

I THINK NORTHERN IOWA'S QUARTERBACK WAS PROBABLY THE MOST ELUSIVE.

WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THREE GAMES, OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT GOING TO TRY TO RUN IT.

THE TEMPO AND EVERYTHING, HE WASN'T GOING TO TRY TO RUN AS WELL.

SO, CONTROL.

YOU WANT TO BE VIOLENT AND FAST BUT YOU GOT TO BE UNDER CONTROL AND HAVE CONTAINMENT WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE CONTAINED.

AND GUYS KIND OF PLAY OFF EACH OTHER.

WE ALWAYS CALL IT NATURAL RUSHES, RIGHT, WHERE SOMETIMES THE CALLED GAMES DON'T WORK AS WELL BUT YOU HAVE GUYS THAT KIND OF WORK OFF EACH OTHER AND THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THIS D LINE BECAUSE THEY PLAYED SO MANY STEPS WITH EACH OTHER, YOU GOT TO BE IN CONTROL TO KEEP THAT GUY IN THE POCKET AND FORCE THEM TO THROW INTO COVERAGE AND THAT TALENT THAT NEBRASKA HAS TO MAKE SOME PLAYS.

>> WHAT CONCERNS YOU THE MOST OUT OF THOSE IN THE SURVEY?

>> YOU KNOW, JUST THOSE THIRD AND SIX SITUATIONS WHERE NEBRASKA'S COVERAGE IS GOING TO BE THERE AND THEY'RE PLAYING TWO SAFETIES BACK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE'S A LANE WHERE HE CAN KIND OF GET THAT DESPERATION SIX YARD RUN WHERE THEY -- YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK PRETTY BUT HE'S GOING TO FALL FOR IT AND GET YOU SIX YARDS.

AND THAT'S WHAT NORTHERN IOWA DID, THEY HAD A LOT OF THAT KIND OF FIRE DRILL TYPE RUNS WHERE THE QUARTERBACK WAS ABLE TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE FROM NASHAWN AND TY ROBINSON AND GET FIVE OR SIX YARDS.

BUT I DO THINK NEBRASKA WILL BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THEIR FRONTS AND LOOKS AND TRY TO COME AT HIM WITH MORE.

THEY HAVE SHOWED VERY LITTLE AT THIS POINT IN MY OPINION THROUGH THREE GAMES.

>> HOW VALUABLE HAS IT BEEN TO HAVE SO MANY BODIES PLAYING?

LIKE -- COMING IN AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT GUYS COMING IN AND PLAYING, HOW VALUABLE IS THAT AS A PLAYER TO GET THOSE SNAPS?

>> VERY VALUABLE.

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T -- IT'S ONE THING TO DO IT IN SPRING BALL AND THEN FALL CAMP AND THEN -- BUT TO ACTUALLY GET LIVE REPS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S HOW YOU GET COACHED.

THAT'S HOW YOU GUYS GET BETTER.

YOU CAN DO THINGS AGAINST THE SCOUT TEAM OR EVEN THE ONE OFFENSE IN PRACTICE, BUT WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS, WHEN THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE, RIGHT, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND BEING ABLE TO REST YOUR STARTERS IN THE GAME WITH UTEP AND THEN THE GAME AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA AND GET THE YOUNGER GUYS IN THERE.

YOU JUST SAW GUYS WORKING IN THERE.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE OUT THERE 90-SOME SNAPS RIGHT?

IF YOU COULD WORK GUY IN THERE 20 SNAPS HERE, 30 SNAPS HERE.

THAT'S HOW YOU DEVELOP DEPTH BUT THAT'S ALSO HOW YOU BUILD STAMINA FOR THE LONG HAUL IN THE BIG TEN.

>> HOW MUCH CAN YOU SELL THAT TO RECRUITS?

TO SAY HEY WHEN YOU GET HERE, IF YOU EARN IT IN PRACTICE YOU'LL GET SOME PLAYING TIME.

>> CARTER NELSON AND JACORY BARNEY ARE GREAT EXAMPLES OF THAT.

TO BE OUT THERE AT THE LEVEL THEY ARE ALREADY AS TRUE FRESHMEN.

THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE NORM AT NEBRASKA.

IT'S BEEN HARD FOR THE COACHING STAFFS HERE PREVIOUSLY TO DEVELOP GET THESE FRESHMEN READY.

AND THEN MATT RHULE LITERALLY HAS HIS FINGERS ON THE PLAN ON HOW TO USE THE FOUR GAMES.

IT'S LIKE AN OLD SCHOOL TOM OSBORNE FORMULA WHERE THEY PLAYED THE FRESHMAN SEASON AND BURN THEIR REDSHIRT THAT YEAR THEY PLAY THAT YEAR.

AND DAN RYAN, CARTER NELSON, AND JACORY BARNEY PLAYED SOME AS FRESHMEN BUT THEN USED THEIR RED SHIRT TO GROW FROM THAT.

SO MATT RHULE'S MANAGEMENT OF THIS ROSTER IS EXTREMELY HIGH LEVEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN ROSTER MANAGEMENT MATTERS MORE THAN EVER.

>> WE WERE TALKING BEFORE THE SHOW HOW DOMINANT ISAAC GIFFORD WAS IN THERE, YOU REALLY DIDN'T SEE HIM A WHOLE LOT THE FIRST TWO GAMES BUT HE REALLY SHOWED OUT THIS PAST WEEK.

>> NO HE HAS.

I KNOW ISSACS DAD REALLY WELL AND TALKED TO HIM A BUNCH, AND WE WERE TALKING JUST BEFORE THIS GAME.

ISAAC HASN'T HAD TO DO ANYTHING.

AND THAT'S A GOOD THING RIGHT.

YOU DON'T WANT YOUR SAFETY BEING OUT THERE MAKING A TON OF PLAYS.

HE SHOWED UP AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA, THERE WAS SOME LEAKY YARDAGE CREASED THE DEFENSE A LITTLE BIT SO HE HAD TO COME UP AND MAKE SOME PLAYS.

I WAS WATCHING THIS GAME LIVE, HE HAD THE EDGE THERE, ABLE TO COME DOWN AND SEAL IT UP THIS IS A NICE PLAY ON THE QUARTERBACK.

A NICE PLAY ON THE BUBBLE SCREEN LATER IN THE GAME.

THIS IS WHAT YOU EXPECT, RIGHT?

THIS PLAY RIGHT HERE.

JUST A SOLID PLAY.

>> BROKE DOWN.

>> DAY IN, DAY OUT YOU KNOW YOU GET IT WITH ISAAC, GOING TO PLAY HARD, PHYSICAL, AND DISCIPLINED.

YOU DON'T WANT YOUR SAFETIES TO BE LEADING TACKLERS BUT THIS GAME YOU DID, HE STEPPED UP AND MADE PLAYS.

>> IT'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE THE LEADING TACKLE FOR ILLINOIS IS A SAFETY.

BECAUSE THEY GET A LOT OF THEM OUT THERE HE BOXES OUT A LOT.

SEAN, WHO STOOD OUT FOR YOU ON THE DEFENSE FOR ALL THE GUYS WHO PLAYED?

>> I THINK TY ROBINSON, I THINK THE YEAR HE IS HAVING RIGHT NOW HE'S MAKING HIMSELF SOME MONEY.

YOU GO TO THE COLORADO GAME, AND YOU GO TO WHAT HE DID AT NORTHERN IOWA.

I THINK TY ROBINSON CONTINUES TO PLAY AT A HIGH LEVEL.

I FEEL LIKE NASH HUTMACHER WE'VE HARDLY SEEN HIM, MANAGED HIS SNAPS SO WELL THIS YEAR.

THIS IS A GAME WHERE I THINK ALL THREE OF THOSE STARTING GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY A LOT.

JIMARI BUTLER BEING A THIRD WITH NASH.

OBVIOUSLY CAM LENHART THEY CONSIDER A STARTER.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THAT GROUP TO SET THE TONE ESTABLISH LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AND PUT ILLINOIS IN THE PASSING SITUATIONS THEY CAN PLAY SOME SAFETIES BACK.

>> YOU KNOW HE'S LISTED AS 6'2", IF HE'S 6'2", I'M 6'9" BUT GET YOUR HANDS UP.

>> YES.

DEFINITELY.

IF YOU CAN'T GET THERE -- ESPECIALLY THE QUICK LANE, TO BEAT THE CUT BLOCK, GET THE HANDS UP AND GET IN THE PASSING LANES IF YOU CAN.

THE LINEBACKER IS THE SAME AS WELL, BEING IN COVERAGE GET THOSE HANDS UP SOMEHOW, SOME WAY.

I HAVE A FEELING YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF QUICKER THROWS EARLY IN THE GAME.

I DON'T KNOW IF ILLINOIS'S OFFENSE LINE, ESPECIALLY THE CENTER CAN HANDLE GNASH AND TYE ONE ON ONE.

>> YOU MENTIONED TY ROBINSON MAKING SOME MONEY, TOMMI HILL HAS A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME MONEY AGAIN GOING AGAINST A TOP WIDE RECEIVER.

>> THINK ABOUT THIS, NEBRASKA HAS NOT HAD A FIRST ROUND DRAFT BIG SINCE JOINING THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE.

TOMMI HILL HAS THE BEST CHANCE SINCE THE HUSKERS HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP TEN TO BE A FIRST-ROUND PICK.

THEY HAVEN'T REALLY HAD ANYONE CLOSE.

CAM JORDAN, CAM TAYLOR BRIT WERE GOOD PLAYERS BUT YEAH IF TOMMI HILL CONTINUES TO PLAY AT THE LEVEL HE DID.

THE JOB HE DID ON TRAVIS HUNTER, ONLY TO HOLD HIM TO 12 YARDS AFTER CATCH WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB ON THE BACK END.

TOMMI HILL AND THIS GAME IS GOING TO BE BIG.

YOU HAVE TO WONDER ABOUT MALCOLM ARE THEY GOING AFTER HIM A LOT?

MARCUS BUFORD, THOSE ARE THE TARGETS THAT ILLINOIS IS GOING TO PROBABLY TRY TO FIND SOME MATCHUPS AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO.

>> TWO OF THE HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS LEFT HERE, ROBSON AND McCAFFREY.

LET'S GET TO THE HIGHLIGHTS NOW LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

A FUN NIGHT.

ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF IT IS WHEN YOU WATCH DYLAN RAIOLA, HE'S ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING TO GET THE CROWD HYPED.

HE'S ALWAYS A LEADER.

SHOOK THE HANDS OF THE GUYS IN THE FLYOVER.

JUST A GOOD KID AND A PRETTY GOOD QUANTITY TOO.

RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING GETTING THE BALL TO THOMAS FIDONE.

ONLY TWO RECEPTIONS TO THE TIGHT ENDS, DOES IT SURPRISE YOU?

>> A LITTLE BIT FOR ME, THEY ARE SUCH BIG BODIES AND BIG WEAPONS WITH THIS OFFENSE YOU HAVE TO PICK YOUR POISON, TAKE SOME OF THE MATCHUPS AWAY.

THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TAKING AWAY THE TIGHT ENDS.

>> AND YOU CAN MAYBE COUNT THIS, CARTER NELSON IS GOING TO GROW INTO A TIGHT END, HE GETS BACK-TO-BACK CATCHES.

OUR NEXT GUESS WAS GOING CRAZY IN THE PRESS BOX, EXCITED ABOUT CARTER NELSON.

LED THE TEAM IN RECEPTIONS WITH FOUR.

THIS IS A NICE MOVE ONE ON ONE.

>> A LITTLE CHOICE ROUTE, THEY CALL IT AN ANGLE ROUTE, JERK ROUTE OFFENSE WEST COAST STYLE.

NICE, FLUID, FROM A BIG TRUE FRESHMAN WIDE RECEIVER.

>> SEVEN TARGETS AND SEVEN CATCHES AND TWO GAMES OF ACTION.

>> A BIG TARGET.

YOU GOT TO LOVE THAT AS A QUARTERBACK.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NORTHERN IOWA DID REALLY WELL, GETTING THE BALL TO THE RUNNING BACKS AND WHEN THEY DID HAVE RUNS ESTABLISHING THE FIRST HIT, THAT'S AN EXTRA 4 THAT'S AN EXTRA 5 THAT'S LEAKY YARDAGE THERE.

THAT DRIVES A DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS CRAZY.

I KNOW.

>> YEAH A LITTLE SURPRISING RIGHT THEY DID A GOOD JOB MOVING THE POCKET.

NEBRASKA'S DEFENSE KIND OF OVERFLOWED AT TIMES A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE BUT THEY HAD A GOOD GAME PLAN COMING IN.

GOOD JOB TO GET READY FOR THEM.

>> GOOD JOB FOR BUFORD RIGHT THERE HOLDS NORTHERN IOWA TO A FIELD GOAL.

STAYING IN THE FIRST QUARTER ACTION.

RAHMIR JOHNSON, I THINK HE HAD OUT OF TEN PLAYS HE WAS IN, SEVEN WERE PASS PLAYS.

>> AND MARK FARLEY SAID AFTER THE GAME THEY WEREN'T AS WORRIED ABOUT RAIOLA.

THEY THOUGHT THE RUNNING BACKS AT NEBRASKA CAUSED THEM THE MOST PROBLEMS.

IN THOSE ONE ON ONE PASSING SITUATIONS.

>> THERE'S RAIOLA GETTING THE RUN.

AND THEN ISAAC THERE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN.

HE'S A BIG BODY.

IF I'M STARTING TO COUNTING DOWN THE GUYS WHO ARE PLAY MAKER HE'S THE TOP THREE GUYS YOU WANT TO TOUCH THE BALL.

>> NO QUESTION.

THE SIZE OF THE RECEIVERS CAUSES PROBLEMS.

IT'S BEEN A QUIETER START FOR THE GROUP BUT WE'VE SEEN THEM MAKE IMPACT PLAYS.

>> THERE'S TY ROBINSON MAKING THE PLAY THERE KNOCKING THE BALL DOWN.

JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HOW RAIOLA MOVES IN THE POCKET.

THAT WAS JUST EASY.

>> YEAH JUST HAVING A FREE RUSHER COMING OFF THE EDGE WITH HIS BACK TURNED TO HIM, ABLE TO ELUDE FINDING JAYLEN LLOYD ON THE POST ROUTE.

A NICE TOSS PLAY TO BARNY TAKING A HARD HIT.

>> I MENTIONED THE THREE, BARNEY IS TOP THREE OR FOUR.

>> HE'S GOING TO BE A WEAPON.

YOU HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR HIM.

INTERESTING IN THE BIG TEN HOW DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS START TO ACCOUNT FOR HIM WHEN HE'S IN THE GAME.

>> WHATEVER HAPPENED HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE SOUND FROM THE CROWD OR SOMEBODY MADE NOISE BUT THE CENTER SNAPPED IT, HE WAS READY FOR IT.

BALL HITS HIM IN THE STOMACH THERE.

>> THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, THE COVERAGE.

>> DEFINITELY.

AND DYLAN RAIOLA CONTINUING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY.

DUMPING OFF TO HIS RUNNING BACK.

WE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER.

EVERY TIME RAHMIR JOHNSON TOUCHES THE BALL SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS.

>> THESE PASSES ARE NEARLY PERFECT.

ABOUT 98% ON THE THROWS.

ANYTHING UNDER 10 BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBTS HE IS GIVING NEBRASKA A TRUE WEAPON WITH THIS PART OF HIS GAME.

>> ONE OF THE THREW THROWS THAT WASN'T ACCURATE BEHIND HIM ON THE FOURTH DOWN, ONLY HAS THREE TURNOVER PLAYS FOR THE SEASON, BASICALLY ONE A GAME.

SECOND INTERCEPTION ON THE SEASON, RETURNED FOR 15 YARDS GETTING NEBRASKA'S DRIVE GOING.

HERE'S DANTE SHOWING SOME SPEED.

>> NICE COUNTER ACTION, BOUNCES IT OUT.

MAYBE COULD HAVE TURNED IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE BUT WE'LL TAKE IT.

>> 38 THERE.

GOOD PRESSURE BY NORTHERN IOWA FORCING THE FIELD GOAL.

THIS IS WHAT NEBRASKA NEEDS THEY NEED TO SHOW THE BATTERY IS WORKING, THE SNAP AND HOLD, AND KNOCKS IT THROUGH FROM 31 YARDS GIVES TRISTAN ALVANO CONFIDENCE.

>> CONFIDENCE IS GOOD.

>> THEY NEEDED TO GET SOME MOMENTUM IN KICKING.

>> STILL PERFECT IN EXTRA POINTS, TOO.

YOU COME BACK, PHYSICALITY, THAT WAS THE HEINRICH HAARBERG DRIVE.

>> OUT OF THE BACKFIELD, GETS A CARRY.

TRIES TO KEEP IT AGAIN, THE NIU DEFENDER, BUT MORE CONFIDENCE FOR TRISTAN ALVANO.

>> AND THEN EMMETT JOHNSON PUTS IT AWAY, NICE RUN, 36 YARDS.

KIND OF A CLOSER NOW, ISN'T HE?

>> I THINK HE EARNED MORE PLAYING TIME.

WE HEARD FROM EMMETT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

THE ONLY RUNNING BACK THEY BROUGHT UP SO I EXPECT WE'LL SEE HIM.

IT'S A MATTER OF HOW THEY MANAGE HIM AND RAHMIR JOHNSON.

BUT EMMETT JOHNSON I THINK HAS PUT HIMSELF IN A POSITION WE'LL SEE HIM IN THIS GAME.

>> THAT MEANT A LOT BY THE DEFENSE STOPPING THEM FROM GETTING THE TOUCHDOWN.

301 YARDS FOR NORTHERN IOWA, THEY MOVED THE BALL.

180 WERE AFTER CONTACT.

SOMETHING THE COACHES WERE WORRIED ABOUT AND SOMETHING THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AGAIN, ESPECIALLY AGAINST A TEAM LIKE ILLINOIS ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

LET'S GO TO OUR PLAYERS OF THE GAME.

FIRST OFF WE HAVE HONORABLE MENTION WITH THE INTERCEPTION, WHICH, OF COURSE, WAS A BIG PLAY AND THEN PLAYERS OF THE GAME WE GO TO NOW, OF COURSE HERE'S THE INTERCEPTION.

THIS IS A GOOD JOB JUST BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE THIS IS A MISSED THROW.

>> IT WAS, HE OVERTHREW HIM AND THE WIDE RECEIVER SAW BUFORD COMING AND LET UP A LITTLE BIT.

SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE PLAY AND CATCH IT.

>> I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS.

>> NOBODY WANTS TO GET HIT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, DYLAN RAIOLA WITH ANOTHER GOOD GAME.

GETTING THE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND WE MENTIONED EARLIER ISAAC GIFFORD AND THE KIND OF GAME HE HAS.

DO YOU THINK ISAAC, I KNOW HE'S UNDERSIZED BUT COULD HE PLAY LIKE HIS BROTHER?

>> HE COULD.

THERE ARE SPOTS.

WHERE HE COULD MAKE A CAREER IS ON SPECIAL TEAMS.

>> YEAH.

>> HE CAN LEARN HOW TO LONG SNAP AND PLAY FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU CAN FIND SOME SPOTS THERE AND DEFENSES WHERE A RECOVER SPOTTER AND A NICKEL SPOT YOU COME DOWN.

THE NFL BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COVER WHAT YOU CAN, BUT YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN AND FILL THE HOLE AND BE PHYSICAL WHICH WE KNOW HE CAN WITH TEN TACKLES IN THIS GAME, WE'VE SEEN HIM DO IT MANY TIMES BEFORE.

HE'S ELITE.

>> THE GUY COMES IN, HIGHEST RECRUITED GUY, BY THE TIME HE LEAVES AS A SENIOR IS A COMPLETE PLAYER.

>> HE CAME IN AS A GRAY SHIRT, A WALK ON FROM THE BEGINNING AND RIGHT AWAY HE WAS PUT ON SCHOLARSHIP.

HE'S ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC GUYS.

I REMEMBER HIM PLAYING BASKETBALL, PLAYED HIGH LEVEL AAU, CAN BLOCK SHOTS WITH THE BEST OF THEM.

HIS EXPLOSIVENESS, AS HIGH AS ANYBODY ON THE TEAM.

HE'S A GUY ON PRO DAY IN THE COMBINE HOW HE'LL TEST?

I THINK HE'LL TEST OUT AT A HIGH LEVEL.

>> IT'S AN INDICTMENT ON HIM FOR NOT GIVING HIM A SCHOLARSHIP AFTER HE SAW HIM PLAY.

>> TIME NOW TO DIVE INTO THE PLAYBOOK.

ONCE AGAIN THIS SEASON, WE GO INTO THE HUDDLE WITH JAY MOORE.

>>> ALL RIGHT, WELCOME BACK TO THE HUDDLE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO OFFENSIVE PLAYS TONIGHT.

ACTUALLY BACK-TO-BACK OFFENSIVE PLAYS THAT LED TO A QUICK SCORING DRIVE FOR THE OFFENSE.

THIS FIRST PLAY IS THE POST ROUTE TO LLOYD.

YOU CAN SEE OFFENSIVE LINE IS DOING ZONE STEPPING RIGHT TO THEIR LEFT.

NOW, THE TRICKY PART IS, RAIOLA HAS HIS BACK TURNED.

-- HAS A FREE DEFENDER COMING OFF THE EDGE.

OBVIOUSLY DYLAN DOES A FANTASTIC JOB HERE OF ELUDING HIM.

THE GUY GETS HIS HANDS DOWN.

YOU CAN SEE LLOYD'S RIGHT HERE.

HE'S ABOUT TO RUN THIS POST ROUTE TO GET THIS OPEN, BUT THIS KIND OF UNIQUE THING, YOU DON'T SEE THIS A LOT.

BEN SCOTT PEELS OFF ON THE BACKSIDE HERE TO ACTUALLY GET HIM SOME MORE PROTECTION, AND JUST BUY HIM A LITTLE MORE TIME FROM THIS LINEBACKER COMING UP INTO HIS FACE.

JUST GETS HIM ENOUGH TIME.

HE FINDS -- YOU CAN SEE HIM, HE FINDS LLOYD, AND DROPS THIS PERFECTLY THROWN BALL RIGHT TO HIM.

ALMOST FALLS DOWN, MAKES A GOOD JOB.

GOOD JOB ON RAHMIR JOHNSON HERE.

HUSTLING DOWN, LAYING OFF THAT BLOCK.

ALMOST COULD'VE BEEN A BLOCK IN THE BACK, BUT GREAT FIRST PLAY ON THIS DRIVE.

NEXT PLAY, SIMILAR FORMATION, BALL IS STILL INTO THE BOUNDARY, FORMATION TO THE FIELD.

I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT BOERKIRCHER AND BARNEY RIGHT HERE.

SO AS THEY HIT THIS PLAY, YOU CAN SEE THE TOSS TO BARNEY.

BOERKIRCHER DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF LEADING THIS GUY.

THIS GUY THINKS HE'S GONNA COME TO BLOCK HIM, TRY TO SPILL IT.

HE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF HIS WAY, 'CAUSE HE'S A LEAD BLOCKER FOR BARNEY.

SO YOU CAN SEE, ELUDES HIM.

NOW WE GOT A GOOD SITUATION.

HE'S LEARNED TO KICK UP ON THIS CORNER SHOWING UP.

BARNEY'S GONNA CUT UP.

THE NICE THING WAS IS BARNEY IS VERY PATIENT RIGHT HERE, DOESN'T TRY TO OUTRUN BOERKIRCHER, ALLOWS HIS BLOCKS TO SETTLE IN RIGHT HERE, GIVES HIM SOME TIME.

BOOM, CUTS IT UP HERE.

FINISHES, TAKES A BIG HIT.

HE'S TAKEN A LOT OF BIG HITS.

BUT NICE TWO BACK-TO-BACK PLAYS THERE ON SOME EXPLOSIVE SCORING DRIVES BY THE BIG RED OFFENSE.

♪♪ >> OF COURSE, THIS WEEK IS A HUGE GAME, ONE OF THE MILESTONE GAMES.

400th SELL OUT, THERE'VE BEEN SOME BIG ONES BEFORE -- 200 COLORADO, 300 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE.

LOST TO MISSOURI RIGHT THERE, THE FIRST ONE, BACK IN 1962.

DEFEATED UTAH STATE.

AND THEN YOU HAD DEFEATED PENN STATE.

DEFEATED COLORADO, THAT WAS A HUGE ONE, RIGHT, SEAN?

>> YEAH, I WAS AT THAT GAME.

I WAS A YOUNG JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT AT THAT GAME.

I SAT IN THE STUDENT SECTION, BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET.

COLLEGE GAME DAY IN LINCOLN, TWO VERSUS THREE GAME, NEBRASKA BEATS A COLORADO TEAM WITH BROOK BERRINGER UNDER CENTER.

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT MOMENTS AT MEMORIAL STADIUM.

>> THEN LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE WASN'T A GREAT GAME, 55-0.

AND I THINK IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, 250 WAS ARKANSAS STATE.

THAT JUST STAYS IN MY HEAD FOR SOME REASON.

I THINK I WAS AT THAT GAME.

BUT A LOT OF GREAT ONES.

WE HEAD TO BREAK NOW.

WHEN WE COME BACK WE'LL TALK TO MITCH SHERMAN FROM "THE ATHLETIC."

♪♪ ♪♪ >>> YEAH, I MEAN, I TOLD HIM TO LEAVE.

LIKE, HE DIDN'T TRUST ME TOO MUCH, 'CAUSE I SAID HE SHOULD GO TAKE SOME MONEY, YOU KNOW?

I JUST THINK THE WORLD OF HIM.

HONESTLY, I JUST THINK THE ABSOLUTE WORLD OF HIM.

GUYS LIKE TY ROBINSON ARE WHY GUYS LIKE ME COACH, YOU KNOW.

JUST THAT DAILY INTERACTION, THAT DAILY RELATIONSHIP.

AND A GREAT THING ABOUT TY IS HE LETS ME BE ME.

YOU KNOW, I'M SARCASTIC AND SNARKY OUT THERE ON THE FIELD.

I'M TAKING SHOTS, AND DA-DA-DA.

AND LIKE, GUYS LIKE BAUER AND HIM.

I MEAN, I TEASED BAUER THE WHOLE WEEK AGAINST COLORADO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T GONNA NEED HIM THAT WEEL, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T A RUN GAME, IT WAS GONNA BE A PASS GAME.

HE GOT A SACK AND HE'S LIKE YELLING AT ME FROM THE FIELD, LIKE, THAT'S WHY I DO THIS.

I DON'T DO IT FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

I LOVE WATCHING THOSE GUYS, AND SO TY IS BRINGING THAT GROUP ALONG, TOO.

TY IS BRINGING THAT GROUP ALONG.

AND WHAT I LOVE IS WHEN I LEAVE, THEIR LEGACY WILL BE HERE.

AND TY TALKS A LOT ABOUT THE GUYS THAT WERE HERE BEFORE HIM.

>> YOU GOT THE PLAY MAKERS ON THE OUTSIDE, RIGHT?

SO THOSE GUYS ARE GOING UP AND GETTING FOOTBALLS.

YOU SEE THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING THE BALANCE WHEN THEY -- THEY KNOW THEY WANT TO RUN THE BALL, WHAT LOOKS THEY'RE RUNNING THE BALL INTO, AND THEN DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

I MEAN RPOs, GETTING THEM OUT MOVEMENT PASS WISE.

I MEAN, HE'S JUST -- HE'S JUST PLAYING WITH A GUY -- PLAYING WITH A LOT OF CONFIDENCE RIGHT NOW.

AND HE'S NOT REALLY PANICKED.

HE JUST KIND OF GOES OUT THERE, AND HE SEES, AND HE'S OPERATING AT A HIGH LEVEL, SO HE'LL BE A CHALLENGE TO DEAL WITH.

>> I THINK WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE.

I DON'T THINK REALLY ANY WORDS I CAN GIVE HIM WOULD HAVE YOU PREPARED FOR WHAT IT'S GONNA FEEL LIKE TO GO, YOU KNOW, PLAY A BIG TEN GAME, AND THEN PLAY A STRETCH OF BIG TEN GAMES.

SO I THINK IT'S JUST A LAYER OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH ALL THOSE FRESHMEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMING WEEKS.

>> NEVER GETS OLD WALKING INTO THAT STADIUM AND IT'S SOLD OUT.

I KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED 'EM EXTRA THIS GAME, SO, UM, I KNOW THEY'LL SHOW UP.

>> FIRST GAME WE WENT TO?

>> I DON'T REMEMBER WHO THEY PLAYED BUT I WAS -- I WAS A LITTLE BABY.

AND I JUST REMEMBER AFTER THE GAME ROLLING AROUND IN THE END ZONE.

THAT'S ALL I REALLY REMEMBER.

>>> ALL RIGHT, WELCOME BACK TO THE SLOW.

WE ARE PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY MITCH SHERMAN FROM "THE ATHLETIC."

APPRECIATE IT, MITCH.

>> HEY, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU GUYS.

HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING?

>> EVERYBODY'S GOOD.

HOW MANY OF THESE HISTORIC ONES HAVE YOU BEEN TO?

LIKE, 300, 200, 250.

HOW MANY HAVE YOU BEEN TO?

>> I DEFINITELY REMEMBER 200.

I'M SURE I WAS AT 300.

DON'T HAVE AS MUCH MEMORIES OF THE LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE GAME, 55-0, THANKS FOR THE GRAPHIC THAT YOU SHOWED A FEW MINUTES AGO.

200 WAS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MORE MEMORABLE GAMES AT MEMORIAL STADIUM.

AND SEAN I'M AFRAID JAY WOULD MAKE ME FEEL VERY OLD IF YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU WERE AT AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING ON THAT DAY.

I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND WAS A 19-YEAR-OLD WATCHING THAT ONE FROM THE PRESS BOX.

SO THAT WAS -- THAT WAS AN AWESOME EVENT TO BE AT, TWO VERSUS THREE, NEBRASKA EN ROUTE TO TOM OSBORNE'S FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

I JUST DID A STORY ABOUT THAT ON THE WEEK OF THE COLORADO GAME ABOUT THE, OF COURSE, 30-YEAR REUNION OF THAT '94 TEAM.

AND GOT TO VISIT WITH JOEL WILKS AND TROY DUMAS AND SOME OF THOSE GUYS WHO PLAYED IN THAT GAME.

THAT WAS A -- THAT WAS A TREAT.

BUT FOR ME THAT'S MEMORABLE OF THOSE MILESTONE SELLOUTS.

>> MITCH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF NEBRASKA FOOTBALL, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS STREAK AS IT NOW HITS 400?

AND IS IT IMPORTANT IN YOUR EYES THAT IT KEEPS CONTINUING?

'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER FOR EVERY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY TO SELL OUT AT THE LEVEL NEBRASKA HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THESE LAST 60 PLUS YEARS.

>> YEAH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

I MEAN, I THINK ON SOME LEVEL IT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S THE CONNECTION THAT NEBRASKA HAS, THE DEEPEST CONNECTION THAT IT HAS TO THE STORIED HISTORY OF THE PAST 60 YEARS.

AND SO MANY OF THE TRADITIONS AND STREAKS HAVE GONE BY THE WAYSIDE IN RECENT YEARS, AND THAT'S ONE THAT JUST TIES NEBRASKA TO THE DEVANEY ERA.

AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT MEANS A LOT TO THE FANS.

AND IF IT MEANS A LOT TO THE FANS, THEN I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR NEBRASKA TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY WITHIN REASON.

I MEAN, YOU CAN'T MAKE A MOCKERY OUT OF IT.

IF THERE'S ONLY 50,000 SEATS SOLD SOME DAY IN THE STADIUM, YOU KNOW, THE STREAK IS GONNA HAVE TO END.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTION THAT THINGS ARE GOING RIGHT NOW, CLEARLY NEBRASKA HAS WEATHERED A DIFFICULT TIME, AND HAS MADE IT THROUGH WITH SOME CHANGES, WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE WAY THE STREAK HAS CONTINUED.

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER REMAINS THAT EVERY TICKET TO EVERY GAME HAS BEEN SOLD NO MATTER HOW IT'S WORKED OUT, AND THEY'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG FANS TO HAVE TICKETS THAT WERE DONATED TO THEM.

AND YOU KNOW, SOME SEE THAT AS AN ASTERISK THAT'S ON THE STREAK.

I -- LOOK, THE REASON THAT THE STREAK IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT TREASURED RELATIONSHIP THAT NEBRASKA FOOTBALL HAS WITH ITS FANBASE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER SOME TICKETS WENT TO UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS, OR THEY WERE ALL IN THE HANDS OF HIGH DOLLAR DONORS AND SEASON TICKET HOLDERS, AT THE END OF THE DAY IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.

THE TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD AND THE STADIUM HAS BEEN, FOR THE MOST PART, FULL FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS.

AND IT'S SYMBOLIC MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT CONTINUES FOR AS LONG AS IS REASONABLY POSSIBLE.

>> MITCH, NOW THAT NONCONFERENCE IS OPEN -- OVER, RHULE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT BEING PRESEASON, BUT WE'VE KINDA SEEN SOME THINGS WITH THE DEFENSE, THINGS WITH THE OFFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS.

IS THERE STILL SOME BOXES LEFT UNCHECKED FOR YOU THAT YOU'D LIKE NEBRASKA TO GET ACCOMPLISHED HERE NOW THEY HEAD INTO CONFERENCE PLAY?

>> SURE, ALWAYS, JAY.

I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO THINK EVEN IN THE GREATEST NEBRASKA SEASONS AFTER THREE GAMES THAT ALL THE BOXES HAVE BEEN CHECKED.

YOU KNOW, I -- I SEE SO MUCH IN DYLAN RAIOLA, AND HE'S BEEN FANTASTIC, AND THE FIRST QUARTERBACK IN NEBRASKA HISTORY TO GO THREE STRAIGHT 70% COMPLETION GAMES SINCE JEFF QUINN IN 1980, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST THREE APPEARANCES THAT HE'S EVER HAD IN A NEBRASKA UNIFORM.

FOR ME -- AND THIS IS MEANT AS A COMPLIMENT TO HIM -- I THINK HE'S LEFT A LOT OUT THERE.

I THINK THAT DYLAN MIGHT LOOK THE BACK AT THIS SEASON AND SAY HE COULD'VE PLAYED A LOT BETTER IN THE FIRST THREE GAMES, BASED ON THE WAY THINGS GO IN THE NEXT NINE.

I THINK THAT THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF CONNECTING WITH SOME OF THE BIG BODIES AT WIDE RECEIVER, AND INCORPORATING THE TIGHT END INTO THE PASSING GAME, AND EXPOSING THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD WHEN THEY'VE WANTED TO GO TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, AND EXPLOIT MATCHUPS THAT NEBRASKA HAS BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF CARTER NELSON, OR THOMAS FIDONE, OR ISAIAH NEYOR, OR JAHMAL THE BANKS, THE LIST JUST GOES ON.

JANIRAN BONNER IS OF COURSE A BIG BODIED GUY.

WHEN THEY'VE WANTED TO GO THAT AREA, THEY'VE HAD PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS, AND I -- I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR NEBRASKA AGAINST THE TYPE OF COVERAGE THAT IT'S GOING TO SEE THROUGH THE BIG TEN.

SO FOR ME THAT'S A BOX THAT'S SOMEWHAT UNCHECKED.

I THINK THE RUNNING GAME CAN GET GOING EVEN MORE.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T HAD A 100 YARD RUSHER IN ANY OF THESE GAMES.

DEFENSIVELY I THINK THEY CAN RAMP IT UP A BIT IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE ATTACKING THE TURNOVER CATEGORY.

THEY'VE GOT SOME AND THEY'VE HAD SOME THAT WERE TIMELY, LIKE THE ONE ON THE OPENING POSSESSION OF THE SECOND HALF AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA.

BUT I THINK THAT THIS DEFENSE HAS EVEN MORE TO GIVE.

AND THAT -- THAT'S MAYBE THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS TEAM, IS THAT WHILE THEY'VE HAD THREE COMFORTABLE WINS, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANY AREA OF THIS TEAM THAT'S PLAYING ABOVE ITS HEAD.

AND I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS, WHICH HAS A LOT OF BOXES STILL LEFT TO CHECK.

>> MITCH SHERMAN JOINING US FROM "THE ATHLETIC."

YOU KNOW, "BIG RED WRAP-UP" -- MITCH -- A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM VIEWERS ABOUT MICAH MAZZCCUA AND WHEN HE'LL BE BACK, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK -- YOU THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE A COUPLE OF GAMES?

AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT HIS BEING SAT DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF GAMES?

>> RIGHT, WELL, I MEAN, IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS OVER A WEEK FROM NOW, YOU KNOW.

IT SEEMS TO HAVE PROGRESSED -- WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS FROM MATT RHULE LAST WEEK LEADING UP TO THE NORTHERN IOWA GAME.

AND THEN WE COME TO FIND OUT HE'S NOT THERE, OR HE'S NOT ON THE SIDELINE IN THAT GAME, AND HE'S NOT INJURED.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY CLEAR RHULE HAS SAID BOTH SATURDAY AND THEN AGAIN ON MONDAY THIS WEEK THAT MAZZCCUA'S STILL A PART OF THE TEAM.

SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU HEAR WHEN -- WHEN -- YOU KNOW, IN A NORMAL -- THIS IS SOME KIND OF AN UNUSUAL SITUATION.

IT SEEMS TO GO BACK TO THE COLORADO GAME, BECAUSE RHULE WAS CLEAR TO SAY THAT HENRY LUTOVSKY, THE FILL-IN AT THE GUARD SPOT THAT MAZZCCUA HAD HELD DOWN, THAT RIGHT GUARD SPOT, HE PLAYED THE FOURTH QUARTER AGAINST THE BUFFS.

SO, OKAY.

WHATEVER THIS IS, IT STARTED THEN.

IT EXTENDED ON THROUGH THE NORTHERN IOWA GAME.

IT'S GONNA EXTEND ANOTHER WEEK THROUGH ILLINOIS.

LET'S SEE HOW LUTOVSKY PLAYS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN -- IN THE RHULE WAY OF DOING THINGS -- IT USED TO BE IN THE WAY OLD DAYS, IT WAS LIKE YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE '94 TEAM, AND THE OSBORNE YEARS, AND IF A PLAYER GOT HURT OR IF A PLAYER WAS OUT, HE DIDN'T NECESSARILY LOSE HIS POSITION.

THAT'S NOT THE WAY THINGS WORK IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY.

YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH BLYE HILL, WHEN HE GOT HURT IN THE SPRING GAME AND HE CAME BACK, AND YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S -- HE'S SECOND OR THIRD ON THE DEPTH CHART.

THEY WENT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, FOUND ANOTHER CORNER.

THEY WENT AND FOUND CEYAIR WRIGHT, THEY WENT AND -- THEY MOVED MARQUES BUFORD TO CORNER.

SO WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS NEBRASKA GOES ON THE ROAD NEXT SATURDAY TO PURDUE.

>> HEY, MITCH, WHEN DYLAN RAIOLA CAME HERE, I THINK WE ALL HAD AN EXPECTATION OF WHAT HE WAS GOING TO BE.

FOR YOU, HOW MUCH HAS HE OVER-EXCEEDED THAT, IF HE HAS?

AND WHEN YOU COMPARE HIM TO PREVIOUS FRESHMEN, CAN YOU RECALL ANY THAT HAVE CAME INTO NEBRASKA THIS QUICKLY, GAMES ONE, TWO, AND THREE, AND ALMOST CAPTIVATED A FANBASE THE WAY HE'S DONE SO FAR?

>> YOU KNOW, ADRIAN MARTINEZ HAD A GREAT START.

AND I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT QUARTERBACKS, THERE HAVE BEEN VERY FEW AS TRUE FRESHMEN.

YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT GUYS WHO PLAYED CORNER LIKE A RALPH BROWN.

I MEAN, THERE -- BOBBY NEWCOMBE AS A WINGBACK IN 1997.

BUT QUARTERBACK'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIMIT THIS TO QUARTERBACKS.

IT HAPPENED WITH TOMMIE FRAZIER WHEN HE TOOK OVER MID-SEASON.

ADRIAN MARTINEZ WAS ELECTRIC OUT OF THE GATE.

I THINK HE CAPTIVATED PEOPLE, BUT THEY WEREN'T WINNING GAMES, RIGHT THEN.

AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE WITH DYLAN IS, NOT ONLY IS HE DOING IT AND EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS, SO YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, HE HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.

BUT HE'S ALSO DOING IT AND WINNING GAMES, AND WINNING GAMES COMFORTABLY TO THE POINT WHERE HE'S NOT EVEN PLAYING THE ENTIRE GAME.

NOW, I THINK THAT CHANGES WHEN NEBRASKA GETS INTO THE BIG TEN.

THE HUSKERS ARE GONNA NEED HIM TO PLAY FOUR QUARTERS JUST ABOUT ALL THE TIME FROM HERE ON OUT.

BUT I WOULD SAY THE ONE AREA THAT HE'S REALLY LIVED UP AND ABOVE WHAT I THOUGHT IS JUST HIS MATURITY.

I MEAN, WE KNEW HE HAD A GREAT ARM.

YOU KNOW, SEAN, WE SAW HIM IN MEMORIAL STADIUM AFTER HIS FRESHMEN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, AND THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF DOUBT EVEN THEN THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT QUARTERBACK FOR SOMEBODY, SOMEDAY.

HE HAD AN NFL ARM WHEN HE WAS 15-YEARS OLD, WHICH IS REMARKABLE TO THINK ABOUT, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT.

AND HE'S REFINED THAT ARM, AND WORKED ON IT, WORKED WITH PROFESSIONAL LEVEL TRAINERS AND COACHES OUTSIDE OF THE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT SINCE THAT TIME, AND IT'S MADE HIM MORE THAN READY FROM A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT.

BUT HIS ABILITY TO BE READY FROM LIKE, AN EMOTIONAL AND A MENTAL STANDPOINT, AND A PSYCHOLOGICAL STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE KINDA THINGS THAT MATT RHULE TALKS ABOUT WITH HIS WHOLE TEAM IN GETTING THEM READY TO PLAY IN THE BIG TEN.

DYLAN IS QUITE A WAYS BEYOND WHERE I'VE SEEN A TRUE FRESHMAN AT THE QUARTERBACK SPOT AT NEBRASKA.

REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GO AROUND THE NATION AND LOOK AT TRUE FRESHMEN QUARTERBACKS ANYWHERE, IT'S SO UNCOMMON TO SEE SOMEONE WHO IS AS MATURE AND SEEMINGLY READY TO HANDLE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, AS HE HAS BEEN THROUGH THESE FIRST THREE GAMES.

>> MITCH WE APPRECIATE IT.

WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE PRESS BOX ON FRIDAY.

>> OKAY, THANKS.

THANKS A LOT, GUYS.

>> COMING UP NEXT ON THE "WRAP-UP," SEAN WILL TELL US ABOUT RECRUITING AND IF ANY OF THE COMMITS CAN CONTRIBUTE LIKE LAST -- LIKE THIS YEAR'S FRESHMAN CLASS.

AND WE'LL RECAP, OF COURSE, YOUR FAVORITE PLAYS FROM LAST WEEK.

♪♪ A ♪♪ >>> EMMETT JOHNSON, TD RUN FOR OUR TOP PLAYS.

THAT'S NUMBER THREE ON THE LIST.

KIND OF ENDED THE GAME A LITTLE BIT.

IT WAS CERTAINLY A CLOSER FOR EMMETT JOHNSON.

HOPEFULLY EARNING HIM MORE TIME PLAYING GOING AHEAD.

NUMBER TWO ON OUR LIST, IT'S NOT SURPRISING, I THINK EVERY WEEK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RAIOLA PLAY,A RAIOLA PLAY.

THIS IS THE 59 YARD PASS.

MAKES A GUY MISS AS JAY BROKE DOWN.

AND THEN THERE'S JAYLEN LLOYD MAKING THE CATCH.

RUN AFTER THE CATCH -- I THOUGHT ACTUALLY HE WAS GOING TO SCORE FOR A SECOND HERE.

I THOUGHT RAHMIR WOULD GET THE BLOCK AND HE WOULD SCORE.

BUT IT'S REALLY CLOSE.

AND THEN WE GO TO NUMBER ONE, FIRST EVER TOUCHDOWN CATCH BY A GUY WHO'S ONLY PLAYED THREE GAMES AGAINST 11 MEN ON DEFENSE, CARTER NELSON.

BACK-TO-BACK PLAYS HE CATCHES THE BALL.

AND THIS ONE HE GOES INTO THE END ZONE.

KEEPS HIS BALANCE, PHYSICAL INTO THE END ZONE.

GETTING A TOUCHDOWN.

IT'S A GREAT -- AS YOU MENTIONED, A JERK ROUTE OR AN ANGLE ROUTE, OR A TEXAS ROUTE.

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, TAKES IT INTO THE END ZONE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN.

WE'RE JOINED NOW OF COURSE BY SEAN CALLAHAN TO TALK A LITTLE BIT OF RECRUITING.

WE'VE HAD SO MANY NIGHT GAMES, SO MANY BIG WEEKS.

HOW YOU KEEPING UP WITH IT ALL?

>> SLEEP IS LIMITED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN GREAT.

I MEAN, I THINK FOR NEBRASKA AND THE FAN BASE, I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER A STRETCH WHERE THEY'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, THREE IN A ROW WITH THIS MANY RECRUITING VISITORS IN.

YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN PERFECT.

I MEAN, AND THE WEATHER'S BEEN GREAT.

AND THE WINNING.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING HAS LINED UP FOR NEBRASKA WITH THE VISITORS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN AND HAVING THESE NIGHT GAMES.

AND THEN, THIS FRIDAY GAME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GAMES LOCALLY ON THURSDAYS.

SOME OF THOSE PLAYERS WILL COME.

IT WON'T BE A BIG LIST THIS WEEK.

BUT I THINK THEY'RE OKAY.

MATT RHULE, HE WENT OUT ON THE ROAD AND CAUGHT SOME HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AND THEY HAD COACHES IN KANSAS CITY AND ST. LOUIS AS WELL ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

AND THEY FLEW BACK IN SATURDAY MORNING.

SO THEY'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB THUS FAR.

>> TALK TO ME ABOUT MATT LUDWIG'S VISIT.

>> YEAH, MATT LUDWIG OUT OF MONTANA, IS THE NUMBER ONE PLAYER IN THE STATE OF MONTANA.

A FOUR-STAR LEVEL TIGHT END ATHLESE.

HE IS FIRST COUSINS TO VINCE GENATONE, A CURRENT HUSKER LINEBACKER.

>> ATHLETE.

>> SO VINCE'S FATHER AND HIS MOTHER ARE BROTHER/SISTER AND THEY'RE A VERY CLOSE FAMILY.

SO NEBRASKA IS CONSIDERED, I WOULD SAY, THE EARLY TEAM TO BEAT FOR A TOP 200 LEVEL RECRUIT IN THE CLASS OF 2026.

HE'S GOT MICHIGAN, HE'S GOT GEORGIA, HE'S GOT A LOT OF THE MAJOR OFFERS FOR TIGHT ENDS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

BUT NEBRASKA HAS GOT A UNIQUE IN WITH THE FAMILY CONNECTIONS THERE IN NORTH PLATT.

>> YEAH THIS ENTIRE PART OF THE COUNTRY, SO MANY TIGHT ENDS.

LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR FEATURE RECRUIT.

>> YEAH, FEATURED RECRUIT TONIGHT ISAIAH MOZEE.

AND I MENTIONED KANSAS CITY.

ISAIAH'S FATHER, JAMAR, WAS THE LONG TIME HEAD COACH OF LEE SUMMIT NORTH.

LEFT THERE IN THE SPRING TO GO TO UCF BEFORE MATT RHULE HIRED HIM TO LINCOLN.

ISAIAH FOLLOWED HIS FATHER TO NEBRASKA, WAS A LONG-TIME OREGON DUCK COMMIT.

ARGUABLY THE BEST PLAYER IN THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY RIGHT NOW.

IN THAT AREA.

ONE OF THE BESTM IF NOT THE BEST.

SO A HIGH LEVEL PLAYER.

COACH MOZEE WAS DOWN IN KANSAS CITY ON FRIDAY HANDLING THE RECRUITING DUTIES.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY AREA FOR MATT RHULE AND THE HUSKERS.

AND BY HIRING A PROMINENT KANSAS CITY HIGH SCHOOL COACH, THE FATHER OF ISAIAH, JAMAR, IT'S GONNA GO A REALLY LONG WAY.

>> ALL RIGHT, IN-STATE RECRUIT NOW.

>> YEAH, SAWYER SCHILKE OUT OF KEARNEY IS OUR IN-STATE RECRUIT TODAY.

HE IS A KANSAS STATE WILDCAT COMMIT.

JUMPED ON THAT WILDCAT OPPORTUNITY -- >> LOOK AT THAT HAIR.

>> DID NOT -- HE'S A GREAT WRESTLER TOO.

DID NOT CAMP FOR NEBRASKA.

I THINK NEBRASKA WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM A FAIR SHAKE.

NEVER WENT TO CAMP.

DIDN'T COME DOWN AND THAT WAS KINDA OF THE STANDING THING.

THEY WANTED TO SEE HIM AT CAMP, GOT HIS OPPORTUNITY FROM KANSAS STATE, JUMPED ON THAT WHEN -- HE WAS A NORTHERN ILLINOIS COMMIT FIRST.

>> RIGHT.

>> THEN SWITCHED TO KANSAS STATE.

BUT KEARNEY IS A TOP FIVE LEVEL TEAM RIGHT NOW IN NEBRASKA.

I THINK THERE'S QUITE A GAP BETWEEN ONE AND TWO, BUT THEY'RE IN THAT PACK OF THREE, FOUR, FIVE.

AND SAWYER SCHILKE IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL PLAYER ON A KEARNEY BEARCAT TEAM THAT HAS A CHANCE TO AT LEAST BE I WOULD SAY A SEMIFINAL TEAM HERE IN 2024.

>> YEAH, WE HAVE HIM ON OUR WATCH LIST FOR MR. FOOTBALL.

ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE STATE.

THANKS SEAN, WE APPRECIATE IT.

LET'S GET TO OUR GAME DAY PHOTO WINNER SENT TO US -- WELL, ACTUALLY, TOOK IT OFF OF FACEBOOK.

WHAT AN AMAZING ANGLE OF MEMORIAL STADIUM.

IT LOOKS INCREDIBLE.

OUR T-SHIRT WINNER IS MATT PAVLIK.

FROM SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAME.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MATT.

PLEASE, KEEP SENDING IN YOUR GAME DAY PHOTOS AND PICTURES TO WIN A FREE T-SHIRT.

PRETTY AWESOME WHAT YOU CAN GET JUST SENDING IN A PICTURE.

>> YEAH, THAT'S -- I MEAN, THAT WAS A GREAT PHOTO.

A LOT OF GOOD PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THAT STADIUM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

>> YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST.

>> YEAH, NO, IT'S GONNA BE A FANTASTIC SETTING FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THAT FORM OF -- IT'LL FUN TO SEE.

>> YOU REFERENCED IT EARLIER.

LET'S TALK FRESHMEN.

IT'S REALLY HARD NOWADAYS WITH STILL HAVING SOME OF THE PEOPLE FROM COVID.

YOU HAVE FIFTH, SIXTH YEAR SENIORS, TO GIVE FRESHMEN SOME TIME, BUT NEBRASKA IS MAKING IT HAPPEN.

>> YEAH, THEORETICALLY, 2025 WILL BE THE LAST SEASON OF COVID PLAYERS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

THEORETICALLY.

THERE'S BACKDOORS IN TO GET OTHER YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY.

BUT YEAH, YOU LOOK AT DYLAN RAIOLA, AND WHAT HE'S DONE.

CARTER NELSON, JACORY BARNEY, THE BIG THREE ON OFFENSE TO GET THIS KIND OF IMPACT.

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE'VE SEEN THREE TRUE FRESHMEN SHOW THIS KIND OF POTENTIAL IN ONE SEASON.

AND IT GOES TO DEVELOPMENT, IT GOES TO RECRUITING, IDENTIFICATION.

I MEAN, CARTER NELSON, ON A LINEBACKER, IT'S JUST NOT EVEN FAIR.

YOU LOOK AT THIS.

THE GUY HAD NO CHANCE.

I MEAN, EVEN IF HE WAS IN POSITION, HE'S NOT RUNNING WITH CARTER NELSON.

HE'S A SEVEN FOOT HIGH JUMPER THAT THROWS A DISCUS 190 FEET AND CAN POLE VAULT LIKE 14'5."

>> YEAH.

AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ONE OF THESE SLOT RECEIVERS TO ACTUALLY PAN OUT.

THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER, A BUNCH OF ALTERNATES THAT COME THROUGH, AND SOME OTHER GUYS WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT.

BUT WITH ALL THE ANTICIPATION OF HIM, HE ACTUALLY LIVED UP TO IT, BARNEY HAS.

>> YEAH, HE'S BEEN EXPLOSIVE.

HE'S ELECTRIC.

YOU SEE -- I WANT TO SEE HIM GET ONE IN THE KICK RETURN GAME.

BUT, THE WAY THEY UTILIZE HIM IN THE INTERMEDIATE PASSING GAME.

YOU KNOW, HAND OFFS, BUBBLE SCREENS.

YOU KNOW, YOU SAW THE TOUCHDOWN RUN HOW THEY UTILIZE HIM.

THEY WANT TO GIVE HIM THE BALL IN HIS HANDS.

HE'S GOT THAT MIAMI, FLORIDA SPEED.

BUT HE CAN BREAK THINGS DOWN.

THE NICE THING IS, IS WE GOT A QUARTERBACK -- FOR SO LONG WE TALKED ABOUT DYLAN MAKING THE RIGHT THROWS AND SIMPLE THROWS.

THE QUARTERBACKS HAD A HARD TIME MAKING THE SCREEN PASSES.

THE TIMING.

BUBBLE SCREENS.

THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE WITH DYLAN.

SO, THESE WIDE RECEIVERS ARE JUST GONNA FLOURISH WHEN THEY CAN HAVE A CATCHABLE BALL ALL THE TIME.

>> IN STRIDE.

>> AND PLUS -- AND PLUS DYLAN CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT.

WE SAW HIM GET THE 15 YARDS MAKING A GUY MISS IN THE POCKET.

>> YEAH THE ONE QUARTERBACK HURRY THE LINE GAVE UP WAS ONE THAT WE SHOWED.

AND HE HAS THE ABILITY.

HE FEELS THE POCKET AND PLAYS THE POCKET AS WELL AS WE'VE SEEN A QUARTERBACK AT NEBRASKA.

I THINK A LOT OF THE LINE ISSUES OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE SEEN THE QUARTERBACKS NOT REALLY PLAY THE POCKET WELL AT NEBRASKA.

AND THEY DO THIS DANCING AROUND AND ESCAPING THE POCKET.

AND THEN THAT LEADS TO A LOT OF PENALTIES, A LOT OF BREAKDOWNS, LINEMEN GET INJURED WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING AROUND AT DIFFERENT ANG -- I MEAN, SO I THINK DYLAN UNDERSTANDS HOW TO STAY IN THE POCKET, WHICH FOR YOUNG QUARTERBACKS, THAT'S HARD TO DO.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE TO SLIDE UP THERE.

BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE ON SUNDAY.

EVERY QUARTERBACK ON SUNDAY DOES WHAT DYLAN RAIOLA DOES.

HOW THEY KEEP IN THAT POCKET AND SLIDE UP.

>> THEY CLIMB.

JOHN ON FACEBOOK SAYS, "IS TURNER CORCORAN PLAYING HIS BEST BALL OF HIS CAREER?"

>> I'D SAY THE MOST CONSISTENT.

HE STAYED HEALTHY, KNOCK ON WOOD, BUT HE'S STEPPED IN NICELY WITH TEDDY PROCHAZKA GOING DOWN.

AND HE'S PLAYED -- I MEAN, TURNER'S HAD TO PLAY MULTIPLE POSITIONS, GUARD AND TACKLE, THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER.

BUT HE'S BEEN -- HE'S DOING NICE, YOU KNOW, HE'S PLAYING WELL.

HE'S GOING TO GET TESTED THOUGH THIS WEEK AGAINST ILLINOIS.

THEY GOT SOME EDGE GUYS THAT CAN COME OFF AND HAVE SOME SPEED.

>> YEAH, 19 AND 9, BOTH OF THOSE GUYS CAN COME OFF THE EDGE.

SEAN, NOT TO JINX ANYTHING, BUT VERY FEW INJURIES THIS YEAR.

HOW MUCH DOES THAT GO BACK TO ALL THE PREPARATION AND ALL THE MONEY THEY'RE SPENDING ON PLAYER SAFETY AND KEEPING THEM -- >> I THINK IT'S A BIG FACTOR.

THE DIETING AS WELL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE RECOVERY TANK.

I MEAN, EVERY PLAYER AFTER EVERY PRACTICE BASICALLY WALKS INTO AN ICE BATH, BUT IT'S A POOL.

AND TO HAVE THAT LUXURY AT NEBRASKA WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVERY PLAYER GOES IN THERE AND GETS THAT KIND OF TREATMENT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I ALSO THINK JUST PLAYING SO MANY GUYS.

I MEAN, LOOK AT DEFENSE.

28 PLAYERS RIGHT NOW HAVE SEEN 21 OR MORE SNAPS.

>> WOW.

>> AND THAT'S A REMARKABLE NUMBER OVER THREE GAMES.

YOU CAN GET THAT MANY GUYS, LIKE OVER 20 PLAYS OF ACTION ON DEFENSE ALONE.

SO GIVE THE STAFF CREDIT, THEY HAVE PLAYED A LOT.

I MEAN, 107 GUYS PLAYED IN THE OPENER.

I MEAN, I'VE NEVER SEEN A NUMBER LIKE THAT.

I MEAN, 107 GUYS PLAYED IN THE OPENER.

I MEAN, I'VE NEVER SEEN A NUMBER LIKE THAT.

ESPECIALLY IN THE MODERN ERA.

MAYBE BACK IN THE DAY, BUT EVEN BACK IN THE DAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COULD HAVE GOTTEN 107 IN GAMES, 'CAUSE HOW DO YOU LINE UP THAT MANY KIDS AND GET THEM DOING THE RIGHT THINGS?

I MEAN, IT WAS -- THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE.

>> I THINK THE PACIFIC GAME, WHATEVER YEAR THAT WAS, THEY MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THAT MANY IN >> YEAH, THEY ALWAYS -- LISTEN, THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD A PHYSICAL, FAST DEFENSE.

THEY HAVE D-LINEMEN THAT COME OFF THE EDGE THAT ARE VIOLENT, WHAT THEY CAN DO TO NEBRAKSA'S OFFENSE.

CAN GET THEM SUCKED UP THE FIELD A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME DRAW PLAYS, GET IN SOME SCREENS TO SLOW THEM DOWN, BUT I THINK THIS -- YOU CAN RUN THE FOOTBALL THEY LIKE TO COME UP FIELD.

REMINDS ME A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT COLORADO DID TRYING TO GET UP THE FIELD.

INHERITED ON THAT ROSTER.

AND THEY'VE RETOOLED WHAT THEY DO.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE'S -- FOR HIM, IT'S -- THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THE SIX TO EIGHT WIN ESPECIALLY IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE.

AND HE'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB I >> YOU NEED A GUY THAT'S GONNA DEVELOP AND BE THERE FOR A WHILE LIKE ALTMYER HAS.

>> POTENTIALLY.

AT ALL THROUGH THREE -- AND THEY REALLY HADN'T HAD TO.

WHEN YOU'RE THAT GOOD UP FRONT, YOU CAN BRING THREE, FOUR GUYS WHO CAN GET HOME, YOU DON'T NEED TO, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BLITZ.

OFFENSIVELY, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT ELSE THEY DO, BUT, I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, EACH GAME WILL TELL.

BUT WE'VE SEEN A LOT SO FAR, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE A GAME BY GAME TYPE OF DEAL.

>> YEAH, WHEN NORTHERN IOWA GOT IN THE RED ZONE, THEY CAME AFTER THEM.

THEY'RE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, HOLD ON, WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> YOU'RE NOT SCORING.

>> YEAH, YOU'RE NOT SCORING.

STEVE WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT MAVERICK NOONAN, LINEBACKER, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT HIM COMING OFF THE INJURY LAST YEAR?

>> LOOKS, HE SUFFERED A BRUTAL KNEE INJURY.

AND, FOR HIM, YOU KNOW, HE HAD TO SIT OUT ALL OF LAST YEAR.

HE'S GOT HIMSELF ON THE FIELD NOW.

TWO GAMES.

SO, IT'S A ROAD TO RECOVERY.

IT'S A LONG GAME NOW FOR MAVERICK.

HE RED SHIRTED A YEAR AGO.

HE'S GETTING ON THE FIELD FOR A HANDFUL OF GAMES THIS YEAR.

A LOT OF GUYS GRADUATE.

SO, I DO THINK A YEAR FROM NOW, LIKE HE CAN PUT HIMSELF IN THAT TWO-DEEP CONVERSATION.

BUT FOR HIM, IT'S JUST GETTING BACK AND REGAINING THAT CONFIDENCE AND SWAGGER THAT HE HAD BEFORE THE INJURY.

>> SO WE'VE TALKED AROUND THIS A LOT.

BUT, SPECIAL TEAMS, I THINK THAT MATCHUP IS INTRIGUING THIS WEEKEND.

THEY HAVE BOTH THEIR STARTER, AND THEN THE BACKUP WHO CAME IN AND KICKED A 59-YARDER.

THEY HAVE REALLY GOOD PUNT RETURNERS, THEIR PUNTER IS PRETTY EFFICIENT, THEY HAVEN'T RETURNED ANY KICKOFFS YET.

BUT, BATTLE OF THE SPECIAL TEAMS, THEY KIND OF HAVE THE ADVANTAGE A LITTLE BIT.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

>> YEAH, NO, IT IS.

I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA BE -- NEBRASKA SPECIAL TEAMS IS GOING TO BE STRESSED.

AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN, WE KNOW HOW BIG TEN PLAY IS NOW FOR BEING IN THE CONFERENCE NOW FOR TEN PLUS YEARS.

CLOSE GAMES MATTER.

POINTS ARE A PREMIUM.

AND THEY'VE GOTTEN THEM.

AND THEIR KICKERS ARE LEGIT.

BOTH OF THEM.

NEBRASKA'S OBVIOUSLY -- WE'VE HAD ISSUES.

IT'L BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF NEBRASKA -- THEY GOTTA COVER WELL.

BUT I THINK NEBRASKA CAN POTENTIALLY GET SOME BIG PLAYS.

IGC IS CLOSE TO, I THINK TO MAYBE BREAKING THE PUNT RETURN.

BARNEY IS CLOSE TO GETTING A KICKOFF RETURN.

BUT IT'S GONNA BE -- IF IT'S A CLOSE GAME, YOU ALMOST GOTTA GIVE THE NOD TO ILLINOIS JUST BECAUSE OF THE KICKER SITUATION THEY HAVE.

I DON'T KNOW IF NEBRASKA HAS ENOUGH TRUST IN ALVANO, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SAW -- WAS IT THE FIRST HALF WHEN THEY WENT FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN ON A 42-YARDER, I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD HAVE WENT AHEAD AND KICKED IT THERE TO GIVE ALVANO SOME CONFIDENCE.

THEY WENT FOR IT, DIDN'T GET IT.

GET SOME EASY ONES, KIND OF SOME CHIP INS LATER IN THE GAME.

BUT IF THIS COMES TO A CLOSE ONE, ILLINOIS HAS DEFINITELY GOT THE EDGE WITH THE KICKERS.

>> I'VE ASKED YOU GUYS WHAT WORRIES YOU MOST ABOUT ILLINOIS.

WE ALSO ASKED THE VIEWERS.

THAT'S OUR SURVEY QUESTION THIS WEEK.

WE'VE ALREADY GOT 360 SURVEYS SENT BACK ALREADY.

AND IT'S THE DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK, IT'S THE 38% SAYING -- AND HE'S NOT REALLY A DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK, BUT HE WILL GET OUT OF THE POCKET AND MAKE PLAYS FOR YOU.

ESPECIALLY THIRD AND SHORT.

YOU DON'T WANT HIM GETTING THE LANE OPENING UP AND HIM RUNNING FOR IT.

SO, ALSO 26%, "NOTHING."

CONFIDENT PEOPLE.

23% SAY "POWER RUNNING GAME."

THAT BOTHERS ME, THAT WORRIES ME A LITTLE BIT.

THE LEAKY YARDAGE.

AND THEN "BIG RECEIVERS" 13%.

>> EVERYONE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT DUAL -- EVERY TEAM IN THE COUNTRY HAS PROBLEMS WITH A DUAL THREAT QUARTERBACK.

>> YEAH, EXACTLY.

WHEN COACHES SAY THAT, I'M LIKE, "I MEAN, EVERYBODY DOES."

>> YEAH, NO KIDDING.

THE GUY CAN RUN FAST.

>> IT'S 11-ON-11.

>> THAT'S WHY HE'S OUT THERE.

>> NEBRASKA WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE -- THEY SPIED A LITTLE BIT LAST YEAR, KIND OF A BULLOCK OR GBAYOR, OR WHOEVER IT MIGHT BE.

A SHAVERS STEP IN THERE, JUST KIND OF LET THEM SIT AROUND THERE AND SEE IF HE STEPS UP IN THE POCKET, GO AHEAD AND FILL THAT THING UP AND GET HIM.

I REMEMBER DOING THAT LAST YEAR JUST TO KEEP HIM KIND OF IN THAT CONTAINED POCKET.

>> I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT DANIEL KAELIN AND WHERE HE IS.

AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S GOING TO RED SHIRT.

YOU THINK THERE'S STILL A CHANCE FOR HIM MAYBE TO GET IN THE GAME?

FROM WHAT I HEARD, IF IT WAS A BLOW OUT ON SATURDAY, HE WAS GOING TO COME IN, BE A THIRD GUY, BUT DO YOU THINK HE HAS A CHANCE TO GET IN THE GAME?

>> I MEAN, A LOT OF IT WILL DEPEND ON THE FLOW OF THESE GAMES.

AND YOU KNOW THE NUMBERS AS WELL AS ANYONE, MIKE'L.

IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR NEBRASKA TO BE IN THAT POSITION TO GET A THIRD QUARTERBACK INTO A GAME.

>> RIGHT.

>> YOU KNOW, UNLESS THEY JUST CLICK ON ALL CYLINDERS AGAINST A UCLA.

>> DO THEY TRAVEL HIM?

OR DOES GRAMSTAD GO?

>> I THINK ALL FOUR WILL TRAVEL.

>> ALL FOUR?

>> I THINK YOU USUALLY TAKE FOUR.

>> SO WHAT IS IT?

THE LIMIT?

70?

>> 70-MAN -- OR 74.

>> I THINK IT'S 74.

>> OH, IT'S 74, OKAY.

>> BUT YEAH.

I THINK GRAMSTAD, HE'S THE PLAY SIGNAL GUY THAT REALLY IS A KIND OF A CALMING PRESENCE FOR THEM ON THE SIDELINES WITH HIS EXPERIENCE.

SO HE'LL BE THERE AND I WOULD IMAGINE KAELIN WILL GO AS WELL.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY HARPER AND RAIOLA.

>> WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID WITH RAIOLA.

HE WENT TO FOUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, RIGHT?

LEARNED FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT SYSTEMS.

YOU SEE THE MATURITY, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING -- YOU DON'T SEE THAT FOR A 19-YEAR-OLD, RIGHT?

I MEAN, YOU WERE 19.

>> I DID NOT HAVE THAT MATURITY WHEN I WAS 19.

HE'S 19 GOING ON 38.

YEAH, HE'S TWICE HIS AGE.

JUST HOW HE HANDLES HIMSELF.

LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF PRACTICES.

HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES.

YOU JUST DON'T -- YOU KNOW, AFTER PRACTICE, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET OFF THE FIELD, AND GO GET YOUR LIFT IN OR GET CLEANED UP, GO GET A BITE TO EAT, WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO.

AND HE'S STANDING OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, THANKING PEOPLE FOR COMING TO PRACTICE.

AND SO THAT'S MATURITY, BROUGHT UP RIGHT.

BEEN AROUND A LOT OF GOOD COACHES, A LOT OF GOOD MENTORS.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THE CALM, HIS DEMEANOR, IT JUST -- NOTHING SEEMS TOO BIG FOR HIM RIGHT NOW.

AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, FRIDAY WILL BE A TEST, RIGHT?

THE COMPETITION IS GOING TO GET GEARED UP.

SO WE'LL SEE IF HE STILL HAS THAT POISE AGAINST SOME TOUGHER COMPETITION.

>> IT WASN'T ON TV, I DON'T THINK, BUT WE SAW WHEN THEY HAD EVERYBODY OUT THERE FROM THE FLYOVER, HE WENT OVER AND SHOOK EVERYONE'S HAND.

THANKING THEM.

THAT'S MATURITY.

AND ALSO, HE'S JUST RAISED RIGHT.

>> YEAH, YOU JUST DON'T SEE A FRESHMAN HAVE THE KIND OF CONFIDENCE AND BE ABLE TO BACK IT UP.

>> YEAH.

>> I MEAN, YOU MIGHT HAVE A FRESHMAN THAT'S COCKY AND YOU'RE CONFIDENT, BUT THEY CAN'T -- BUT HE HAS THE CONFIDENCE AND HE BACKS IT UP WITH HIS ACTIONS, HIS PLAY ON THE FIELD, EVERYTHING.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN IN THIS POSITION SINCE HIS FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE'S HAD THIS BIG SPOTLIGHT.

SO I THINK HE'S LEARNED HOW TO LIVE WITH IT.

OBVIOUSLY WITH HIS DAD'S BACKGROUND.

I MEAN, MATTHEW STAFFORD'S HIS GODFATHER.

SO HE'S BEEN AROUND A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL, BIG TIME ATHLETES.

HE TRAINS WITH MAHOMES.

SAME TRAINERS DOWN IN KANSAS CITY AND FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

SO HE'S HAD THE SPOTLIGHT ON HIM FOR A LONG TIME.

>> BABY MAHOMES.

>> WHAT'S YOUR BURNING QUESTION, SEAN?

>> MY BURNING QUESTION, CAN NEBRASKA JUST -- HOW WILL RAIOLA HANDLE THE STRESS?

I THINK THIS IS A GAME WHERE ILLINOIS WILL TRY TO GET HIM OFF KILTER.

HOW DOES HE REACT TO A LITTLE BIT OF UGLY BIG TEN FOOTBALL?

>> YEAH, MINE IS CAN THE DEFENSE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ONLY GAVE IT THREE POINTS, BUT THEY GOT PUNCHED IN THE MOUTH A LITTLE BIT.

BOUNCE BACK.

HAVE A LITTLE MORE ATTITUDE.

YOU GET YOU GET GBAYOR BACK, OBVIOUSLY.

JIMARI BUTLER WILL BE BACK.

SEE THEM COME OUT, BE A LITTLE MORE PHYSICAL, BETTER TACKLING AGAINST ILLINOIS ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

>> YEAH, PLAIN OUT WHAT JAY SAID, EXACTLY THE SAME.

YOU KNOW, THAT LEAKY YARDAGE, THEY MENTIONED 180 YARDS.

THERE WERE SO MANY TIMES WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ONE OR TWO YARDS.

IT WAS FOUR OR FIVE AGAINST NORTHERN IOWA.

YOU'RE DO THAT AGAINST A BIG BACK AND LIKE FEAGIN WHO WEIGHS ABOUT 250 POUNDS.

PLUS THEY'VE GOT OTHER -- VALENTINE'S A QUICK RUNNING BACK.

YOU CAN'T LET THAT GUY GET THROUGH EITHER.

AND THEN THE QUARTERBACK COMING OUT AS WELL.

SO ALTMYER DOESN'T GET ANY EXTRA YARDS.

SO STOP THE LEAKY YARDAGE.

THAT IS A BIG KEY IN THIS GAME AND MY BURNING QUESTION.

DON'T FORGET TO HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE OR FACEBOOK PAGE AND CLICK ON THE PREDICTION.

JAY, SEAN AND I WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT ON FRIDAY NIGHT AGAINST THE ILLINI.

KICKOFF IS SCHEDULED FOR 7:00 CENTRAL ON FOX.

THAT'S BIG FOX.

AND NEXT TUESDAY, BE RIGHT HERE WITH REACTIONS FROM THE ILLINOIS GAME ON "BIG RED WRAP-UP" AND THEN WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO MORE BIG TEN ACTION AS THE HUSKERS HIT THE ROAD AND GO TO PURDUE FOR THEIR FIRST ROAD GAME.

WE'LL BE LIVE ON WORLD AND FACEBOOK LIVE AND YOUTUBE AT 7:00 P.M. AND THEN YOU CAN WATCH THE REAIR AT 10:00 P.M. ON NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA.

AND, OF COURSE, WATCH US ON THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MITCH SHERMAN, JAY MOORE, SEAN CALLAHAN.

I'M MIKE'L SEVERE.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON "BIG RED WRAP-UP."

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