Nebraska Football: Three things we learned vs Penn State

Nebraska football held on for their first win of the season, knocking off Penn State 30-23. What did we learn about the Cornhuskers in the win?

After starting the season with an 0-2 start, Nebraska football looked to avoid an 0-3 start for the second time in three years under head coach Scott Frost. The Cornhuskers battled out a tough 30-23 victory between two of college football’s most historic football programs to improve to 1-2 on the season.

Now that Nebraska can breathe after getting their first win out of the way, what did we learn from their first win in front of a near-empty Memorial Stadium?

Answer to the Quarterback situation?

Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke McCaffrey got his first start of the season, taking over for junior Adrian Martinez. McCaffrey got off to a hot start as he led the Huskers to a touchdown on the game’s opening drive with a rushing touchdown. McCaffrey also had a nice 45-yard touchdown completion to Zavier Betts, and Kade Warner dropped a touchdown pass early as well.

With McCaffrey getting every offensive snap, it appears that the job is his to lose. The entire Husker offense struggled in the second half, but if the offensive line can hold up stronger in future games, McCaffrey will have better opportunities to show his abilities for the entirety of a game.

Inconsistent Defense

Penn State had 501 total yards while the Huskers gained 298 total yards, yet the Huskers still came up with a win. The Blackshirts forced two first-half turnovers from an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Despite a large amount of yardage given up, Nebraska did well holding the Nittany Lions to field goals. In the end, it was the Huskers defense that made it difficult for Penn State to overturn the 21 point deficit that they faced at halftime.

The Blackshirts struggled with the run, giving up 245 rushing yards. The Huskers need to find a good balance in their coverage passing and rushing. Despite their wish-washy defense, they did come up with some crucial stops in the second half. A bit more consistency would do the Husker defense a world of good.

Receiving Issues

This was expected to be a problem coming into the season, and after three games this season, the problem is still evident. The Huskers have a decent run game, but their passing capabilities are a major hamstring to the flow of the offense and make it far too predictable.

Warner’s drop was the most glaring piece of evidence that the current group of receivers available are far from groups of the past. There just isn’t much promise from the Huskers wide receivers, however, they are a young group that will be forced to learn quickly.

Next up: Nebraska hosts Illinois for yet another 11:00 CST kickoff. Will the Huskers move to 2-2?