Nebraska Cornhuskers
Considering how horrid their quarterback situation was, Nebraska's final record of 9-4 was relatively impressive. Although, the teams in which they lost to, especially compared to some of those that they beat, is interesting. Despite wins over Michigan, Penn State, and Georgia, the Cornhuskers lost to Minnesota and were completely blown out by, of all teams, Iowa. Now, this could be a product of Nebraska having issues with stereotypical “physical” teams.
To be fair, they may not have lost those games had they had capable quarterback play. Although, before on makes a snap judgment, the quarterback play would have been better had Taylor Martinez stayed healthy. Unfortunately, he went down and freshman Tommy Armstrong Jr. shared starts with Ron Kellogg III, neither of which were impressive. The inconsistency from play-to-play made it too difficult for Nebraska to sustain success.
Top Newcomers
Tanner Farmer, Offensive Guard: As his name would imply, Farmer has classic country boy strength. He has a tendency to lift players with his punch and pancake them. Though his technique may not be superb, his brute strength is a wonderful trait to build a player upon.
Nick Gates, Offensive Tackle: Much like Farmer, Gates has overpowering raw strength and a violent demeanor. Although, being a tackle, Gates has more impressive movement skills. Having the two on the same line in the future will make for a tough duo to get by.
Top Returning Players
Ameer Abdullah, Running Back: Athletically, Abdullah is not special, but he is talented all-around. His vision and decisiveness is incredible, as is his cut-back ability. In space, Abdullah can take advantage of players by making a single move and taking off. With questions at quarterback, he will have to carry the load.
Randy Gregory, Defensive End: As of now, Gregory is an incredible athlete that still struggles with technique. That said, at the college level, Gregory’s athleticism alone makes him a menace for opposing offenses and will allow him to be productive once again.
Position Breakdown
Quarterback: Though Martinez would have been their best quarterback last year and may have won them a game or two more, he will not be a tough loss. He never developed as a passer. Sophomore Tommy Armstrong was not ready when he was thrown into the fire last season, but with months of preparation, he may prove to have developed. That said, do not count on him to outplay Martinez just yet.
Running Back: To no surprise, Abdullah will see a bulk of the carries so long as he is healthy. Although, Abdullah did not even have the most rushing touchdowns on the team last season and that could be the case again. Imani Cross is 230 pounds of sheer power. His touchdown percentage per carry is much higher because he was used almost exclusively as a short yardage back, and will be used as such again.
Wide Receiver: Leading the corps will be Kenny Bell, who is the best returning player on the roster aside from the two that were previously mentioned. Bell has speed to kill, but he will be stepping into a big role this year that will ask more of him than year’s prior. That being said, much like Bell his freshman year, Jordan Westerkamp flashed talent last season as the No.3 and will step into the No.2 role, which he will be able to handle.
Tight End: Along with Westerkamp, Cethan Carter showed that he has promising ability as a freshman. For a tight end, Carter is quite athletic, especially in regards to strength. If he has refined his ability over the summer, he could be an underrated tight end.
Offensive Tackle: As Jeremiah Sirles’s replacement, Alex Lewis has earned the job as the starting left tackle, though this will be his first season of significant play. Like, Zach Sterup will be stepping into his first starting role at right tackle. With two fresh faces on the edge, Nebraska’s offensive line will show early struggles.
Offensive Guard: Luckily, Nebraska only needed on guard replacement as left guard Jake Cotton will be back in red and white. Senior Mike Moody is being handed the right guard job, but first year starters that are seniors raise concern as they apparently did not have the talent to accomplish much in the three years prior.
Center: The lack of a returning center tips the offensive line scale to 2-3 in regards to returning players versus new starters. Ryne Reeves will be the new center, but with as more new starters on the line than returners, he will need to be on point.
Defensive End: Gregory will return as the playmaker on the edge, but despite his production, he is not the biggest story at defensive end. The talented Avery Moss, who balled out as a freshman last season, was banned from the campus for a year due to a public indecency charge in which he was proved guilty. While Moss is on-leave, Greg McMullen will handle his responsibilities.
Defensive Tackle: Vincent Valentine, who has been an impressive young player for Nebraska, is entering his redshirt sophomore year as the best player on the interior. Although, a another talented youth player in Maliek Collins will be by his side. This year may not be their best season as a duo, but they will be a fun duo to watch for years to come.
Linebacker: With Jared Afalava unexpectedly leaving campus, only two of Nebraska’s three linebackers will be returning. Instead of replacing him with a fresh starter, former middle linebacker David Santos will move over while Michael Rose takes over for Santos. Thankfully, Zaire Anderson will provide continuity.
Defensive Back: Nebraska is going to have to deal with having two new starting cornerbacks. Josh Mitchell, a senior (we have been over this) and Jonathan Rose, a junior, will be the starting boundary corners, but they will not live up to last year’s eduo, especially Stanley Jean-Baptiste. Safety Corey Cooper will be the only familiar face in the secondary as Nathan Gerry will start for the first time alongside Cooper.
Biggest Strength
With talents like Abdullah and Cross, as well as King Frazier, who has received some hype as a Cross-type back, Nebraska’s rushing attack will be top notch. With the expectations at quarterback being lower, the corps, namely Abdullah, will be given plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents. Abdullah will be the efficient every-down back, while Cross takes the field when those short, tough yards are needed. In 2013, Nebraska’s rushing offense ranked 19th in the nation, but in 2014, they could sneak their way into the top 15.
Biggest Weakness
Quarterback is going to be problematic for the Cornhuskers. While Armstrong is a stunning athlete, but athleticism only gets you so far as a quarterback. Even Martinez was a more capable passer as a freshman, and he was not truly capable by any means. As if that was not already a problem, his edge protectors are fresh starters as well and the receiving talent around him, while still good, will not quite be on the same level that he had last year. Ultimately, quarterback play will be their downfall.
2014 Nebraska Schedule | 8/30 | vs Florida Atlantic |
| 9/6 | vs McNeese State |
| 9/13 | @ Fresno State |
| 9/20 | vs Miami Hurricanes |
| 9/27 | vs Illinois Fighting Irish |
| 10/4 | @ Michigan State |
| 10/18 | @ Northwestern |
| 10/25 | vs Rutgers |
| 11/1 | vs Purdue |
| 11/15 | @ Wisconsin |
| 11/22 | vs Minnesota |
| 11/28 | @ Iowa |