Nebraska vs. Rutgers: Keys to Victory, Score Predictions

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Nebraska (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) hits the road for the second straight week Saturday to face Rutgers (2-7, 1-5 Big Ten) as the Huskers look to end a four-game losing streak and become bowl eligible.

As kickoff approaches, here are the keys to Nebraska’s victory over Rutgers, plus our HuskerOnline score predictions for Week 11.

Nebraska enters Saturday’s game as a 15-point favorite against Rutgers. Kick-off is set for 11:30 a.m. CT on BTN.

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Nebraska vs. Rutgers: Keys to Victory

1. Finish the drives

Nebraska moved the ball 426 yards at Illinois, but repeatedly failed to turn productive drives into points. Against Rutgers, the Huskers need to capitalize when crossing midfield and put touchdowns on the board instead of letting scoring opportunities disappear.

2. Establish the race early

Nebraska needs to relieve Anthony Colandrea and establish a physical running game early on. If the Huskers can consistently stay ahead of the chains, it should open up the entire offense and make Colandrea’s job much easier.

3. Play Rutgers from behind

Nebraska can’t allow Rutgers to hang around and gain confidence at home. An early lead would force the Scarlet Knights out of their comfort zone and give Nebraska’s defense opportunities to attack in obvious passing situations.

4. Punt Protection/Special Teams

In a game like this, where both teams are missing key players, a blocked punt could be huge. That of Greg Schiano Teams blocked 76 kicks during his time at Rutgers and scored 66 non-offensive touchdowns. There is no doubt that this could be an X factor today.

5. Play with urgency

Nebraska has five wins since beating Maryland on Oct. 3 and now has another opportunity to secure its bowl eligibility. The Huskers need to approach this as a must-win game and play with that urgency from kickoff.

Nebraska at Rutgers: HuskerOnline expert takes

Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Publisher

This game won’t be easy for either team, but Nebraska’s offense should be able to produce enough points and score against arguably the worst defense in the Big Ten. The Huskers will return to action today in New Jersey.

Nebraska 27, Rutgers 20

Steven Sipple – HuskerOnline Columnist

Rutgers might be down to its third-string quarterback, and the Scarlet Knights rank last in the Big Ten in rushing defense. Glenn Thomas doesn’t need to think too hard about this one. Do what Matt Rhule wants and pound the ground and mix action and live action to see another day.

Nebraska 31, Rutgers 10

Robin Washut – HuskerOnline Senior Editor

Nebraska has had several must-win games this season, but today they take the cake. The Huskers absolutely need to win today to keep any hopes alive for Matt Rhule’s fourth season, and perhaps beyond. As tough as things have been lately for the Huskers, Rutgers is a mess, and the two-touchdown gap reflects that. The Huskers do what they’re supposed to do and keep their heads above water for another week.

Nebraska 24, Rutgers 10

Andy Kenleigh – KETV ABC-Omaha

New offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas should flip the script and look at what worked to start the season. During Nebraska’s 5-0 start, the Huskers ran it 56 percent of the time and threw it 44 percent. During Nebraska’s four-game slide, those numbers are reversed: 56 percent passing, 44 percent rushing. You know what to do.

Nebraska 27, Rutgers 13

Jim Rose– 1110 KFAB Radio-Omaha

There is no empirical evidence to suggest that Nebraska will lose this game. The Scarlet Lights are statistically the worst defensive team in the Big Ten through nine games, and their three best offensive players are injured. Still, this four-game slide certainly affects the Huskers mentally. They can’t help but imagine the consequences if they lost this one. I expect a lot of running plays to shorten the game and stop the bleeding.

Nebraska 28, Rutgers 7

Severe Mike’l – Big red abstract

Rutgers has struggled in many areas this season, but one that I think Nebraska can take advantage of is the QB running game. The Scarlet Knights allowed, against quarterbacks from UMass, Northwestern, Maryland, Boston College and Michigan, 52 carries for 327 yards (65.4/game) and 5 touchdowns. I expect a reduction in package-based play calls, more power plays, and an attempt to release Colandrea. That said, special teams could be a serious adventure for both teams.

Nebraska 37, Rutgers 13

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Sean Callahan can be contacted at (email protected) and is heard daily at 6:45 a.m. and 5:05 p.m. on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during football season. It can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha in the fall, and each week he appears on the Nebraska Public Media show Big red abstract Tuesday at 7 p.m..

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