Today's matchup: Nebraska at Michigan

Nebraska (0-2, 0-0) at Michigan (2-1, 0-0)

Saturday, 11 a.m., Michigan Stadium 

TV: FS1 (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Holly Sonders)

 

WHAT’S AT STAKE: If there’s ever a time to hit the reset button for Nebraska, this is it, what with the Huskers playing their first road game of the season and their first conference game. Nebraska’s last two wins have come on the road, so as crazy as it sounds, maybe a trip away from the pressures of home will allow a young team to regroup and refocus. Then again, we’re talking about a trip to the Big House. Michigan has won 34 of its last 36 Big Ten Conference openers, and most people across the nation believe that mark will only improve come Saturday afternoon. That isn’t lost on Nebraska’s pop culture-savy staff. “At the end of the day, this is Rocky IV,” running backs coach Ryan Held said. “I mean, nobody thinks we can win this game. National people don’t think we can win this game, so we’ve got to be able to rally, come together as a group, go on the road, get on that airplane like Rocky Balboa did and freakin’ beat Ivan Drago.”

ABOUT MICHIGAN: The Wolverines, under fourth-year coach Jim Harbaugh, have defeated Western Michigan and SMU at home after opening the season with a 24-17 loss at then-No. 8 Notre Dame.

KEY STATISTIC: From the “Something Is Going Right Department” we give you this: Nebraska is among only seven FBS teams to rank among the top 25 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense, and the only such team from the Big Ten. Granted, it’s early in the season, but for a team looking for tangible evidence of progress, that’s substantial.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sophomore receiver JD Spielman has 942 career receiving yards in 13 career games, and could become the fastest Husker in history to 1,000 career receiving yards. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers holds the record at 16 games. …  Look for a hungry linebacker in Barry Mohamed, who missed the second half of the Troy game after a targeting penalty. Even with that absence, he still leads Nebraska with 15 tackles. … For Michigan, linebacker Devin Bush has a team-best 23 tackles and can be found on most major national award watch lists. “He’s got everything,” Nebraska assistant coach Troy Walters said. “Fast, physical, explosive, smart. He knows exactly, based on formations, what you’re going to run. He plays with relentless effort, so he’s always around the ball. He’s physical. We’ve got to make sure we’ve got a hat on him and he’s accounted for.” … Offensively, Donovan People-Jones has a team-leading 14 receptions – twice as many as the team’s next receiver – and four touchdowns. … Mississippi transfer Shea Patterson has given the Wolverines improved play at quarterback.

 

WHEN NEBRASKA HAS THE BALL: Offensive coordinator and receivers coach Troy Walters has two dynamic receivers in Stanley Morgan Jr. and JD Spielman. But already this season he’s seen both tire in the fourth quarter from too frequent use. Walters’ challenge this week has been to other receivers to step up their game and earn time so they can spell the Huskers’ top targets and keep them fresh in the fourth quarter. “It’s going to be based on practice and how they prepare this week and how they go through pregame warmup,” Walters said of the backups. “If they go out in pregame warmups and they’re dropping three, four, five balls, that doesn’t give a coach confidence. Those guys understand that. They know they have to step their game up.” Walters has told all of his receivers to be prepared for a physical, contested game against Michigan’s defensive backs. “They’re going to try to get their hands on us,” Walters said. “We’ve got to be physical, have that physical mindset. Nothing is going to be easy. You’re not going to get 5, 7 yards of separation against these guys. Everything is going to be contested.” Oh, and the lingering question: Does Andrew Bunch (above) get the nod at quarterback, or does Adrian Martinez return after missing last week’s game with a sore knee? He’s made significant progress, but again, coaches won’t risk playing him until they know he’s 100 percent ready to physically and mentally handle the rigors of a Big Ten road game. Since Don Brown became defensive coordinator in 2016, Michigan has held nine opponents to fewer than 200 total yards, and just six times has an opponent thrown for more than 200 yards. 

WHEN MICHIGAN HAS THE BALL: Perhaps quarterback Shea Patterson is the missing ingredient to a Michigan offense that’s been rather pedestrian in recent years. The Mississippi transfer has completed 74 percent of his throws, with six touchdown and one interception, in the Wolverines’ last two games against Western Michigan and SMU. In Michigan’s loss at Notre Dame, he still completed 67 percent of his passes. Nebraska has been able to apply pressure through two games, with 10 sacks and 22 tackles for loss, and must find a way to make life uncomfortable for Patterson. That’s doable, given Michigan’s offensive line is still something of a question mark. As in most games, the Huskers must first look to stop the run, and thus far, the Michigan running game is averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and 187.7 per game, yet managed a mere 58 yards in the loss to Notre Dame. Running back Karan Higdon has 228 rushing yards through three games, with a per-carry average of 6.7, and is battling injury. The Blackshirts can’t allow the big play that’s bitten them not often, but just enough, in two games. Pressure Patterson, slow the running game and keep the Wolverines’ so-far-vanilla offense between the 20s, and the Huskers stand a chance. Then, can Nebraska’s special teams rise to the occasion? Assistant coach Jovan Devitt, who oversees special teams, lamented the missed tackles on Troy’s punt return for a touchdown last week, and said he’s looking to see more effort and focus in all areas.

NEBRASKA WINS IF .... The Huskers pay heed to their head coach’s words about attention to details, band together away from home and truly focus on the task at hand. In the offseason, this game seemed a sexy pick for a Nebraska upset. The Huskers’ 0-2 start has naturally changed most of those thoughts, although if Nebraska plays a healthy Martinez, wins the turnover battle and negates the costly errors, this could turn into a head-turner.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

1972 : The last year the Huskers began a season without a single quarterback who had ever taken a snap at Nebraska. Dave Humm emerged as the starter that season –the last under coach Bob Devaney – and already this year, two quarterbacks have made their debuts for Nebraska.

10: Sacks Nebraska has produced through two games, after collecting three last week against Troy. The last time the Huskers recorded at least 10 sacks through their first two games was in 2005, when they had 16.

.627: The overall winning percentage, in 2017, of Michigan’s 2018 opponents. That’s the third highest among all Division I programs.

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter@GBRosenthal.