Idaho @ Nebraska preview
Memorial Stadium
The Nebraska Cornhuskers welcome the Idaho Vandals to Memorial Stadium in their first real test of the season this Saturday.
The Vandals may not present too many difficult challenges Saturday, but their passing game alone should test the Huskers, as they gear up for a Sept.18 showdown versus the Washington Huskies and Heisman contender Jake Locker.
Last year, Idaho ranked 9th in passing yards and 12th in total total offense on their way to a surprise season that ended with a Humanitarian Bowl win. The Vandals know how to sling it. Senior quarterback and Nebraska native Nathan Enderle threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns against North Dakota last week. Idaho racked up 547 yards while shutting out the Fighting Sioux.
Nebraska knocked around Western Kentucky 49-10 in their opener. Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez was named the team’s starter just in time to pass for 136 yards and run for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. His performance put any quarterback controversy talk to rest, and his running style even inspired some comparisons to former Husker Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. The Husker ground and passing game looked strong throughout, as they racked up 536 total yards against the woefully out-manned Vandals.
Defensively, Nebraska looks to improve upon a so-so opening day performance. The Huskers gave up a surprising 299 yards in their debut. The absence of standout tackle Ndamukong Suh was apparent for most of the game. The Huskers allowed Hilltopper running back Bobby Rainey to run for 155 yards against a unit that ranked seventh in the nation in total defense last year.
Nebraska's defense is still trying to find a linebacker or two they can rely upon. Starter Sean Fisher is out for the year with a broken leg, and his running mate Will Compton has yet to take the field due to his own injury issues. Junior college transfer Lavonte David racked up 13 tackles in his Husker debut, the rest of the linebacking corps failed to match his intensity.
Nebraska will have to be much stingier when the Vandals come to town. Enderle and company pose a real threat to expose the top ten Huskers just before their much-anticipated trip to Pac-10 country. If they struggle against the high-powered Vandals attack, they could have their hands full with Locker in two weeks.
The Vandals may not present too many difficult challenges Saturday, but their passing game alone should test the Huskers, as they gear up for a Sept.18 showdown versus the Washington Huskies and Heisman contender Jake Locker.
Last year, Idaho ranked 9th in passing yards and 12th in total total offense on their way to a surprise season that ended with a Humanitarian Bowl win. The Vandals know how to sling it. Senior quarterback and Nebraska native Nathan Enderle threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns against North Dakota last week. Idaho racked up 547 yards while shutting out the Fighting Sioux.
Nebraska knocked around Western Kentucky 49-10 in their opener. Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez was named the team’s starter just in time to pass for 136 yards and run for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. His performance put any quarterback controversy talk to rest, and his running style even inspired some comparisons to former Husker Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. The Husker ground and passing game looked strong throughout, as they racked up 536 total yards against the woefully out-manned Vandals.
Defensively, Nebraska looks to improve upon a so-so opening day performance. The Huskers gave up a surprising 299 yards in their debut. The absence of standout tackle Ndamukong Suh was apparent for most of the game. The Huskers allowed Hilltopper running back Bobby Rainey to run for 155 yards against a unit that ranked seventh in the nation in total defense last year.
Nebraska's defense is still trying to find a linebacker or two they can rely upon. Starter Sean Fisher is out for the year with a broken leg, and his running mate Will Compton has yet to take the field due to his own injury issues. Junior college transfer Lavonte David racked up 13 tackles in his Husker debut, the rest of the linebacking corps failed to match his intensity.
Nebraska will have to be much stingier when the Vandals come to town. Enderle and company pose a real threat to expose the top ten Huskers just before their much-anticipated trip to Pac-10 country. If they struggle against the high-powered Vandals attack, they could have their hands full with Locker in two weeks.