Miami Hurricanes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Q&A With Husker Corner

The Miami Hurricanes are set to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln this Saturday. I’m sure the players and the fans are ready to go, but before then, we try and gather up some more information on the Hurricanes’ opponent.

We reached out to Brandon Cavanaugh from FanSided’s own Husker Corner to help us find out some more information on the Cornhuskers and who the Canes need to watch out for Saturday night.

You could find my responses to Brandon’s questions HERE.

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1. Nebraska and Miami share a rich history of major, championship-deciding games throughout the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s; however, the two programs have not played each other since the 2001 championship game. In fact, a number of the players on Saturday have little to no recollection of the most recent matchup between the two schools. Do Husker fans view Saturday night as a rivalry game?

Absolutely. The the past five games featured teams that were all in the Top 11. If this was a yearly series, it’d be one of (if not the) hottest ticket. This’ll only be the 11th meeting, but every time the two schools meet, something seems to be on the line and this is no different. Nebraska wants to head into conference play 4-0 and add even more evidence to the argument that McNeese State was a fluke.

On Miami’s end, heading into Lincoln and grabbing a win could rocket the Hurricanes’ confidence towards a win or two they pull off using the victory as motivation. It’s definitely a rivalry game in the eyes of the Huskers. I can’t speak for fans of The U, but I’m pretty sure there’s no love lost.

2. The Huskers have a 3-0 record this season, but have yet to play a quality opponent. Is there any worry amongst Nebraska fans that the multiple tune-up games will leave the team unprepared for the Miami game?

For some, yes. Nebraska’s won the games they should’ve and are going against easily its best opponent to date in Miami. The two teams struggle in different areas, but have strengths in others which almost cause them to even out on the surface.

I don’t think there’s much of a worry heading into the game, but what’s seen on the field within the first 10 minutes of the first quarter will help define how the crowd feels.

3. Under Bo Pelini, Nebraska has been consistently good, but not the dominant team they once were. Do the middle 50% of Nebraska fans view Pelini as the right guy to bring them back, or do they more so concede that a powerhouse at Nebraska is just tradition and history?

There’s about a 50 percent split between what are known as “Bo-lievers” and “Bo-leavers”. The latter seems to be growing bit by bit as season after season of four-loss offerings and no conference titles pile up.

Several of those who back Pelini are concerned that another search will bring in Bill Callahan 2.0, so it appears to be a case of going with what you have versus the unknown. Fans who support Bo often like to point out that only Alabama and Oregon can claim nine wins over a long period along with Nebraska.

What they fail to mention is what would happen should Nebraska play either.

4. Senior running back Ameer Abdullah has compiled quite an impressive career at Nebraska, and is in the midst of a Heisman-caliber season. Describe Abdullah and his running style to casual fan that has not had an opportunity to watch him on TV. And what type of game do you expect from Abdullah on Saturday?

Ameer truly is a special type of player and honestly, I can’t say, “Well, he reminds me of ‘X player.'” He’s a unique combination of speed and surprising power for a guy his size. He’s built, don’t get me wrong, but his ability to turn what should be no gain or lost yardage into three or five yards is amazing. He’s one of the best running backs I’ve have the pleasure of seeing.

He’s a guy that fans of any team can watch and say, “Wow, I wonder what he’s going to do next”, much like Georgia’s Gurley.

Regarding the game on Saturday, I can see offensive coordinator Tim Beck doing all he can to work Abdullah into the gameplan. The guy is Nebraska’s best player, period. Yes, that includes Randy Gregory. If he doesn’t touch the ball at least 20-25 times this weekend, it’s a major botch on Beck’s part.

5. The right side of Miami’s offensive line has gotten off to a slow start. What kind of impact do you see Randy Gregory making?

If the right side is struggling, you’ll likely see Gregory in a number of roles. He could come off the edge as a traditional end or stand up like a linebacker and be let loose. That’s the thing about him, he’s not your average end. He could easily play as a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL.

Defensive tackles Vincent Valentine and Maliek Collins will also be used in an attempt to shove linemen aside to make way for pass rushers like Gregory and linebacker Marcus Newby

6. Are there any “under the radar” players on Nebraska’s side that could have a big night?

The spotlight’s starting to shine on De’Mornay Pierson-El at punt returner who took one to the house last week against Fresno State. That’s the first time Nebraska fans have seen that happen since the 2012 opener. Returns had been absolutely putrid.

My advice to Al Golden: DO NOT KICK TO HIM IF YOU VALUE FIELD POSITION.

Wide receiver Lane Hovey surprised us all as the corps’ basically a M*A*S*H* unit, and he stepped up big last week. Sure, Fresno State’s not Miami, but he was impressive for a guy that had to be Googled.

7. Miami has a ton of speed at the wide receiver position, especially Phillip Dorsett and Stacy Coley. How do you think the Nebraska defense will handle them in the passing game?

That’s a very good question and the answer is, I have no idea.

Nebraska hasn’t gone up against a really good squad of wide receivers yet. The Huskers have been very susceptible to the screen game and passes set up right in front of the linebackers. Receivers have taken advantage of poor decisions by them and gained massive chunks of yardage as a result.

I see this as being a bend, but don’t break game for the most part. We’ll likely see a good deal of Bo Pelini’s altered nickel package and quite a bit of blitzing. The secondary isn’t quite as good as anticipated heading into the season thus far, but if it can communicate properly, it should be able to at least give Miami a challenge.

8. What is your predicted outcome of Saturday night’s game?

I’ve gone back and forth on this and ultimately, I think Nebraska finds a way to pull it off for all its flaws. Personally, regardless of who wins, I don’t see it being any more than a six-point victory.

I’ll call it 23-20 Nebraska on a game-winning field goal by true freshman kicker Drew Brown (younger brother of former Husker/NFL kicker Kris Brown). There will be debate about one or two major calls because, come on, it’s Miami-Nebraska.

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