Huskers vs. NW Official Prediction Thread

[Husker.Wed._rivals]

all these "fans" predicting that we lose should go cheer for north western

I don't need to verify my loyalty to the program to anyone. Nor would I dream of cheering for any team against the Scarlet and Cream. However, I'm a statistics guy and statistics show a 66% chance a Frost Nebraska team will lose. Especially a critical home opener like this one.

 

[BadgerPete]

If UNL has 210 yards rushing and can stop Evan Hull #26: Huskers 42 - Northwestern 14. If they don't slow him down: Huskers 33 - Northwestern 24 and Northwestern covers.

Side Note for Us Gamblers:

1. Northwestern's Ryan Field and Dublin's Aviva Arena are natural turf fields.

2. Don't underestimate Coach Fitzgerald, who is the best coach in the Big Ten for what he gets to work with every year.

Evan Hull #26, 2021 Redshirt Sophomore:

• All-Big Ten honorable mention by coaches and media
• Finished the season sixth in the Big Ten in rushing yaDon't rds (1,009) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (7)
• Led the team in all-purpose yards (1,276) and averaged over 100 all-purpose yards per game
• Appeared in all 12 games and made 11 starts
• Recorded 110 all-purpose yards on 12 touches, including a 49-yard rush against Michigan State (9/3)
• Rushed 22 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Indiana State (9/11)
• Rushed 22 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard touchdown run against Ohio, the fifth game in the Pat Fitzgerald era (2006-present) with a 200+ yard rusher (9/25)
• Handled a career-high 25 carries in a win over Rutgers (10/16)
• Ripped-off a 75-yard touchdown run, his second 75+ yard run of the season and the season’s longest rush in Big Ten play, against Michigan (10/23)
• Rushed for 107 yards and hauled in a receiving touchdown against Minnesota (10/30)
• Set a season-high with 89 receiving yards against Iowa (11/6) and caught a touchdown
• Compiled 129 total yards against Purdue (11/20), including 96 yards and a score on the ground
• Finished the season with a 101-yard performance against Illinois (11/27) to break 1,000 yards

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

Jeezus. I predicted an NU win but if you've been watching for the last fours years and you still feel it's required that a fan predict a victory then you haven't been paying attention. Fandom and reality clash at a certain point.

I don't predict scores, but I'd like to see NU start their first offensive series with something conservative like this:

Thompson, Trips left, 1 step drop quick pass to Palmer and try to make a big play early. Then run a stretch play with Grant to cutback on. If that play shows movement by the OLine, next play is stretch play to opposite side, and Thompson throwing right down to Manning for the TD.

You know, something high percentage, conservative play calling.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

If UNL has 210 yards rushing and can stop Evan Hull #26: Huskers 42 - Northwestern 14. If they don't slow him down: Huskers 33 - Northwestern 24 and Northwestern covers.

Side Note for Us Gamblers:

1. Northwestern's Ryan Field and Dublin's Aviva Arena are natural turf fields.

2. Don't underestimate Coach Fitzgerald, who is the best coach in the Big Ten for what he gets to work with every year.

Evan Hull #26, 2021 Redshirt Sophomore:

• All-Big Ten honorable mention by coaches and media
• Finished the season sixth in the Big Ten in rushing yaDon't rds (1,009) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (7)
• Led the team in all-purpose yards (1,276) and averaged over 100 all-purpose yards per game
• Appeared in all 12 games and made 11 starts
• Recorded 110 all-purpose yards on 12 touches, including a 49-yard rush against Michigan State (9/3)
• Rushed 22 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Indiana State (9/11)
• Rushed 22 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard touchdown run against Ohio, the fifth game in the Pat Fitzgerald era (2006-present) with a 200+ yard rusher (9/25)
• Handled a career-high 25 carries in a win over Rutgers (10/16)
• Ripped-off a 75-yard touchdown run, his second 75+ yard run of the season and the season’s longest rush in Big Ten play, against Michigan (10/23)
• Rushed for 107 yards and hauled in a receiving touchdown against Minnesota (10/30)
• Set a season-high with 89 receiving yards against Iowa (11/6) and caught a touchdown
• Compiled 129 total yards against Purdue (11/20), including 96 yards and a score on the ground
• Finished the season with a 101-yard performance against Illinois (11/27) to break 1,000 yards

Last year vs. NU, Hull ran up these stats: 7 carries, 31 yards, avg 4.4, longest run 7 yards.

 

[nu2u]

Huskers 24
Northwestern 20

 

[Hugo_Stiglitz7]

If the good guys lose this game, the board will be flooded with iowasucks and mildcat trolls and lots of "the n stands for knowledge' propaganda and boogie man tales how they will soon be booted from the b1g.

 

[VictoryRed]

Way too many variables to predict but, guessing NU 23 NW 16.

 

[LonghornInOmaha]

Nebraska - 30
Northwestern - 20

 

[Bold Words]

Huskers win. Smothers rushes for a TD.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

If the good guys lose this game, the board will be flooded with iowasucks and mildcat trolls and lots of "the n stands for knowledge' propaganda and boogie man tales how they will soon be booted from the b1g.

Not only that, I'll have to change my moniker to itsnotaseasyas1-2-3.

 

[WC_'sker]

Nebraska 38 -- double directional 14

 

[Hugo_Stiglitz7]

Huskers win. Smothers rushes for a TD.

If Smothers rushes for a TD it's likely a blowout for the good guys.
GBR

 

[huskerfan1414]

28-13 Nebraska.

Northwestern has no offense. We’d have to turn the ball over like 4 times in our territory for them to beat us. That can’t happen, right?






RIGHT????


My nuts are really shriveled up tight in the sack this week btw. They know its Husker season and they’re scared to get punched AGAIN.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

28-13 Nebraska.

Northwestern has no offense. We’d have to turn the ball over like 4 times in our territory for them to beat us. That can’t happen, right?






RIGHT????


My nuts are really shriveled up tight in the sack this week btw. They know its Husker season and they’re scared to get punched AGAIN.

At my age, I'm just effen happy they haven't turned into ovaries.
(Shout out to Horny Goat Weed).

 

[BC Hawk]

NU 13
UNL 17

 

[moralvictories]

Nebraska 35 Northwestern 21

 

[Scat_Back]

27-14 Nebraska and the defense looks fully Husked.

 

[lazysunday]

Whipple will pour it on
45 - 17, good guys

 

[Rick.Shaw1]

Yes, just got back from next Sunday this morning. Spent the day arranging a 100% home equity loan to put on NW with the points.

Neb 27
NW 17
Neb fails to cover. New offensive coaches, new players, first game and overseas. Plus, Fitzgerald not an easy out (at least not regularly) make this close. But the Cornhuskers leave Ireland with a ‘W’.

 

[Cidsports]

Pittsburgh lost to Virginia in first game OC Whipple coached in 2019 by score of 30-14.

Northwestern is a little more of a challenge than Austin Peay and UMass the past two openers he was OC for Pitt.

Nebraska in a close one seems probable in Dublin, based on past series history.

Isn't this QB Casey Thompson's first season start in College?

In 2021, Thompson started the final 10 games of the year at Texas.

We know he enters game with plenty of confidence.

Turnovers, special teams and explosive plays are often huge in season openers.

In both 2018 and 2020, Northwestern opened with B1G wins in season openers, at Purdue and vs. Maryland, respectively.

Does Pat Fitzgerald bounce back in 2022?

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

Pittsburgh lost to Virginia in first game OC Whipple coached in 2019 by score of 30-14.

Northwestern is a little more of a challenge than Austin Peay and UMass the past two openers he was OC for Pitt.

Nebraska in a close one seems probable in Dublin, based on past series history.

Isn't this QB Casey Thompson's first season start in College?

In 2021, Thompson started the final 10 games of the year at Texas.

We know he enters game with plenty of confidence.

Turnovers, special teams and explosive plays are often huge in season openers.

In both 2018 and 2020, Northwestern opened with B1G wins in season openers, at Purdue and vs. Maryland, respectively.

Does Pat Fitzgerald bounce back in 2022?

Can I use some of your bullet points as I try to formulate my prediction on the opener?

 

[HuskerHusaria]

NU 27
NW 20

 

[Pennsyhusker_rivals246774]

Nebraska 38
NW 17

 

[buckknowsall]

Call your shot!

NU 31 - NW 12

48 Nebraska
16 NW

 

[Joedaly]

Casey Thompson does something that Adrian Martinez was never able to do and marches Nebraska down the field in the last two minutes for a comeback victory 28-21. Frost starts off the season winning a single score game instead of losing it.

 

[IowaHogeyeDoosh]

NW- 27
NU - 20

In regards to getting Mathis:

Not going to win a bidding war with UT.

Considering your track record of being correct, I like your prediction.

 

[IowaHogeyeDoosh]

Jeezus. I predicted an NU win but if you've been watching for the last fours years and you still feel it's required that a fan predict a victory then you haven't been paying attention. Fandom and reality clash at a certain point.

Unless, of course, you’re an Iowa fan. Fandom and reality never clash in hogeyeland…I suppose it’s difficult for the hogeye fans being so obsessed with husker football to find time to fully cheer for Ioway….

@Flick2.0
@SWIowahawks
@BC Hawk

 

[tro80]

All I know is if I have to listen to Frost tell me in the post game presser that NW came out with a wrinkle in their defensive line or with what they did with their linebackers and we just couldn't figure out how to handle that, he is going to hear my scream in Ireland.

 

[HAWKS4LIFE_rivals104254]

Nebraska 27
Northwestern 17

Good luck this year Huskers!

 

[IowaHogeyeDoosh]

Nebraska 27
Northwestern 17

Good luck this year Huskers!

User name is suspect. Kansas fan??

 

[HAWKS4LIFE_rivals104254]

User name is suspect. Kansas fan??

Says the guy who joined this year!

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

Nebraska 27
Northwestern 17

Good luck this year Huskers!

As of Tuesday morning, there have been 43 score predictions. NU has 40 wins and NW 3.

I negated the 3 losing game scores, and
considered doxxing these three since I'm personally offended. (j/k)

Average score thus far, NU 31 NW 17.

 

[Anon1704292555]

NU 41
NW 20

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

NU 41
NW 20

I'll add this prior to the total.

Maybe less fishing and more predicting? lol

 

[phoenix4nu]

Has there been an official season prediction thread on here yet? Those are always interesting to go back and read after the season is over.

 

[Husker4real_rivals373787]

If we can avoid fielding a punt for a safety; avoid missing 2 PATs; avoid having a fumble returned for a TD; and avoid having 30 yards of penalties on one play, nullifying a Blackshirt INT - we’ll have a better shot than last year’s opener.

It will also be nice if our punt team has the whole ‘left - right’ confusion figured out.

That said, I think (hope?) the Huskers win by double digits. But, it is going to take several games of quality football from NU before I have any confidence.

 

[SuperBigFan]

Let me ask this...do you think there is a better chance that both teams score a lot of points or that neither teams scores a lot?

 

[IowaHogeyeDoosh]

Says the guy who joined this year!

So, Kansas fan??

 

[grayhairedfreak]

NW 21-20. I've seen the last 4 years. Frost is still HC. I'll believe we'll blow it until we don't. On the plus side, our kicker goes 4-4 on FGs and PATs. Prove me wrong, boys.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

If we can avoid fielding a punt for a safety; avoid missing 2 PATs; avoid having a fumble returned for a TD; and avoid having 30 yards of penalties on one play, nullifying a Blackshirt INT - we’ll have a better shot than last year’s opener.

It will also be nice if our punt team has the whole ‘left - right’ confusion figured out.

That said, I think (hope?) the Huskers win by double digits. But, it is going to take several games of quality football from NU before I have any confidence.

I'm looking for the elusive "fundamentals."

No more than 1 or 2 illegal procedure, illegal formation, jumping offside type calls.

Limit any offensive or defensive holding calls to 1 or less.

Keep pass interference to a minimum while still playing physical defense in space.

Convert every PAT. Have touchbacks on 50% of the kicks. Hit those 40 yard fg's at high %.

Don't have a bunch of dumb *** down and distance calls.

Field the punts cleanly. COVER the punts like a good team does.

I'd like to see the OL get into contact and drive the defender and keep their feet moving.

Take care of the ball, don't force throws that aren't there.

If something works, stay with it until they show they can stop it.

There are a ton of things, basic things, NU has dropped the ball on over the years.

Trying to mix all this new and unproven talent into a cohesive unit will be a challenge.

NU has pockets on this team that have vast starting/playing time experience. DL has 4 guys that started all 12 games last year, both LB's started every game. Would be nice if that experience shows.

This is just the basic stuff, nothing fancy or unachievable here.

A lot of these things happening can make NU a difficult team to beat.

The first time a Scott Frost coached team does many of these will be the first time.