Don’t look now, but NU is in the final quarter of the ’24 football season. Only three matches left.

This would be the year NU would finally make it to a bowl game. As of October 5, with NU at 5-1, all Nebraska needed to reach that goal was a win in just one of the next six games. Unfortunately, reality reared its ugly head.

Nebraska suffered three straight losses and was left with a 5-4 record.

Nebraska’s odds of getting its sixth win look good against them. But help may be on the way with OC Dana Holgorsen hired last week. At least that’s what Rhule and Husker fans hope for.

So what can the offensive wizard, who held head coaching stints at West Virginia and Houston, do in such a short time?

It seems like both Rhule and Holgorsen think the Husker offense can not only improve enough for the Huskers to earn the No. 6 seed, but it will.

But there are some obstacles on this path. Husker QB Dylan Raiola may not play on Saturday. And if he plays, he has thrown just one TD pass at Purdue since Sept. 28.

I appreciate Rhule’s sense of urgency, not only in terms of qualifying for the bowl, but also in terms of the future of the Husker football program. He wants players who decide to come back this fall to experience the Husker bowl game. He also knows that winning will attract others to come to Nebraska and current players to stay.

A bowl game invitation would be just what the doctor ordered for beleaguered Husker fans.

USC-Nebraska Match

Raise your hand if you think before the season starts that NU will have a better record (5-4) than USC’s 4-5 when the two programs meet in November.

Raise your hand if you think the weather will be warmer on game day in Lincoln (65-47) than it is in Los Angeles (63-43).

I didn’t think so.

How do the two teams compare?

USC and Nebraska have one common enemy so far this season: Rutgers.

NU beat the Scarlet Knights 14-7, while the Trojans outrebounded them 42-20. USC’s record so far is a disappointing 4-5. NU is just one win better at 5-4.

The game is unlikely to attract many non-dog fans to this contest, but both teams are desperate for a win. Both are trying to become bowling eligible. Both still have a chance to do it.

The Grail of Despair?

Call it the Bowl of Despair. Two storied programs that find themselves struggling to achieve reliability.

What are the advantages of Southern Cal?

First of all, USC is a nine-point favorite even though NU has the better record.

USC averages just over 30 points to NU’s 22.2 points. The Trojans also have the edge in passing (#13 to NU’s #66).

NU’s advantages appear to lie in its defense. NU ranks 21st in scoring defense and USC ranks 45th. NU’s rushing defense ranks 13th nationally, while SoCal ranks 51st. In pass defense, NU ranks 50th and USC ranks 96th. In total defense, NU is 15th and USC is 72nd.

On special teams, NU ranks 71st to 119th among the Trojans.

SoCal starts a new QB on Saturday and NU may not have the services of Dylan Raiola. Therefore, the statistics above may not mean much for the match to be played in Los Angeles this week.

Know this, NU is expiring. If you win this game, NU fans will be dancing in the streets. Lose and… Let’s not think about it.

You can contact the author at [email protected].

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