Nebraska’s biggest challenge from last season has transformed into an asset over the course of a month of football.
Turnovers have been beneficial for the Huskers this season, resulting in a plus-five turnover margin, which ranks 18th nationally and second in the Big Ten. This is a significant improvement compared to last year’s minus-17 mark, which placed them worse than 131 of 132 other FBS teams.
“I’d still love to see us generate more,” said NU coach Matt Rhule regarding takeaways. “For instance, we have five sacks but no sack fumbles against Purdue. That’s not good enough. That’s not acceptable.”
The takeaways Nebraska has achieved have made a notable impact, featuring pick-six interceptions by Tommi Hill and John Bullock. Big Red has yet to experience a negative turnover margin in any game this season, contrasting sharply with last year when they had a negative margin in 10 out of 12 games.
A particularly impressive aspect of the team’s performance has been their ability to limit giveaways—the offense ranks among 32 teams with three or fewer turnovers. The only turnovers this season include a fumble by Dante Dowdell in the opener against UTEP and two interceptions by quarterback Dylan Raiola on deep passes.
Rhule indicated that this disciplined approach has emerged as opponents focus on controlling the clock to keep Nebraska’s explosive offense off the field. Despite this strategy, Raiola continues to make smart decisions by checking down passes and safeguarding the ball.
The last time Nebraska concluded a season with a positive turnover margin was in 2016, when they finished at plus five.
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