Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Idaho Vandals - Which Players You Going To Watch?

It's Wednesday, so you should be over the angst about the defense being an "embarrassment" against Western Kentucky last Saturday, right? 

Idaho comes to town this weekend, and they'll be a much better team, although they might be a bit overwhelmed when they walk into Memorial Stadium. To give you some idea, the Vandals home attendance record is 17,600, set in 1989. They're not used to playing in front of a whole bunch of people. They may spend the first quarter looking up a lot. 

They will have some weapons, however, and should provide a better test of Nebraska's defense. Quarterback Nathan Enderle is no slouch. A NFL prospect, Enderle finished 2009 fifth in quarterback rating. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 311yards in the Vandals 45-0 beat down of North Dakota State. One thing about Enderle, though, is that he's not a mobile target, so it'll be a chance for Baker Steinkuhler, Jared Crick, and Pierre Allen to improve their sack total. 

One of the first things that pop up in looking at Idaho's depth chart is that they're only starting two sophomores, Benson Mayowa at rush defensive end, and Gary Walker at free safety. The rest are all juniors and seniors. Bottom line - it looks like Head Coach Robb Akey is doing a decent job at building his program. 

I haven't seen Eric Greenwood mentioned much. Greenwood, apparently known as "The Jolly Green Giant", is 6' 6", 223 lbs and the starting "X" receiver. Should be interesting watching our defensive backs defend against the Enderle to Greenwood combination.

The Vandals weren't very good at defense last season, finishing 107th in total defense, and 107th in sacks, so they'll be out to prove something this season. Their Senior safety Shiloh Keo is the leader of the Vandal defense and last week was the first time the Vandals had shut out a team since 1997. 

Lots of questions heading into this game. Will Nebraska's defensive line improve their sack total? Will the defensive backs get some turnovers? Will Nebraska's offensive line be able to pummel the Vandals defensive line, opening holes on the ground. Will Mike McNeill get more opportunities? 

Here's what I'd like you to do. Pick some Nebraska players you're interesting in watching, and be prepared to talk about their performance next week. All of us have different interests, so it shouldn't be a problem in getting a wide spread of choices. (I tend to watch the offensive line more than any other positions. I know the skill position guys get the chicks, but the lines on both sides are the guys that make the team go.)

So, split it up. In fact, in a game like this, pick a starter and pick a backup. Monday we'll have a post up to give you the opportunity to take about the player(s) you've adopted, what you thought of their performance. If this is successful and you guys enjoy it we'll do it for the rest of the season.