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Nebraska football gets the win, 27 – 17. It wasn't the most beautiful win in Nebraska football history, but it was a win that the program needed even if you're one of those guys who thinks that the Huskers should lose every game from here on out just so that Mike Riley gets fired.
It was frustrating, and there were times at which it was horrible football, especially the offense. It was so bad that I advocated violence against a member of our coaching staff:
I'd like to apologize to Danny Langsdorf. I didn't mean to advocate your death, but the frustration got the best of me. I'm not going to promise it won't happen again.
Someone could go up to the coaches booth and throw Danny out the window and give him to the fans…
— CornNation (@CornNation) September 23, 2017
I know those windows are thick and strong, but if you threw him against them over and over sooner or later they’d give way
— CornNation (@CornNation) September 23, 2017
On to our Most Valuable Players!
Offense
Devine Ozigbo
I have no idea, other than rumors, about where Devine Ozigbo has been earlier this season. When someone asked me on Twitter during the Rutgers game, I responded jokingly that he had been saved for conference play. I hope that isn't the real answer.
Ozigbo was part of the reason why Nebraska put this game away in the fourth quarter. Mike mentioned it in his Report Card, Ozigbo had 16 carries in the fourth quarter for 70 yards when Nebraska needed to stop throwing the ball and win the doggone game.
Mikale Wilbon
Are we really going to give the Most Valuable Player award to two running backs? Yes, we are and that's only because Tre Bryant is out, otherwise we would give it to three. Wilbon has shown himself to be an exceptional back. He has good vision, good mobility, and when he makes contact he runs through tackles.
Watching Ozigbo and Wilbon run during this game was one of the reasons why I advocated violence against our offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf. Nebraska has three running backs who are all capable of breaking tackles and in a 123 punch capable of wearing down defenses in a manner that hasn't been seen in Husker football since, oh I don't know, the 90s? Maybe that is a little over-the-top, but we do have three pretty doggone good running backs.
Nebraska should have come upon a realization of their winning formula during the second half of the Rutgers game. If they fail to recognize this going forward and instead want to throw 40 passes a game then they deserve to be fired.
Defense
I'll be completely honest, I don't watch the defense as closely as I do the offense. It's just not a thing for me. Having said that, I'd probably select the following player for the defensive MVP:
Antonio Reed & Luke Gifford
Reed tied for the team lead in tackles with six, four solo and two assisted. Dedrick Young and Luke Gifford also had six tackles each. Both Reed and Gifford had interceptions.. okay, really, it’s pretty close and we’ll just say that Gifford and Reed earned co-MVP honors.
Special Teams
This one is pretty easy.
Demornay Pierson-El
The 63-yard punt return on which DPE nearly scored was exciting. It was thrilling. I completely expected it to be called back with a penalty somewhere. It seems like it's been forever since we've had that pretty of a punt return. It's a damn shame it wasn't a touchdown. DPE did some great work throughout the game. He fielded most of the punts, even though the other team was right on top of him. He saved precious field position for an offense that has clearly struggled over the first four games of the season.
If Nebraska is going to continue to win games going forward, DPE will need to be a major part of that success.