Keys To The Game: Michigan Wolverines Football at Nebraska

One down, one to go.

Many Michigan fans entered this two-game road stretch with Wisconsin and Nebraska thinking a split would be pretty satisfying. Now, though, they're getting a bit greedy — and for good reason. This team is playing great defense, opportune offense and has seemingly reestablished the solid culture it lost last year in the COVID-shortened campaign.

The Badgers, while not the mustelids of years past, were nonetheless outstanding defensively and physical — yet the Wolverines manhandled them. The U-M offensive line got great push, the defense was stifling and the special teams were outstanding.

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They'll need the same effort in all three phases to win Saturday night in Lincoln, against a Nebraska team that's improving rapidly. The Cornhuskers went toe to toe with rival Oklahoma, should have beaten Michigan State in East Lansing and recently dominated (albeit awful) Northwestern.

The 'Huskers will be up for this one, however, hopeful to take a step in the right direction under head coach Scott Frost. Their defense is solid, the offense potentially dangerous and the environment will be outstanding.

Here are keys to a week-five Michigan win:

Folks saying 'Michigan has already seen this kind of quarterback this year' and pointing to Rutgers' Noah Vedral as the example are fooling themselves. The Scarlet Knights' signal-caller ran for 42 yards on 11 carries in a 20-13 loss in Ann Arbor, primarily on read options, and did a lot of damage in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez is a much better runner and athlete and figures to be a huge part of the game plan (with his feet) Saturday. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is well aware of what he brings to the table.

"He’s a heck of a quarterback," Harbaugh said. "I hate to compare [him to Vedral], but it’s that and then some, this quarterback and this offense.”

Martinez has eclipsed 50 yards on the ground four times this year, including 111 in a win over Buffalo and 112 in a loss to Illinois. He's averaging 5.2 yards per carry — even while including sack yardage — and is dangerous in Nebraska's option attack. He's also adept at escaping pressure and making big plays out of nothing, so it's up to the Michigan front seven to maintain their rush lanes and not let him escape when they get there (which we expect they will against this mediocre offensive line, one that's been revamped heading into this game).

Discipline on defense is going to be key in this one, but this group has done a great job in that area this year. And it should be noted that Vedral's success came with redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross on the bench, having been banged up.

A week after attempting only five passes in the second half against Rutgers, Michigan came out firing behind redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara. The Wolverines threw on the first play of the game — something Harbaugh seemed proud to point out during his Monday press conference — and mixed it up throughout the game better than they had in the previous four.

McNamara hadn't attempted more than 16 passes in a game until the Wolverines invaded Madison. He threw 28 there, completing 17 (and it could have been 21 if not for dropped balls).

Michigan is going to have to run the ball with some success against the nation's No. 44 rush defense (allowing 122.2 yards per game, 3.67 per carry), but can't fall in love with the run. This group has been inconsistent in short yardage this year, and Harbaugh was almost reckless at times in going for fourth downs on his own side of the field against the Badgers.

Nebraska isn't great offensively, but good enough to make the Wolverines pay if they don't move the ball.

We liked last week's game plan and hope to see more of it in the weeks ahead (unless, of course, they are absolutely dominating the line of scrimmage the way they did in their first four games. Then, by all means ...).

Sounds simple, but game in and game out, this is one of the more important stats when it comes to winning in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have done a great job protecting the ball this year behind McNamara, who is careful to throw balls away when being pressured or when receivers aren't getting open. U-M's running backs haven't put the ball on the ground, either.

On defense, Michigan has forced six turnovers — much more than in past years at this point — and has done a great job confusing offenses under coordinator Mike Macdonald.

They'll have an opportunity to take advantage of this Saturday night. While Nebraska has turned teams over seven times, the Cornhuskers have turned it over seven times themselves. Get on the plus side Saturday night and the Wolverines will have a very good chance to pull out another key road victory.

"This should be a 5-1 team."

So say Nebraska insiders, and we tend to agree. In fact, this group was right there against rival Oklahoma and could have won that one if they'd held on to a few potential interceptions.

But they didn't, and they aren't. You are what your record says you are, and the 'Huskers are 3-3. They have a huge opportunity Saturday night to prove they are better than that with a victory over a top-10 Michigan team, however, and word has it the folks in Lincoln have been party planning since Sunday for this one, looking forward to the opportunity to show they're back (somewhat) on the national stage.

The crowd will be nuts, but it still comes down to execution and players. Michigan has the advantage here, and if the Wolverines contain Martinez, we like their chances to return to Ann Arbor as a 6-0 squad heading into the bye week.

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