Studs and duds from Nebraska’s first win of the season
The Cornhuskers recorded their first win of the season Saturday night against the Northern Illinois Huskies by a score of 35-11. Coincidentally, it was also their home opener for the 2023 season, as Nebraska was the last Power Five school to play a home game after starting their first two on the road.
The win also marked Matt Rhule’s first win as Nebraska’s head coach. The Huskers now prepare for Louisiana Tech, who will travel to Lincoln next Saturday.
Scroll below to look at some studs and duds from Saturday night’s performance, and unlike previous weeks, there were more studs than duds this time.
Stud: Thomas Fidone
Billy Kemp and Marcus Washington may have started the game off right with big catches of their own, but Thomas Fidone found a way to stay relevant the entire game and even found a score on his own. The tight end ended the day as the Huskers leading pass catcher with 42 yards on four catches.
Dud: Marcus Washington
After his 26-yard catch to start the game, Washington couldn’t find himself a connection until the game was well done and dusted in the fourth quarter. So far, Washington hasn’t seen the best start to his 2023 season and has been rather disappointing to a degree. Washington exited the game in the fouth quarter after recording his second catch due to injury.
Stud: Heinrich Haarberg
Heinrich Haarberg stepped in for the injured Jeff Sims, but his performance today could be tough to sit going forward. Nebraska’s passing offense hasn’t looked this good yet this season, but that’s not necessarily a tough bar to cross.
Haarberg doesn’t have the speed and acceleration that Sims possesses, but even in the run game, he is forceful and isn’t shy from attacking defenders. While he did pass for 147 yards and two scores, he added another score on the ground with 98 yards.
Stud: Quinton Newsome
Northern Illinois is a team known for their passing attack, so a high-class performance by cornerback Quinton Newsome was always going to be needed to quell any potential upset. Newsome broke up multiple passes that would’ve resulted in big gains by the Huskies’ offense.
Stud: MJ Sherman
MJ Sherman made an effort to disrupt Northern Illinois’ passing game Saturday night. Sherman recorded his first collegiate sack when he brought down Rocky Lombardi. He continued to get after the quarterback flush him away from the pocket, and force hurried throws.
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