Welcome back to the Just Askin’ mailbag.
The premise is straightforward. You ask me some questions — or vent your frustrations — about Nebraska Athletics. Any sport. I attempt to answer them.
If you want your question included in the next edition of the mailbag, find me on X at @amie_just, on Blue Sky at @amiejust.com or email me at ajust@journalstar.com.
Without further ado, here are this week’s questions:
As a longtime fan, apathy has set in and I’m done with the hype of how great football is. Convince me why I shouldn’t be apathetic and dedicate a Saturday to continue to watch?
After watching the Huskers Saturday and the other Big 10 teams, seven wins seems realistic, not more. — X user Birdie_Dan
I’m not saying this to be a smart alec. I’m being serious. I’m surprised it has taken you this long. There have been a lot of apathy-inducing losses over the last eight years, and this is the one that pushed you to the brink? We all have our limits, I suppose.
While the final result was what it was against Michigan, I do believe the Huskers have made some progress from where they were a year ago.
Emmett Johnson looks like the real deal. Dylan Raiola has made great strides. Nebraska’s receiving corps is much better than it was in previous years. The secondary, while there were some issues in run defense, is lockdown in pass coverage. Special teams, even with the miscues that have cropped up this season, are significantly better than they have been as of late.
Does Nebraska have glaring issues? Sure. The physicality at the line of scrimmage leaves plenty to be desired. Even still, I wouldn’t write off the rest of the season.
Michigan State is 3-1 with wins over Western Michigan, Boston College and Youngstown State. The Spartans’ loss came last week against No. 25 USC, and the late-night special wasn’t particularly close at 45-31.
Maryland could be better than expected after racing out to a 4-0 record — but the Terps’ schedule hasn’t been all that daunting with Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois, Towson and a struggling Wisconsin squad. The Terps have Washington this weekend.
Minnesota is 2-1 with wins over Buffalo and FCS Northwestern State. The loss came to Cal. The Golden Gophers have Rutgers this weekend.
Northwestern is 1-2 with its lone win over FCS Western Illinois and losses to Tulane and Oregon. The Wildcats have a few possible wins on their schedule between now and the game against the Huskers on Oct. 25, including the next two weeks against free-falling UCLA and Louisiana-Monroe.
USC looks to be dangerous, and the Trojans have several more tests in between now and Nov. 1 with Illinois, Michigan and Notre Dame on the horizon. As it stands, the Trojans are 4-0 and if they handle business through the next five weeks, they’ll likely continue to rise in the AP Top 25.
UCLA, after having fired DeShaun Foster, seems to be wandering aimlessly toward the bottom of the Big Ten. The Bruins are 0-3 after getting drubbed by Utah and New Mexico and losing a one-score game to UNLV. The best opportunity, it seems, for the Bruins to get a win is this weekend against Northwestern.
Penn State is one of the best teams in the nation and is looking to further cement its status as such this weekend against No. 6 Oregon. There’s a lot of time between now and Nov. 22, but it’ll be here before we know it.
The jury still seems to be out on what Iowa will be capable of this season. The Hawkeyes had a big win over Rutgers on Friday night last week, but lost to Iowa State a few weeks back in the Cy-Hawk Rivalry. Big test for the Hawkeyes this weekend against Indiana, which crushed Illinois last week. We’ll know more about Iowa, hopefully, in November.
So, going through those games, two more losses feel certain. More than that is possible.
However, based on preseason schedule forecasting, I felt that a 3-1 record after four games was where Nebraska would likely be.
Chances VB can go undefeated for the year based on early games? — Gregory K.
It is unbelievably hard to go undefeated.
Since the advent of NCAA volleyball in 1981, there have been just five women’s Division I teams to go wire-to-wire: 2009 Penn State, 2008 Penn State, 2003 USC, 2000 Nebraska and 1998 Long Beach State.
That’s it. And that’s not to discredit any other team before or since. It’s just really, really difficult.
I think there’s a lot more parity in volleyball now. Just look at SMU last season, for example. The Mustangs were unranked when they beat the Huskers, but they also beat Pitt last year and finished the season ranked No. 15 in the AVCA Top 25. This season, SMU is No. 11 in the latest poll.
Could Nebraska do it? I think the Huskers have the makeup to be able to do it, but the Big Ten slate is a grind. It’s a lot of travel. It’s a lot of matches. There’s a lot of pressure. And Nebraska is going to get everyone’s best shot every night.
As of right now, there are six Big Ten teams that are ranked — No. 1 Nebraska, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 Purdue, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 15 Penn State and No. 17 USC. And that doesn’t include the UCLA, Oregon, Indiana and Michigan, who all received votes this week.
So, long story short, it’s going to be very difficult. But not impossible.
If I had to pick a couple of games to watch out for, it’d be at Penn State, at Wisconsin or either of the West Coast matches.
Why didn’t Kwinten Ives play against Michigan since he played so well against Houston Christian? — Kim M.
This was a surprise to me as well. Nebraska has to figure out the run game ASAP, and the Huskers are aware of that. When coach Matt Rhule on Monday was asked who the Huskers’ second running back is, Rhule responded with, “That’s a great question. It’s like you sat in a staff meeting this morning because that’s literally what my question is.”
Nebraska has leaned heavily — too heavily — on Emmett Johnson. Against Michigan, Johnson was on the field for 65 of Nebraska’s 75 offensive snaps. Against Cincinnati, he was on the field for 69 of Nebraska’s 78 snaps. That’s not sustainable, especially in conference play when you’re going up against very physical, bruising defensive players.
“We need more production out of that second spot,” Rhule said Monday.
So expect there to be some changes there moving forward — regardless of if it’s Ives, Mekhi Nelson or Isaiah Mozee.
Who else is on your Mount Rushmores? — Me
I asked you all last week for additional names for contention on Nebraska’s athletics Mount Rushmore. A lot of you sent good ones, but were Huskers rather than Nebraska natives. I think the Nebraska natives versus Nebraska college athletes on a Mount Rushmore of sorts produces a very different result.
But some of you had some great responses, like Guy Chamberlin, Jim Hartung, Johnny Goodman, Bobby Reynolds, Tom Novak, Bob Cerv, Christie Schwartzkopf Schroff and Carol Moseke Frost.
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Amie Just
Husker sports reporter/columnist
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