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Nebraska opened the season with a 49-21 win over Ohio, but for more than 30 minutes, the Bobcats made the Huskers work for it. The Cornhuskers trailed early and led by just a just one point before overwhelming the Bobcats with five touchdowns in the final 25 minutes.
Jacory Barney Jr. said the late surge wasn't complicated. Speaking to the media after Tuesday's practice, the junior wide receiver said it was all about the offense trusting itself and getting out of its own way.
"Just keeping that attack mentality, having Dana call it, not be conservative," Barney said, referring to offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. "Our guys just not wanting to beat ourselves, as we had penalties. Guys just knowing that we could only stop ourselves. So we just limit the penalties and limit all the other things, and just do what we would do in team compete, and it played out pretty good."
Jacory Barney carries the ball against Ohio. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nebraska Cut Down the Mistakes and the Offense Took Off
Ohio's defense held up well during the first half, forcing Nebraska into field position battles and taking advantage of a couple of the Huskers' own errors to keep it a 14-13 game at the break. Barney had his own miscue, too — an illegal block that nullified an electrifying 57-yard touchdown.
"Today's football is soft, so don't block like that no more," Barney said. "I guess I don't even feel like it was a blind side, to be honest. The guy looked at me, I looked at him. We were shoulder to shoulder, and I just wanted to deliver a hit for once. They always want to deliver hits on me, so I was like, let me get him right quick."
The coaching staff saw it a little differently.
"They told me, don't ever block behind the ball," he continued. "But in reality, they told me they would rather a guy go over the limit than be below the standard and not blocking at all. So it was a learning experience for sure, but I learned for the future."
Mekhi Nelson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Running Back Trio Set Up the Big Plays Over the Top
Barney credited Nebraska's running backs — Jamal Rule, Mekhi Nelson, and Isaiah Mozee — with wearing Ohio down and opening up the explosive plays that decided the game.
"It makes it way easier just to have guys running like they're running," Barney said. "Jamal is a bad man. Mekhi Nelson runs with extreme anger. Isaiah Mozee, they all tote the ball really well. And for them, when they're toting the ball like that, safeties will progressively come down as we're getting hits on them, taking hits on them in the run game, getting knockdowns.
"They're going to want to creep up, and they're going to be looking forward to stopping the run, and that's when we come over the top and create big plays."
That dynamic played out on Nelson's 51-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, a play that came shortly after Ohio had cut Nebraska's lead to 28-21.
Barney had a hand in the passing game himself, catching five passes for 60 yards to help Nebraska rack up 523 total yards on the day.
Anthony Colandrea eludes an Ohio defender on his 13-yard touchdown run. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Colandrea's Ability to Extend Plays Made a Difference
Barney also pointed to quarterback Anthony Colandrea's improvisational ability as a difference-maker for a passing game trying to answer Ohio's early physicality. In his Husker debut, Colandrea completed 18 of 32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns while adding 23 rushing yards, including a 13-yard third-quarter touchdown scramble that helped turn the game.
"Just him being able to make plays happen that you would expect to probably be over," Barney said. "Like the one play, the corner route, the dude in his face, he still got the ball off. It was a catch, and we kept the drive going to go down and score a touchdown. Just having a guy that can do that, and consistently do it, is good."
It changes how the receivers run their own routes, too.
"For me and from a wide receiver perspective, I'll say just knowing that the play will always be alive," he continued. "So just keep running, and even if it's a scramble drill opportunity, that's hard for defenses to cover, and it's a good chance that you could create an explosive off a scramble drill."
Jacory Barney Jr. returns a punt last season. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Nebraska will look to build on that finish Saturday night against Bowling Green at Memorial Stadium. Barney said the way the offense settled in against Ohio — leaning on the run to set up shots down the field and cutting down on mistakes — is the formula the Huskers want to carry into Week 2.
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