We had a host of playmakers on Saturday, but these players in particular stood tall against the Huskies!

This past weekend’s victory against Northern Illinois should have left every Husker fan overjoyed — unless you took the under — as it was a thorough beating of an overpowered MAC opponent. From the start, it was evident that the Huskies were outmatched. There were two players in particular I want to highlight who helped aid in NIU’s defeat.

Heinrich Haarberg

Heinrich did everything we needed our starting QB to do the first two games: MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. He had one turnover, which was really a takeaway as he was smashed by the NIU defender. Otherwise, the young man had a solid first start, and it really makes you wonder what the outcomes vs. Minnesota and Colorado would have been if we started him then. Even if Jeff Sims is healthy next week, I’d think Marcus Satterfield would have to go with the hot hand here.

Nash “Nutmasher” Hutmacher

Nash has turned into every bit of the dominant nose tackle we envisioned when he was recruited out of South Dakota. The kid is playing like a first round pick this season. If he keeps up the pace for the next 9 games, this could be the most dominant season we’ve seen from a Nebraska DT since Maliek Collins. Hutmacher’s dominance manifested against NIU, with his 2.5 tackles for loss and half sack. The Huskies had 26 rushing yards as a team predominantly because of the work Nash put in in the trenches. I look forward to watching him continue his streak of dominance.

Thanks for reading! As always, Go Big Red!