Nebraska hopes to break cycle of defeat against Ohio State
Coach Frost says he is excited about the rest of 2021 and next year -- "I hope we get it"
By News Channel NebraskaLINCOLN – Nebraska will not only be trying to break Ohio State’s six-game winning streak over the Huskers on Saturday, but establish momentum for re-establishing its winning tradition.
After Ohio State's loss at Memorial Stadium in 2011, which was Nebraska’s first Big 10 home game ever, the Buckeyes beat Nebraska six times in a row.
Coach Scott Frost, whose record is 15 and 26 at Nebraska, said the Huskers are improved as they enter the latest match-up, but do not have the wins to show for it yet.
Frost: “I’m really excited about the rest of this year. I’m really excited about next year.
Frost: "I hope we get it. I think we should. Like I said, with the young guys we’ve got coming back and an opportunity to get a few more pieces to add to that, I think this thing could be really good. I really thought this year it would pop and we’ve been so close.
"When you’re so close and you don’t get it done, that, unfortunately you have a mind set, when we got here, that we’ve been beat a lot. Winning is habit. Losing is a habit. Trying to break that cycle just takes a few wins in a row and some momentum.”
If that momentum is to get started Saturday, Nebraska will have to end Ohio State’s streak of 26 straight victories over Big 10 opponents.
Frost said Ohio State was more talented than Nebraska in the first two years he coached at Nebraska, but Nebraska’s offensive line was probably a better unit in those years because of experience.
Frost: “I think we have really talented guys right now, they are young. Turner (Corcoran) is young. Bryce (Benhart) is young. Cam (Jurgens) is still young at the position. Nouili (Nouredin) is young. Those guys have continued to get better. We’re actually yards per rush and in some statistic doing really good up there. ... a penalty now and again that seems to show up when you have young guys and we’ve got to be better in protection.”
Nebraska, Ohio State and Wake Forest are the only three Power Five teams averaging 15 yards per completion this year.
If Nebraska can reverse the scoreboard trend after falling to 1 and 5 in conference play this year, team captains will have a role. Frost let them address the team after the Purdue loss.
Frost: “When you’ve lost a bunch of close games, you feel yourself kind of saying the same things over and over to the guys -- can’t make those mistakes, got to make the play when it matters. We did a ton of good things in that game.
Purdue had five turnovers against Wisconsin and lost and we had four turnovers against Purdue and lost. That’s how football works.
“So I can go into the locker room and say the same things and I addressed the guys – said what I thought was important – and I turned it over to captains.
I think in that moment that was probably a little more powerful.”
Nebraska will enter Saturday’s game ranked 16th nationally in total offense and 27th in scoring defense.