Here are five of the biggest questions facing Nebraska as it returns to action this week to play host to Purdue...
1. Will Martinez be back to his old self?
Nebraska's offense had already struggled with consistency all season. But in its loss at Minnesota two weeks ago, we saw how limited that unit could be when Adrian Martinez wasn't his usual dual-threat self.
While we don't know the full extent of his ailments, it was evident that the Husker quarterback was not nearly the running threat he usually was. He didn't scramble at all, and the few designed runs weren't effective whatsoever.
The Gophers didn't need to account for him as a runner, and they were able to get consistent pressure with just four rushers while dropping seven and making Martinez try to beat them with his arm.
That was a recipe for disaster, especially in the first half, and it showed just how critical it was for NU to have Martinez's mobility make the offense work.
2. What will Nebraska do at kicker?
After an awful start to the season, Connor Culp looked to finally have settled down and play like the All-Big Ten kicker he was a year ago.
But all of the same problems with his mechanics and confidence that plagued him in the first few games came roaring back at Minnesota, as he missed an extra point and a 27-yard field goal.
While Culp came in having made his past two field-goal tries and 25 extra points, he’s now missed nine total kicks through the first eight games of this season (six FGs, three XPT). He made 33 of his 35 kicks a year ago.
It’s hard for the Huskers to continue to have confidence in him at this point, and you have to wonder how that might impact their fourth-down decision-making on offense going forward?
How many more times will head coach Scott Frost turn to Culp in pressure situations, and when will it get to the point where he feels NU is better off keeping its offense on the field?
3. How will NU slow down Karlaftis?
Nebraska has faced plenty of elite defensive ends already this season, but there's an argument that none have been as daunting of an individual matchup as Purdue's George Karlaftis.
Regarded as maybe the Boilermakers' best NFL prospect since Rod Woodson, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound junior is currently being projected as a top-10 2022 draft pick. His play this year has more than backed up that hype.
Karlaftis has 3.0 sacks. 5.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and just recovered a 56-yard scoop and score last week vs. Wisconsin for his first-career touchdown.
It's no secret that the Huskers have made talented pass rushers look like first-team All-Americans this year. If they don't have a plan for Karlaftis, he's capable of single-handedly ruining the game for NU.
4. Can the defense contain Bell?
Purdue stunned the college football world two weeks ago when it went into Iowa City and convincingly upset No. 2 Iowa.
One of the main reasons they pulled off the victory was a monster performance by wide receiver David Bell.
The junior hauled in 11 receptions for a career-high 240 yards (21.8 avg.) and a touchdown in the win, giving him the second-highest single-game receiving total in team history and the second-highest single-game total in FBS this season.
A first-team All-Big Ten selection last year, Bell has now posted at least 100 receiving yards in 14 of his 24 career games.
However, Wisconsin showed last week how dependant the Boilermakers are on him to move the ball through the air. The Badgers held Bell to six catches for just 33 yards, and as a result, Purdue managed just 219 passing yards and three interceptions on 38 attempts.
There is no bigger priority than Bell on Nebraska's defensive scouting report this week.
5. How much fight do the Huskers have left?
Nebraska had already endured four other painful losses before traveling up to Minnesota, but that defeat may have been the most substantial blow yet.
The Huskers were favored against a depleted and under-achieving Golden Gopher squad, and a win was critical to keeping them on track to finally make a bowl game.
Rather than be locked in ready to play, NU sputtered in all three phases through the entire first half and then missed on one opportunity after another to win the game after halftime.
If Nebraska couldn’t get itself fired up with so much at stake, how much motivation will it have coming back off the bye with a grueling four-game stretch to end the season?
Once again, NU is expected to win this week, as it is opened as a touchdown favorite over Purdue.
But the Huskers need to be near flawless the rest of the way to clinch their first bowl berth since 2016, as they must win three of their next four against Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
The optimism of that happening has never been lower.
