Nebraska vs. Rutgers: Keys to victory, HOL score predictions

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Nebraska will travel to Rutgers for the first time since 2015 when they take on the Scarlet Knights in a rare Friday match-up.

NU (2-5) is fresh off a very disappointing home loss to Minnesota, while Rutgers (3-5) won at Maryland a week ago.

Here are today's keys to victory for the Huskers over the Scarlet Knights. Nebraska enters today's game as a 6.5 point favorite.

KEY 1: Come out simple, but execute better

Both Nebraska and Rutgers are in the same situation. They had very limited time to prep a game plan for today. The key for Nebraska is they need to come out with simple, base concepts and execute better than we saw a week ago.

KEY 2: Be ready for anything on defense

Rutgers will attack the Huskers with a very diverse offensive scheme. NU needs to be ready for multiple different trick plays and wrinkles Scarlet Knight offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson might throw their way.

KEY 3: Tackle in space

A big reason why Minnesota won last week is they extended their second-half drives once NU's defense got tired and started missing tackles. The Blackshirts can't miss tackles this week and they need to do a better job of getting off the field.

KEY 4: Special teams need to produce

Make your field goals. Take advantage of all scoring opportunities. Don't shank punts and give Rutgers short fields. Limit kick returns. Special teams yards and the kicking game will be a huge key today.

KEY 5: Want it more

Finally, this game is as much about "want" as anything. The winner probably positions themselves to go to a bowl game. There's a chance both Nebraska and Rutgers could still go to bowls regardless since so many teams are opting out. The bottom line is Scott Frost needs to have his team motivated to play a Dec. 18 football game where the stakes quite frankly aren't very high.

Sean Callahan - HuskerOnline Publisher

I'll be honest, this game is a complete crapshoot. It's really more about who wants it more. Will Scott Frost have his team motivated to play on the road with less prep time? That's a big if, but I still think the Huskers find a way to pull this one out. Rutgers is very beat up after playing eight straight weeks, and I think NU is getting them at a good time.

Nebraska 23, Rutgers 20

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Robin Washut - HuskerOnline Senior Writer

Both of these teams are limping to the season’s finish line, but this game still carries far more importance for Nebraska than it does for Rutgers. A win would at least give the Huskers something positive to build upon going into the offseason in a year where optimism has been few and far between. A loss, however, would make an already tenuous vibe around the program even worse. This game is a big deal for NU, and I think they find a way to get it done.

Nebraska 27, Rutgers 24

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Nate Clouse - HuskerOnline Lead Recruiting Analyst

Nebraska has had its fair share of struggles on the road and they’re coming off of a poor showing last week, but I think they rally to finish this season off strong against Rutgers. The weather could very well play a be role in this game, but I’m not convinced it could hurt one team more than the other. This game is all about the Huskers staying out of their own way and winning in the trenches where they should have an advantage. If they can do that then they should be heading home with a victory.

Nebraska 27, Rutgers 20

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Mike'l Severe - 1620 the Zone

I'm going with the fact that Nebraska has been up and down this year and thinking that this will be an up. Rutgers does have a very good and aggressive front seven so that's a concern with the loss of Jaimes on the offensive line. But I do believe if Nebraska sticks with the run game and tries to get the ball over the top against Rutgers they can have success.

Nebraska 28, Rutgers 20

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Andy Kendeigh - KETV Channel 7 Sports Director

This one is decided upfront. Can Nebraska control the line of scrimmage? Can Nebraska get a running game going with three Freshman starters on the offensive line? Is Turner Corcoran ready for his first start? Can the Huskers stop the Rutgers QB run game? Nebraska has the better roster than Rutgers at this point and better players make the difference in this one.

Nebraska 27, Rutgers 24