Tony White knows what the Nebraska football defense will be facing on Thursday night. For the most part.

The Golden Gophers are a definition of the phrase football program. Their identity, cultural foundation and philosophies on both sides of the ball are already in place and have been for years. What you’ve seen is essentially what you’re going to get.

“Consistency,” White said when asked to frame what he expects to see from the Gophers in the season opener. “They know who they are, and that’s how they play. I think that’s a really big compliment – when a team knows who they are and they know how they win. They rush for over 200 yards a game, throw for almost 200 yards a game, they play great defense, play great special teams. They know who they are. When you watch them, they’re gonna do what they do.

“That’s what makes today so important – the game will take care of itself, but that’s what makes today so important is we get another chance, for the last time physicality-wise, to prepare.”

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