Nebraska Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Northwestern in Week 10

Nebraska football will host Northwestern in Week 10 in what will be a crucial game for both teams’ postseason hopes.

Nebraska football plays host to Northwestern on Saturday. Both teams are coming off thrilling wins in Week 9. The Wildcats worked overtime — actually triple overtime — to knock off Michigan State. Nebraska rallied from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to upend Purdue.

With both teams entering on a high note, second place in the Big Ten West will be on the line in Lincoln. A Northwestern win would make the Wildcats bowl-eligible. Nebraska sits at 4-4 and desperately needs another win to keep the wolves at bay concerning Mike Riley’s job status. The Huskers have already dropped three games at home this year.

In what was mostly a defensive struggle for four quarters, turned into scoring galore in the overtime periods last Saturday in Evanston. Northwestern scored touchdowns in all three extra periods, including adding the two-point try in the third overtime. A late interception of Spartans’ quarterback Brian Lewerke sealed the Wildcats’ second consecutive overtime win.

Confidence seems to be oozing from Pat Fitzgerald’s team. Quarterback Clayton Thorson is playing at a high level and running back Justin Jackson ranks fourth in the conference in rushing yards and has seven rushing touchdowns on the year.

Vegas has made Nebraska a slim two-point favorite for Saturday’s matchup. It’s a game that will come down to execution and turnovers. Whichever team takes care of the ball and executes better in the red zone will likely win.

Here’s how you can watch Northwestern take on the Huskers in Week 10:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 4
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Venue: Memorial Stadium
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go

Keys to Victory

Thorson has elevated his play of late for Northwestern. His 255.5 passing yards per game rank fourth in the Big Ten. If he takes care of the football and makes the right reads, the Wildcats will move the ball with success.

Jackson should give the Nebraska defense fits. The Huskers have had tackling issues of late, and the shifty Jackson is not the guy to get well against. He has great balance, footwork, and sees the holes well. I expect the Wildcats to give the Nebraska defense a steady diet of the senior running back.

Tanner Lee had a career outing in leading Nebraska to a come-from-behind win over Purdue. His 431 yards were a career-high. He finished 32-of-50 and when given protection from a struggling offensive line, has been very accurate. Since throwing nine interceptions in September, Lee had only one in October. His completion percentage has increased dramatically and the Tulane-transfer is single-handily spearheading Nebraska’s offense.

Nebraska will need another solid effort from Lee, as well as a yeomen’s effort from a patch-work offensive line. If the line can protect Lee as well as open holes for running back’s Devine Ozigbo and Jaylin Bradley, the offense will be in for a big day.

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Prediction

This has the makings of a tight game. Both teams are evenly matched. Both are trying to patch up holes/injuries on the offensive line. It will come down to quarterback play and turnovers. Thorson has been solid. His outing late against the Spartans was tremendous. But Lee is at home and playing with the most confidence of his career. His accuracy and decision making will be the difference. The Huskers’ defense gets a late stop to preserve a close Nebraska win.

Final Score: Nebraska 30, Northwestern 24