Nebraska Football: 3 takeaways from ugly loss at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 12: JD Spielman #10 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is unable to catch a punt by the Minnesota Gophers during the third quarter of the game at TCF Bank Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers 34-7. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

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LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 5: Quarterback Adrian Martinez #2 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers warms up before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium on October 5, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

2. Offense missed Adrian Martinez

While Adrian Martinez hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season, he’s still a major part of the offense and makes defense have to account for his freakish athleticism and speed. He was severely missed by the Cornhuskers’ offense on Saturday night after missing the game with an injury he suffered against Northwestern a week ago.

The sophomore quarterback would have given the offense a lift when it looked lifeless against the Golden Gophers. The Cornhuskers accounted for 299 yards and just one touchdown, which was a clear disappointment.

Martinez is one of the better dual-threats in the conference and even though he’s in a bit of a sophomore slump, he adds an extra element to the offense. He should be back soon, and that’s good news for the offense because it didn’t utilize its elite weapons.

Guys like Wandale Robinson, JD Spielman and Maurice Washington weren’t used nearly enough and Martinez knows how to get them involved.

The offense doesn’t quite have an identity without Martinez.

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