Nebraska won’t be terrible on special teams
Without torturing the souls of Nebraska football fans by taking an in-depth look at last season’s special teams, it’s safe to say the Huskers would have won another game or two at least if that third of the game was effective at all.
In the season opener last year against Illinois, an early safety after a fumbled punt was exactly the wrong start Nebraska needed, and then against Michigan State, a punt to the wrong side of the field doomed what would have been a defining win for Frost.
As bad as last season went, Nebraska wasn’t a terrible team and if the Huskers would have beaten Michigan State, that confidence would have carried over, at least to a bowl trip.
There was also a slew of missed kicks against Oklahoma in another tight loss. Thinking back to the Bo Pelini days, special teams were much better. Nebraska isn’t going to be as talented as the Michigan’s or Ohio State’s of the world, so being solid on special teams, and avoiding mental errors is a must.
So Frost and the Huskers addressed their kicking game as much as possible. There is a new special teams coach and Nebraska also added difference-makers at punter and kicker.
New punter Brian Buschini is from Montana where he was the FCS Punter of the Year in 2021. He had 75 punts and 35 of them landed inside the 20. He also will also be used to punting in the elements.
The Huskers also added Timmy Bleekrode from Furman who made 83 percent of his kicks last season and 30-of-32 PATs. Trey Palmer, a transfer from LSU, should also help in the return game, along with Anthony Grant who could return kicks and start at running back after coming over as a JUCO transfer.
It’s clear Frost did whatever he could to address the special teams this offseason and it’s going to work. The Huskers will actually avoid the kind of game-losing mistakes that have plagued the team throughout the Frost era.
Bleekrode will make two field goals and Buschini will steal the show in Ireland with his booming punts as fans are more used to soccer and rugby than football.