WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WOWT) - The “home stretch” is typically referred to when talking about the end of a season, but for the Huskers in 2024, the home stretch has already concluded in some ways. After opening the season with four straight contests inside the comfort of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska (3-1, 0-1) takes its first road trip Saturday for a date with Purdue (1-2, 0-0).
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Nebraska is looking to bounce back from a disastrous late-game collapse leading to an
overtime loss a week ago against No. 19 Illinois — a scene that has become all too familiar for Big Red nation considering the past decade. It’s a get-right spot for the Huskers, and they know that. “Hopefully [the Illinois loss] is a good wakeup call,” head coach Matt Rhule said in his press conference Monday. “I have to own that our team went out there and didn’t execute in crucial situations. I have to own that... For us, on our sideline this week, we can’t worry about the officials or a call we feel going against us. We can’t worry about making the perfect call. Our guys just have to go out and play and play loose.”
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But still, for the most part, optimism persists among the Husker faithful through the season’s first loss to an Illinois team that seems destined for one of its best years in program history. That game is in the past, and now Purdue sits in the crosshairs of a Nebraska team starving for its first conference victory of the season. “For me right now, it’s just about this week,” Rhule said. “Focused on us just being really dialed in to all the different things that Purdue does. They’ve really had two different offenses this year, so that adds a little versatility to our preparation. What we do know is that Mockobee is as good of player as there is in the Big Ten and we know Card is excellent.” Devin Mockobee is a bruiser of a tailback for the Boilermakers, standing 6-feet tall and weighing just over 200 pounds. In three games, Mockobee has rushed for 276 yards and a touchdown, averaging a whopping 7.7 yards per carry. His backfield mate, QB Hudson Card, is about as experienced of a college football player out there. A fifth-year senior, this is Card’s second season quarterbacking the Boilermakers since transferring from Texas in 2022. Card opened the season with a nearly perfect performance in a 49-0 rout of Indiana State, completing 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, though, he’s struggled, as has the entire Purdue team. Card completed just 11 passes and threw two interceptions in Purdue’s blowout loss to Notre Dame before throwing for just 56 yards in another loss — a 38-21 falter at Oregon State. Regardless, Huskers refuse to overlook a Boilermaker squad that, while obviously down this season, is always liable to spring an upset in West Lafayette. “It’s gonna be a tremendous battle and we’ll just have to try to make one more play than they make,’ Rhule said. Freshman QB Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska offense will look to carve up a Purdue unit that ranks dead last in the Big Ten in total defense through four weeks and gave up 66 points to Notre Dame in week two. Raiola turned in his best performance of his young career last week in the loss to the Illini, completing 24-of-35 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Now, he prepares for the first road game of his college tenure. “I think nothing changes for us other than that we’ll be wearing white jerseys instead of red,” Raiola said in his press conference Monday. “We’ll just try to go out there and play our best football, it’ll just be in a different stadium. I think all the guys are excited for a change of scenery and we all get to be together on the road, which makes it even better.” Nebraska handled Purdue with ease a season ago, winning 31-14 and holding Card to just 100 yards through the air. The all-time record between these two teams is dead even at 6-6, with Saturday’s winner set to gain an edge in the historical matchup. The Huskers dominated UNI 34-3 to secure their first 3-0 start since 2016. Nebraska shut down Deion Sanders and Colorado in prime time to improve to 2-0.
