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The first-year coach reminded fans and observers, though, that major change does not often arrive all at once. At the 30,000-foot level, Frost is sure, the wheels are turning and progress is afoot.

"I know it’s going to happen. I’ve seen it happen before. It’s going to happen,� Frost said after NU lost to Michigan, 56-10. “A lot of things need to get fixed. Our execution, our strength and conditioning, our nutrition, our recruiting, our walk-on program. A lot of things that we’ve talked about. Those things don’t happen overnight.�

Only time will tell how the bumpy beginning to this era of Husker football will be remembered — there is still every chance it will be a tiny footnote in a long story — but while we’re here, a few early season patterns have developed over the course of NU’s first 0-3 start since 1945.

Nebraska’s committed far too many penalties — 31 for 287 yards (nearly 87 penalty yards per game) — and has eight turnovers.

But perhaps the most befuddling Husker vice of this slow start to the fall is, well, slow starts to each individual game.

“What I’m really thinking about is we’ve had this kind of start to the last three games,� senior left guard Jerald Foster said Saturday. “Us not being able to convert on the touchdown. We were driving the ball really well at the start and we get the pick and then you get down on a team like this and it’s really hard. They take advantage of it and they definitely did.�

Frost has tried multiple approaches, opting to take the ball first against Colorado and Michigan and putting his defense on the field first against Troy. Instead of starting fast, though, NU has sputtered. It’s not just an offensive issue, either. The Huskers have been outscored 37-7 in the first quarter so far.

Against Michigan, just like against Colorado in Week 1 — not to mention against both Northern Illinois and Wisconsin last year — the Huskers put together potential scoring drives with their first possession of the game only to have a turnover undo the positive work.

On Saturday, freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez had a pass tipped by defensive lineman Lawrence Marshall and intercepted by junior safety Josh Metellus that looked like a touchdown on a slant to a wide-open JD Spielman. Two weeks ago, it was a Greg Bell fumble inside the Colorado 15.

But those are far from the only miscues.

NU has a pair of first-quarter turnovers in each of its first three games, meaning 75 percent of the team’s giveaways so far have come in the first 15 minutes.

Here is how the Huskers’ first-quarter drives have finished so far: one touchdown, five punts, four lost fumbles and two interceptions.

The Huskers’ opponents: five touchdowns, a field goal, three punts and an interception.

Zoom out to the first half, and the Huskers have led exactly 2 minutes, 24 seconds out of 90 first-half minutes.

There is, of course, no single solution. A batted ball cost NU on Saturday, as did poor tackling, according to Luke Gifford. The turnovers have come from all over — quarterback, tight end, running back and punt returner.

The Huskers have also been at a substantial field-position disadvantage thanks to poor special teams play. In the first quarter, they’ve averaged starting at their own 17 twice and their own 25 on Saturday, compared with CU’s 38, Troy’s 35 and Michigan’s 40.

Backed up in your own territory, trailing early and playing too often in long-yardage situation is no way to make a living and it’s certainly no way to build offensive rhythm. Foster also pointed out that those factors have conspired to allow opponents to tee off on NU.

“You get a whole lot more uniqueness and the blitzes and the different kind of packages that come when they feel like they can put you away,� Foster said. “That’s a whole lot harder than when you’re playing a good game and they’re worried about you doing this, you doing that. It gives them the spot to be in the drivers’ seat where you’re now worried about what they’re going to be bringing to you. That’s probably the hardest part about being behind.�

Frost intimated on Saturday that the matchup was one-sided enough that a first-drive touchdown may not have ultimately changed the outcome. Foster said he thought the afternoon could have been, “a whole lot different.�

Regardless, what’s clear is that the Huskers must find a way to start much faster against Purdue and beyond.

A couple of quick notes from a film that NU would maybe rather burn:

* Several young players got playing time on Saturday. Caleb Tannor, though, saw regular action at outside linebacker well before the game got out of hand. He and Alex Davis both appeared to play more than the previous two weeks. Later in the game, Guy Thomas also saw extended run at outside linebacker.

* The list of special teams gaffes by NU in the Big House is a long one. The tape review of Donovan Peoples-Jones’ punt return touchdown in the third quarter will be particularly rough. Peoples-Jones fielded the ball on the left hash, ran it all the way to the right sideline and then worked his way all the way back to the left pylon on the 60-yard score. A quick count shows six different Husker players that had at least a chance of bringing Peoples-Jones down.

* Seniors Aaron Williams and Antonio Reed have settled into the base safety rotation with Tre Neal. Matchup likely dictated some, but Deontai Williams played sparingly against Michigan until the fourth quarter. Deontai Williams made a diving interception in the fourth quarter against reserve quarterback Brandon Peters.