All of the pieces were there for Nebraska's offense early in the game against Northwestern.
A clean pocket? Check.
Quick, accurate passes from Casey Thompson? Check.
Tough yards on the ground when they needed it? Check.
But, the challenge in all of those arenas is doing it consistently for all four quarters, something that failed Nebraska's offense in a 31-28 loss to Northwestern on Saturday.
Head coach Scott Frost turned over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, and a pass-heavy opening drive might have been the result of Whipple's typical offensive system. However, second-half struggles led to an interesting response from Frost after the game.
"I think we're going to have to learn as an offensive staff that you have to be a little creative in this league," Frost said. "So, we have some things that we can work on. I thought we did a lot of good things, but it's got to be more of a complete game."
People are also reading…
In the run-heavy Big Ten, creativity can mean finding the right moments to pound the rock and the right moments to air it out. When the pocket held up, Thompson showcased the arm talent that helped him land NU's starting job in the offseason.
Thompson completed eight passes to Trey Palmer and six to tight end Travis Vokolek, who would have played a big role in the second half if he wasn't forced from the game due to an injury.
Thompson's pair of fourth-quarter interceptions were certainly game-changers, but so was a controversial fumble call on Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda. The wideout appeared to have a knee down at the same time a Northwestern defender ripped the ball out, and a video review upheld the call of a fumble on the field.
If NU had retained the ball at that juncture in the second quarter, a 21-10 or 17-10 lead would have been likely as the turnover came in the midst of a promising drive into Northwestern territory.
“We really moved the ball, especially the whole first half and we moved it most of the game," Thompson said. "We got down inside the 10-yard line on almost every drive, but we just hurt ourselves with turnovers and a few mistakes.â€
Nebraska wasn't far off a 60-40 pass-run balance with 42 attempted passes and 31 rushing attempts in the loss. NU totaled 110 yards on the ground, but it wasn't built on consistent rushing success. Anthony Grant was the clear lead back with 19 carries for 101 yards, but excluding his 46-yard touchdown scamper, he averaged just over three yards per carry against a tough Northwestern front.
Sophomore Rahmir Johnson, who moved into a wideback role this summer, didn't see the field or record a single touch. Meanwhile, backup running backs Jaquez Yant and Ajay Allen combined for 12 yards on six carries in what was a difficult game on the ground at times.
“The thing that hurt our offense is that we got in situations running the ball we weren’t efficient enough," Frost said. "When you gain yards on those plays it gives you more opportunities to run the stuff that you think will hit big.â€
For the most part, Nebraska's second-half performance on offense was a reversal of everything it did successfully in the first. Thompson no longer had clean pockets, and even when he did a few passes missed their mark.
Of Nebraska's first eight drives, four ended in touchdowns. But, after Grant gave Nebraska an 11-point lead in the third quarter, the Huskers' final six possessions all ended poorly: punt, punt, interception, punt, punt and an interception is how Nebraska finished the game offensively.
No matter who the opponent is, a performance like that isn't enough to come away with a win.
“This is the type of game we’re going to be in where you only get so many drives and you have to take advantage of them," Frost said.Â
Reach the writer at 402-473-7437 or at LMullin@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LjsLuke