Nebraska’s special teams have been quite spectacular this year, being one of the best in the country so far this year. True freshmen Ameer Abdullah has emerged from a trio of freshmen running backs, all vying to get more time on the field behind Rex Burkhead.
Ameer Abdullah has received a few carries this year, but his main contribution has been on special teams. So far this season, he has returned one on kick for a touchdown, and broken other numerous long returns. He is currently averaging 31.9 yards per return so far, which ranks him 3rd among all returners.
Abdullah is also doing a fantastic job in the punt return game. He is currently averaging 10.2 yards per punt return (when not fair catching obviously). That has propelled the Husker offense to have great starting position. That limits the effectiveness of the opponents’ special teams play, and helps the Husker’s have a better starting field position.
Brett Maher has also done a fantastic job in replacing Alex Henery so far. Maher is currently 11 of 13 for field goals this year, with his only two misses coming from 50 yards. His one “miss” was incorrectly called no good, when instant replay showed that the ball clearly was inside the “post.” By “post,” I mean that Wyoming’s field goals were not tall enough, so Maher’s kick was well above the top of the post, and was hard to see for the referees. Instant replay revealed the field goal was good.
Brett Maher has also done a fantastic job punting, currently averaging 47.3 yards per punt, which is a great mark. 9 of his 23 punts also have been downed inside the opponents 20, which is forcing them to have a longer field. Maher also has forced opponents to down 14 of his 40 kicks in the end zone. Though not Adi Kunalic numbers, it still is quite well for the Huskers.
For Nebraska to continue its success this season, the special teams will need to continue being one of the best in the country. Short offensive fields, long defensive fields, and Maher doing work will be a great recipe for success against heavy weight B1G 10 opponents.
Buy Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Tickets | Buy Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Apparel
