Nebraska Preview: Cornhuskers at #19 Michigan

Ready or not, Big Ten Conference play is here for the 2018 Nebraska Cornhuskers as they travel to Michigan, Saturday (September 22).

The Huskers (0-2) are off to their slowest start in more than 60 years as new head coach Scott Frost continues to search for his first win at his alma mater.

The Wolverines (2-1) have rebounded nicely from a season-opening loss at Notre Dame, scoring a combined 94 points in wins over Western Michigan and SMU.

But despite the fireworks on the scoreboard the past two weeks, the defense is the key to this Michigan team. NFL prospects Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich on the line and Devin Bush and Khaleke Hudson at linebacker have helped limit opponents to about 15 points and game and an average of 275 yards of total offense.

The Wolverine offense is led by Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson at quarterback. In three games he's thrown six touchdown passes and is averaging 200 yards per game through the air. Donovan Peoples-Jones is his favorite target with 14 catches and four scores.

Michigan has two talented running backs in Karan Higdon and Chris Evans. Higdon is averaging 114 yards per game. Evans has picked up 170 yards in the past two weeks.

The Wolverines special teams will give Nebraska a test with Thomas Ambry, who returned a kickoff for 99-yards against Notre Dame.

The Huskers are hopeful that starting quarterback Adrian Martinez will return after he missed all of the Troy game with a leg injury.

Kickoff in Ann Arbor is 11:00 AM, Saturday. You can listen to the game live on ESPN 99.1.

Nebraska dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 1957 with a 24-19 loss to Troy last Saturday (September 15).

The defeat looked very similar to the Colorado loss a week earlier, with the Huskers outgaining an opponent, but losing the turnover battle while committing a number of costly penalties.

The Trojans also returned a punt 58-yards for a touchdown.

Off the field, the Huskers finally filled the open date on their schedule left by the weather-related cancellation of the September 1 game against Akron. Nebraska will now host FCS school Bethune-Cookman, from Daytona Beach, Florida.

The game will be played October 27 in Lincoln.

I talked with the 'Voice of the Huskers' Greg Sharpe about Troy loss and the match-up with Michigan and the addition of Bethune-Cookman to the schedule: