The Nebraska Cornhuskers face Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. This game holds significant weight for the Huskers, being their first bowl game since 2016.
The Eagles finished ninth in the ACC with a 7-5 record in head coach Bill O’Brien’s first season while Nebraska finished 13th in the Big Ten with a 6-6 record.
But this ACC/Big Ten clash is filled with variables that make this a hard matchup to nail down. Both teams enter the game missing key players, and Nebraska enters with new coaches on both sides.
On offense, the Huskers are without Isaiah Neyor, and Dante Dowdell, both contributed a major chunk of Nebraska’s total offensive yards and touchdowns.
However, Emmett Johnson earned more action in the latter half of the season on the ground, and a majority of Nebraska’s receiving core is still present. Also, Boston College is without senior defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Ezeiruaku delivered a standout season for the Eagles, tallying 80 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hit,s and three forced fumbles. Ezeiruaku’s sacks and tackles for loss led the conference and ranked second in the nation.
This affects Boston College’s defense, which allowed just over 28 points in its final four games, four points higher than its season average. Thus, the Huskers’ offense against the Eagles’ defense shouldn’t be significantly affected.
The same can also be said for Boston College’s offense, with Nebraska’s defense taking significant hits since the start of December. Defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton left the Huskers for Florida State.
A number of Blackshirts hit the portal or opted out of the bowl game. The most notable are defensive lineman Jimari Butler, linebacker Mikai Gbayor, and defensive back Tommi Hill.
Though Nebraska allowed under 20 points per game on the season, it allowed over 200 passing yards per game, something Boston College could take advantage of.
The Eagles averaged 35 points in the last four games on offense under quarterback Grayson James. He’s also 4-1 on the season when under center, averaging 180 passing yards and one touchdown pass per game.
However, Nebraska’s strength against the run kept the defense afloat, allowing just 106 yards per game. The Eagles average 176 rushing yards.
Also, Boston College finished 1-5 on the road, losing its last five road clashes while going undefeated at home. But the Eagles also snatched 16 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
Nebraska threw 11 interceptions on the season and coughed up six lost fumbles. However, eight of those interceptions occurred during Nebraska’s four-game skid, which Dana Holgorsen cleaned up on in the final two games.
This game comes down to which offense stalls out first and which team coughs up the ball more. Though the Huskers faltered throughout the season with turnovers, the importance of this bowl game should outweigh it. Nebraska’s momentum on offense, compared to Boston College’s, allows the Huskers to cap off the 2024 season on the right note.
Score Prediction: Nebraska 41, Boston College 31
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