NU STAR
Taylor Martinez. No question here. The redshirt freshman, who received a boisterous ovation from the sellout crowd the moment he was announced as the NU starter, lived up to the hype, piling up 127 rushing yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. He threw for 136 yards, too.
HIGHLIGHT
At least five defenders, including a Hilltopper lineman in the backfield, had a shot at bringing Martinez down in his third touchdown run. But the elusive and shifty quarterback stayed on his feet, scoring on his final run of the night.
BUSTED PLAY
The Huskers weren't completely flawless, but they never really made the kinds of glaring errors that seemed to haunt them at crucial times last year. Ricky Henry's holding penalty in the third quarter was the unit's first flagged infraction.
OUR TAKE
As expected, Nebraska was incredibly run-heavy in its approach to attacking the Western Kentucky defense. That will likely be a theme throughout the year, considering the fact that NU has playmakers such as Martinez, Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. But to be productive against the elite squads, the Huskers will have to be more effective through the air. The passing game still needs to be polished.
— Jon Nyatawa
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