LINCOLN — If the Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma equipment managers had tried to get by without washing their quarterbacks' game-worn jerseys after wins over Nebraska last year, they might have gotten away with it.

Because against the Huskers, Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell and Sam Bradford rarely hit the ground. The NU pass rush couldn't get to them in time.So they feasted on an unsure NU secondary and piled up game-changing statistics.

Now, Nebraska has to open its season against another prolific passer, record-setting quarterback Rusty Smith, who spent most of his junior season comfortably off the turf. Last year, Florida Atlantic allowed just 16 sacks in its 13 games, a rate that ranked 17th nationally.

The Huskers can't afford to let Smith drop back without giving the Sun Belt preseason co-offensive player of the year some sense of apprehension, according to junior defensive end Pierre Allen.

He said they'll have to get to Smith one way or another to slow the Owls' passing attack Saturday.

“He's got a good body frame, and he can throw it real well. He's a good quarterback,” Allen said. “It's very important to get pressure on him. ... We've got a pretty talented front four, and hopefully we can do it ourselves. But I'm sure the coaches have something up their sleeves if we need it.”

Last year, Nebraska had no answer for the country's top arm talents.

Daniel completed 18 of 23 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win against Nebraska. Harrell was 20 for 25, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Bradford connected on 19 of his 27 attempts and totaled 311 yards and five touchdowns.

The Huskers didn't sack any of those three.

But the quick-hitting nature of those teams' offenses reduced chances to reach the quarterback, according to assistant coach John Papuchis. The signal callers made spontaneous decisions before they got into trouble, Papuchis said.

“It's difficult to get a great pass rush against a quick-rhythm team,” he said. “As the year went on, our pass rush certainly improved, but I would say pass rush is sometimes dictated by the offense you're playing against.”

So what kind of offense does he expect Florida Atlantic to run?

The Owls can show a little of everything, it seems. They'll move quickly, but at times they'll allow the quarterback to drop back and wait for things to develop, Papuchis said.

What's possibly encouraging for Nebraska this year, though, is that Florida Atlantic will operate with a revamped offensive line.

All five players listed on the team's preseason depth chart have starting experience, but other than senior guards David Matlock and Kevin Miller, the offensive line is made up of former reserves. Junior Ryan Wischnefski, a former backup at guard, is the team's new center. And projected first-team tackle Carl Spitale has reportedly missed recent practice time because of an injury.

Philosophies likely won't change no matter who plays, though. Florida Atlantic varies its protection schemes and shows different looks, according to NU coach Bo Pelini. But he said that shouldn't affect his plan for disrupting the Owls' offense.

“We're going to mix it up,” Pelini said. “We're not going to let that dictate what we do. We're going to play our game. You're going to see a little bit of everything.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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