Josh Kelly, Senior Sports Editor – Miami 34, Nebraska 27

This isn’t going to be the Hurricanes game your mom and dad grew up with. This game will be spent in the air.

Nebraska’s new system favors the passing game more than the previous, and for Miami, it’s poised to be passing more than it’s first two games.

After two cakewalks, the Hurricanes will be passing more with sophomore Brad Kaaya, who has four top receivers back this season. With the Huskers’ performance so far on the defense, the Hurricanes will continue to exploit the secondary.

While the Huskers are allowing 75.5 rushing yards per game, which is 16th best in the country, they have allowed 692 passing yards, which is 8th worst in college football.

Nebraska will be Miami’s first true test.

It’ll be a back and forth battle as both teams will give up sizeable passes. Even though Terrell Newby had a successful second outing in his 198-yard performance against South Alabama, it’ll be hard for him to find traction in the humid Miami environment.

The Huskers will lose the game in the fourth quarter, giving them a 1-2 record, which is the worst start to a season since 1981 when they lost to Iowa and Penn State under Tom Osborne.

Brett Nierengarten, Online Sports Editor, Nebraska 38, Miami 31

As odd as it is to say, I don’t think this is a good matchup for either team.

Last week against South Alabama, the Huskers successfully ran the football racking up 258 yards on the ground. This does not bode well for the Hurricanes because they gave up 223 rushing yards to Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

On the flip side, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya has thrown for 460 yards in the first two games of the season, including 287 and a score against FAU. Kaaya and the Canes have a good chance to put up big numbers through the air against Nebraska’s suspect secondary, just like they did last year when Kaaya threw for 379 yards in Lincoln.

Nebraska has given up over 650 passing yards in the first two games and have looked particularly shaky defending the deep ball.

I think Nebraska ultimately wins this game because of Tommy Armstrong. The junior has looked as comfortable as he ever has in a Nebraska uniform against South Alabama, granted it was South Alabama.

The Nebraska running game will be good and the Miami passing game will be good. This game will ultimately come down to Armstrong. If he has a big day, which I think he will because he’s playing a Miami secondary that got worse in each month they played last season, then Nebraska leaves South Beach with a win.

If Armstrong throws for 119 yards like he did against the Canes last year, Mike Riley is staring at 1-2.

Nick Wilkinson, Print Sports Editor – Miami 45, Nebraska 38

Last year, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah ran all over Miami on a crisp late September night. Abdullah rushed for 229 yards on 35 carries as the Huskers beat Al Golden 41-31. After the loss in Lincoln, Miami broke even the rest of the season finishing 4-4, 6-6 overall and a bowl game loss to South Carolina.

A lot has happened since that cool night at Memorial Stadium.

Freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya has only become more of a playmaker for the Hurricanes. Kaaya finished with over 3,100 passing yards last season. Both squads lost star running backs, but overall, both teams have improved immensely.

BYU was for working out the kinks, South Alabama was for totally eliminating the kinks. Miami will be Nebraska’s first road test of the season. The Huskers defensive secondary and offensive line has to outshine all areas of the field next Saturday if they intend to leave Coral Gables with a victory.

Miami was able to put up just over 40 points against Bethune-Cookman and FAU. Nebraska has yet to prove that they can easily rack up 40 points. At home, Miami has a very real advantage. That’s why they will walk away with a 45-38 victory over NU this week.

Michael Dixon, Football beat writer – Miami 35, Nebraska 24

In 2015’s ‘Fallen From Grace and Struggling With Mediocrity’ bowl, the Hurricanes use quarterback Brad Kaaya’s steady improvement to drop Nebraska to 1-2 on the year.

While Nebraska’s win against South Alabama may have calmed some nerves, there are still a few glaring weaknesses with the Huskers heading into week three.

None are more apparent than the secondary.

NU allowed 313 passing yards Saturday night, and just two games into the season, the Huskers rank 119th among FBS in passing yards allowed. While Nebraska has had to defend as many passes as just about anyone in the country, a young Brad Kaaya is going to have plenty of opportunities to exploit a weak secondary.

However, if running back Terrell Newby puts together a performance like the one we saw against the Jaguars, things could turn for NU in a hurry. The Hurricanes might be 2-0, but that includes a game against Florida Atlantic in which they found themselves tied at 20 midway through the third quarter.

Because apathy for Miami football is at an all-time high, playing on the road doesn’t make that much of a difference. But nevertheless, the Huskers have another difficult test on their hands in week three.

Vanessa Daves, Football beat writer – Miami 31, Nebraska 28

It’s going to be a close one.

The rivalry between the Miami Hurricanes and Nebraska is a tradition that resulted in a brawl last year. It was also a game where the Huskers relied heavily on former Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah. Though Miami took an early lead against Nebraska in that game, the Huskers walked away with a 41-31 victory.

This season, the Husker offense is still transitioning after a change in coaching staff. After Terrell Newby’s performance on Saturday against South Alabama, things are looking better. But South Alabama and Miami are two different extremes—and Nebraska has to step it up even more to defeat the Hurricanes.

Miami is 2-0 this season after defeating Bethune-Cookman 45-0 and Florida Atlantic 44-20. For the game, they’ll have consistency and the home-field advantage on their side. Nebraska is still transitioning, and it’s the first away game of the season.

Both teams bring a lot of skill.

But for Nebraska to keep up with the Hurricanes’ quarterback Brad Kaaya, the secondary has to get better. The long passes that they let South Alabama get away with can’t happen this time around. If they do, Miami will win by more than three points.

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