Big Ten West rivals Nebraska and Minnesota are set to kick off the 2023 season on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Both teams have undergone significant changes in the offseason, making this matchup even more intriguing.
Nebraska made a coaching change, hiring Matt Rhule to replace Scott Frost. Rhule has a history of turning around struggling programs, as he did with Temple and Baylor. Now, he aims to do the same with the Cornhuskers. On the other side, P.J. Fleck returns for his seventh year as the Gophers’ head coach, but Minnesota is breaking in a new offensive coordinator and replacing key players on both sides of the ball.
Minnesota has dominated this series recently, winning the last four matchups, including a low-scoring affair last season. However, with new offensive systems in place for both teams, fans can expect a more high-scoring game this time around.
This game holds plenty of stakes for both teams. A win for Minnesota would give them a strong start to their difficult schedule, while a victory for Nebraska would give Rhule’s tenure a boost and put the Cornhuskers on track for their first bowl appearance since 2016.
Several key storylines to watch in this game include the debut of Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who takes over for the departed Tanner Morgan. Kaliakmanis has drawn praise from Fleck and is expected to raise the ceiling for the Gophers’ offense. On the Nebraska side, quarterback Jeff Sims gets another chance to shine after a rocky tenure at Georgia Tech. With a fresh start and the full support of the coaching staff, Sims has the opportunity to lead the Cornhuskers back to success.
Both teams will also be adjusting to new offensive systems. Minnesota’s co-offensive coordinators will have increased responsibility following the departure of Kirk Ciarrocca, while Nebraska’s offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield aims to fix a struggling offense that had trouble running the football in recent years.
Fans can catch the game live on Fox or stream it on fubo. As for a prediction, with the offensive coordinators having the element of surprise and good weather in the forecast, expect a higher-scoring game. The SportsLine consensus predicts the game will go over 43 points.
This Big Ten matchup is just one of three in Week 1 featuring conference teams facing each other, adding even more excitement to the start of the college football season.