Northwestern @ Nebraska preview

THE STORY: Nebraska controls its own destiny atop the Legends Division at the moment, but the challenge to remain there is hardly over.

The Huskers forged a three-way tie with Michigan State and Michigan in the Legends with Saturday’s impressive 24-3 victory over the Spartans. Nebraska’s much-maligned defense held Michigan State to 187 total yards – an effort that convinced coach Bo Pelini to hand out the “Blackshirts” in practice this week, a hallowed tradition for the team since 1964.

But road games against No. 15 Penn State and No. 13 Michigan loom large in the coming weeks as Nebraska tries not to overlook a feisty Northwestern team that lost only one of its five games this season by more than 10 points. The Wildcats ended their five-game slide last weekend with a 59-38 win at Indiana, thanks to an offense that accumulated 616 total yards.

Nebraska is 3-1 all-time against the Wildcats, including 2-0 in Lincoln.

TV: Big Ten Network. LINE: Nebraska – 17

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (3-5, 1-4 BIG TEN): QB Dan Persa’s 75.7% completion rate ranks second in FBS. In Persa (sixth) and Kain Colter (11th), the Wildcats have two players who rank in the top 11 in total offense in the conference. Northwestern is allowing three sacks per game, the worst mark in the conference.

ABOUT NEBRASKA (7-1, 3-1 BIG TEN): The 187 yards allowed against the Spartans was 169 yards less than the Huskers had allowed on average in the first seven games. Nebraska’s past three opponents have combined to complete just 26-of-63 passes for a total of 316 yards, with one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This will be the first meeting between the schools since the Huskers' 66-17 win in the 2000 Alamo Bowl.

2. Nebraska has lost only four of its 22 fumbles this season.

3. Drake Dunsmore broke the school career record for receiving yards by a Northwestern tight end – now at 1,373 – with the second of his four touchdown catches in the win over the Hoosiers. The four TD catches were a single-game school record.

PREDICTION: Nebraska 45, Northwestern 24 -- The Huskers’ resurgent defense figures to get a stiff test from the Wildcats, but Northwestern's run defense will be its undoing against one of the nation's best rushing attacks.