Southern Miss @ Nebraska preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2013 ) Southern Mississippi 13, Nebraska 56

Nebraska has needed less than a month to prove how thin the line between a disappointing and a perfect start can be, having lost on the final play of the game twice in three weeks. The Cornhuskers, who are 1-2 for the first time since 1981, look to avoid dropping three of their first four contests for the first time since 1957 on Saturday when they host Southern Mississippi.

Following its season-opening 33-28 home loss to BYU on a Hail Mary as time expired, Nebraska battled back from a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit at Miami (Fla.) last weekend to force overtime only to throw an interception on the first play of the extra period and eventually give up the game-winning field goal. "This is an unforgiving game, and it's all about finishing and winning. …The fact of the matter is whether we are (unbeaten) or not, we've got those same issues ... whether it's how we started, penalties or what we need to do,” Nebraska first-year coach Mike Riley told reporters. The Golden Eagles know something about slow starts, but appear well on their way to increasing the victory total in each season under third-year coach Todd Monken following one- and three-win campaigns in his first two years. Southern Mississippi improved to 2-1 for the first time since 2011 after last Saturday’s wild 56-50 road win over Texas State.
TV: Noon ET, ESPNews. LINE: Nebraska -21.5

ABOUT SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (2-1): Jalen Richard became the first Golden Eagle since Austin Davis in 2010 to score four rushing touchdowns and exploded for a career-high 230 yards against the Bobcats, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors. Not only was the effort the fourth-best rushing performance in school history, but it also gave Southern Mississippi 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games (Ito Smith had 135 the previous week against Austin Peay) for the first time since 2011. Junior quarterback Nick Mullens also recorded his sixth career 300-yard passing game, passing Brett Favre for the second-most such outings in school history.
ABOUT NEBRASKA (1-2): Defensive personnel losses are starting to pile up for the Cornhuskers, who will be without linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey (groin) for at least four weeks, joining a list that includes starting defensive linemen Vincent Valentine (undisclosed injury; doubtful for Saturday) and Jack Gangwish.(elbow; out until early October). Jordan Westerkamp has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, leaving him two shy of the school record set by Nebraska legend Johnny Rogers in 1971. Tommy Armstrong Jr. ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th nationally with 299.3 passing yards per game and is only the second quarterback in Cornhusker history to throw for at least 200 yards in six straight contests.

EXTRA POINTS
1. The Golden Eagles have lost each of the last two meetings (in 2012 and 2013) by an average of 36 points since upsetting the Cornhuskers in Lincoln in 2004 for their only win of the five-game series.
2. Southern Mississippi has scored 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since 2010. 3. Nebraska has scored at least three touchdowns in 17 consecutive games and can tie the second-longest streak in school history with another such performance on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Nebraska 42, Southern Mississippi 24