Indiana Football vs Nebraska: 5 players to watch

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LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 14: Running back Dedrick Mills #26 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers breaks free on a run in the first quarter against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

2. Dedrick Mills

The leading rusher for the Cornhuskers will have to continue to carry the load, especially if Adrian Martinez misses anymore time, as the backfield depth is depleted after the departure of Maurice Williams this week.

Outside of Mills, the next closest runner who is actually positioned at running back is Wyatt Mazour with just eight carries on the season.

Despite Mills’ 76 carries this season, he hasn’t touched the ball more than 15 times since the season opener and is averaging just a little over 10 carries per game in Big Ten play. Though he has a low touch number, he is still an effective runner when he gets the opportunities as he averages over four yards per carry this season.

What Mills is doing a lot of though, is scoring the ball. In seven games this season, he has seven touchdowns, getting in the end zone in five of the games. In the last two Nebraska losses, Mills has been the only scorer for the Cornhuskers.

The only concern for Mills is his ability to hold on to the ball, which could be a reason for the low touch count. With three lost fumbles already this season, it continues to be an issue for the junior back.

Regardless of Martinez’ status come gametime, I fully expect Mills to get more touches with an Indiana defense that is just middle of the pack in the conference giving up 128.3 rushing yards per game.

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