As Oregon finishes its preparations before hitting the road for a big non-league tilt in Lincoln, Nebraska, Duck Sports Authority turned to one of the leading analysts of Nebraska sports for his evaluation of the game from a Cornhusker perspective.

1. Going into the season both sides of the ball up front were question marks about this Nebraska team. How have they performed so far?

HuskerOnline.com publisher Sean Callahan: I would say the offense wasn’t really as much of a question, as they returned every single key skill player and two starting offensive linemen. The big question was if they could create a system that featured quarterback Tommy Armstrong better, and I think they have so far. They have let Armstrong be more a runner, which is completely new for Mike Riley and Danny Langsdorf. They have never coached this style of QB before in their careers. They have also shown they can be balanced, as Week 1 they rushed for nearly 300 and Week 2 they passed for over 400 yards.

Defensively, that’s where a lot of the questions were for me about this team. They graduated one starter on the defensive line and they lost four juniors that could’ve returned who were once starters – two were drafted and two left the team. That made for a lot of questions on the defensive line, but so far they have really overachieved, led by defensive end Ross Dzuris. The former walk-on has been very productive over the first two weeks. They are really deep in the secondary and at linebacker. They currently lead the nation with seven interceptions and they are tied in turnover margin for the national lead at +7.

2. Nebraska has had some penalty issues the first couple games which is pretty uncharacteristic for Riley coached teams. Has he addressed that and is it a concern for the staff going forward?

Yes, it has been a big issue. The self-inflected wound penalties have been the biggest problem for this team. In all, the Huskers have committed 10 15-yard personal foul or dead ball penalties in two games. That has to be a record at Nebraska, as I don’t remember a stretch like that before.

Some have been for late hits and three of them were for taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct. It has really bothered Riley and after the first game he didn’t even praise the play on the field because he was so upset about those types of plays. They know if they want to contend for the Big Ten West, these type of penalties cannot happen going forward.

3. What is the sense from Nebraska fans on how important the Oregon game is to them?

It is a huge game for a lot of reasons. After starting off 4-6, Mike Riley has gone 5-1 over his last 6 games at Nebraska, with wins over Michigan State and UCLA. People feel like they have started to turn the corner and the foundation Riley is trying lay is starting to come together.

Saturday’s game with the Ducks will be a measuring stick type game. Can this team go blow-for-blow with a national brand like Oregon? That remains to be seen. Can Riley beat a team he has lost to every time since 2007? This is the type of game if the Huskers win, it can swing their season into the 9 to 10-win territory. If they lose it’s going to be pretty hard to be much better than 8 wins.

4. How would you assess the performance of Armstrong and the passing game so far in 2016?

It’s really been two-fold. Week 1 they didn’t even let Armstrong throw much, as he attempted just 10 passes, one of them being a deep shot on a play action to Alonzo Moore, the rest were underneath throws.

Last week Wyoming fully expected a similar game plan and they overloaded with 30+ “middle dog inside blitzes,” which totally opened up the middle of the field in the passing game. Armstrong made the Cowboys pay by connecting on 20-of-34 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns. He has a very strong arm and throws really well on the run. His downside is decision making. He led college football Power 5 QB’s with 16 interceptions last year, which was the most by any Big Ten quarterback since 2007 – hence why they are trying build something that is more comfortable for him.

5. After two games what questions does this Nebraska team still need to answer?

The biggest question me for on offense is can this unit run the ball consistently in games that mattered? Last week they were very inconsistent running the ball, which forced them to pass. Also how will Armstrong handle facing a team with the caliber of athletes Oregon will have on defense?

Defensively, can their defensive line hold up against a legit opponent. They have stopped the run very well in Week 1 and 2, but this week presents a whole new challenge. The secondary also needs to play with more discipline and not allow any coverage busts or breakdowns.

6. How do you see the game playing out on Saturday and what is your prediction?

This is a very tough game to read, because Dakota Prukop starting his first true road game and there will be over 90,000 people in attendance. How will he respond to that type of road atmosphere? I also think Mike Riley and his six former Oregon State assistants really want this game, even though they won’t come out and say it. At home, I lean towards Nebraska pulling it out in a shootout 41-37. I question Oregon’s defense and if they can effectively stop Nebraska’s offense.