What's the footprint for Nebraska's offense in 2024?

It probably includes more passes, more big plays and it shouldn't, almost couldn't, include more sacks and turnovers.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola during the spring game on April 30, 2024. | Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska is -79 in turnovers since I joined the beat full-time in 2011. I started blogging¹ about the Huskers in 2004 and they’re -117 over that span. I’ve seen the horrors of the Turnover Wars firsthand.

I was watching, and writing, when Nebraska was -17 in 2007 and when the 2012 team had 35 giveaways² while playing for a conference championship. The latter was the start of a four season stretch to open Big Ten play where the Huskers were -11 or worse three times. I’ve written about Nebraska football for 20 years and seen two seasons (2009, 2016) with a positive turnover margin.

When the Huskers were -17 last season it felt like more of the same, and I blame the fog of war for not realizing until yesterday that 2023 was actually the worst seasons for giveaways I’ve seen since covering this program. It wasn’t the same old story, but the most terrifying tale in a collection of spooky stories.

The math here is simple.