Nebraska football: 5 questions the Nebraska Huskers must answer in 2020

Nebraska football must answer these questions for the Huskers to break through.

As Nebraska football head coach Scott Frost entered his third season at the helm of the Cornhuskers last year, the question wasn’t if they would get back to a bowl game but rather how high-profile of a game they would end their season with. So it’s no surprise that the Huskers finishing the year at 5-7 and no bowl eligible for the third consecutive year left a bad taste in many people’s mouths.

Now Frost has a bit of pressure bearing down on him coming into the 2020 season. He needs Nebraska to show an upward trajectory if he doesn’t want his seat to start feeling uncomfortably hot. And while there is a path to success and a bowl game for the Huskers, there are questions that must be answered.

In particular, Nebraska football will need answers to these five questions if they’re to reach their potential this year.

5. Can Martinez stay healthy in his junior season?

Part of the reason — a major part — behind the optimism around Nebraska coming into 2019 centered on quarterback Adrian Martinez. As a true freshman, the dual-threat signal-caller threw for 2,617 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing 629 yards and eight scores. Thus, the hope was for a big step forward and perhaps massive production as a sophomore.

Instead, injuries seemingly marred the entirety of the year for Martinez. He played in only 10 games and played through a number of ailments as well, including a shoulder injury that he had offseason surgery to repair. For Nebraska to reach their potential, they need their talented quarterback to stay on the field.

Given Martinez’s style of play that we’ve seen over the first two seasons, though, his health is a viable concern. He’s a talented passer but one of his greatest attributes is a fearless and capable rushing ability. That fearlessness, however, can bite him as he takes on a lot of contact.

For my money, I would be shocked to see Martinez rush as much in the 2020 season — or at least run and then take hits rather than sliding or getting out of bounds — as we have in the first two years, in which he had at least 140 carries apiece. The Huskers need him on the field for the offense to reach its potential and, while his ability to take off is a part of that, they can’t have that putting him on the shelf.