DeKalb — The Huskies will visit Lincoln, Nebraska where they will battle the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers for their first time since Sept. 8, 1990 where NIU lost60-14.

“I’ve never coached there [but] all our guys are excited, I’m excited,” said Head Coach Rod Carey. “Obviously, it’s Nebraska, they are a good football team.”

Carey said it’s a good for the team to get the experience of playing a Big-10 team in Nebraska at a large stadium unlike their own.

“From our side of it, who doesn’t want to go play Nebraska?” Carey said. “It’s one of the blue-blood programs in the nation and a great environment. Those are awesome games to play in.”

Carey is going to go with redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Santacaterina for the second consecutive game after a three-touchdown effort, to go along with a completion percentage of 67.6. Redshirt junior quarterback Ryan Graham is still out with the elbow injury.

“We are successful because we prepare for adversity,” said Ryan Roberts, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman. “We prepare for the worst.”

The Huskies are coming off of a 38-10 win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers in which they accumulated 506 yards in total offense.

The Cornhuskers however, are coming off of a loss to the University of Oregon Ducks in which they trailed at halftime 42-14 and nearly pulled off the comeback but went on to lose 42-35.

Redshirt senior linebacker Bobby Jones said the Huskies should not be intimidated by a larger, more nationally recognized program and just focus on themselves as a team.

“We just have to be the best NIU that we can be,” Jones said.

Jones and the Huskie defense have allowed only 16.5 points a game and 159 receiving yards a game.

On the flip side, the Cornhuskers have given up 39 points a game while giving up 390 passing yards a game, according to ESPN.

While Nebraska’s defense has struggled, optimism has come on the offensive side of the ball.

Cornhusker sophomore tailback Tre Bryant has averaged almost 150 yards on the ground throughout the first two games, while also scoring twice.

NIU has had success with the run game with redshirt sophomore tailback Marcus Jones, who has rushed for 111 yards with two scores in the first two games of the season.

Nebraska will have the services of their most productive receiver so far in junior Stanley Morgan Jr. who has caught 12 receptions for 205 yards, with three touchdowns.

On the other side of the field, the Huskies will be without the services of Chad Beebe, redshirt senior wide receiver, who has been diagnosed with a shoulder injury and concussion.

Beebe, coming off a significant leg injury in the 2016 season has produced in his first two games, catching 10 passes for 125 total yards.

The Huskies game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.