Story by
HIRO Report: Nebraska vs. Maryland
- Story by
- HIRO Report: Nebraska vs. Maryland
Nebraska is now 5-0, but Maryland presented one of the more unusual games of the season.
The Huskers struggled to find much consistency on the ground, forcing Anthony Colandrea and the passing game to shoulder a larger share of the load.
Advertisement
So, who generated the most value in Nebraska's latest conference win? Let's see what HIRO had to say.
As a reminder, here are the HIRO tiers.
| HIRO Score |
Tier |
|---|---|
| 100+ |
Historic |
| 90–99 |
Elite |
| 85–89 |
Excellent |
| 80–84 |
Great |
| 70–79 |
Good |
| 60–69 |
Average |
| 55–59 |
Replacement Level |
| Under 55 |
Detrimental |
Anthony Colandrea
Anthony Colandrea turned in an 81 HIRO score against Maryland, placing him comfortably in the Great tier. With Nebraska struggling to establish a consistent rushing attack, the quarterback found himself carrying more of the offensive burden than usual.
Unlike many quarterback performances, where one or two traits drive most of the score, Maryland required contributions from nearly every aspect of Colandrea's game. No category takes up a significantly larger slice on the Ring Chart.
Advertisement
The Husker QB generated explosive plays through the air, operated efficiently when opportunities presented themselves, and repeatedly used his legs to create offense. By the end of the afternoon, he surprisingly finished as Nebraska's leading rusher, a reflection of both the game's unusual flow and Nebraska's struggles to consistently run the football.
The lone interception prevented the score from climbing even higher, but it was far from a poor outing. In a game where Nebraska was searching for answers offensively, Colandrea found ways to create value both through the air and on the ground, helping guide the Huskers to another conference victory.
Mekhi Nelson
With Jamal Rule unavailable, Nelson stepped into the lead role in Nebraska's backfield. His 69 HIRO score finished just one point shy of the Good tier and reflects a performance that relied heavily on a handful of high-impact plays.
Advertisement
Looking at the Ring Chart, Explosiveness dominates the score. Nelson found the end zone twice and generated most of his value on those scoring runs. While the touchdowns were certainly important, the chart also suggests Nebraska struggled to find consistent production on the ground throughout the afternoon.
That doesn't mean Nelson played poorly. Rather, it highlights the difference between making a few game-changing plays and consistently moving the chains. Nebraska got the former from Nelson, but often struggled to get the latter without Rule in the lineup.
Kwazi Gilmer
Kwazi Gilmer turned in Nebraska's best performance against Maryland, earning a 90 HIRO score and becoming the first Husker receiver to reach the Elite tier this season. The performance also ranks as the third-highest score by a Nebraska receiver or tight end in the Matt Rhule era and sits inside the top 100 performances in the entire HIRO database (including both Huskers and opponents).
Advertisement
The Ring Chart reflects a remarkably complete outing. Consistency, Explosiveness, and Separation all occupy major portions of the score, illustrating a receiver who repeatedly got open, produced when targeted, and turned those opportunities into meaningful gains.
Gilmer finished the afternoon with 147 receiving yards and two touchdowns. While the explosive scoring plays certainly boosted the score, the chart suggests his impact extended well beyond those moments. His 11 receptions led Nebraska by a wide margin, with no other pass catcher recording more than four catches.
In a game where Nebraska struggled to establish a consistent rushing attack, Gilmer became the offense's most dependable weapon. By the final whistle, he had not only posted the highest HIRO score of Week 5, but also one of the best receiving performances of the Matt Rhule era.
