With the regular season in the books, KMTV's Adam Krueger & Ben Stevens look back on the 2016 NU football season giving their thoughts on the highs, lows & surprises of the year.
Offensive Player of the Year
Adam: Tommy Armstrong, Jr. As much as I want to say Terrell Newby, who had a very impressive year and gained much respect from me & probably many others, Tommy's value to the team is just too much to ignore. NU would've probably lost three more games this year without him.
Ben: Jordan Westerkamp. Mr. Consistent. Anytime they needed him, he came through especially on Senior Day when his roommate wasn't there but he still caught a touchdown from Ryker Fyfe.
Defensive Player of the Year
Adam: Nate Gerry. His experience & toughness helped an NU secondary recover from a terrible 2015. His knowledge and leadership will be greatly missed in 2017.
Ben: Josh Banderas. Although there were some tough tackling times, it always seemed like Banderas was around the ball leading the charge.
Best Moment of the Year
Adam: Non-Sam Foltz related, I would have to say the win over Oregon. Although it lost its luster with every Ducks loss after that it was neat to see a victory that meant so much to the NU staff and Mike Riley in particular.
Ben: Ten man punt. I'll never forget Greg Sharpe's call on the radio that night when he said 'Husker Nation, permission to shed a tear'.
Worst Moment of the Year
Adam: You could make an argument for the Ohio State game, but the way they lost at Iowa was absolutely inexcusable. There was so much to play for & the Hawkeyes played like they wanted it more. Whether they feel like Iowa is a rival or not, the Huskers need to treat it as such because Iowa has brought the fight to NU the last few years and now the Big Red needs to respond.
Ben: Iowa. The 30 point margin was obviously terrible but they had the chance to end the year on a three game winning streak, contend for division title and earn a decent bowl game. Instead, it went the complete opposite way.
Biggest Positive Moving Forward
Adam: I'd actually say off the field and on the recruiting trail. With the addition of Donte Williams & all the high-profile recruits the Huskers have in 2017 class, it looks like the cupboard is starting to be stocked for the Big Red.
Ben: Improvement in the secondary. They improved a lot from last year to this year. Yes, they will lose Nate Gerry but I think they have solid cornerbacks coming back as well as Aaron Williams & Kieron Williams. Plus the addition of Donte Williams should help.
Biggest Concern Moving Forward
Adam: Although quarterback is the obvious question mark for next year, I would say my biggest concern is the defensive line. With losing Ross Dzuris & Kevin Maurice, who will step up at those positions? The Davis twins showed glimpses in 2016 but they can't do it all.
Ben: Quarterback situation. Obviously when you lose the career leader in starts, there is going to be question marks. That being said, I think Lee or O'Brien will compete in the spring and I think they fit a Mike Riley/Danny Langsdorf offense more than Armstrong did.
