Nebraska’s Big Ten opener became a strange one after injuries forced the offense to adjust on the fly. Let’s see how our HIRO metric evaluated the Huskers’ top performers against Michigan State.
Week 4 is in the books, and Nebraska is off to a 4-0 start! But what did HIRO think of Nebraska’s conference opener?
In case you need a refresher, 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 opened conference play with a 75 HIRO score, placing him comfortably in the Good tier. He completed 15 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. Surprisingly, he also led Nebraska with 66 rushing yards.
Arm Talent and Big Play Ability drive most of his Ring Chart, reflecting the value he created whenever Nebraska attacked through the air. Although Mobility occupies a smaller portion, Colandrea’s work on the ground became increasingly important as injuries changed the shape of Nebraska’s offense.
It may not have been a conventional performance, but Colandrea adapted to the circumstances and gave Nebraska exactly what it needed from its starting quarterback.
Running Back Room
An early-game injury to Jamal Rule created an unusual running back rotation, with Mekhi Nelson and Vincent Genatone receiving increased opportunities.
Nelson handled the largest workload, but inconsistent production limited him to a 66 HIRO score. His best moments came through explosive runs and his ability to identify available running lanes.
Genatone’s performance was both the most unexpected and unusual of the afternoon. He scored once on the ground and once through the air despite receiving limited touches. Almost every opportunity either produced points or little yardage, resulting in a boom-or-bust 67 that relied heavily on Explosiveness and Versatility.
Neither running back's score was spectacular, but both reflect the committee approach Nebraska adopted after Rule’s departure. The Huskers needed several players to absorb the missing workload, and each provided value in a different way.
Kwazi Gilmer
Kwazi Gilmer recorded Nebraska's highest HIRO score of the afternoon, earning an 82 and landing comfortably in the Great tier.
The Ring Chart is incredibly balanced. Consistency, Explosiveness, and Separation all occupy nearly equal portions of the score, meaning that against the Spartans, Gilmer got open, produced when targeted, and turned those opportunities into big gains.
Gilmer finished the afternoon with four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. A 44-yard scoring reception and another 38-yard grab supplied much of the explosive value in his score, while the remaining catches helped round out one of the most balanced Ring Charts we've seen from a Nebraska receiver this season.
In a game defined by injuries and adjustments, Gilmer provided the offense with a reliable source of production and ultimately finished with the highest HIRO score of Week 4.
