Kickoff will come at 3:30 p.m. ET from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
The Line: Nebraska -21.5, Total 51
Line movement: This point spread opened at Nebraska -24 in late July, with the line moving in Florida Atlantic’s direction since. As of Wednesday, afternoon, spreads around Las Vegas ranged from 21.5 to 22.5. See our live odds page for updated Las Vegas lines .
Trends that matter: Florida Atlantic is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 games (9-3 ATS last year).
Nebraska is 0-3 ATS in its last three home games, also losing the last two outright to Michigan State (41-28) and Iowa (38-17).
Pelini still under the gun: Coach Bo Pelini received a contract extension through 2018 after averaging 9.5 wins the last six seasons. The rabid Cornhuskers fan base is still clamoring for the school’s first conference title since 1999 (in the Big 12) and will need a huge jump from Tommy Armstrong Jr. to get there. The sophomore signal caller completed just 51.9 percent of his passes last year, with a 9:8 TD to INT ratio.
Armstrong Jr. has the luxury of handing the ball to running back Ameer Abdullah (1,690 yards last year), plus receiver Kenny Bell (577 yards) is a good weapon on the outside. The Owls’ defense will key on Abdullah, preferring to let Nebraska test their tough secondary.
Owls look to build on last season: Conference USA’s Florida Atlantic ended last season on a high note, winning its final four games to finish 6-6 after the resignation of coach Carl Pelini (Bo’s brother). Charlie Partridge, a former assistant at Arkansas and Wisconsin, was hired at the end of the season.
The Owls have a dual-threat at quarterback in junior Jaquez Johnson. He led the team in both passing (1,866) and rushing (767) yards last season. Johnson has an explosive weapon in receiver William Dukes (15.8 ypc) and will look to test a Nebraska pass defense that has some depth issues after injuries.
Injuries that matter: Nebraska lost two key defensive backs for the season in safety LeRoy Alexander (suspended) and cornerback Charles Jackson (knee). Linebacker Michael Rose (knee) will also miss the season.
Weather: Weather will be warm, around 80 degrees, with a 23 percent chance of a thunderstorm. See wunderground.com for the latest forecast.
Handicapping tools: FAU-Nebraska matchup analysis | Cornhuskers team page | Owls
The Linemakers’ lean: Florida Atlantic +24 sounded appealing to us, but the line has been bet down and the value is now gone. We’re staying away from this game, but the recommendation if you like Nebraska is to wait for the line to get to 21 or less.
