LINCOLN — Nebraska’s offense stuck to its plan in a 20-17 win over Cincinnati. Don’t force it against what quarterback Dylan Raiola called the Bearcats’ “prevent style” defense. Get the ball in play to backs, tight ends and receivers. Those things happened.

NU just didn’t do enough with those opportunities, according to offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who pulled no punches assessing what his offense did well — running back Emmett Johnson was the “MVP,” the OC said — and where it fell short.

“The yards per play isn’t what I expect, the explosive plays isn’t what I expect,” Holgorsen said of an offense that averaged 4.53 yards per play — 104th nationally after one week — and had just one plays of 20 yards or longer. “We’re going to keep harping on that. Unfortunately, I didn’t see that out there again today.”

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Holgorsen meant Tuesday’s practice in preparation for Akron, which lost 10-0 in its season opener to Wyoming. Offensive skill players fell down in the open field during practice much the same way they did in Kansas City. That, along with blocking struggles, affected NU’s output.

“We’ve got to do a better job of blocking downfield, we have to do a better job of staying on our feet and making people miss,” Holgorsen said. “We made people miss six times in 64 times they had to tackle us. We’re going to work hard on that.”

The OC, calling his fifth overall game for the Huskers, liked the offensive line’s blocking and the decision-making of quarterback Dylan Raiola, who completed 79% of his passes and threw two touchdowns inside Cincinnati’s 10 — one each to Nyziah Hunter and Dane Key.

“We punched it in twice in man-to-man situations, which, we didn’t do that last year,” Holgorsen said. “(Hunter and Key) have the ability to win one-on-ones.”

Raiola managed the game well against Cincinnati, Holgorsen said.

“He did what we asked him to do — I didn’t want him to start forcing things downfield into eight people covering,” Holgorsen said. “That was the gameplan.”

The first part of it, anyway. The second part was getting more yards once the ball was put in play. Cincinnati’s defense, Holgorsen said, successfully got Huskers to the ground, even if one of the tackles, that left slot receiver Janiran Bonner with a season-ending injury, seemed unnecessarily low on Bonner’s leg.

“That’s the lowest-tackling team I’ve seen in a long time,” Holgorsen said.

Holgorsen said the false start that helped hold a second quarter drive to a field goal had been “addressed” with left tackle Elijah Pritchett, but NU still had first-and-goal from the Cincy 6.

“You’ve got three plays to be able to punch that thing in,” Holgorsen said. Otherwise, NU’s red zone production was good.

Holgorsen simply wants Nebraska to get to the red zone more often.

“We have to become more explosive,” Holgorsen said. “And right now we’re just not.”

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