Marques Buford Jr. looking to make an impact against Wolverines

LINCOLN, Neb. — After being unable to perform, and watching Nebraska’s 2023 clash against Michigan from the sidelines with an injury, the senior safety is eager for some action this time around.

The No. 21 Wolverines will invade Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon, and Marques Buford expects the Huskers’ secondary to give a great performance. Being a team captain comes with responsibility, accountability, and most importantly, leadership, which Buford takes pride in.

Getting everyone on the same page, and making sure they’re ready for a game of this magnitude, can be challenging, considering all of the distractions. However, Buford believes the defensive backs are extremely close, trust each other, and that should translate to chemistry on the gridiron.

After all, Buford is about giving positive feedback to his teammates as a leader, and in return that makes them want to do better on and off the field. At the end of the day, the familiarity among them makes it easy for Buford to lead.

“I feel like that’s what makes our room so close, and tight-knit, because there are so many personalities that we have to engage with each other,” Buford said. “You can’t just sit around, go to meetings, go to practice and that’s the only time we see each other.”

Michigan’s speed and physicality at the skill positions will be the biggest test to date for the Blackshirts. All eyes will be on former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, as the true freshman makes his first Big Ten road trip to a sold out Memorial Stadium. It doesn’t get more intimidating than playing inside the Sea of Red, but Buford isn’t underestimating Underwood’s talents. His dual-threat capabilities will keep Nebraska’s secondary honest.

“I feel like he (Underwood) is a good player, very mobile and has a very strong arm, but it’s just all about us,” he said. “If we play to our standard, and our keys are right, and everybody fly around, it should be a good day for us.”

Although Underwood didn’t show much in week two’s loss at Oklahoma, Michigan racked up a season-high, 616 yards of total offense in last Saturday’s blowout win over Central Michigan. Not to mention Underwood completed 21 of his 31 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown. With Underwood starting to play with more confidence, Buford understands that the Huskers’ secondary will have a slimmer margin for error.

The Chicago native is trusting that first-year Defensive Coordinator John Butler and the rest of the coaches are going to put together a great game plan to attack Michigan’s offense. Coach Matt Rhule will be matching wits with Interim Biff Poggi as Sherrone Moore is out on suspension. Nebraska’s Secondary Coach Addison Williams is plugging players in different spots, and all Buford wants them to do is execute at a high level.

Buford is constantly working on his game too, trying to improve in all areas. Despite only tallying seven tackles so far this season, Buford feels he’s just starting to crack the surface of his potential.

“Obviously I’ve grown in age and experience, so I have my own point of view of different things,” the 23-year old said. “Coach Rhule, Coach Butler, Coach Addison, all the coaches really, they give us great insight on the things that it takes to be a leader, and they don’t tell us you have to do this, they give us examples.”

The Blackshirts are currently sixth in the FBS in total defense, and seventh in points allowed. The matchup with the Wolverines will be the ultimate measuring stick, but the Huskers aren’t backing down from the challenge. Which is why Buford and his teammates plan on bringing their A-game, and taking advantage of the national spotlight.

“We always have a healthy respect for our opponent, making sure that we know any and everything about them, and how they play, but at the end of the day it’s football, and they’re just another team across, so it doesn’t really matter who they are.”