Nebraska Loses to Troy, Drops to 0–2 for the First Time Since 1957
Scott Frost went 13 games without a loss last year as he led Central Florida to the nation's lone undefeated season.
Now, he's notched two losses in the first month of his Nebraska tenure, falling to 0–2 after the Huskers' 24-19 loss to Troy on Saturday afternoon. After a weather cancellation against Akron and a loss to Colorado, Nebraska sits at 0–2 for the first time since 1957 after Saturday's defeat.
Near triple-digit temperatures in Lincoln did little to heat up Nebraska's offense on Saturday. Without starting quarterback Adrian Martinez—who injured his knee against Colorado on Sept. 8—the Huskers' offense looked out of sync throughout their home matchup with the Trojans.
Nebraska mustered just seven points in the first 30 minutes en route to a 10-point halftime deficit, turning the ball over on two of its first three possessions. Sophomore Andrew Bunch was consistently under duress behind two sophomore offensive tackles, often settling for check-downs to avoid the Troy rush. Bunch notched just 177 yards passing on 27 attempts, throwing a game-clinching interception with 2:15 to play.
In fairness to Nebraska, Saturday wasn't the first time Troy shut down a power five opponent. The Trojans shocked LSU 24-21 in Sept. 2017, forcing four turnovers while holding Danny Etling under 200 yards passing. For the second straight year, head coach Neal Brown unleashed a ferocious pass rush on a brand-name program.
Troy isn't a typical cupcake opponent, and missing Martinez cost the Huskers dearly. But Saturday's result may elicit some panic in Lincoln. A former powerhouse is now 19–21 since 2015, and the Scott Frost era hasn't provided the magical fix to Nebraska's offensive woes. One year after leading the nation in points per game at UCF, Frost must go back to the drawing board before Big 10 play.
Things won't get easier over the next few weeks. Nebraska travels to Michigan on Sept. 22 and Wisconsin two weeks later. The Huskers are far from the top of the Big 10 West, and things may get worse before they turn around with Frost at the helm.
