Kenny Larabee photo, KLIN
Husker Dan: Nebraska Wins a ‘No-Win’ Game
Saturday's home opener for Nebraska was against North Dakota University - not perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Nevertheless, Nebraska managed to beat the Fighting Hawks by pulling away in the fourth quarter to make the win look a bit better than it really was.
The problem with playing a team like the North Dakota is that it was a no-win situation for Nebraska. Why?
Because if the Huskers had won by only three points, critics would have said, "They should have won the game. It's just an FCS team." And had the Huskers won by 50 points, their response would have been the same.
As it turned out, the Huskers won by 21 points (38-17), scoring the last three TDs and shutting down the Hawks in the final quarter.
So what does Nebraska's win mean? For one thing, the Huskers picked up their first win in over 11 months. (They beat Northwestern 56-7 last Oct. 2 in Lincoln.) It's amazing the Husker program has slipped to that level.
What the Huskers can take from this game besides the win is the way they won the game. After struggling for the better part of three quarters, the Huskers found a way to actually win a close game in the end. To be sure, the victory was over an FCS team that was 5-6 last year. But still, a win is a win is a win.
Were the Huskers experiencing the effects of jet lag Saturday?
Maybe. But the Huskers seemed to shift into another gear late in the third quarter to put a big cushion on the win. Credit Hawks coach Bubba Schweigert with getting his team ready to play in front of 85,000 partisan Husker fans. NDU proved to be a formidable foe.
My Husker MVPs for the game are:
Offense: Running back Anthony Grant. He reminds me of the way former Husker great Ameer Abdullah used to play. Saturday, AG ran for 189 yards and scored two touchdowns. He is a tough out.
Defense: Edge rusher Garrett Nelson. His sack and strip of North Dakota quarterback Tommy Schuster and fumble recovery by Husker defensive tackle Stephon Wynn was a game changer for Nebraska. All afternoon, Nelson was a force. He never seemed to quit. Nice work, Mr. Nelson.
Special Teams: My vote goes to punter Brian Buschini, who averaged 42 yards a kick and allowed zero return yardage. Most of his punts landed inside the Fighting Hawks' 20 yard line.
Play of the game
It was third and 14 from the Huskers' own 7 yard line with 10 minutes remaining in the game with the Huskers clinging to a 24-17 lead. If the Huskers don't make a first down, NDU was going to get the ball back with great field position. But Casey Thompson lobbed a perfectly arched pass that Trey Palmer leaped to grab for a 31-yard gain and a critical first down. The Huskers went on to score on that drive, making the score a comfortable 31-17.
Next up
Georgia Southern (an FBS team). The Eagles bring to Lincoln a QB (Kyle Vantrease) who played last year in Memorial Stadium when his Buffalo Bulls team lost to Nebraska 28-3. This Saturday's game will be a lot like the North Dakota game. The Huskers need to have a great week of practice if they want to win this one. Let's hope Coach Frost can keep the focus on GS and not the Oklahoma Sooners.
How ’Bout Them Huskers
This week grandson Will and I hash over the North Dakota game and take a peek ahead at this week's Georgia Southern night game at Memorial Stadium.
