2021 Michigan State overtime interception Matt Sichterman and Chester Kimbrough USATSI_16830356 — © Nick King/Lansing State Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Husker Overtime Futility: 2015-2021

Failing to score is bad enough, but Nebraska hasn't even mustered a first down in OT during this seven-season stretch

Author:
Joe Hudson
Updated:
Sep 28, 2021 3:21 PM EDT
Original:
Sep 27, 2021

As you've probably heard by now, the crushing loss at Michigan State marked the sixth consecutive overtime game in which Nebraska was shut out after regulation. But that detail -- failing to score -- merely scratches the surface of the Huskers' confounding stretch of overtime futility.

As if zero points weren't bad enough, the Huskers haven't even picked up a first down in their six overtimes under coaches Mike Riley and Scott Frost. They've generated a grand total of 15 net yards of total offense -- less than one yard per play. And they've thrown interceptions at a 25% clip.

Some other stunningly poor composite numbers from the overtimes against Miami, Wisconsin, Northwestern (twice), Colorado and Michigan State:

Meager running game. Officially, the Huskers have run the ball seven times for minus-12 yards. Exclude quarterback sacks and it isn't much better: five rushes for five yards.
Trouble stopping the run. Nebraska's opponents have piled up 94 rushing yards on 21 carries. Their average rushing gain (4.5) is 50% better than Nebraska's longest rushing gain (3). Due in part to that success, opponents have attempted just three passes.
Disastrous passing game. Husker quarterbacks have completed five of 12 passes for 27 yards and have had three intercepted. On two other passing plays that count officially as runs, Nebraska suffered quarterback sacks for losses totaling 17 yards. That means 14 passing plays netted just 10 yards and three turnovers.
Add it all up. That's 15 yards of total offense, zero points, zero first downs and three turnovers.
Lose the coin toss, then lose the ball. In three of the six games, the opponent won the overtime coin toss and Nebraska got the ball first. Incredibly, all three of those Husker possessions ended with deflating interceptions. That allowed the opponents to then play it safe on offense, needing just a field goal to win.

It's worth noting that five of the six overtime games were played on the road, and the Huskers were underdogs four of those times. Simply getting to overtime in some of those games was arguably an act of overachieving, even if it was followed by an overtime goose egg.

Before the current six-game skid, Nebraska was a sparkling 8-1 in overtime games, but now the ledger stands at 8-7. The Huskers' last win in OT came in 2014 at Iowa in Bo Pelini's final game as head coach. In that game, like the one Saturday at Michigan State, special teams came up big for the winning team in the fourth quarter.

Below are composite stats from the six-game streak of overtime ineptitude. Scroll down further for Nebraska's game-by-game plays on offense.


	NEB	OPP
Points	0	25
First Downs	0	6
Rushes-Yards	7-(-12)	21-94
Average Gain	-1.7	4.5
Longest Gain	3	23
Excl. Sacks (Rushes-Yds-Avg)	5-5-1.0	21-94-4.5
Passing Yards	27	3
Comp-Att-Int	5-12-3	1-3-0
Longest Gain	7	3
NCAA Pass. Rating	10.57	41.73
Total Offense Plays-Yds	19-15	24-97
Yards Per Play	0.8	4.0
Penalized-Yards	2/18	2/10
3rd Down Conv.	0/5	0/4
Sacks-Yards	0-0	2-17
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	0-0