Nebraska Handles Purdue 31-14

Huskers get first three-game winning streak since 2016

Nebraska football is on the verge of bowl eligibility.

The Huskers got big plays from all three phases to sail to a 31-14 win over Purdue. The win puts Nebraska at 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in the Big Ten Conference.

Despite being in total control for most of the game, NU started the game off almost as poorly as any team could. The Purdue kickoff went short and Garrett Snodgrass decided to try his hand at a return. A few yards later and the ball was on the turf.

Purdue ball.

Fortunately for Husker faithful, the Blackshirts showed up to Memorial Stadium with a mission. Purdue managed to lose one yard on their four plays and give the ball right back to Nebraska.

After neither team's offense could get any momentum, Nebraska put together back-to-back touchdown drives. The first was a 15-play, 87-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Heinrich Haarberg to Thomas Fidone. The next was a single play that had Haarberg throw a 73-yard bomb to Jaylen Lloyd.

From there, the Boilermakers never threatened.

Nebraska added a touchdown on a return after blocking a field in the third quarter then a 55-yard field goal from Tristan Alvano in the fourth quarter.

But midway through the fourth, Haarberg took another punishing hit and lost the ball. Three plays later, Purdue got on the board with a touchdown but missed the 2-point conversion.

After a failed onside kick, Jeff Sims went in at quarterback. Sims handed the ball off twice and ran once to get to a fourth and one. On fourth down, Sims again carried the ball, but this time he fumbled. Purdue recovered and returned the ball all the way for a touchdown.

That forced Haarberg back in at quarterback, who led a scoring drive that included five rushes by Emmett Jonson. The final Johnson run on the drive was 28 yards to the end zone.

Haarberg finished with 122 yards and two touchdowns through the air on 6-of-11 passing. He added 22 yards on the ground on 19 attempts, which includes three sacks.

Johnson was the only running back to eclipse 20 yards, going for 76 yards on 13 attempts.

But it was the defense that put together an outstanding day. The Blackshirts had eight tackles for loss, including a sack. They also put together forced a fumble and had a pair of interceptions, both by Tommi Hill.

For the first time since 2012, Nebraska held its opponent below both 100 yards of passing and rushing. Purdue finished with 195 total yards, 99 passing and 96 rushing. NU had 155 yards on the ground and 122 through the air.

Nebraska goes on the road next Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff at Michigan State.

Final Stats

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Nebraska Postgame Notes

• Nebraska’s win evened the all-time series with Purdue at 6-6, with Nebraska holding a 3-2 lead in Lincoln. The Husker win ended a Purdue two-game win streak in the series.
• The win against Purdue gives Nebraska a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2016. It also gave Nebraska a 3-0 record in October, marking the first time the Huskers went undefeated in October since 2001.
• Nebraska limited Purdue to 96 rushing yards in the game. NU has held seven of its eight opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season. The last time Nebraska held more than six opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground was in 2009, when the Huskers held eight opponents below the century mark.
• The Huskers held Purdue to a season-low 195 total yards, the second opponent this season Nebraska has held under 200 total yards (also Northern Illinois). NU held a conference opponent to fewer than 200 yards for the first time since allowing 199 yards to Illinois on Sept. 29, 2017.
• Nebraska limited Purdue to fewer than 100 yards rushing (96) and passing (99), marking the first time the Huskers have held an opponent under 100 yards rushing and passing since limiting Michigan to 95 rushing yards and 93 passing yards on Oct. 27, 2012.
• Purdue’s touchdown with 9:09 remaining in the game was the first touchdown Nebraska had allowed in nine quarters (and more than 142game minutes) dating back to the second quarter at Illinois
• Nebraska held Purdue scoreless in the first quarter, marking the fifth time this season Nebraska has shut out the opponent in the first quarter. In its past seven games against Big Ten West opponents, Nebraska has allowed just three total first-quarter points, shutting out six of the seven opponents in the first quarter, including three of four this year.
• In its last seven games against Big Ten West opponents, Nebraska has allowed only one touchdown in the first half and just 16 total first-half points.
• Cornerback Quinton Newsome returned a blocked field 68 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to give Nebraska a 21-0 lead. It marked Nebraska’s first blocked FG return for a touchdown since Nathan Gerry had an 85-yard TD on a blocked field goal against Minnesota in 2014.
• Elijah Jeudy blocked the field goal that resulted in the touchdown, marking Nebraska’s first blocked field goal since Cam Taylor-Britt blocked a field goal at Michigan State in 2021.
• Newsome also recovered a fumble in the first quarter for his second career fumble recovery. In addition, Newsome also recovered a Nebraska fumble on a punt return preserving a Husker possession.
• Cornerback Tommi Hill had two interceptions, picking off a Purdue pass in the second and fourth quarters. Hill, who has an interception in two straight games, is the first Husker to have multiple interceptions in a game since Marques Buford Jr. intercepted two passes against Georgia Southern on Sept. 10, 2022.
• Defensive end Jimari Butler shared a third-quarter sack with M.J. Sherman. Butler has had a sack in three consecutive games and is the first Husker with a sack in three straight games since Garrett Nelson in 2021 (Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin).
• Nebraska opened the scoring with a 15-play, 87-yard drive that consumed 8:52 spanning the first and second quarter. It was the longest drive by Nebraska this season in plays, yards and time. The 8:52 scoring drive is Nebraska’s longest scoring drive since an 18-play drive for a field goal that consumed 9:24 against Northwestern in 2017.
• Place-kicker Tristan Alvano connected on a 55-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, marking the longest field goal by Nebraska since a school-record 57-yard field goal by Alex Henery against Colorado in 2008. It ties for the second-longest FG in Nebraska school history (3 other times).
• Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Lloyd in the second quarter to give Nebraska a 14-0 lead. The 73-yard TD pass was the longest pass play of the season for Nebraska and the Huskers’ third play from scrimmage of at least 70 yards. It marked the second straight season Nebraska had a TD pass of at least 70 yards against Purdue (Thompson to Palmer, 72 yards, 2022).
• The reception was Lloyd’s first career touchdown and the second catch of his career (19 yards vs. Michigan).
• Sophomore tight end Thomas Fidone II caught a 1-yard touchdown to open the scoring in the second quarter. It was Fidone’s fourth TD reception of the season, the most by a Nebraska tight end since Kyler Reed had eight TD catches in 2010.
• Today’s game marks Haarberg’s second game with two touchdown passes this season (also vs. Northern Illinois).
• Emmett Johnson had a career-high 76 rushing yards in the game, including a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for his first career score.
• Right tackle Bryce Benhart made his 37th career start at right tackle. That total ties Zach Wiegert for the third-most starts at right tackle in Nebraska history.
• Today’s game captains were LB Nick Henrich, LB John Bullock, WR Alex Bullock and FB Janiran Bonner.