Scott Bruhn photo/Nebraska Communications
New Year, Same Feel for Nebraska in Overseas Loss to Northwestern
The start of 2022 carried the echoes of 2021.
After nine single-digit losses last season—eight by one score—Nebraska turned multiple double-digit leads into deficits and ultimately a 31-28 season-opening loss to Northwestern Saturday in Dublin, Ireland.
Much like had been seen in past versions of the Scott Frost era Huskers, Nebraska started fast on offense. Big Red scored barely two minutes into the game on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Casey Thompson to Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda.
The pace on that first drive had the Northwestern defense constantly on its heels. Thompson spread the ball around. The runs did enough to keep the defense honest.
Momentum was squarely with Nebraska, but it would ebb and flow with big plays and coaching decisions.
Thompson punched in a short run early in the second quarter to put Nebraska up 14-3, but Northwestern answered with a big play.
Nebraska was driving to answer right back but a fumble by Garcia-Castaneda deep in Wildcat territory stopped that potential. The play was reviewed and the call stood.
Late in the half, Frost elected to use a timeout with Northwestern sitting on a fourth-and-one inside their own 40-yard line. Pat Fitzgerald turned that opportunity into a first down. The Wildcats scored and took a 17-14 lead into the half.
Momentum Northwestern.
Out of the break, the Blackshirts forced a punt and a fumble. The Nebraska offense turned both opportunities into touchdowns and a 28-17 lead.
But momentum for Nebraska would end there.
Frost called for an onside kick. That's a make-or-break decision that can be read multiple ways. You're either going for the throat or signaling to your team you don't have enough belief in them being able to get the job done.
"We had a plan going in that if we got up two scores, we were gonna roll with (an onside kick)," Frost said. "We loved the look and I went with it.
"At that point in the game, I thought all the momentum was on our side. I thought if we got it, we could end the game."
The onside kick failed. Northwestern scored with a short field.
Nebraska was barely the same on offense the rest of the way. The defense, porous up to that point, was only aided by Northwestern's conservative play-calling and never really threatened Wildcat quarterback Ryan Hillinski.
Northwestern took the lead early in the fourth quarter and ground out enough clock late to keep Nebraska from getting too many chance to score.
Up until the onside kick, Nebraska tallied 28 points on 381 yards and a single, iffy turnover. After, the Huskers managed just 84 yards, no points, and two turnovers.
Plenty of the game was decided away from the onside kick. Hilinski started 23-for-26 through the air and was never sacked in the game. The defensive front got manhandled on too many plays to allow easy runs for the big Wildcat backs. And the offensive line hardly had much of a push when trying to run the ball.
But that decision was a turning point in the game. Up 11 and having scored on back-to-back possessions, the opportunity was there to make Northwestern go the length of the field and try to fight back. Instead, the Wildcats got a short field and the momentum.
With the benefit of hindsight, Frost wished to take back that decision.
"In hindsight, it didn't work," Frost said. "Anytime something doesn't work, you want it back.
"If I had it over, I wouldn't make the call."
Northwestern ran for 214 yards on the ground and added 314 through the air to tack on 528 total yards. Nebraska managed 465, including 110 yards on the ground.
In his Nebraska debut, Thompson completed 25-for-42 passes for 355 yards and one touchdown. That's a Husker record for most passing yards in a season-opener.
Also making debuts for the Big Red, Garcia-Castaneda reeled in four passes for 120 yards and one score while Trey Palmer caught eight passes for 68 yards.
Anthony Grant rushed 19 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Brian Buschini averaged 47.2 yards on six punts, including four that were downed inside the Northwestern 20-yard line.
In a make or break year for Frost, starting out 0-1 against a division foe is less than ideal. Still, there are 11 games left on the schedule.
"I love Nebraska," Frost said. "I'm gonna fight with the guys as long as I can fight."
After a long plane ride back to Lincoln, Nebraska will turn a week of practice into the home opener Saturday against North Dakota.
"This is a tight group, the tightest we've had," Frost said. "They're gonna have to lean on that after a disappointing start.
- More coverage: HuskerMax game page
