© Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Huskers Hold Off Heartbreak and the Hawkeyes and Have the Heroes
In this story:
On a pleasant Black Friday in Iowa City, the Nebraska Cornhuskers sprinted to a 24-0 lead and held on for a 24-17 victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes and regained the Heroes Trophy for the first time in 8 years. Iowa has feasted on turnovers all year long and were 19th in the nation with a +.64-turnover margin. Nebraska won the turnover battle 4-1 and turned them into a 17-3 advantage on points off turnovers. The Husker points were set up by two quarterback strip sacks and a muffed punt.
But despite the early lead by the Huskers, which could have been even more as they missed a field goal and had a chance to score before half, the Husker offense went dormant after their final score with 12:15 left in the third quarter. In their next 5 possessions, Nebraska netted just 64 yards on 23 plays while punting four times and turning the ball over with a fumble (even though Rahmir Johnson’s forward progress seemed to be stopped and whistles had blown). After turning the ball over at its own 27-yard line, it was hard to not harken back to last year when Nebraska held a 21-6 lead late into the third quarter and lost 28-21. But the defense forced three straight incomplete passes and Iowa kicked a 44-yard field goal to pull within a score at 24-17. They then had to survive two more Iowa possessions but gave up just 13 yards on 11 plays with a turnover on downs and an interception to close it out.
The fourth quarter was scary to witness as a Husker fan as this is just the second victory in one score games out of the past fifteen (Rutgers 14-13 was the other). Iowa had won by a touchdown or less over the Huskers in each of the past four meetings. Iowa had won 14 straight November games and Nebraska had lost 8 in a row. There is not much difference in talent between the two schools, but Iowa had always figured out a way to prevail, until today.
Thank goodness the Husker offense showed up for the first 33 minutes. The Huskers amassed 286 of their 329 total yards in that period against the #2 ranked defensive efficiency team in the country. Iowa was #6 ranked against the pass (164.4) and gave up 278 yards. They were #6 in total defense (273.2) and gave up 329. Nine of eleven of their previous opponents failed to score more than 13 points and Nebraska scored 24 in just over a half. Turnovers and short fields make it much easier as the Huskers started drives from the Iowa 31, 39 and 18-yard lines. Of course, a one play 87-yard drive (Casey Thompson to Trey Palmer touchdown pass) doesn’t hurt either. No FBS team had allowed fewer pass plays of 20-plus yards than Iowa (18), and Nebraska got 2 today of 87 and 25 yards.
Thompson went 20 for 30 passing for 278 yards and a season high three touchdowns. Of his 17 TD passes on the season, nine have been to Trey Palmer. It sure would be nice to have that duo back again next year, but it is uncertain at this point. Thompson was sacked twice and lost yards on a bad snap, but the pass protection was decent enough to allow for those downfield throws.
Trey Palmer caught nine passes for 165 yards with touchdowns of 87 and 18 yards. The 87-yard TD in the first quarter marked the fifth-longest passing play in Nebraska history and the longest play from scrimmage for Nebraska since a school-record 99-yard pass (Armstrong-Enunwa) on Jan. 1, 2014, in the Gator Bowl vs. Georgia. It was the longest play from scrimmage against Iowa since an 88-yard run by Wisconsin in 2014. With his 165 receiving yards, Palmer increased his season yardage total to 1,043, setting a Nebraska single season receiving yardage record. The previous record of 1,004 yards was held by Stanley Morgan Jr. in 2018. Palmer is the only player in the Big Ten with three 150-yard receiving games in conference play this season. His nine receptions increased his season total to 71, which is the most by a wide receiver in school history. He ranks second overall on Nebraska’s single-season receptions list, trailing only I-back Marlon Lucky’s 75 receptions in 2007. Not bad for a reject from LSU.
Marcus Washington (3 catches for 52 yards) had a 14-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter and ran open throughout the game. Alante Brown (17 yards) and Anthony Grant (13 yards) contributed two catches a piece and the tight ends Brewington (10 yards) and Boerkircher (7 yards) had one each.
The rushing game was poor as Nebraska totaled 51 yards on 35 attempts for a pathetic 1.5-yard average. Rahmir Johnson (12 carries for 52 yards) benefited from going north and south while Anthony Grant (14 carries for 6 yards) averaged 0.4 yards per carry going east and west. What happened to Grant as the season progressed? It seemed like he would surely hit 1000 yards rushing but faltered badly down the stretch as the rushing attack fizzled. Even Mickey Joseph couldn’t trust that the Huskers could pick up two inches on a 4th down with 3:29 left and NU punted.
The defense did their job against the #112 ranked offense in the nation with their third first half shutout in the past four games. When Kaleb Johnson scampered for a 44-yard touchdown run for Iowa’s first points in the third quarter, it was just the fourth run of 20+ yards allowed by Nebraska since Busch took over. Winning the turnover margin was the difference in the game and adding three sacks for -39 yards didn’t hurt either. Iowa averaged just 3.8 yards per attempt on 17 for 39 passing. Nebraska held Iowa to just 72 yards the entire first half and 274 for the game. Mickey stated in his post-game presser that the Blackshirts will be back in the players lockers on Monday.
Isaac Gifford led the defenders with 8 tackles with 1 TFL. Eteva Mauga-Clements started his second game of the season in place of leading tackler Luke Reimer and had a career-high seven tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and forced fumble in his final game as a Husker. His 18-yard sack and forced fumble in the second quarter were his first career sack and first career forced fumble. Garrett Nelson returned the fumble 13 yards for his second fumble recovery of 2022 and his career. Nelson also added four stops.
Cornerback Quinton Newsome (3 tackles) had a first-quarter sack which caused a fumble which marked his second sack of the 2022 season and the third of his career and it was the second forced fumble of Newsome’s career. The fumble was recovered by Ernest Hausmann (6 tackles) which marked his first career fumble recovery. It is also evident why Newsome is on defense and is not a receiver as he dropped two balls that could have been easily intercepted and taken a lot of stress out of the final minutes of the contest.
Linebacker Chris Kolarevic sealed the win with an interception with 42 seconds remaining. The interception was the third of his career and his first as a Husker. Finally, congratulations to outside linebacker Caleb Tannor who played in his 56th career game as a Husker which ties a Nebraska school record for games played, matching Cameron Meredith’s 56 games from 2008 to 2012. Tannor had a second-quarter sack, giving him 2.5 sacks this season and 10 in his career.
Special team play was up and down once again. After making his seven previous attempts, placekicker Timmy Bleekrode missed a 32-yard field goal and then converted on a 21-yarder to finish the season 9 of 12 on treys. Punter Brian Buschini averaged 39.0 on six punts with a long of 49 yards. He also lost a 54-yard boot when Iowa was flagged for illegal jumping that extended a drive and burned more clock for the Huskers. It also doesn't help when your gunner in the perfect position to catch or down a punt inside the 5-yard line and then focuses on the punt returner and ignores the ball that is in the air. Brendan Franke had two touchbacks on five kickoffs and the kickoff team limited the returns to 14, 22 and 33 yards.
I hope next year Nebraska can threaten with a punt return game as once again we had zero yards. On our only kickoff return, Alante Brown returned the ball 11 yards to the 18 and then a block in the back moved the ball back to the 5-yard line. Just call fair catch and take it at the 25. We need to return punts and fair catch the kickoffs, but we seem to do the opposite.
Thank goodness Nebraska can go into the long off-season with a win that prevented the Ditch Chickens from winning the West crown. Mickey Joseph also surpassed Scott Frost with three wins this season, including two on the road. Nonetheless, it’s still a 4-8 campaign and Nebraska is now 19-37 in its last five seasons and hasn’t made a bowl game since 2016 making them the only Power Five program without a bowl appearance in the last six years.
Thank goodness Nebraska can go into the long off-season with a win that prevented the Ditch Chickens from winning the West crown. Mickey Joseph also surpassed Scott Frost with three wins this season, including two on the road. It looks like Matt Rhule will be named the new head coach and so a new era will begin once again. I’d like to see Mickey Joseph retained, if nothing but to save the recruiting class and to provide some continuity with the players that remain. He got them to fight and never give up even when the wins refused to come. We need that grit and determination along with new schemes (especially on offense) if we are going to be competitive again going forward. Don’t lose heart as the Huskers have just started another winning streak. Go Big Red!!
- Related: HuskerMax game page. Fanalytix interactive stats.
Get your Huskers tickets from SI Tickets here.
