Nebraska

Huskers Have a Heck of a Half then Hold on as the Blackshirts Bully the Buffs

Published

4 months ago

September 8, 2024

Huskers Have a Heck of a Half then Hold on as the Blackshirts Bully the Buffs

On a gorgeous Saturday evening in early September, the Nebraska Cornhuskers stormed out to a 28-0 halftime lead and then held off the Colorado Buffaloes 28-10 with a dominating defensive performance. The old rivals from the Big 8 and Big 12 are not scheduled to play each other again, but the Huskers notched their first victory against the Buffs since 2010 after losing the last three contests, and their 50th overall win in the series (50-21-2).

After a brilliant first half, the outcome was never really in doubt. Head Coach Matt Rhule said setting the tone early in the game was a top goal for Nebraska tonight and every game, and he was happy they did that from the opening snap. Colorado’s first five drives, which amassed a total of 12 yards, ended with a punt, turnover-on-downs, pick-six, punt and punt. The Buffaloes netted minus-2 yards of total offense in the first quarter and had just 112 yards at intermission.

Nebraska’s defensive intensity and offensive execution completely overshadowed the undisciplined “Primetime” fiasco from Boulder. The tale of two systems revealed that you have to recruit and develop experience in the trenches vs relying too heavily on the transfer portal. You also have to field a team of at least 22 starters that is melded together versus featuring two future NFL players who demand a spotlight and a platform. It was gratifying to see that hard work and dedication can win out over narcissistic ambition and trash talking prima donnas.

Then there was a second half that featured a very conservative offensive approach combined with the most odoriferous display of officiating in recent memory. The B12 crew took over the game and disrupted the flow for both teams. I don’t understand why in these intersectional contests, you don’t employ officials from a neutral conference. During two of Nebraska’s fourth quarter possessions, there were seven penalties called in nine plays from scrimmage. In total, the Huskers were flagged 12 times for 105 yards (nine of them in the second half) and the Buffs committed 9 infractions for 104 yards. The penalties called back a 45-yard gain by Jacory Barney and a 71-yard touchdown by Rahmir Johnson. Even more surprising was that Colorado mostly escaped holding calls even though defenders were tackled or had their jerseys stretched by offensive linemen. Bad calls impacted both teams (the roughing the passer call on CU was a bit dubious), but the disparity in how holding was called brought the official’s objectivity into question.

Particularly frustrating was the Husker offensive series in the fourth quarter after the defense secured a turnover on downs at the CU 28-yard line. With a great opportunity to score and effectively blow out the Buffs, the Huskers moved back 15 yards because of a pair of penalties before punting (which was blocked) giving Colorado the ball at their own 42-yard line. The subsequent Colorado drive featured a bogus targeting call on linebacker Mikai Gbayor that extended the drive and led to the only Buffalo touchdown with 8:45 remaining. Rant over.

Defense ruled the day as Colorado was held to 260 yards of offense with just 16 net yards rushing. This marks the 10th time in 14 games under Matt Rhule the Huskers have limited the opposition to fewer than 100 yards rushing, including seven games with 75 or fewer yards. The Blackshirts finished with ten tackles for loss, six sacks, and two takeaways (a pick six and a forced fumble recovery). Buff star receiver Travis Hunter got his yards (10 catches for 110 yards) but Jimmy Horn was held to just 3 catches for 26 yards and their cadre of other speedy receivers totaled just 81 yards. Nebraska has held each of its past six opponents at Memorial Stadium to 14 or fewer points. One of the Colorado scribes stated that this was likely the toughest defense the Buffaloes will face all season (and that includes a contest against Utah).

Four Huskers had a team-high six tackles – Isaac Gifford, DeShon Singleton, Tommi Hill and Mikai Gbayor. Linebacker John Bullock (5 tackles) led the team with two tackles for loss. He stepped up big-time when Colorado was in Nebraska territory in the fourth quarter. The senior stuffed the Buffs on a 4th and 1. Ty Robinson was a man on a mission finishing with two tackles including a sack, a TFL, a pass breakup, and a QB hurry. Oh, and he also blocked a field goal. Nebraska also had sacks from Nash Hutmacher, Jimari Butler, MJ Sherman, Princewell Umanmielen, and Willis McGahee IV. . Tommi Hill’s pick six was his fifth career interception, and his first interception return for a touchdown. McGahee also forced the fumble that was recovered by Jimari Butler.

Offensively, for the second game in a row, Dylan Raiola has driven the Huskers down the field for an opening touchdown and he has led Nebraska to touchdowns in the two-minute drill to end the first half. Nebraska finished with 334 yards in total offense compiling 185 yards passing and 149 yards rushing. The offensive line did not yield a sack, and the squad protected the ball allowing the Huskers to win the turnover battle 2-0. Despite converting 3 of 6 third down attempts in the first half, they were 0 for 6 in the second half and punted five times before kneeling to end the game in their final series. Colorado committed to stopping the run after intermission as the Huskers had just 62 yards on 18 carries (9 for 12 yards in the 4th). There is much to clean up before Nebraska enters league play in two weeks as it will likely require playing 60 minutes of productive football and being blanked in the second half won’t cut it.

Dylan Raiola completed 23 of 30 passes for 185 yards and a TD toss. He probably had more yards rushing in the first quarter (12 yards) than in his last three years of high school combined. What a difference a year makes. Last year the Husker QB committed four turnovers, and the team lost by 22 points. Granted, Raiola was very fortunate on the 18-yd touchdown toss to Rahmir Johnson, as the ball should have been intercepted, but perhaps the old Latin proverb is true that “fortune favors the bold.”

Dante Dowdell (17 carries for 74 yards) led all rushers and opened the scoring for the second straight week with a 12-yard first quarter touchdown run and added a one-yard TD in the second quarter. He not only punished defenders but held on to the ball. Rahmir Johnson (9 rushes for 33 yards) caught an 18-yard TD pass to close the first half scoring. Johnson finished the game with 82 all-purpose yards, including 49 receiving yards on a career-high eight catches. Jacory Barney added 28 yards on two carries but could have had a lot more sans the penalties. He also recorded 6 catches for 29 yards. This guy can fly if the Huskers can just get him the ball in space. Last week’s leading receiver, Isaiah Neyor, was held to 31 yards receiving on 4 receptions and Jaylen Lloyd had a huge 36-yard reception at the 2-yard line to set up a second quarter touchdown. Nate Boerkircher had a career long 25-yard reception on a 3rd and 24 play and Thomas Fidone had a solo catch for 13 yards but continues to spring runners and receivers with his fine blocking on the edge.

Special teams remain a mixed bag of blessings and curses. Punter Brian Buschini had a 60-yard punt downed at the Colorado 2-yard line in the second quarter which resulted in a Nebraska pick-six on the ensuing play. The 60-yard punt was the fifth of Buschini’s Nebraska career. Buschini finished the night with a 50.8-yard average on five punts including three punts inside the 20-yard line. He also kicked off three times recording a solo touchback. Let’s not forget that Dylan Raiola had a 40-yard punt (net 20 as it rolled into the endzone). Nebraska blocked a second-quarter Colorado field goal, marking Nebraska’s fifth blocked kick in the past two seasons, including four field goals and one punt. Unfortunately, Tristan Alvano missed a 32-yard field on the first play of the second quarter. That short a distance should be a gimme for a second year-starter. The kickoff team also gave up a 61-yard return to Jimmy Horn in the first quarter. With those type of return men, we need someone who can consistently kick the ball through the endzone.

The bottom line is that the Huskers are now 2-0 as opposed to the 0-2 start a year ago. It feels a lot better, doesn’t it? The crowd at Memorial was loud and rocking throughout and the Huskers have two more night games in the next 13 days. Next week, 2-0 Northern Iowa comes to Lincoln after scoring 10 fourth quarter points to defeat St. Thomas Saturday 17-10. It should present a good tune-up for the Huskers before playing Illinois September 20th. The Illini defeated 19th ranked Kansas Saturday 23-17 to also move to 2-0. Kansas has a pretty solid offense and Illinois shut them down. The dreams of being 7-0 before Ohio State means that the Huskers will have to continue to improve as there are at least three teams in that stretch that can throw a wrench into that plan. But for now, enjoy the win and recognize the Huskers are building something special again. Go Big Red!!

MORE: Tad Stryker: Blackshirts Pack a Punch

MORE: Gallery: Nebraska Football Beats Colorado for First Time Since 2010

MORE: Gut Reaction: Nebraska Football Dominates Colorado

MORE: Big Ten Football Week 2 Capsules

MORE: Stryker Pregame Perspective: Who Will Lead the Huskers’ Running Game?

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Source link

Nebraska

New Years Recap: Looking back on Nebraska’s biggest political headlines

Published

5 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

New Years Recap: Looking back on Nebraska’s biggest political headlines

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – 2024 was a big year in politics. It saw Donald Trump re-elected to the White House, and in Nebraska, there was no shortage of drama. 10/11 NOW wanted to take a look at some of the top moments from the last 366 days.

Some major bills took to the Unicameral floor in the 2024 legislative session, like the controversial Sports and Spaces Act, which would have banned trans athletes from participating in high school athletics. That failed to get a filibuster-proof majority.

“As they say on the farm, it’s a hammer looking for a nail,” said State Sen. Merv Riepe after he declined to support it. “I support girls sports, but I don’t think we’ve got a problem to solve.”

A similar bill will likely come up again in 2025. Gov. Jim Pillen was dissatisfied with the movement on the property tax relief front.

“Enjoy half time,” Pillen said to state senators at the very end of the 2024 session. “We’ll see you here again soon.”

Pillen called a special session and rolled out his playbook, but as senators rolled up their sleeves in the heat of August, things didn’t go to Pillen’s plan. Only modest relief trickled out.

“I think this is good progress,” said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan at the end of the special session. “Not enough, but good progress.”

A shock visit from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham at a closed-door meeting raised the specter of a last-minute change to the state’s splitting of electoral votes.

It was also busy year at the ballot box, with voters weighing in on a number of measures mandating paid sick leave and legalizing medical marijuana. Nebraska also kicked a “school choice” law to the curb and enshrined a 12-week abortion ban into the state’s constitution.

A surprisingly close race for the U.S. Senate pitted industrial mechanic Dan Osborn against incumbent Deb Fischer.

“I want to be a voice for workers because less than 2% of our elected officials come from in the House and Senate come from the working class, so I want to change that dynamic,” Osborn said.

Now, Fischer, with a roughly 7 point lead in the end, looks ahead to her third term facing a turbulent world.

“We’ve seen an increase in chaos around this world, not just in the Middle East, not just in Ukraine, but at our southern border,” Fischer said.

Some notable Nebraskans immersed themselves in that chaos. State Sen. Tom Brewer toured the battered Ukraine frontlines for his fourth time, relaying his finding to the U.S. Congress.

“The fight here is a fight for democracy,” Brewer said. “If we let democracy die here in Ukraine, nobody’s safe.”

And students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln protested the continuing war in Gaza.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Source link

Nebraska

Avian flu case found in commerical flock in southeast Nebraska

Published

14 hours ago

December 31, 2024

Press Room

Avian flu case found in commerical flock in southeast Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture confirmed another HPAI case on Tuesday.

The latest case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as HPAI, was found in a a commercial broiler flock in Johnson County, located in southeast Nebraska.

The latest report — the state’s sixth case detected this year — comes almost two weeks after the Nebraska officials reported two cases in backyard flocks. All but one of the Nebraska cases have been reported this month; the first case of the year was reported in Februrary.

Iowa also recently reported an additional case, found in a commercial egg-laying flock in O’Brien County, located in the northwest part of the state, near Sioux Center. The case, reported on Dec. 14, was Iowa’s fourth H5N1 HPAI case detected this month. A total of eight cases have been reported in the state this year.

HPAI symptoms can include birds that aren’t drinking water, are suffering from incoordination, or lacking energy or appetite; decreased egg production or laying eggs that are soft-shelled or misshapen; or birds with nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, and diarrhea.

Wild birds can also be succeptible to the virus, but Nebraska officials have previously noted that migratory birds can carry the virus without becoming sick at all.

—

Get a first alert to breaking news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for First Alert 6 email alerts.

Source link

Nebraska

‘Christmas miracle’ saves small-town Nebraska newspapers • Nebraska Examiner

Published

22 hours ago

December 31, 2024

Press Room

‘Christmas miracle’ saves small-town Nebraska newspapers • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — Rod Worrell calls it a “Christmas miracle,” but just hours before he was ready to print the final edition of the Ainsworth Star-Journal on Dec. 25, a new owner emerged.

Now both the Star-Journal and the Valentine Midland News, two weekly papers that Worrell and his wife Kathy had owned for more than 40 years, will not close.

“I wasn’t holding out much hope,” Worrell said.

Potential owners in Ainsworth, he said, were having trouble finding someone to staff the paper — workforce is a major issue in many sectors across Nebraska, including in Ainsworth, a ranching community 140 miles west of Norfolk.

Graig Kinzie, the owner of the local radio station in Ainsworth, said he’d been trying to put together a group to buy the paper for two to three months, but each group couldn’t come up with someone to run the operation.

Kinzie said he’d even told Worrell, a long-time golfing buddy, “Sorry,” his efforts had failed.

But then the owners of an Ainsworth car dealership, Clint and Katie Painter stepped forward to tell Kinzie their daughter, Erin, wanted to move back to her hometown and was willing to manage the paper.

The Worrells now plan to work for a couple of months to help the new owners — the Painters, Graig and Stephanie Kinzie, and Kirk and Chelsea Peterson — get acclimated.

“I’m really excited,” Rod Worrell said. “I wasn’t looking forward to being the one to shut down a newspaper that’s been around in one form or another for 142 years.”

The same goes for Valentine, a north-central Nebraska community where Dana Anderson, a longtime employee of the Midland News, and her husband, Ken, have purchased the newspaper there, as was first reported by News Channel Nebraska.

Changes at rural Nebraska newspaper raise subscribers — and hope for the future

In Ainsworth, Kinzie, who has owned KBRB for 15 years, said that he hated to see the newspaper close, even though it competed with his radio station for advertising.

“You hate to see a pillar of your community close,” he said. “From a community standpoint it’s not something we wanted to see go away.”

“It actually all worked out at the very, very last minute,” Kinzie said.

He added that his advertising representatives and accounting personnel can handle a lot of what needs to be done at the newspaper, and he already covers a lot of local meetings and ballgames, which also will be an asset.

The saving of the Ainsworth and Valentine papers comes when community papers have been hit with a loss of advertising to social media, higher production costs, a decline in mailing service and challenges in hiring staff.

Last year, an average of about 2.5 newspapers closed each week nationally, according to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. More than 211 American counties now have no newspapers, creating so-called “news deserts.”

Source link