Anthony Grant rumbled for 115 yards on 21 carries, however the Nebraska soccer workforce couldn’t keep a 10-0 halftime lead in a 20-13 loss to visiting Minnesota on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska’s back-up quarterbacks Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers, together with a hard-hitting Husker protection, stored the Huskers inside placing distance to the ultimate possession, however they have been unable to notch a victory. NU slipped to 3-6 on the season and 2-4 within the Large Ten, whereas Minnesota improved to 6-3 and 3-3 within the convention.
Whereas Nebraska’s protection continued to point out spectacular enchancment, the offense put up higher speeding totals than Minnesota, out-gaining the Gophers on the bottom, 146-125. Minnesota entered the competition ranked sixteenth nationally permitting simply 106 yards per sport, whereas rating twelfth within the nation with 222.8 speeding yards per sport.
Nebraska’s younger quarterbacks added 121 passing yards on 11-for-26 effectivity, together with 80 yards on 5-of-10 passing from Smothers late within the sport in an try to rally the Huskers from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Purdy completed 6-for-16 with 41 yards.
Minnesota managed 175 passing yards, together with a spark from back-up quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis within the second half, who went 6-for-12 for 137 yards after halftime in aid of starter Tanner Morgan.
Marcus Washington led Nebraska with 63 receiving yards, all of which got here on two lengthy receptions on NU’s last two drives of the sport. Trey Palmer added 5 catches for 37 yards.
Daniel Jackson supplied the receiving highlights for the Gophers with 5 receptions for 88 yards, whereas Dylan Wright added 54 receiving yards on a pair of catches.
On the defensive aspect, Myles Farmer led Nebraska with a game- and career-high 14 tackles, whereas linebacker Luke Reimer added 9 stops. Caleb Tannor contributed six stops, together with 1.5 sacks and a pair of.5 tackles for loss.
Nebraska jumped to a fast 10-0 first-quarter lead behind Purdy and the laborious working of Grant. Purdy led the Huskers on a nine-play, 75-yard game-opening drive capped by his two-yard landing run with simply 4:14 into the sport to provide the Large Pink a 7-0 lead.
The Husker protection then pressured a fast three-and-out on Minnesota’s opening possession. The Gophers punted on 4th-and-19 from their very own 11, and Nebraska began its second drive with glorious area place on the NU 44. Eleven performs and 50 yards later, the Huskers prolonged their result in 10-0 on Timmy Bleekrode’s 24-yard area objective to place Nebraska up 10-0 with 4:18 left within the first quarter.
On the finish of the primary quarter, Nebraska had amassed 106 yards speeding on 13 carries towards a Golden Gopher protection that entered the sport permitting simply 106 yards per sport. The Huskers completed the quarter with 125 whole yards, in comparison with simply 22 for Minnesota. Grant ended the primary quarter with 80 speeding yards on 10 carries, whereas Purdy added 26 speeding yards on three totes, whereas going 3-for-6 for 19 yards via the air.
The Gopher protection slowed the Huskers within the second quarter, limiting Nebraska to only 26 whole yards within the quarter. Nevertheless, Nebraska’s protection was even higher, holding the Gophers to only 9 whole yards on 13 performs in a scoreless second quarter.
Nebraska went to halftime with a 10-0 lead and a 151-31 benefit in whole yards. The Huskers held Minnesota working again Mohamed Ibrahim to only 18 yards on eight carries, whereas sending quarterback Tanner Morgan to minus-28 speeding yards. On Minnesota’s last offensive play of the half, Morgan was overwhelmed, sacked and shaken up.
Morgan, who accomplished 6-of-8 passes for 38 yards within the first half, didn’t return within the second half, giving technique to Kaliakmanis.
The Gopher backup sparked the Gopher offense by finishing a number of lengthy passes within the third quarter. Extra importantly, Kaliakmanis didn’t take a sack, speeding thrice for 27 yards within the sport. His means to maintain Minnesota on schedule allowed Ibrahim to get untracked. After a 47-yard area objective received Minnesota on the board 4:30 into the third quarter, Ibrahim tied the sport with a three-yard landing run with 3:20 left within the interval.
One other area objective by Trickett within the opening minute of the fourth quarter gave Minnesota its first lead at 13-10, earlier than Purdy threw an interception on third down on Nebraska’s half of the sphere. Seven performs later, Ibrahim scored his second landing from three yards out on his twentieth carry of the half. Ibrahim crossed the century mark on the drive, going for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries for the sport.
After falling behind 20-10 with greater than 9 minutes left, the Huskers despatched Smothers in at quarterback for his second collection of the sport. He led Nebraska on a 12-play, 67-yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard Bleekrode area objective with 4:49 left to chop the Minnesota margin to at least one rating at 20-13. The important thing play of the drive was a 32-yard move from Smothers to Washington, who pulled in a spectacular catch on the Minnesota 13 on 4th-and-10. The play was initially dominated incomplete with Washington out of bounds, however instantaneous replay clearly confirmed Washington accountable for the ball with a foot inbounds.
The Nebraska protection held on its subsequent possession, forcing a Minnesota punt with greater than two minutes left, organising Smothers and the offense 88 yards from a game-tying or game-winning rating.
On third-and-long, Smothers linked with Washington once more, this time for 31 yards. On 4th-and-5 from the NU 47, Smothers tried to attach with Palmer down the center, however the move was damaged up, ending the Husker hopes with 1:13 left.
Nebraska returns to Large Ten street motion subsequent week, taking over No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 12. Sport time and tv info shall be introduced later this weekend.
