Nebraska, after 336 days, can lastly etch a W subsequent to its title after defeating FCS North Dakota.
However the Huskers’ 38-17 victory wasn’t a trigger for celebration. It was a sigh of reduction.
Nebraska was on upset alert for a lot of the sport in opposition to North Dakota. Not North Dakota State, the nine-time FCS champion. The North Dakota Hawks, a staff Nebraska paid $515,000 simply to point out up.
“This staff could be a nice staff,” coach Scott Frost stated. “It’s not proper now.”
The followers made their displeasure recognized, too.
Because the scoreboard learn “Nebraska 7, North Dakota 7” at halftime, a small assortment of boos rang out in Memorial Stadium.
Deservedly so. Nebraska, a staff with significantly extra expertise, ought to have been dominating North Dakota. Not coming into halftime all tangled up.
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The Huskers’ offense, at that stage of the sport, had solely accomplished 4 drives: opening with an 87-yard clinic after which going silent from there.
North Dakota, in the meantime, opened the sport with 4 straight punts earlier than piecing collectively a 16-play, 80-yard drive that chewed almost seven minutes off the clock forward of the break.
Comparatively, Nebraska had 147 yards of whole offense after two quarters. North Dakota had 173.
“It’s unhealthy,” Frost stated to BTN at halftime. “We now have no rhythm. We don’t have something going.”
That modified after the break. Nebraska’s offense got here out of the gate flying with quarterback Casey Thompson setting the tone with a 35-yard move to Palmer to kick off the third quarter. 5 performs later, Thompson linked with tight finish Nate Boerkircher — filling in for the injured captain Travis Vokolek — for a 19-yard landing.
Nebraska’s offensive assault that quarter alone (172) outpaced their complete first half, inflicting some to surprise if playcalling assignments have been altered. Frost snapped postgame when requested if a change had been made, saying, “I’m not ever gonna get into that.” An attention-grabbing response.
Despite the fact that Nebraska’s offense confirmed extra promise, the Hawks hung round. Nebraska’s Timmy Bleekrode netted a 46-yard discipline purpose on the drive after Boerkircher’s first profession landing, however North Dakota scored in comparable trend on its following two drives to tie it again up once more at 17 apiece.
That game-tying rating late within the third quarter got here after an unlucky interception by Thompson. (Thompson, to his credit score, made the deal with on the Nebraska 8-yard line).
“These kind of performs that quit factors may be back-breakers in shut video games,” Frost stated. “Glad it wasn’t as we speak. We’re nonetheless discovering our manner a bit of bit.”
Nebraska discovered the tip zone once more a short while later after a 46-yard speeding rating by Anthony to take the one-possession lead heading into the fourth quarter.
However the recreation wasn’t actually in-hand for Nebraska till there have been roughly 10 minutes to play.
At that second, Nebraska discovered itself in a precarious place: third-and-14 from its personal 7-yard line. If Nebraska whiffed there, North Dakota would have had an opportunity to make issues attention-grabbing.
Nonetheless, Thompson aired one out to Trey Palmer, who reeled within the 50/50 ball for a achieve of 31. For the Nebraska followers who stayed, a collective exhale. Then, one other deep breath out after working again Ajay Allen scored a couple of performs later to offer Nebraska a 14-point lead.
However this wasn’t speculated to require stress balls. This was speculated to be an old school rout.
Simply take a look at Baylor, Kansas State, Wisconsin or — and I can’t consider I’m typing this — Kansas. All of them recorded dominant victories over their FCS foes as meant and anticipated. (Pay no thoughts to the nightmare-fueled bizarro fest that occurred in Iowa Metropolis between Iowa and South Dakota State.)
Even Frost admitted he didn’t fairly think about this one unfolding because it did.
“I hoped that we’d do what we did within the second half within the first half,” Frost stated. “I hoped we would get some extra guys in on the finish of the sport. I hoped we’d make fewer dumb performs and quit much less performs.”
Yeah. That’s what’s speculated to occur. That is the purpose of those video games: win decisively, let your second- and third-team gamers go well with up, and financially assist out the little man.
If Nebraska has troubles discovering its footing in opposition to an FCS staff, I can solely think about what the Michigan and Wisconsin contests have in retailer.
No sighs of reduction in that case. Simply deep breaths. Plenty of deep breaths.