At first, I strongly questioned the decision to try straight ahead up the middle runs twice on a short 3rd and 4th & goal (and, no, I have no love for their underwhelming attempts at the tush push either.),
but watching a long drive fail yet again after going on 4th down with zero imagination, I crabbed about watching all the momentum drain away once again and mused about the wisdom of leaving 3-7 points off the board in what me and many assumed would be a close low-scoring game. Well, no worries there as I couldn’t have been more wrong. Did the Michigan game get under your skin with the long drives and breakaway runs? You might want to change channels.
Nebraska’s defense, while successful overall this season, had been gashed on the ground in multiple contests. The first half in Happy Valley was the culmination of all of those nightmares. The Huskers gave up drive of 98-TD, 82-FG, 75-TD and 14-TD.
Emmett Johnson has run for 75 yards on 11 carries, but little else has gone right for the Huskers while Penn State racked up 254 yards, 133 of it on the ground behind 90 from Kaytron Allen. T.J. Lateef hit a couple nice passes, but was otherwise ineffective with only 5 yards through the air and -2 on the ground. Other than an ill-advised pass or two, however, he has shown composure in this first action in a hostile environment.
Can the Huskers turn it around in the second half? Things appear doubtful currently, but stranger things have happened in college football this season.
Go Big Red.
