The 1st quarter did not excite Nebraska fans.
Or Cincinnati fans or any fans of college football, except maybe Iowa folk who seem to take an unhealthy pleasure in single quarters of football which net only 126 yards between the two teams.
The Bearcats got on the board first after a 38 yard drive in which Nebraska appeared to bail out Cincy by calling a timeout while the Bearcats scrambled around to get on the same page. They booted a 45-yard field goal to grab a 3-0 lead and seemed to have a slight
edge on the field in the early going.
But then Dylan Raiola found his rhythm and the Huskers put together a 42 yard drive of their own and Cal transfer Kyle Cunanan bombed a 52-yarder just inside the left upright to tie thing at 3-3. An 80-yard drive with Raiola hitting open targets and Emmett Johnson busting through holes took them to the 1 where Elijah Pritchett jumped to set them back 5 yards and they had to settle for a Cunanan 22-yarder and a 6-3 lead.
However with under a minute left, Vincent Shavers knocked the ball loose in Cincinnati territory after a short completion. The refs called it incomplete, because, well, you know. But the review showed plenty of steps after and two completions to Nyziah Hunter sandwiched around another 4 yard Johnson gain netted the elusive Husker TD on 5 yard out which Hunter lost, caught and regained dragging his right foot just before the sideline.
The second half will begin with the Huskers leading 13-3.
