How do I describe what we all just watched?
Normally, I start off with the game-winning moment or at least the point at which the winning team effectively put it away and then run from there. This time, it felt right to just go from the opening drives which let everyone know this wasn’t going to be your typical college football game.
Nebraska received and began the opener on their own 25. Emmett Johnson would take his first three carries for 32 yards, a telling start as he was on his way to 21 carries for a career-high
176 yards at a clip of 8.4 yards per carry. Finding themselves with a 4th and 2 on Maryland’s 31 several plays later, the Huskers, as they have done predictably more than once this season, tried to ram it up the gut with Emmett and were stuffed for no gain.
Turnover on downs.
Maryland took over from there, marched it 29 yards to the Nebraska 40 and found themselves dealing with a 4th down attempt of their own, this one with 5 yards to go. The Terps’ Malik Washington’s scramble attempt was only good for 4 leaving me to tweet the following:
I’m still waiting for a reply.
But the game was off to a weird start and things would only get weirder.
When the 3rd quarter concluded, Maryland had had taken a 31-24 lead after winning the quarter 14-0. DeJuan Williams punched in a TD at the end of Terps 75-yard drive to open the 2nd half. The second touchdown was a Dontay Joiner 67-yard pick-six, Raiola’s third interception of the game and the momentum had swung so hard Maryland’s way, it felt like it was time for Nebraska to rage-quit this game and hit the reset button, pronto, as there would be no 30mph wind at their back this time when the 4th quarter started.
But maybe it wasn’t the wind last week. Or just the wind. Maybe it was actually the way this Version 3.0 2025 Huskers team reacts when faced with adversity when a big shiny “4” shows up on the scoreboard. A then stagnant offense woke up and rolled down the field to pull within 3 of Michigan. Down 21-14, they scored 24 straight points against Michigan State and put the game away. Friday, I wrote that this was a team that doesn’t fold and self-implode – they fight back.
Now, my money was literally where my mouth was in real time. Did I know what in the blue hell I was talking about?
Now, in College Park, MD, with hope supposedly drained away, the offense took over on their own 8 with just under 14 minutes left in the game. Emmett for 11. Dylan with 4 straight completions to four different receivers. But one overturned when Elijah Pritchett was flagged for holding. They scratched, chipped and clawed their way to the 34, but then Nyziah Hunter was also flagged for a hold. Raiola hit Dane Key for 16 to the 40 before an incompletion.
Then it was Emmett time.
Johnson popped a hole, bounced to the right sideline and zoomed by the pursuit. By that time, help had arrived downfield and a nice run appeared at an end. Except Johnson had saved enough power-up point and mashed his thumb on the Beast Mode setting – and when the bodies which weren’t scattered finally brought him down, he had picked up 50 yards and Nebraska had 1st down on the Maryland 10. Johnson actually went down on the 7 or 8, but inexplicable ball marks are just part of the Big 10 Referee Experience.
After the run, they were unable to find the end zone but Will Cunanan chipped a 27-yarder through to pull it to 31-27, and while some fans were griping, 3 was more points than many were expecting the Holgo-fense to muster from a drive which started 92 yards away. A drive with 12 plays spanning 83 yards and coming away with 3 little points which would give them a chance to play for the win if the Blackshirts could get one more stop.
They could.
This time, the Huskers started on their 19 with 3:40 and all 3 timeouts left. More than enough time in today’s game but things would have to move much faster than the previous 6+ minute drive. No problem at all because Raiola’s problems were firmly in his rear view. Emmett for 5. He darted away from a rusher and arm-threw one back to the right to Luke Lindenmeyer who rumbled to the 42. Dylan then somehow powered a 33-yard dart to Nyziah Hunter at the Maryland 20. Emmett for 4. Then came a 13-yard laundry line through traffic to Heinrich Haarberg who dragged his toe before going out at the 4 with the ball clutched in one big hand.
And after a pass out of the back of end zone, Raiola dropped a 3-yard out to Dane Key who made the grab and twisted across the goal line for the 34-31 lead which seemed like a pipe dream maybe 45 minutes earlier.
Well, for some Nebraska teams, maybe. Not this one.
The defense surrendered a 16-yard completion approaching mid-field, but Washington took an intentional grounding on the very next 1st down down play throwing a deep ball far out of play with no receiver in the area code. Terps Coach Mike Locksley howled bloody murder, but Nebraska fans remembered all too well Adrian Martinez getting called for the exact same offense a couple of times in 2019.
Instead of barking about an easy call, Locksley might have better served his team by stressing the stupidity of taking THREE unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the first half, two of which could be technically described as pathetic, chicken-shit and cheap. When play resumed, Washington bounced back with a 20-yard strike to Shaleak Knotts to set up a do-or-die 4th and 4. It was death for the Turtles as Washington’s strike to Dorian Fleming was broken up and those crazy Huskers had done it again.
As per just about every week after game not against Akron or Houston Christian, there’s plenty to work on.
The run defense was solid giving up only 130 yards although 4.2 YPC is a little higher than the standard. Malik Washington had the most successful day to date passing against the Huskers going 27-37 for 249 with a TD. It was a solid mostly dink and dunk performance, but this may have been a result of receivers often being open underneath as deep stuff was taken away – somewhat reminiscent of Cincinnati against the Huskers in the opener.
(Cincinnati won again – just want to mention that for angry Tweeters who don’t understand why that matters.
In addition to Johnson’s huge rushing day at 8.4 YPC, he also caught a pair of passes for 20 more yards to bring his all-purpose total close to 200. Dylan, after a roller coaster start, finished with another lights out 4th quarter – this time 8-12, 108 yards and a TD pass. For the game he was 20-29 for 260 yards, a career-high 4 TD’s and an also career-high 3 interceptions which will probably be the subject of a pointed Dana Holgorsen remarks in film sessions this week.
Raiola found eight different receivers on the night and the WR game ball this time went to Nyziah Hunter who took the strength of his 59-yard TD against the Spartans and started off today’s game by scoring from 64 yards out on what looked like damn near the same play, only he kept both shoes on this time. When the gun sounded, he’d finished with 125 yards on 5 catches making him the third Husker with a 100-yard receiving game in 2025 and isn’t that a bitch for an opposing defensive coordinator?
And for a final word, shouldn’t we award a Corn Nation Smelly Leather Helmet to Mike Ekeler and his special teams as Kyle Cunanan booted every kick they put in front of through the uprights? And not to mention Lincoln High grad Kenneth Williams who brought a kickoff back 85 yards and then had AD Troy Dannen plop a cherry on top of it by awarding him a scholarship in the locker room afterwards?
Let’s just say it’s time to end the recap when all the damn fall pollen starts causing my eyes to water.
Go Big Red.
