Courtesy Nebraska Athletics
It took a half for Nebraska to get going, but the Cornhuskers eventually took control for 49-21 season-opening victory over Ohio Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The game was tight at half, with Nebraska (1-0) holding a narrow 14-13 lead, but the Huskers dominated the second half, outscoring the Bobcats (0-1) 35-8 after the half.
The first play of the game set the tone for the first half. Ohio quarterback Nick Poulos hit Riley Neer on a quick slant for 68 yards to move the Bobcats into scoring position, and two plays later, Poulos hit Neer again for a four-yard touchdown pass, giving Ohio a 7-0 lead 71 seconds into the game. The Huskers answered with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by a Jamal Rule one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at seven with 8:19 remaining in the first quarter.
Ohio settled for a field goal on its first drive, hitting a 42-yard field goal to push ahead, 10-7 with 3:16 to go in the first quarter. After the next Nebraska drive was sidetracked by penalties, the Bobcats again drove for a field goal, capping an 11-play possession with a 45-yard field goal to build their lead to 13-7 with 10:38 remaining in the half.
The next Nebraska drive started at its nine. After an Anthony Colandrea to Kwazi Gilmer completion gained 20 yards, Rule took it from there. After a two-yard run, Rule took a Colandrea pass 39 yards to the Ohio 30. After a Rule runs for five and two yards, Rule took another Colandrea pass 23 yards for a touchdown. The extra point gave the Huskers a 14-13 lead with 8:13 to go until halftime, and that remained the score to halftime.
The third quarter started as poorly as the first, with Nebraska losing three yards on a run on first down, then Colandrea losing 19 yards with an intentional grounding call. The Huskers went three-and-out, then saw Ohio drive from its 49 to the NU 27 before a missed 42-yard field goal kept the score 14-13 with 10 minutes reamining in the third quarter.
Nebraska took the ball from the 27 and marched nine plays, 73 yards, with two Colandrea runs covering the last 16 yards of the possession and Colandrea running it in from 13 yards out to cap the drive, pushing the Huskers’ lead to 21-13 with 4:41 to play in the third quarter. After a three-and-out, Nebraska marched again, with Mehki Nelson running a 29-yard touchdown to open the lead to 28-13 late in the third quarter.
Ohio made its last stand on the next drive, going 70 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown, with Poulus running in from one yard out. Poulus found Dom Dorwart for the two-point conversion to pull the Bobcats to within seven, 28-21 with 12:05 to go in regulation. On the ensuing drive, the Huskers advanced from their 25 to their 49, before Colandrea hit Nelson on a screen pass, then Nelson slithered through the Bobcats for a 51-yard touchdown that all but iced the victory with 9:10 to go.
After a three-and-out by the Blackshirts, Nebraska took over on its 30. Rule broke a 39-yard run to the Ohio 31, then Colandrea scrambled for 11 yards. After two Nelson runs took the ball to the Bobcats’ 11, Rule punctuated a successful first game as a Husker with an 11-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 42-21 with just under six minutes to go.
On Ohio’s next drive, Rex Guthrie snared an interception to give the Huskers the ball on the Ohio 17. Three plays later, Colandrea found Kwazi Gilmer for a nine-yard touchdown to push the lead to 49-21 with just under two minutes to go, and that would be the final margin.
In his Husker debut, Colandrea was 18-for-32 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 54 yards and a score. Rule’s first game at Nebraska saw him pile up 122 rushing yards on 15 carries, good for over eight yards a carry. He tallied two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch. His 100-yard rushing game was the first by a Nebraska freshman in the season opener since Adrian Martinez against Colorado in 2018. It was the first 100-yard rushing day in the season opener by a Husker freshman running back since Tierre Green did it against Western Illinois in 2004. Jacory Barney, Jr., and Gilmer both had five catches, with Barney totaling 60 yards and Gilmer getting 58 yards and a touchdown. Jamir Conn led NU in tackles with eight, while Donovan Jones broke up two passes.
Nebraska is next in action next Saturday at Memorial Stadium against Bowling Green (0-1), which lost to Tarleton State on Saturday. Pregame coverage begins at 2 p.m., with kickoff at 6 p.m. on KLIN and Froggy 98.