As Nebraska baseball coach Will Bolt says: Gritty beats pretty.
That describes the Husker football team’s play in its 28-21 victory against Northwestern Saturday at Memorial Stadium. It wasn’t particularly pretty, though any victory is pretty compared to the alternative. But it was definitely gritty, and physical, and Nebraska showed resilience.
Consider the fourth quarter, after Archie Wilson punted on the third play. Northwestern went 80 yards on four plays, the fourth a 56-yard run by Caleb Komolafe. A two-point conversion tied the score at 21. Then, on Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage after, Dylan Riola threw an interception. The Wildcats had the ball at the Husker 34-yard line, the momentum, and a chance to take the lead.
Except four plays later, Javin Wright intercepted a Preston Stone pass — or more accurately caught a Stone pass. “I don’t know why he didn’t see me,” Wright said with a laugh.
The ball went right to him, on the 0 jersey, as if it were a target.
In any case, Raiola directed a 13-play, 64-yard touchdown drive, capped by Emmett Johnson’s 4-yard run. The drive included four third-down conversions, three of them third-and-7.
That gave the Huskers the points they needed for a sixth victory and bowl eligibility. But there was no bowl-eligibility celebration in the locker room. After last season’s Wisconsin victory to become bowl eligible they celebrated. And Matt Rhule told them they wouldn’t celebrate a sixth win again, Raiola said.
“The standard for this program has risen,” said Wright.
Which is why there was fan frustration following the loss to Minnesota a week ago Friday.
Ironically, perhaps, the score in that game was 7-6 at halftime, though Nebraska trailed rather than led, as it did Saturday. The point is, the Huskers showed resilience in the second half instead of fading. They didn’t collapse after Raiola’s interception. “We were in the same predicament,” Wright said.
But “we’re winners. We know how to win,” he said.
That applies to veterans, like him. This is Wright’s seventh season at Nebraska. And the veterans are teaching the young players. The Big Ten, “it’s always a fist fight,” said Wright. “It’s always a bar fight.”
The Huskers admittedly didn’t punch back against Minnesota, as they should have. That was among the recurrent themes of the week’s media availability, coaches included.
But they did Saturday. Raiola, who also lost a fumble at the Northwestern 24-yard line as time elapsed in the first half, showed resilience. Raiola “doesn’t care about the noise,” said Nyziah Hunter, who caught the Raiola touchdown pass to give the Huskers a 21-13 lead 7:39 at of the third quarter.
Raiola finished with 16-of-22 pass completions for 141 yards, with the touchdown and interception. He was sacked only once, after being sacked nine times by Minnesota, a tribute, in large part, to the offensive line, which was without an injured Gunnar Gottula and lost Teddy Prochazka to what appeared to be a serious injury. Prochazka received the game ball.
Rocco Spindler, who underwent surgery for a broken finger last Sunday, played the entire game.
This probably should have been mentioned sooner because it reflected a turning point in the second half, 13 seconds in. The Huskers’ Kenneth Williams returned the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
Johnson carried the load offensively, 27 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Nebraska had the ball only three times in the first half. Johnson finished off a nine-play, 69-yard touchdown drive with a 9-yard run, Kyle Cunanan missed a 44-yard field goal and Raiola lost the fumble.
The Huskers’ resilience is “just a testament to the continued growth of our team,” said Nickel Ceyair Wright, whom Rhule described as probably the best captain/leader he’s “seen in a long time.”
Nebraska is a “work in progress,” Rhule said. “We’re not perfect, but we are 6-2.”
And bowl eligible for a second-consecutive season, though no celebrating.
“Feels great to make a bowl, but college playoffs, that’s the next goal for us,” said Hunter.
Probably not this season.
