10-22-24
FIRST, AND ONLY
With 10:53 remaining in the third quarter, Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde scored his second touchdown from 1 yard out—the first had come early in the second quarter on a 63-yard run—to give the Buckeyes at 27-6 lead over No. 14 Nebraska, much to the chagrin of 85,426 at Memorial Stadium.
More specifically, in the rain at Memorial Stadium, October 8, 2011.
Three-and-a-half minutes later, Husker linebacker Lavonte David stripped the ball from Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller and recovered it at the Buckeye 23-yard. The largest comeback in Nebraska history was underway. “That was a game-changing play,” said Husker Coach Bo Pelini.
“That was a huge play in the football game.”
On second down, quarterback Taylor Martinez ran 18 yards for a touchdown. Brett Maher, who had kicked field goals of 50 and 34 yards in the first half, added the extra point.
Ohio State 27, Nebraska 13. The Huskers were rejuvenated.
“We knew we had to come back,” Martinez said. “Our offense, we knew we had to step up.”
With 1:44 remaining in the third quarter, Martinez hooked up with Quincy Enunwa on a 36-yard touchdown pass. Then, midway through the third quarter, Martinez and Burkhead teamed up on a 30-yard touchdown pass. With 7:35 remaining in the game, the score was tied at 27.
Just over 2 minutes later, Burkhead dropped the dagger, a 17-yard touchdown run.
Stanley Jean-Baptiste set up the touchdown with an interception. Baptiste, who had been a receiver, was making his first appearance at cornerback.
David finished with a team-high 12 tackles.
The Huskers won 34-27; the largest comeback was complete. And Nebraska had won its first Big Ten game. The week before, the Huskers had lost their Big Ten opener at Wisconsin, 48-17.
The victory also was Nebraska’s first against Ohio State, which had won the previous five meetings. The Huskers have since gone 0-4 against the Buckeyes, so 1-9 all-time.
But this is about a game of celebration. Pelini, an Ohio State grad, was asked where the victory ranked in his career. “I’ve been a part of some great ones,” he said. “That one’s up there.”
It was a double-hundred performance for Burkhead and Martinez. Burkhead rushed for 114 yards and the touchdown on 26 carries—96 of the rushing yards came in the fourth quarter—andcaught four passes in addition to the touchdown. Martinez carried 17 times for 102 yards and the touchdown and completed 16-of-22 for 191 yards and the two touchdowns.
Ohio State entered the game 3-2 under interim coach Luke Fickell. Jim Tressel, whose success from 2001 to 2010 included a national championship and six Big Ten championships, had resigned after the previous season because an NCAA investigation into improper benefits.
Fickell had been the defensive coordinator and would resume that job in 2012, under Urban Meyer.
“I’m proud of our football team. I’m proud of the character on our team,” said Pelini. “They just kept fighting. We’ve got a lot to fix. We’ve got a lot of areas we can get better in.”
The Huskers would win four of their remaining six games to finish the regular season 9-3, but would lose to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl, 30-13, and finish ranked No. 24.
Mike Babcock
