11-19-24
SECOND-HALF REBOUND
Wisconsin led Nebraska 20-10 at halftime. The Huskers fumbled on three of their first four runs, including the first two, losing the second by Rex Burkhead, no less.
It was a rough first half for the then fifth-largest Memorial Stadium crowd of 86,962 to watch.
The date was September 29, 2012.
The outcome: Nebraska 30, Wisconsin 27.
After the Badgers scored on the second possession of the second half, a four-play, 13-yard touchdown “drive,” set up by a Taylor Martinez fumble, Nebraska took control.
One piece of evidence, Wisconsin rushed for a net of 12 yards on 18 carries in the second half. Another, as you can do the math, the Huskers outscored Wisconsin 20-7.
Martinez ran 38 yards for a touchdown and passed 10 yards to tight end Kyler Reed for another. Martinez passed 3 yards to Burkhead for a first-half touchdown.
Brett Maher, who kicked a 26-yard field goal and missed a 52-yarder in the first half, was successful on field goal kicks of 38 and 41 yards in the second half. The 41-yarder came with 9:41 remaining.
Maher’s third punt, a 32-yarder fair caught at the Badger 10-yard field, set up Wisconsin’s final possession. The Badgers reach their 49-yard line. On fourth-and-one, Montee Ball, who finished with 90 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, fumbled and Husker safety Harvey Jackson recovered.
“’Oh, please stop them.’ That’s what I was thinking. Please stop them. That simple,” Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis was quoted by the Lincoln Journal Star.
Nebraska killed the final 1:11 for the victory, its only victory against the Badgers as members of the Big Ten. The Huskers lost last season at Madison in overtime, 24-17.
The Blackshirts finished with 12 tackles for losses, including three sacks for 35 yards. Linebackers Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley led the way. Compton had 10 tackles and three tackles-for-loss, including a sack. Whaley had nine tackles, a sack and two tackles-for-loss and forced two fumbles, including the one Jackson recovered to cap the victory. Cornerback Josh Mitchell and safety Damion Stafford had eight tackles each. Stafford had the other sack.
The defensive line, including starters Eric Martin, Thaddeus Randle, Baker Steinkuhler and Cameron Meredith, kept the pressure on.
Martinez was Nebraska’s rushing leader, with 107 yards on 13 carries. Burkhead carried 18 times for 86 yards, and Ameer Abdullah rushed for 70 yards on 10 carries.
Abdullah also returned a kickoff 83 yards to set up Maher’s first-quarter field goal.
Martinez passed for 181 yards, though only a junior, moving past Jerry Tagge on Nebraska’s career-passing-yards list, with 4,779 yards. His 34 touchdown passes were tied for fifth. His career-rushing-yards, 2,137, moved to third all-time by Husker quarterbacks.
Nebraska finished with 440 yards of offense, including 297 in the second half. So the Huskers had at least 400 yards in total offense in all five games that season. It was also the fifth game in which Nebraska had rushed for at least 250 yards—the Huskers rushed for 259 against Wisconsin.
The game’s context included Tom Osborne’s recent announcement he was retiring as athletic director.
The Huskers would played Wisconsin again in 2012, in Indianapolis, the Big Ten Championship Game. The Badgers won the rematch . . . final score, need I say, 70-31.
Mike Babcock
