Numbers don’t lie. Except when they do.
As they did in Nebraska’s 13-10 loss to Iowa Friday night in Iowa City. Seriously, a 13-10 loss on a field goal as time elapsed. Sound familiar? The same thing happened a year ago — same score, field goal as time elapsed. The only difference, last season’s field goal was 38 yards, this season’s 53.
Those numbers don’t lie. But these do. The Huskers had 20 first downs, Iowa five. The Huskers had 334 yards of offense, Iowa 164 including 72 on a screen pass to Kaleb Johnson, who ran through three tackles on his way to the Hawkeyes’ touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Johnson went into the game ranked second nationally in rushing yards, behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. Johnson managed 45 yards on 17 carries.
Nebraska’s time of possession was 39:01, the Hawkeyes’ 20:59.
Lying numbers all. They should’ve translated into victory.
As with the score, here’s another that doesn’t lie. The Huskers fumbled five times, losing two.
The first lost fumble, by Vincent Shavers Jr. trying to field a punt, was recovered at the Nebraska 4-yard line, resulting in Iowa’s first field goal. The second lost fumble, by Dylan Raiola, was recovered at the Nebraska 36-yard line, with 20 seconds remaining, setting up the game-winner.
Are you still with me, despite the frustration of the Huskers’ sixth loss?
In some ways, the game was a tale of two halves. Nebraska scored its points in the first half, Iowa its points in the second — the best of times, the worst of times to quote Charles Dickens.
“I thought the defense played excellent except for that one play,” Coach Matt Rhule said, referring to Johnson’s 72-yard touchdown and “three guys,” would-be tacklers, bouncing off him.
“They just needed one big play,” said defensive end Ty Robinson. “I kind of take responsibility on that, just because I came in trying to kill the guy and accidentally hit DeShon [Singleton] off of him, instead of just trying to reach out and tackle him. So I take that on me.
“But one play doesn’t define us. We went back out there and did our thing. There’s going to be ups and downs every game. You’ve got to learn how to ride the wave of highs and lows.”
Learn to ride the wave of highs and lows, and “we’ve just gotta get better,” Rhule said. During his post-game session with reporters afterward, he referred to the need to get better a half-dozen times.
Wide receiver Jahmal Banks also mentioned getting better. “At the end of the day, it’s still football,” he said. “For the people that are going to be with us, we’re going to give everything we have.
“And, uh, yeah, just keep going.”
Yes, the Huskers are bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.
“I think we made a lot of progress from game one to now, just on both sides … defense, offense, special teams,” said Raiola, who was 22-of-32 for 190 yards passing but was sacked four times and fumbled one other time in the fourth quarter, recovering it.
“I couldn’t be more proud, and I think losing this game doesn’t do justice to see all the success and the strides we’ve made as a team,” Raiola said. “But that’s what it is right now.”
As Rhule said, except for the one play, the defense played well. Taken that way, the numbers don’t lie.
“I’m really proud of how my guys came out and played today,” Robinson said. “I told them before we went out there, there’s no other place I’d rather be, [than] with this group of guys. And I think we went out there and we did our thing.”
Except for Iowa’s 10-point fourth quarter, of course.
“Our goal all season was to have a fourth-quarter shutout every game, and lo and behold, it came back to bite us in our ass,” said Robinson.
Four of the Huskers’ five other losses this season were by one score, though not three points. That occurred last season in Lincoln — against Iowa, same final score as time elapsed.
