Blackshirts Shine as Nebraska Tops Rutgers 14-7 on Homecoming

Lincoln, NE – Nebraska’s Blackshirt defense played a starring role in the Huskers’ 14-7 Homecoming victory over Rutgers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. In front of 87,464 fans and a national audience on FS1, the Blackshirts forced two turnovers and turned away several Scarlet Knight threats, securing the win and improving Nebraska’s record to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

Nebraska’s defense was relentless, recording four sacks, nine tackles for loss, and breaking up nine passes. They also forced a critical fumble recovery and grabbed two interceptions, courtesy of Marques Buford Jr. and Ceyair Wright. Isaac Gifford led the way with eight tackles, while James Williams added two sacks and multiple quarterback hurries.

The Huskers capitalized on their defensive stops with a pair of first-half touchdowns. Dante Dowdell opened the scoring with a one-yard run late in the first quarter, capping a 75-yard drive. Janiran Bonner added an 11-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, giving Nebraska a 14-0 halftime lead.

While Nebraska struggled offensively in the second half, managing just 55 total yards, punter Brian Buschini made a significant impact, including a game-changing 69-yard punt that flipped field position late in the game. Despite a fourth-quarter touchdown by Rutgers, the Blackshirts held strong, forcing an incomplete pass on 4th-and-10 to end the Scarlet Knights’ final drive.

Nebraska now heads into a bye week before resuming Big Ten action on the road against Indiana on Oct. 19.

Game Summary
Nebraska 14, Rutgers 7
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
Attendance: 87,464 (401st consecutive sellout)

Scoring Summary

First Quarter
NEB – Dante Dowdell 1-yard run (John Hohl kick), NEB 7-0

Second Quarter
NEB – Janiran Bonner 11-yard run (Hohl kick), NEB 14-0

Fourth Quarter
RUT – Ben Black 11-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis (Jai Patel kick), NEB 14-7