Grades: Minnesota 24, Nebraska 17 | Football

Defensive lineman Casey Rogers batted down a pass on fourth-and-8 deep in Huskers’ territory midway through the second quarter, igniting the Husker sideline. Rogers batted down another pass on a third-down play in the third quarter. Then, Pheldarius Payne got into the act, getting a hand on Morgan’s fourth-and-3 pass from NU’s 36 late in the third quarter. JoJo Domann had excellent coverage on a deep ball early in the second half. Morgan finished 17-for-30 for 181 yards and a TD.

Freshman Tyler Crawford, filling in for William Przystup, had some early issues as his second punt traveled only 8 yards, setting up Minnesota at Nebraska’s 49. Connor Culp missed wide right on a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter, just his second miss of the season in 14 attempts. On the bright side, Marquel Dismuke made a big hit in punt coverage in the game’s early stages, and Crawford gained redemption with a 44-yard punt into the wind late in the third quarter. He followed with a 61-yarder with the wind in the fourth period. 

Ethan Piper’s holding penalty (a very questionable call) erased Martinez’s 8-yard touchdown run as Nebraska tried to come back in the fourth quarter. The Huskers settled for a field goal. Taylor-Britt’s hands-to-the-face flag moved Minnesota into Nebraska territory on the Gophers’ opening possession, but the Blackshirts stiffened. His targeting penalty late in the first half obviously was a critical part of the game, in part because it sent arguably NU’s best defender to the bench.