Huskers Fall Flat on Senior Day in First-Ever December Game at Memorial Stadium, Lose 24-17 to Minnesota

An historic day as Memorial Stadium hosted its first ever football game in December on Senior Day, but the day will be remembered for a lack of execution, inconsistency, and questionable play calling.

For the second time this season, Nebraska was a double-digit favorite at home following a win. Both times, Nebraska began with a disastrous first play. Against Illinois, it was what is officially a backward pass to the flat that resulted in a turnover. Against Minnesota Saturday, it was a backward pass to the flat that Wan’Dale Robinson was able to jump on for a loss of nine yards. This time no turnover, but a first drive three-and-out set up Minnesota on Nebraska’s side of the 50.

“You just can’t start games that way,” Nebraska coach Scott Frost said. “We try to execute something simple that we think is going to get positive yards for us on first down and you completed it 40 times in practice all week and it’s a little off.

“It’s a horrible way to start the game.”

Minnesota was giving up 6.8 yards a rush coming into the game in Lincoln. When asked about the offensive game plan and knowing how porous the Golden Gophers were to the run, Frost said he believed the game was prepped and called to give Nebraska the best chance to win.

“Every week we look at whatever plays we think give us the best chance to move the ball,” Frost said. “I think the guys were in good situations. At times we operated well. At other times we just didn’t execute very well.

“We got to make sure we play better than that and coach better than.”

A Golden Gopher punt pinned the Huskers at their own 4, where runs by Adrian Martinez and Dedrick Mills picked up a first down. As the chains moved, Luke McCaffrey ran in at quarterback. The redshirt freshman threw an incomplete pass then a tipped pass was intercepted.

Five plays later, on fourth and one, Minnesota scored on a 26 yard run by Mohamed Ibarhim, the top scoring running back in the Big Ten.

With Martinez back in at quarterback, Nebraska managed to push beyond the 40 but got stuck and needed to punt. Will Przystup was officially out today, so freshman Tyler Crawford got the call. His second punt of the day shanked off the side of his foot, netting eight yards and giving Minnesota the ball at the NU 49.

With the short field, Minnesota scored again, this time on a 30 yard field goal.

Then the Nebraska offense showed up. Robinson broke open a second down run for 47 yards to the Minnesota 20. Four plays later, Martinez hit Austin Allen wide open in the end zone to get the Huskers on the board.

Once again Minnesota drove the ball, eating up more than five minutes of clock, but coach PJ Fleck elected to go for it on four and eight. Casey Rogers got his mitts up at the line, forcing the turnover on downs.

Utilizing eight runs and 4-of-5 passing, Nebraska marched 73 yards for the Martinez rushing touchdown to go up 14-10. But that would be it for this offense executing, and a Cam Taylor-Britt targeting penalty to extend the drive for a Gopher touchdown swung the momentum to the visitors.

The targeting penalty was the second of the season for Taylor-Britt, and came as a surprise for the defense who didn’t believe the call was warranted.

“We weren’t expecting it and when it happened I just went over to him just let him know that we got his back no matter what,” senior cornerback Dicaprio Bootle said. “That’s forever and that’s always. A guy like him who put so much into the game and so passionate about the game that I’m sure that hurts him to have the game taken away from him.”

Neither team scored in the third quarter, where Nebraska missed a field goal and had a fumble lost at the end of the quarter. The fumble came after a Minnesota turnover on downs. Nebraska had rushed for 6.1 yards an attempt so far, but elected for three passing plays, resulting in two incomplete passes and Martinez getting hit and losing the ball on the third.

“In that situation in the game, first of all it wasn’t that windy on the field,” Frost said. “We talked about at the beginning of third quarter and we didn’t think the wind was really a factor in the passing game. In fact, we overthrew a couple with the wind, so we felt good about just calling our best stuff and you know we got down there in the third quarter and busted on one of our plays up front and then on a second and five and got a ball tipped on third.

“In hindsight, you maybe just run it a couple of times. “

Minnesota punched in a one yard touchdown nine plays later.

Trailing by 10 with 11:20 left in the game, and having scored 12 fourth quarter points this season, the Husker offense needed to execute. That didn’t happen, as Martinez completed just two passes in the fourth quarter while consistently missing open receivers downfield. The third year starter was an efficient 14-of-17 early in the third quarter, but went just 2-of-10 the rest of the way.

“I would say I definitely did not play my best game,” Martinez said. “I need to be more efficient and effective and I missed on a few throws that I’d love to have back that I think could have been big plays.”

Following a Nebraska punt, the Blackshirts forced their only three-and-out of the day, giving the offense a chance with the ball at midfield.

Seven plays later, Connor Culp lined up a 37 yard field goal. He made it, but Minnesota was offsides. Frost elected to accept the penalty, resulting in the first down, and removing the three points. A minute and a half later, the Husker offense stalled following an offensive holding penalty, meaning Culp was called on to kick the field goal, which he made.

That lost time would prove meaningful, because Nebraska never saw the ball again.

Minnesota was able to run out the clock for the 24-17 win.

The loss comes with more impact as Minnesota was without 33 players due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, according the the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Gophers were missing starting center John Michael Schmitz and left guard Axel Ruschmeyer, as well as multiple tight ends. Defensively, starting nose tackle Micah Dew-Treadway was out. Despite the shifting on both lines, Minnesota gave up zero sacks, getting to Martinez once.

While Nebraska had success in the first half running the ball, the Huskers ran it less in the second half while facing open boxes, electing to throw the ball as a team that has struggled with downfield passing all season.

“You can’t call however many pass plays we called and miss five and get sacked and get beaten in protection two or three times,” Frost said. “Those mistakes get you beat in this league.”

Martinez threw for 111 yards and a touchdown on the day, adding 15 runs for 94 yards.

Dedrick Mills was the top non-quarterback rusher for Nebraska, toting the ball 12 times for 50 yards.

Despite being constantly shadowed by the Minnesota defense, Robinson once again made his presence felt in multiple way, with six catches for 41 yards and eight runs for 49 yards.

The Champions Week matchups, locations, and times have yet to be released. That should be the final game for Nebraska in 2020, as a bowl game, even without win requirements, is unlikely.

Game Notes from Nebraska Athletics Communications Office

·Today’s game marked the first December game in Memorial Stadium history. Memorial Stadium opened in 1923.

·Quarterback Adrian Martinez completed 16-of-27 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He has completed 57-of-77 passes (74.0 percent) over the past three games.

·Martinez carried 15 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.  He increased his career rushing total to 1,619, moving to seventh on the Nebraska quarterback rushing chart. Martinez passed Scott Frost (1,533) in today’s game.

·Martinez posted 207 yards of total offense and is eight yards away from becoming the fourth Husker to record 7,000 yards of total offense in a Nebraska career.