Instant Takes: Wisconsin: 35, Nebraska: 28

Here are three instant takes from Nebraska coming up short against Wisconsin 35-28.

After Wisconsin’s Stephan Bracey ran back the opening kickoff 91-yards to the house, Nebraska was playing catchup the entire game.

The Huskers responded with a touchdown in five plays to tie it up 7-7. Quarterback Adrian Martinez connected twice with wide receiver Samori Toure for a total of 69 yards on the drive.

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown toward the end of the first half. Nebraska attempted to strike back after getting into the red zone and being unable to score on 4th-and-1 as Martinez couldn’t connect with tight end Austin Allen in the endzone.

Nebraska’s defense forced a three-and-out that ended with a short field that the offense took advantage of as Toure catch a 4-yard touchdown pass and tied it up 14-14.

The Huskers found ways to catch up and tied it up, even later in the fourth quarter. But couldn’t get over the hump of leading. Even when they had the opportunity as the time ticked down.

Nebraska’s offense let Braelon Allen, a freshman stud, cut loose on two plays and the 17-year-old turned both big mistakes into points.

In the fourth quarter, safety Myles Farmer missed an open-field tackle and Allen ran it in for a 53-yard touchdown.

Allen finished with 22 carries and 228 yards. Take out those two touchdown runs and he would have had 94 yards.

The other big play that changed the game was the 91-yard kickoff return by Bracey.

Frost and Co. continually say Nebraska is just a few plays away from turning the corner and winning. Take away those three plays that gave up a total of 21 points, this game could have looked very different.

Plus, the Huskers left points on the board as they were in the red zone and couldn’t convert. Despite all this, Nebraska had the opportunity to win in the final seconds and still came up short.

Right tackle Bryce Benhart was called for a holding penalty when Nebraska was in scoring position to tie and/or win the game. The Huskers’ momentum was crushed by a 1st-and-20 situation.

Martinez had four pass opportunities to connect with a receiver in the end zone. He went for Toure three times and then Zavier Betts on the final play.

The quarterback constantly had pressure in his face on those last four plays. He had to make snap decisions and throws with extreme pressure. Wisconsin rushed Martinez knowing Nebraska’s offensive line couldn’t handle it.

This is not making an excuse for Martinez. He had four plays to make something happen and there was potentially a pass interference on the last pass to Betts. As a fourth-year quarterback with a lot of experience in close games, Martinez needs to find a way to get the job done.

This could be the first time that Nebraska’s offense had the ball in their hands with the ability to make the game-tying/win score within the last few seconds this season. And just like all the other times, Nebraska could not live up to the big moment.