Nebraska and Rutgers Play the Ugliest Game Since Broncos – Colts the Night Before and Huskers Win 14-13

Interesting pregame tidbits

Mood check

First Quarter

The Huskers kick off – touchback. Noah Vedral will take the field for the Scarlet Knights.

Vedral launched a bomb over Malcolm Hartzog early and connected to get to the Husker 40 in short order. Rutgers looks good in the early going and the Nebraska defense…does not.

Noah Vedral scampers 21 yards for the easy touchdown.

Rutgers 7 Nebraska 0

Casey Thompson trots out to the 27 yard line to lead the Husker offense onto the field. Vokolek and Grant move the sticks for a first down. That was as far as the drive went – punt.

After a penalty, Rutgers started inside their own 10 yard line.

The Husker defense made a decent effort, but the Scarlet Knights converted a third and two. A Rutgers offensive lineman is injured on the play but walks off limping.

Another deep bomb aimed at Hartzog is completed over midfield. The freshman is getting picked on early and often.

Brandon Moore replaces Hartzog. Rutgers is stopped there and punts. Husker ball (Oliver Martin fair catch) at the six yard line. Note: The previous starter at cornerback is Tommi Hill who has switched jersey numbers to #2. He can’t play defense if Caleb Tannor (also #2) is playing. He was mentioned as a special teamer only tonight.

After a Grant run, Thompson found Marcus Washington for a long gain. That was followed by an incomplete pass, and very short gain on the ground. Third and long…complete, but short of the sticks. Omar Manning (not involved in the catch) limps off the field.

Punt is blocked. First and goal Rutgers.

Well, at least we can reminisce about Indiana when other teams are playing in bowl games.

The defense forced a field goal attempt that is BARELY good (but it still counts).

Rutgers 10 Nebraska 0

Husker ball at the 34. Jaq Yant has entered the chat and peels off a nice run…then promptly false starts. Husker players do not seem to be able to stack good plays on top of each other.

The radio guys are saying that Brian Buschini is in the medical tent. A Big Ten team should never be without their punter.

Back to the game…or maybe we should ignore it. Interception thrown by Thompson.

Rutgers gets the ball on their 37 yard line.

The defense holds and Rutgers punts. Fair catch for Trey Palmer at the 20.

Thompson found Palmer for a long play, but Trey pushed off (after watching the replay, it looks like a pretty weak call). Half the distance…

The Huskers end the quarter with a false start (Boerkircher). #ComedyOfErrors

Maybe it should be #TragedyOfErrors

I’m not brave enough to ask the same question Adam is asking. Really, why tempt fate?

Second Quarter

If you are still watching this game, you deserve kudos.

First and 25. Grant gains two.

Second and 23. Grant loses one.

Third and 24. (I’m going to bet on another Anthony Grant run because Whipple wants no part of a possible interception). Aaaaaand….I’m wrong. Incomplete. Punt.

Good coverage by the Husker special teams unit (Isaac Gifford).

Three and out. Husker ball at the eight yard line.

Okay. Let’s see if the offense can move the ball in the right direction.

Vokolek for three. Vokolek for a first down.

On third and one, Mark Whipple dials up a handoff to Trey Palmer instead of pushing forward to gain the yard. Short. Punt. #SomeoneReallyDoesntTrustTheOffensiveLine

I looked away for a moment and Rutgers was in the red zone. #MissedTackles

The defense put up the stop sign and forced another field goal.

Rutgers 13 Nebraska 0

The Husker offense found some life and moved deeper into Rutgers territory than it has all night. The Scarlet Knights even called a timeout to regroup the defense.

The timeout worked. Interception. The flag was on Travis Vokolek. Rutgers takes over.

The Knights dial up a deep shot immediately and connect at the 35ish.

Third and nine….complete. Sigh. The Knights are at midfield. Rutgers penalties pushed the Knights back to a second and 30. These refs really like their offensive pass interference penalties. Two of the three (one on each team) have been pretty weak.

Third and 11. Vedral is sacked by Mathis. The Rutgers crowd is booing for some reason.

Casey Thompson is plastered on first down and is injured on the field.

Chubba Purdy enters the chat.

Rutgers will get the ball back with a minute left in the half.

The Rutgers drive got scary close (Malcolm Hartzog had a nice pass breakup) and on fourth and 19, Rutgers had to choose between a 58 yard field goal and the Hail Mary against a reeling Husker team. He chose the field goal. No good.

Rutgers 13 Nebraska 0

I refuse to report any halftime notes or tweets. This game deserves as few words as possible. #LetUsForgetAndMoveOn

Okay, maybe one tweet.

Third Quarter

Woooo! Tommi Hill made a decent-ish return on the kickoff. Rutgers commits a big penalty when Thompson throws a deep ball. Anthony Grant then laid out a defender (I hope that player is okay) on a run.

Nebraska converted a fourth down within field goal range to move into the red zone. That is territory they have rarely seen tonight. What appeared to be a great catch by Washington was overruled on review.

Third and seven. TREY PALMER!! First and goal.

VOKOLEK TOUCHDOWN!!!!!! We can haz points!!!

Rutgers 13 Nebraska 7

ONSIDE KICK TIME!!!! (/ducks and runs)

Luke Reimers and the Nebraska defense pick up their offense by forcing a punt. The Huskers did okay, but a great catch by Palmer was ruled short of the sticks (I thought forward progress was a thing, but it apparently is not). Punt.

BRANDON MOORE INTERCEPTION!!!

Whipple dials up a deep throw and Washington appeared to reel in the catch, but it was overturned on review.

Third and seven. Thompson to Washington first down!! Brewington first down!!

Joseph decides to go for it on fourth and one. Incomplete.

This (below). So. Much. This.

Fourth Quarter

Rutgers is called for an OPI…HAHAHAHA! #ThisIsGettingRidiculous. But the Nebraska fan celebration was short lived as they notched a first down on the next play.

Rutgers punted. Touchback (that was the first one for the Scarlet Knight punt in forever according to Twitter).

Nebraska moved the ball a bit, but the drive stalled at the Husker 40.

A gimpy Buschini punted short and Rutgers took over at the…I don’t really care. This is bad football.

^Yep, bad football.

MYLES FARMER WITH THE ITERCEPTION!!

I know we bag on play calls. We bag on effort at times. We bag on…

I CAN’T FINISH THE SENTENCE BECAUSE THOMPSON LAUNCHES ONE TO PALMER AND WE HAVE A SECOND TOUCHDOWN!!!

Nebraska 14 Rutgers 13

Not a bad endorsement (see below)

Rutgers offensive series was short as Feist feasted on Vedral and forced a punt. Husker ball at the 11.

Nebraska’s first two offensive plays went for very little and they faced a third and six… and he found Vokolek for a first down!! (Travis was injured on the play).

With 4 ¹⁄₂ minutes left, the Huskers want to bleed clock and move the ball.

Or they can face a three and 11…and Rutgers has to call a timeout for some weird reason. Maybe we aren’t the only team with coaching dysfunction???

Nebraska’s third down pass was very short of the sticks. BUT OTHER TEAMS ARE ALSO UNDISCIPLINED and Rutgers is called for unsportsmanlike conduct and gifts Nebraska a first down.

Old people like me will remember a movie called “Kramer vs Kramer”. This game reminds me of Nebraska vs Nebraska.

Third and 17 with under two minutes left (Rutgers has no timeouts left)…Grant gains seven.

Nebraska’s battered punter needs to be on point here…

Scarlet Knight ball at their 19 yard line with one minute to play.

Crucial call…

HARTZOG INTERCEPTION GAME OVER!!!!

It is great to see the freshman who was picked on early in the game grow up and decide the game.

If you watched this game to the end, you deserve…ALOT. I don’t have alot to give you, but you deserve it. From someone.

No one [should be] is under the illusion that Nebraska is a good team. But we will ride these bad wins as long as we can. They are way better than bad losses.

Final. Nebraska ONE MORE POINT THAN RUTGERS

I’m not sure how to feel about the tweet above, but I embedded it for a reason. Frost’s Huskers never seemed to give up, but they made stupid mistakes at bad times. Mickey Joseph’s Huskers play equally bad football, but find a way to win [so far].

This season is going to suck all around and this division-leading illusion will end soon. But, let’s enjoy the ride.

#GBR

ShoutOuts

Casey Thompson and Brian Buschini were both battered in this game and continued to play despite of that. #Kudos