Costly mistakes earn Huskers first loss

It was a game of crucial plays. Both teams were equals, but the decision on who would win came down to who could execute more effectively.

Unfortunately for NU fans, that team was Virginia Tech on Saturday.

The Hokies capitalized just enough on those "crucial plays" to escape with a 35-30 win. Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini did not shy from saying his team was flat-out beat on Saturday night.

"We didn't play well enough to win the football game," Pelini said. "We got beat. We got beat on both sides of the football. We got out-executed. We didn't coach well enough. We didn't play well enough."

The momentum fell VT's way early when a high snap to Dan Titchener forced him to jump for the ball. That gave VT's Stephan Virgil just enough time to come around the edge and block the NU punt through the back of the end zone for a safety.

The blocked punt seemed to deflate NU's spirits, and it showed on the next Husker offensive series. The very first play turned out to be a senior Joe Ganz interception to VT's Macho Harris, who returned the pick all the way down to the Husker five.

Three plays later, Tech had a nine-point lead before the Big Red could even blink.

"The pick I threw ended up being a turning point in the game," Ganz said. "I feel like I let the guys down, but we have another week to go out and fix it and correct it."

The blocked punt and interception sparked a VT team that went on a field goal kicking spree through a large chunk of time in the middle quarters of the game with no real crucial play deciding the game.

Then came the fourth quarter.

The Hokies were up 28-17 and had the ball. First play of the quarter was a run play. It was the same thing on the second play.

It became apparent that VT was trying to eliminate as much clock as they could. They got the ball near midfield with 7:52 left, but were forced to punt.

This time, the crucial play came from NU's senior receiver Nate Swift, as he took the punt 88 yards for a touchdown and brought NU within five points after a failed two-point conversion. VT then moved the ball just enough to get to midfield again but faced a pivotal third down with just over four minutes left in the game.

They needed four yards, but VT quarterback Tyrod Taylor only got two as he was shoved out of bounds to force a fourth down - or so many thought.

Junior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh hit Taylor a little late on the play, drawing a personal foul flag and more importantly a VT first down.

VT ended up punching in another touchdown to extend the lead just enough to fight off the Huskers, who still answered with another touchdown in less than a minute.

Had the game lasted another five minutes, NU might be on the other side of the outcome, but playing in a game like that still has its benefits for all included.

"It's definitely a tough game that kind of came down to the wire," Swift said. "I think it helps both ways whether you win or lose. We've had a lot of games in the Big 12 (Conference) where it comes down to making a field goal."

This Saturday Nebraska will host a highly-ranked Missouri team and search for a major upset.

The cards won't really change the next week when NU hits the road for first time all year to seek another upset in Lubbock, Texas, against Texas Tech.

Nebraska has hit its first speed bump in 2008, and players and coaches alike know it will be important to shore up all mistakes before the Tigers come into town.

"That's just the Big 12 - that's why we come here," Ganz said. "We know coming in that we'll be playing the best, and we can't wait. We're excited."

SPENCERSCHUBERT@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM