The last time Ndamukong Suh scored a touchdown was in high school.
After his long 49-yard interception return on Saturday, the 300-pound defensive tackle is probably still catching his breath.
So are Nebraska fans, undoubtedly.
After three quarters of football that more closely resembled a game of Clue - as in, who committed the latest penalty - the Cornhuskers are fortunate to be 2-0.
Yes, there were moments in this contest that induced flashbacks of the narrow win over Ball State last season. Local pessimists could foresee an embarrassing loss like the setback to Southern Miss in 2004.
Even the numbers don't lie - except in the final score.
San Jose State is a team Nebraska should have beaten handily. Instead, the outcome was in doubt into the fourth quarter.
Overall, the Spartans out-gained NU by 38 yards. SJSU totaled 353 offensive yards, while NU had 315. They had more red-zone chances and were more effective running the ball.
Thankfully, the home team still had some mojo on its side.
Until the early fourth quarter, Suh had accounted for nearly half of NU's 14 points with his interception return.
The other came off a nine-play drive that, while impressive, could have ended multiple times if not for some spectacular efforts from quarterback Joe Ganz.
Meanwhile, San Jose State had already missed an extra point and two field goals.
Fast forward to 12:17 in the final period. Nebraska has a two-point lead. The locals are restless, and players have plenty to think about.
It was a pressure situation.
NU sophomore Niles Paul, of course, would go on to do his best Devin Hester impression, racing down the left sideline for the Huskers' most clutch play of 2008.
And, as Spartan Coach Dick Tomey said afterward, that can take the wind right out of a team's proverbial sails.
There were two more Husker scores after Paul's touchdown. But, effectively, the game was over.
It was in the Spartans' body language and a Nebraska team with more talent was able to play loosely.
Don't count on a similar letdown from opponents in Big 12 Conference play. When the talent is on a level playing field, mistakes like penalties and turnovers are more costly.
If the Huskers have 14 points in the fourth quarter of a home game next month, the contest will probably already be decided.
As Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini is fond of saying, a win is a win. While that's true - and it's worth remembering Pelini is still a first-time head coach at a program in transition - warning signs abound.
There were red flags last year in narrow Husker wins against supposedly overmatched foes like Wake Forest and Ball State.
Then, the thought was that NU was looking ahead on its schedule, or maybe those performances were hiccups in a promising season.
As it turned out, that Nebraska team just wasn't very good.
The jury is still out on this year's edition. I'll say again that this team is still going through the learning curve of a new defensive system, and at least a slight adjustment on offense with Shawn Watson now calling plays.
Pelini is a first-year coach, and first-year coaches are supposed to go through first-year struggles.
So enjoy the win, Husker fans. Just realize things may still get hairier before Nebraska starts talking about national titles again.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
Evan Bland is a senior news-editorial and broadcasting major.
Reach him at evanbland@dailynebraskan.com
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