Tomey, San Jose shows solid effort despite loss

Carl Ihenacho never looked at the scoreboard.

Neither did the defensive end's San Jose State teammates. Their coach, Dick Tomey, had warned them enough that points can be deceiving.

The scoreboard factually correct read Cornhuskers 14, Spartans 12 with 12:17 to go in the final period. What it failed to show was SJSU's statistical stronghold on the contest; the fact they'd bested NU offensively and were containing the Huskers' own potent attack.

Following a 27-yard field goal that brought San Jose State within two, Nebraska sophomore Niles Paul ran the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

It was the beginning of a 21-point fourth-quarter barrage that culminated in a 35-12 Nebraska win and the end of the Spartans' upset bid.

"We just need to cover the damn kickoff," Tomey said. "We cover kickoffs great and they gashed us. I have no idea what happened."

The San Jose State coach said the Huskers got stronger as the final quarter wore on, complimenting their ability to make plays in the clutch.

Tomey said he appreciated his team's effort and the fact that it had a chance to win at the end.

But the result was ultimately disappointing.

"You have to give Nebraska some credit - they lift weights too, they work hard, they've got a great coaching staff," Tomey said.

"They historically haven't lost a lot of games here. But we thought we could come in here and win and we just weren't quite good enough to get it done or quite well-coached enough to get it done or whatever it is."

Still, San Jose State hardly resembled the easy win many anticipated.

The Spartans collected two sacks on Nebraska's opening drive of the game, including one for a seven-yard loss on the third play from scrimmage. It ultimately led to a quick Husker punt, which SJSU converted into a five-play touchdown drive.

Wide receiver Kevin Jurovich said the fast start was a settling feeling - particularly for playing in front of 84,146 people on the road.

"I know everybody believes they can win, but when you go down and have a drive like that and the defense holds them, that's great," Jurovich said.

"I thought we fed off that momentum for three quarters, but Nebraska got it back with that kickoff return and we couldn't get it back.

"Down the stretch, they played awesome."

Quarterback Kyle Reed led San Jose State offensively with 193 total yards, including a touchdown run. He left the game with a concussion early in the fourth quarter after absorbing a hit for a 12-yard loss.

The coach said one goal the team has for all opponents is to hold them to less than 100 yards rushing.

Mission accomplished, Ihenacho said, noting SJSU's mixture of pressure from its front four and linebackers were big in limiting Nebraska's ground total.

"I think we were just trying to be physical from the start," Ihenacho said. "I think we just had a lot of mental busts."

Tomey said he told his players after the game to be proud of their efforts. They were victim to the big plays - including an interception return for a Nebraska touchdown - but they hurt themselves with smaller mistakes, like two missed field goal tries and an errant extra point.

"We played an outstanding football program to a real tough game for a little more than three quarters," Tomey said.

"We need to look and see what we have to do to complete the job and how we can learn from what happened."

evanbland@dailynebraskan.com