 "Photo: Teresa Prince")
Things certainly didn't look promising for Nebraska.
Two fumbles and an interception were the results of the Cornhuskers' first three drives against Iowa State on Saturday.
Nebraska didn't turn the ball over on its fourth drive but was forced to punt on fourth-and-19 at its own 26-yard line. By the time the Husker offense stepped on the field again with 7 minutes, 37 seconds left in the second quarter, the Cyclones had a 10-0 lead.
"We had a couple turnovers and they put up some points on the board," NU senior cornerback Cortney Grixby said. "We just wanted to hold and keep our offense in the game. Once we went down 10-0, it was like we had to make something happen."
And the Huskers did, outscoring the Cyclones 35-7 after the early deficit to pick up a 35-17 win at Memorial Stadium - their first victory decided by more than three points since a 52-10 romp of Nevada in the season opener on Sept. 1.
"It was just a weird game, but we're finding out that we can thrive in different kinds of games," NU senior quarterback Sam Keller said.
It was weird - as Keller and NU Coach Bill Callahan both said during the postgame press conference - for many reasons:
• Nebraska's first touchdown late in the second quarter came on a trick play when junior I-back Marlon Lucky found senior tight end Sean Hill in the end zone for a 20-yard completion.
• NU junior fullback Thomas Lawson caught the first two touchdown passes of his career, marking the first time in school history a fullback has recorded two touchdown receptions in the same game.
• Despite losing by 18 points, Iowa State had 415 total yards of offense compared to Nebraska's 369.
• Iowa State's offense was on the field for almost twice as long (39:12) as Nebraska's offense (20:48).
"It was really weird," Keller said. "That's the longest I've spent on the sideline in any game I've ever been in. I've said before that games take on personalities and they take shape completely different from other games. I'm just so proud of our defense for how long they were on the field (and for) holding them to 17 points."
The Huskers' first touchdown came with 4:34 left before halftime when Lucky connected with Hill in the end zone. The Huskers began the scoring drive in good field position thanks to Grixby's 51-yard kickoff return into Cyclone territory.
Nebraska scored again on its next possession when Keller completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Lawson with 1:08 left to put the Huskers up 14-10 going into halftime. It concluded a 10-play, 82-yard scoring drive in which Keller completed passes to four different teammates.
"We felt good (going into halftime)," Grixby said. "We felt that we had momentum, and that's something that we wanted. It's like a pendulum … it goes back and forth. We got the momentum back, and we knew that our offense was on the verge of breaking it open."
The Huskers wasted no time building a cushion in the third quarter. Lucky broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run only 59 seconds into the third to build NU's advantage to 21-10.
The Cyclones (1-4, 0-1 Big 12 Conference) never got within 11 points the rest of the way.
NU senior linebacker Bo Ruud's 93-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter and Keller's 4-yard touchdown pass to Lawson late in the fourth capped scoring for the Huskers (4-1, 1-0 Big 12).
Keller finished 18-for-28 through the air with an interception for 219 yards, eight different Huskers had at least one reception, and Lucky once again led NU's rushing attack, gaining 107 yards on 16 carries.
Nothing too spectacular, but nonetheless a win in the Big 12 opener that Callahan said should build team confidence.
"We've got to get better," Callahan said. "That's the great thing about coming off a win like this. You take the positives, just like you do any game - win, lose or tie - and you take the positives and negatives and go back to work."
BENGOULDSMITH@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
