LINCOLN, Neb. — Emmett Johnson scored the tiebreaking touchdown on a 4-yard run with 2:44 left, and Nebraska ended Northwestern’s four-game winning streak with a 28-21 victory Saturday to become bowl-eligible for the second straight season.
The Cornhuskers (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) bounced back from a loss at Minnesota last week, but not before some anxious moments after they squandered a 15-point lead.
“Our guys showed tremendous resolve,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “Any time you had that third quarter we had and you let them back in the game, that could be ‘Here we go again.’ The first two years I was here, it would have been like that.”
Dylan Raiola converted four third-down passes on the winning 13-play, 64-yard drive that chewed 6:27 off the clock. The Wildcats (5-3, 3-2) turned the ball over on downs, and Nebraska ran out the clock.
“Today I thought was his best game as far as poise and presence,” Rhule said. “We went down and won the game on offense. That was a situational clinic, and it all starts with the quarterback.”
Johnson had a career-high 27 carries and finished with 124 yards as Nebraska leaned into the running game after Minnesota sacked Raiola nine times. Raiola was 16 of 22, his second-fewest attempts in 21 career games, for 141 yards.
The Huskers had led 21-6 midway through the third quarter after Kenneth Williams’ 95-yard kick return and Nyziah Hunter’s diving catch for a touchdown.
The Wildcats drove 78 yards to pull within 21-13 on Caleb Komolafe’s 4-yard run, and on their next possession Komolafe bounced to the outside and ran free for a 56-yard touchdown. Preston Stone threw to Hayden Eligon II under pressure for the 2-point conversion to make it 21-all.
Northwestern was in position to take the lead when Mac Uihlein picked off Raiola to set up the Wildcats at the Nebraska 34. But a holding penalty was followed by the Huskers getting the ball back when Stone threw an interception over the middle to waiting linebacker Javin Wright.
“What a swing of momentum and emotions there in the fourth quarter,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “We’re in a position to, worst-case scenario, go kick a field goal. But you go from going up a touchdown to all of a sudden you’re 10 yards back, you’re out of field-goal range and it ends up resulting in an interception. Then our defense has a chance to get off the field. They had multiple third-and-longs and we weren’t able to get off the field.”
Komolafe ran for 125 yards and the two TDs on 17 carries. Stone finished 15-for-29 for 159 with two interceptions.
Eleven of the last 14 meetings have been one-score games.
Rhule said that while he was happy to be bowl-eligible, he and his players aren’t satisfied. He remembered everyone in the locker room hugging after they beat Wisconsin last year to qualify for a bowl. It wasn’t even mentioned in the locker room after Saturday’s game.
He said the only excitement he sensed after the game came from his daughters.
“That’s all they really care about, vacations,” Rhule said.
The takeaway
Northwestern: The Wildcats’ rally was impressive, but they struggle to consistently produce offense against quality Big Ten defenses.
Nebraska: Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen came up with a good game plan to keep Raiola upright, feeding the ball to Johnson and calling more quick passes, especially in the first half.
Up next
- Northwestern: Visits USC on Nov. 7.
- Nebraska: Plays host to USC on Saturday.
