Most probably didn’t feel it, but this game was over when the Ducks made it 14-9 – a three and out was on deck, and the call for the defense to return to the field too exhausted to slow a winning Oregon drive.
It wasn’t too hard to diagram.
Aurich’s troops, after only allowing 90 yards through quarters, were suddenly porous allowing 69 yards on a staggering 17 plays eating up over half the 4th quarter. Nebraska had to make a couple of first downs at the very least to give the Blackshirts some rest, but stayed conservative. Isaiah Mozee unsurprisingly up the middle for 2 yards. A short pass to Jacory Barney was incomplete. And on 3rd and 8, another short pass out of the backfield to Mozee for a 5-yard loss.
All that was left to do was punt it to Oregon for the winning drive, although to his credit, Archie Wilson ran and the rugby’d a roller which went 60 yards to the Oregon 18. All it did was delay the inevitable. The gassed defense, which stuffed the run all night, was gashed repeatedly on the ground especially on 3rd and 4th downs.
The Ducks won the 4th quarter 11-0 and 151-34 in yardage as the Huskers headed to the locker room very much in need of a bye week to ponder two straight 4th quarter letdowns with great chances for signature wins. And as painful as it was to see Dylan Raiola come in to lead those drives, it wasn’t like he was the night’s hero by completing 11-18 passes for 59 yards – Dan Lanning was not letting him throw downfield. In the end, another offensive shutdown just left the D out there far too long at crunch time.
(MORE TO COME)
