A very lackluster start to the game, a Pritchett false start at the one and a seemingly jittery offense had the huskers off to a slow start. Nebraska picked up steam in the 2nd quarter scoring 13 unanswered points. Looking like Nebraska was about to run away with it as both offense and defense seemed to be catching stride, the half ended 13-3 with the Huskers having the advantage.
Starting the second half the Huskers got away with a dropped pick 6 before Cincinnati took advantage of the undersized Husker defensive line. As Nwaneri and Davis looked very good, they still couldn’t stop the run game of Cincinnati as they topped off the drive with a quarterback scramble for a touchdown.
Up till this point Emmett Johnson found comfort behind a much improved offensive line. Lacking plays that stretched the field, relying on short dump passes and rushes, it was slow moving down the field. Nebraska at one point towards the beginning of the fourth quarter had ran over 60 plays on offense while Cincinnati had just over 30 plays on offense, but Nebraska’s inability to finish drives kept the game close.
After a long drive that includes a Bonner injury, the Huskers went for it on a 4th and 3 to score a touchdown and take a 20-10 lead. At this point both transfer receivers in Hunter and Key showed Husker fans why they were so highly sought after in the portal.
After a needed Husker touchdown, Cincinnati had an immediate long drive powered by a strong run game ending in a Sorsby touchdown to bring it to a 21-17 game. Huskers still on top. Emmett Johnson looked strong on the following drive, breaking 100 yards rushing.
After showing a fan on TV whose shirt read “we almost always almost win” Nebraska’s drive came to an end after a Cincinnati sack on Raiola. Archie Wilson, living up to the hype pinned the Bearcats inside the 10 yard line for the 2nd time in the game. A Cincinnati drive falls short as Hartzog comes away with an interception in the endzone and Huskers take home a hard fought win.
Not taking downfield shots to stretch the field is going to hurt the Huskers this year. A small defensive line that is not complimented by a solid blitz game is going to hurt the Huskers worse as the season progresses. Jacory Barner was underutilized dramatically in this game and the lack of explosive plays looked more like a Satterfield offense than a Holgerson offense. The Huskers came away with a win in an underwhelming performance. It definitely looked like a season opener. As the Huskers prepare for Akron next week, this was tougher game than most of Husker nation expected as Nebraska wins 20 to 17.