In Getting Pushed Around by Michigan, Nebraska Football Once Again Fails to Meet the Moment

by T.J. Birkel

Nebraska lost to Michigan 30-27 in another missed opportunity: playing a ranked, conference opponent at home on national TV. The sense of momentum in the program was palpable going into the game; the loss, and the disappointing way the Huskers got beat on both lines of scrimmage, have blunted that to some extent. The season is not lost by any stretch, but the Big Red will need to bounce back strong against Michigan State after the bye week. 

We cover this and much more in the Topline Takeaways. 

CHEERS TO THAT

Not Giving Up. Nebraska was down by 10 points at two different times in this game. After the Huskers didn’t get any points on their first two drives–failing to convert a 4th and short inside the 10 yard line on the first one, and missing a field goal on the second one–it felt like “here we go again” for the Big Red. That feeling was exacerbated when Michigan seized the momentum to take a 10-0 lead by the end of the 1st quarter. Nebraska battled back to tie it at 10-10 late in the 1st half, and then connected on a Hail Mary to tie it again right before halftime. 

I’m pretty salty about the loss (as will become obvious if you continue reading), but there is a lot of value in playing a game like this for Nebraska’ young team. My sense is that Michigan will be a 9 or 10 win team by the time the season is over; the Huskers went toe-to-toe with a very good team. Yes, the moral victories are getting very old, but the lessons from this game can translate into good things yet this season. 

Pass Defense. Nebraska’s pass defense was stellar again, holding 5 star quarterback Bryce Underwood to just 105 yards passing. Yes, Underwood helped the Blackshirts’ cause with a few misfires, but…

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