The Northwest Missouri State University football team fell to Pittsburg State, 20-10, on Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, Kan.
– Northwest falls to 8-1 on the year while the Gorillas improve to 5-4.
– The Bearcats out-gained the Gorillas, 265-236, in total yardage.
– Pittsburg State had 11 first downs and were just 3-of-16 on third down conversions.

Key Northwest Defensive Statistics
– Northwest held the Gorillas to 100 yards of passing and 136 yards rushing.
– Anthony Lane had a team-high eight tackles.
– Bobby Gruenloh had a sack, finishing the day with five tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.
– Jarrod Bishop had seven tackles and an assisted sack.
– Nick Hess added seven tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss.
– Punter Matt Thorman had three punts for 124 yards. He averaged 41.3 yards per kick with a long of 51 yards. He landed one inside the 20.
– The Bearcats held the Gorillas to a three-and-out early in the fourth quarter. Pitt State lined up to punt at the Northwest 40. Blake Bayer was able to get a hand on the kick and Northwest recovered at the 42 yard line.
– In the fourth quarter, Northwest was forced to punt from its own 47. Thorman’s punt was fielded a the two yard line and Najeem Hosein forced a fumble that Austen Eskew recovered at the Gorilla 14 yard line.

Key Northwest Offensive Statistics
– Shawn Bane caught five passes for 67 yards.
– Shane Williams had four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
– Chase White had five carries for 31 yards on the ground.
– Brody McMahon carried the ball 10 times for 29 yards.
– Zach Martin threw for 187 yards and a touchdown.

Northwest Scoring Drives
– On Pittsburg State’s first possession, the Gorillas went for it on fourth down and denied by the Bearcat defense. Northwest took over on the Pitt State 35 yard line. On third down, Martin found Jordan Bishop for a five yard first down, moving the chains to the 24 yard line. On the next play, Martin found Williams for a 24 yard strike to make it 7-0 Bearcats after the made PAT.

– After the Northwest defense held the Gorilla offense to a seven yard drive to begin the second half, Pitt State hit a five-yard punt to give the Bearcats great field position at the 33 yard line. Northwest would get the ball up to the Gorilla 23 yard line before Brett Garner hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Pittsburg State with 11 minutes to play in the third quarter.

Up Next
– Northwest returns home for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 1:30 p.m. against Fort Hays State University at Bearcat Stadium.

— Northwest Athletics —

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Tanner Lee threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Morgan Jr. with 14 seconds left Saturday night to rally Nebraska for a season-saving 25-24 victory at Purdue.

Lee capped the best night of his career with two TD passes in the final 11 1/2 minutes to erase a 12-point deficit.

“We didn’t play perfectly at all, but the kids never blinked,” Cornhuskers coach Mike Riley said. “Neither did the coaches, they kept at it.”

Nebraska snapped a two-game losing streak just barely.

But it was way better than the alternative.

With the Cornhuskers (4-4, 3-2 Big Ten) on the verge of their first three-game skid since 2008, they took over with 1:22 left, no timeouts and 70 yards from the end zone.

But Lee masterfully marched the Cornhuskers down field by taking advantage of the sideline and clock stoppages on first down plays, leaving just enough time to pull off the win.

Purdue (3-5, 1-4) only had time for a couple of plays and the game ended when Anthony Mahoungou stepped out of bounds near midfield as time expired.

The Boilermakers have lost three straight.

“Offensively, you can’t drop that many balls for big plays, you’re not going to win,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “Defensively, I thought we played hard, we tried to ride them down at the end and they wore down. They fought and battled hard but we came up short.”

Lee wound up 32 of 50 for 431 yards — all career bests. Morgan caught six passes for 112 yards on a night the Cornhuskers rushed for only 40 yards.

The problem: Lee’s late pass was the only Nebraska touchdown on six trips inside the red zone.

Purdue rushed for 199 yards as its struggling offense finally broke out of its funk. But quarterback David Blough couldn’t get the first down to close it out after Nebraska failed to convert on fourth-and-6 from the Purdue 15.

And the Boilermakers’ defense couldn’t come up with one last stop in the closing seconds.

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: It wasn’t easy and it sure didn’t go according to plan. But the Cornhuskers survived — and ultimately that’s all that really matters. Nebraska has moved within two victories of becoming bowl eligible.

Purdue: After an impressive start, the Boilermakers’ bowl hopes have taken a major hit. They need to win three of the last four. And while remaining schedule is manageable (home against Illinois, at Northwestern, at Iowa and home against Indiana), Saturday’s loss means there is no margin for error.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Hosts Northwestern on Nov. 4, a team it has beaten five times in the last six games.

Purdue: Will try to snap its losing streak when Illinois visits Ross-Ade Stadium on Nov. 4.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska football fans longing to recapture the Cornhuskers’ glorious past can be assured that the school’s new athletic director knows his history.

One of the first anecdotes Bill Moos told at his introductory news conference Sunday was about tuning into those classic Nebraska-Oklahoma games when he was growing up on a ranch in eastern Washington in the 1960s.

“Never missed one,” he said. “It’s a storied, storied athletic program and a very prestigious institution.”

Moos comes to Nebraska from Washington State, where he’s been athletic director since 2010. The 66-year-old agreed to a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $1 million, plus incentives. He’ll start his new job Oct. 23.

The university announced Moos’ hiring four weeks after the firing of Shawn Eichorst. Eichorst was let go the week after the Huskers lost to Northern Illinois at home. Moos was announced as his replacement less than 24 hours after Nebraska was routed 56-14 by Ohio State in Lincoln.

Moos’ first task will be to decide whether to retain coach Mike Riley, who was a surprise hire from Oregon State three years ago. Riley is 18-15 with the Cornhuskers but has lost eight of his last 13 games.

“Nebraska for years has been the hunted, and we’re not right now,” Moos said. “We need to get back into that position where everybody is putting Nebraska (in red) and circling it on the schedule. I believe that’s the Huskers’ rightful place, and we’re going to see what we can do to get back there.”

For seven years in the late 1990s and early 2000s Riley was head coach of the Beavers while Moos was athletic director at rival Oregon.

“I was surprised when he left to come here, but I thought he should do very, very well. I really haven’t talked to Mike much since he made that move,” Moos said. “As we speak right now, he’s my football coach and I’m going to support him. And (I) certainly hope for some victories here toward the latter part of the season, and I’m eager to sit down and visit with him.”

The 42-point loss to Ohio State was the Huskers’ most lopsided at home since 1949 and came after a 21-point defeat to Wisconsin. Moos said he watched the Ohio State game on television.

Riley told The Associated Press that Moos is “a great, great, great hire.”

“Just him, what he did at Oregon, what he’s done at Washington State. … You talk about a great fit, personality. People will just love him,” Riley said.

Asked if he liked it that he already is familiar with his new boss, Riley said, “Me personally, sure I do. I don’t know what that will mean.”

In a statement released later, Riley said, “I look forward to working with him in the near future and to talk about our vision for the Nebraska football program.”

University chancellor Ronnie Green said Moos was picked from a field that included several sitting athletic directors from Power Five conference schools.

“You look for the skills and acumen and the ability to deliver on that position,” Green said. “I want to emphasize, fit is extremely important here, even more so than perhaps a lot of other places. When we met Bill Moos and we talked to him, it was so apparent that the fit to Nebraska was right. I had a comment made to me that when you meet Bill and (his wife) Kendra, it’s almost like they’re Nebraskans who have lived somewhere else for all of their life and now are coming home.”

Before taking over at Washington State, Moos was athletic director at Oregon from 1995-2007. With Moos at the helm, the Ducks won 13 Pac-10 championships in six different sports. He previously was athletic director at Montana.

Moos has hired 11 head coaches at WSU, including football coach Mike Leach and men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent. Leach is 35-35 in six years in Pullman and is the only WSU coach to have led his team to three straight bowl games. The Cougars this season got off to their first 6-0 start since 2001 and were ranked in the top 10 before losing to California on Friday.

Moos also has overseen a $130 million football facilities makeover that included an addition to Martin Stadium. And he played a key role in helping the Pac-12 secure a 12-year, $3 billion television contract with Fox and ESPN.

According to the Seattle Times, Washington State finished the 2017 fiscal year with a $10.6 million deficit, the fourth straight year the athletic department has finished with more than a $10 million deficit.

“It’s always been my view professionally that when someone is looking at another job, another position, that they are either running away from something or running to something,” Moos said. “Believe me, I have nothing to run away from but wholeheartedly wanted to run to this job.”

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — J.T. Barrett passed for five touchdowns and ran for two others, and ninth-ranked Ohio State scored on its first eight possessions on its way to a 56-14 victory over Nebraska on Saturday night.

The Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) continued their dominant surge since their loss to Oklahoma last month, tying their school record with a fourth straight game of scoring 50-plus points, and now get a week off before their East Division showdown with third-ranked Penn State.

They rolled up 633 total yards and had 41 first downs while scoring the most points by a Nebraska conference opponent in Lincoln and most overall since Minnesota won 61-7 in 1945 when the Huskers were in the Big Six.

Barrett was 27 of 33 for a season-high 325 yards and rushed 10 times for 48 yards before giving way to backup Dwayne Haskins on the second series of the fourth quarter.

J.K. Dobbins ran for 106 yards on 12 carries, Mike Weber had 82 yards on 18 carries, and K.J. Hill caught seven balls for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

It was Ohio State’s second straight lopsided win over the Huskers. The Buckeyes won 62-3 in Columbus last year.

For Nebraska (3-4, 2-2), this beat-down followed a 21-point home loss to Wisconsin and turned up the heat on third-year coach Mike Riley another notch or two or three.

Ohio State went into the game as a 24-point favorite — Nebraska hadn’t been a bigger underdog at home since 1957 — and was up 35-0 at halftime on a blustery evening. A trickle of fans headed for the exits when it was 21-0, and many more were gone by the start of the second half in what undoubtedly was a referendum on Riley and his staff. The stadium was less than a quarter full early in the fourth quarter.

When the Huskers picked up their second first down of the game late in the second quarter, fans gave them a sarcastic cheer and many let go of their red balloons. Those balloons traditionally are launched when Nebraska scores its first touchdown. That didn’t come until the third quarter, after it was 42-0, when Tanner Lee and JD Spielman hooked up for a 77-yard catch-and-run.

Lee finished with 303 yards passing, and Spielman finished with a school-record 200 yards on 11 receptions.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: All you need to know about the Buckeyes’ offense right now: They’ve amassed more than 500 total yards in five straight games and Barrett has completed 99 of 137 passes (72 percent) with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions since the Oklahoma game. Oh, and the Buckeyes tied Nebraska for fourth place on the major-college all-time win list with 892.

Nebraska: The Huskers have lost four of their last six games, meaning they’ll have to win three of their last five to become bowl eligible. The good news is that except for a trip to Penn State next month, they play more comparable opponents the rest of the way.

UP NEXT

Ohio State hosts Penn State on Oct. 28

Nebraska plays at Purdue on Oct. 28.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Johnathan Taylor rushed for a season-high 249 yards and two touchdowns to lead a punishing ground game that helped ninth-ranked Wisconsin wear down Nebraska in the second half of a 38-17 win Saturday night.

The Badgers (5-0, 2-0) beat the Huskers (3-3, 2-1) for the fifth straight time and took sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West.

Taylor, who had his second 200-yard performance in five games, carried 25 times while recording the third-most rushing yards ever by a Nebraska opponent. His night was highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown run.

“I thought J.T. was special tonight,” Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. “Certainly the big run at the end of the first half, but he had some hard 7-, 8-yard runs. He’s continuing to get better.”

The Badgers went to the run almost exclusively on three straight scoring drives after Nebraska’s Aaron Williams returned an interception to tie it 17-all early in the third quarter.

They ran on eight of 10 plays while going 93 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, which Quintez Cephus scored on a 5-yard pass. Next time they ran on all 10 plays as they went 80 yards, with Taylor bulling in from the 2. After Stanley Morgan fumbled on the Huskers’ ensuing possession, they ran 10 times for 40 yards, with Bradrick Shaw scoring from the 1.

“We pinned them inside the 10, and it was a great opportunity for us, but they very mechanically, methodically and physically did what they do,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. “They controlled the ball on the ground.”

The Badgers ended Nebraska’s 20-game win streak in home night games since 2008.

Devine Ozigbo had 112 yards on 23 carries for the Huskers.

Wisconsin had a pick-six of its own when Chris Orr snagged a ball that glanced off intended receiver Ozigbo and returned it 78 yards on the game’s fifth play from scrimmage. It was the fourth pick-six thrown by Tanner Lee this season and his 10th interception.

The Huskers gouged the nation’s No. 4 defense for more than 300 yards in the first half but didn’t score until just before halftime. Lee and Stanley Morgan Jr. hooked up for an 80-yard catch-and-run, Nebraska’s longest pass play since 2014.

The Badgers were back up 17-7 after the first play of their next series, with Taylor going 75 yards untouched for Wisconsin’s longest play from scrimmage since 2014.

THE TAKEAWAY

Wisconsin: The Badgers still own the Huskers, having beaten them six out of seven times since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011.

Nebraska: The Huskers managed only 68 yards in the second half after amassing 313 in the first. The 21-point loss only increases the pressure on Riley.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin hosts Purdue and will go for its 12th straight win in the series.

Nebraska hosts No. 10 Ohio State, which beat the Huskers 62-3 last year.

— Associated Press —

Lincoln, Neb. – Dave Rimington, a native of Omaha and a two-time Husker All-American, will return to Lincoln as the University of Nebraska’s interim director of athletics, Chancellor Ronnie Green announced today.

Widely considered to be the greatest center in college football history, Rimington is president of the New York-based Boomer Esiason Foundation. He has agreed to take a leave of absence from the foundation to lead Nebraska Athletics on an interim basis. The appointment is scheduled for up to 60 days.

Rimington, who will begin the new role immediately, and Chancellor Green will hold a media availability from 1 to 1:20 p.m. today in West Memorial Stadium’s third-floor club area.

“I’m so pleased that we could count on Dave Rimington, who is a Husker through and through, to answer our call to lend his administrative expertise and unwavering support for Nebraska Athletics during this key time of transition,” Green said. “I am confident that Dave will provide exceptional leadership as we move forward in our search for a new, permanent director of athletics.”

The announcement follows the university’s Sept. 21 decision to end Shawn Eichorst’s employment as director of athletics.

“I am humbled and grateful to accept this responsibility,” Rimington said. “I look forward to working with the coaches, staff and student-athletes at Nebraska, which is a truly special place that has had a profound impact on my life and the lives of countless others.”

A four-year letter winner at Nebraska, Rimington is the only player to win the Outland Trophy in consecutive years – 1981 and 1982 – and is among the most decorated offensive linemen in college football history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of fame in 1997 and is one of just 17 Huskers to have his jersey retired.

The Omaha South graduate helped lead the Huskers to Big Eight titles in 1981 and 1982. He played seven years in the National Football League and joined the Boomer Esiason Foundation in 1993. In 2004, he was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

As president of the Boomer Esiason Foundation, Rimington has developed a variety of educational programs, scholarships and new-media initiatives that have directly benefited those affected by cystic fibrosis across the United States. Under Rimington’s leadership, the foundation has taken an innovative and active approach to education, awareness and fundraising strategies through new media and technology.

The Rimington Trophy, established in 2000 and awarded in Lincoln each year to honor the most outstanding center in college football, was named in his honor. He and his wife, Lisa, and four children live in New York City.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – An air of ”here we go again” hung over Memorial Stadium on Saturday when Rutgers’ Kiy Hester intercepted Tanner Lee early in the second half and ran 33 yards to the end zone to give the Scarlet Knights a three-point lead.

A week earlier here, Northern Illinois had two pick-sixes against Lee in one of Nebraska’s most humiliating losses in years.

When Lee trotted onto the field for the next series against the Scarlet Knights, he got booed, and the Cornhuskers went three-and-out.

But coach Mike Riley stuck with Lee for the possession after that, and the transfer from Tulane completed 6 of 8 passes during a 97-yard drive that produced the go-ahead touchdown in a 27-17 win.

Lee, who has thrown a nation-high nine interceptions, has been the fans’ whipping boy during a poor start to Riley’s third year in Lincoln. He didn’t pretend to not hear the boos.

”That was tough,” he said. ”I made a dumb play there, that’s for sure. I think the biggest thing was that we got the ball back inside our own 5 and we finished with a touchdown. That was the most important thing to us right there. We got it done.”

The Huskers (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten) pounded away at the Scarlet Knights and wore them down in the second half. Devine Ozigbo ran 24 times for 101 yards after having carried just twice in the first three games, and Mikale Wilbon added 78 yards.

It was a much-needed victory for Riley two days after the firing of athletic director Shawn Eichorst was announced. With Eichorst out, the focus has shifted to Riley and what he and his team must do the rest of the season for him to keep his job.

Riley got a handshake from university President Hank Bounds as he walked off the field. He appeared worn out at the postgame news conference, speaking a bit softer than usual.

”Winning games are hard,” Riley said. ”I would suppose after last week, that game was… These kids are happy right now. They know it was hard, they know they played well, and they knew a lot of new parts played an important role.”

The Huskers were missing top receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. to a neck injury, and a host of other players on both sides of the ball were out with injuries. Rutgers was without playmaker Janarion Grant, who missed the last eight games in 2016 because of a broken ankle and was hurt in the second quarter last week against Morgan State.

The Knights (1-3, 0-1), who have lost 15 straight Big Ten games, had leads of 7-0 and 10-7 in the first half before De’Mornay Pierson-El ran back a punt 63 yards to set up Wilbon’s 4-yard touchdown run that put the Huskers up 14-10 at half.

”We struggled to stop the run, especially in the second half,” Rutgers coach Chris Ash said. ”And we gave up the long punt return. When you do those things you’re going to struggle to win games. The second half we wore out, just the lack of depth on the defensive line.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Rutgers: The Knights turned in a game effort in a tough road environment a week after beating FCS Morgan State to end an 11-game losing streak. For a team lacking much offensive firepower, the absence of Grant was glaring.

Nebraska: The Huskers didn’t earn any style points, but any win is good right now for Riley. Nebraska put this one away by controlling the ball in the second half.

QB SWITCH?

Riley said he never considered taking Lee out and putting in Patrick O’Brien after the pick-six.

”Just by the fact that this is a three-point game, he’s played so much more, and we had a lot of faith that he would bring it back and he did,” Riley said. ”He made some real good throws after that. It had nothing to do with how we feel about Patrick, either. This guy (Lee) has been in the games and he sucked it up and made some throws.”

NICE CATCH

Rutgers’ Jerome Washington kept alive his team’s opening drive with a behind-the-back catch of Kyle Bolin’s third-and-9 pass. Washington started to drop the ball but somehow it ended up on his calves, with Washington reaching around to hold it there as he tumbled over. Seven plays later the Scarlet Knights scored.

TARGETING CALL

The Huskers, already missing Joshua Kalu, lost safety Aaron Williams when he was called for targeting on Rutgers’ first series. Williams initiated helmet-to-helmet contact after Hunter Hayek made a catch long the sideline.

UP NEXT

Rutgers hosts No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday.

Nebraska visits Illinois on Friday night.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska abruptly fired athletic director Shawn Eichorst on Thursday, citing a failure to improve the “on-field performance” by the Cornhuskers.

Chancellor Ronnie Green announced the move five days after the football team dropped to 1-2 for the second time in three years after an embarrassing 21-17 home loss to Northern Illinois.

Eichorst joined Nebraska in October 2012, and has about $1.7 million remaining on a contract that runs through June 2019.

“Shawn has led Nebraska athletics in many positive ways, but those efforts have not translated into on-field performance,” Green said. “Our fans and our student-athletes deserve leadership that drives the highest levels of competitiveness, as well as excellence across all facets of Husker athletics.”

Eichorst and football coach Mike Riley have been under increased scrutiny with the continued mediocrity of the program. Eichorst hired Riley away from Oregon State in 2014, replacing the successful but volatile Bo Pelini.

Riley is just 16-13 at Nebraska, a school that has won five national championships, went to bowl games every year from 1969-2003 but has not won a conference title since 1999. Since opening 2016 with seven straight wins, the Cornhuskers have lost six of nine, a stretch that included losses of 59 points to Ohio State and 30 points to Iowa.

Eichorst had quietly extended Riley’s contract by one year, through the 2020 season, and he was forced to do an about-face of sorts after first saying it would be better for players to play on the Saturday after Thanksgiving despite the program playing on Black Friday for 27 straight years.

“Winning can and often does happen in concert with well-run, quality college programs that work to ensure the success of the student,” Green said. “That’s our expectation. We take pride here in doing things right and doing the right thing, and that won’t change. This is not an either-or equation. We can and should win in that kind of environment.”

Green and President Hank Bounds dismissed Eichorst during a meeting Thursday and met with coaches to notify them.

“While I am deeply disappointed in the decision today, I am grateful for the wonderful years that my family and I have spent at Nebraska,” Eichorst said in a statement released by the school. “I am proud of how our student-athletes, coaches and staff represented this great university and state, and I am confident that the future is bright for Nebraska athletics.”

The university said it plans to appoint an interim athletic director to oversee day-to-day operations.

Green said the school will consult with stakeholders and people who have run successful college programs for guidance and perspective in the search for a new permanent athletic director.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Jordan Huff scored the winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Northern Illinois made two big defensive stops to finish a 21-17 upset of Nebraska on Saturday.

The Huskies (2-1) became the first team not in a Power 5 conference or major independent to win in Lincoln since Southern Mississippi knocked off the Cornhuskers in 2004.

Northern Illinois is now 4-1 against Big Ten teams under fifth-year coach Rod Carey.

Nebraska (1-2) had two chances with the ball after Northern Illinois went ahead with 8:52 left. But Mycial Allen broke up a pass on fourth-and-7, and Tanner Lee threw his third interception of the game, allowing the Huskies to go into victory formation with 1:36 left.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s one game,” Carey said. “We’ve been here before in a situation like this. We’re 2-1. That’s all it means. Are we going to enjoy it for 24 hours? You bet.”

The Huskies of the Mid-American Conference returned two interceptions for touchdowns to go up 14-0 before Nebraska found a semblance of offense. Lee was sacked three times and pressured on seven other occasions.

Nebraska, which had been 3-0 against MAC teams prior to Saturday, was held scoreless in the first half at home for the first time since 2007, and the Huskers were booed as they headed to the locker room.

The Huskers have lost two of their first three for the second time in three years under Mike Riley. They had a close call against Arkansas State in their opener, got blown out in the first half of a 42-35 loss at Oregon last week and now this.

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“We have to prove who we are,” Riley said. “We’ve been, I would say, inconsistent at best. That’s not even probably accurate. That’s been us, and I don’t like that. We’ve got to have a better identifying quality than being like we’ve been as a football team.”

On the Huskers’ opening possession, Shawun Lurry jumped in front of De’Mornay Pierson-El on a bubble screen for an interception and ran 87 yards untouched for NIU’s first score. Later in the first quarter, Jawuan Johnson caught a floater after Lee got hit by Drequan Brown and returned it 25 yards to make it 14-0.

“We feel like we can play with anyone, play ball no matter where we’re at, no matter where we go,” Lurry said.

Before the Huskers scored, they had five three-and-outs, another series messed up by penalties and a field goal blocked.

“We have to prove who we are,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. “We’ve been, I would say, inconsistent at best. That’s not even probably accurate. That’s been us, and I don’t like that.”

Nebraska finally broke through after Northern Illinois’ Jalen Embry muffed a punt at his own 24 and Lee ran in from the 2 to cut the Huskies’ lead to 14-7.

Drew Brown’s 36-yard field goal made it a four-point game entering the fourth quarter, and Lee reached the ball over the goal line to put the Huskers up 17-14. The Huskies then went 75 yards in six plays to take the lead for good.

THE TAKEAWAY

Northern Illinois: The Huskies came into Memorial Stadium confident they could win, and they capitalized on Nebraska’s inept offense in the first half. Add this win to the ones Northern Illinois has posted over Iowa, Purdue and Northwestern since 2013. Don’t sleep on the Huskies, who were picked third in the MAC West.

Nebraska: This one will smart. In addition to the boos, a good number of fans left at halftime and didn’t come back. This one wasn’t on Bob Diaco’s defense. Lee has thrown a national-high seven interceptions in three games.

2X PICK-SIX

Northern Illinois hasn’t returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a game in at least 10 years. The NIU sports information staff didn’t have access to records prior to that. Nebraska had two interceptions returned for a touchdown by Ohio State last season and by Colorado in 1967.

On Nebraska’s opening possession, Lurry jumped in front of Pierson-El on a bubble screen for an interception and ran 87 yards untouched for NIU’s first score.

“We had five days to watch film on them. They run a lot of bubbles, so something just told me to jump it and I just jumped it,” Lurry said. “Results happen.”

Later in the first quarter, Jawuan Johnson caught a floater after Lee got hit by Drequan Brown and returned it 25 yards to make it 14-0.

UP NEXT

Northern Illinois closes nonconference play with a trip to San Diego State.

Nebraska opens Big Ten play at home against Rutgers.

— Associated Press —

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns, and the Oregon Ducks spoiled Mike Riley’s homecoming with a 42-35 victory over Nebraska on Saturday.

Royce Freeman rushed for 153 yards and two scores while Charles Nelson caught eight passes for a career-high 117 yards as the Ducks handed first-year coach Willie Taggart his second straight win to open the season.

The Huskers (1-1) rallied from a 42-14 halftime deficit with three unanswered second-half touchdowns to close the gap, but ultimately fell short.

Tanner Lee finished with 252 yards passing and three touchdowns for Nebraska, but he was intercepted four times, including on the Huskers’ final drive. Tre Bryant ran for 107 yards and a score but had to be helped off the field because of an injury early in the fourth quarter.

Riley had two stints as coach at Oregon State between 1997 and 2014. Saturday was his first trip back to the state for a game since he took over as head coach of Nebraska two seasons ago.

Riley grew up in Corvallis, some 50 miles north of Eugene, and played quarterback for Corvallis High School. His dad was an assistant at Oregon State.

During his time with the Beavers, Riley was 1-6 at Autzen Stadium in Civil War rivalry games. The only win was in 2007 when the Beavers beat the Ducks 38-31 in double overtime.

Autzen was certainly inhospitable to Riley in the first half on Saturday. The Ducks got off to a quick 14-0 start, scoring on their opening drive when Herbert hit Brenden Schooler with a 32-yard touchdown pass, and then some two minutes later when Herbert found Charles Nelson with an 8-yard scoring pass.

After De’Mornay Pierson-El’s stunning TD catch on Lee’s 23-yard pass narrowed it for Nebraska, Freeman ran for a 2-yard touchdown to put the Ducks up 21-7.

Bryant rushed for a Nebraska score before Freeman extended Oregon’s lead with a 1-yard TD dive. The Ducks’ running back, who decided to stay for his senior season after meeting with Taggart, rushed for 150 yards and four scores in Oregon’s 77-21 season-opening win over Southern Oregon last weekend.

The Ducks added a pair of touchdowns to go into the half with a 42-14 lead but Lee threw a pair of scoring passes, of 18 and 28 yards, to Stanley Morgan Jr. to close the gap in the second half. The rally energized the big travelling contingent of Husker fans.

Mikale Wilbon ran for a 2-yard touchdown with 2:47 left in the game for Nebraska. The Huskers’ next drive was thwarted when Lee was picked off by Ugochukwo Amadi.

Freshman Thomas Graham Jr. finished with two interceptions for the Ducks.

The Huskers were coming off a 43-36 victory over Arkansas State last Saturday. They went 9-4 last season, their second under Riley.

Taggart took over at Oregon in December after the Ducks went 4-8 last season and dismissed coach Mark Helfrich.

TAKEAWAYS

Nebraska: There was no immediate word about the severity of Bryant’s injury. Trainers were looking at his right knee on the sidelines after it occurred. … The Huskers were 23-8 against Pac-12 foes going into the game. … The game completes the home-and-home series against Oregon. Last season Nebraska beat the Ducks 35-32 in Lincoln.

Oregon: Receiver Charles Nelson surpassed 100 catches for his career at Oregon in the opening quarter. … It was Nelson’s second career game with more than 100 receiving yards.

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Nebraska: The Huskers host Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium next weekend.

Oregon: The Ducks visit Wyoming next weekend.

— Associated Press —