LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conditions weren’t optimal for Barret Pickering.

The Nebraska freshman had never kicked in the snow before, and the intensity was picking up as he was getting set to try a season-long 47-yard field goal with a swirling north wind at his back and a feel-like temperature of 15 degrees.

The ball off his foot started left and faded right — right between the goal posts for his third field goal of the fourth quarter and the go-ahead score in a 9-6 win over Michigan State on Saturday.

“We went out there like we do for any other kick,” the native of Birmingham, Alabama said. “We cleared off the ground to make sure we get a good ball off. Played a little bit of wind and hoped it would go in. It was a little cold out there. I’m not going to lie. It was a pretty strong wind out there. Not the easiest thing. The ground’s frozen.”

It was the first time the Cornhuskers had won a game without scoring a touchdown since a 3-0 victory over Kansas State in 1937, according to Nebraska sports information officials.

“Every week I’ve been coaching them there’s a little more fight. Today’s the most I’ve seen,” said first-year Huskers coach Scott Frost, whose team has won four of five after an 0-6 start. “That’s a hard game to win. Even harder to lose. Our guys had to keep grinding, and the defense had to keep coming up with stops.”

The Spartans (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) got field goals of 34 and 26 yards from Matt Coghlin but were unable to sustain offense against a Nebraska defense that has struggled most of the season.

Nebraska (4-7, 3-5) tied it at 6-all on Pickering field goals of 36 and 20 yards before he hit the winner with 5:13 left.

The Spartans lost their chance for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Matt Dotson dropped a pass in the back of the end zone, and they ended up settling for Coghlin’s second field goal.

Nebraska safety Antonio Reed came up big on two straight series to help set up the tying and winning field goals. He separated Rocky Lombardi from the ball with a jarring sack, and defensive lineman Damion Daniels recovered at the Michigan State 20. Next, Reed and Dedrick Young knocked the ball out of Dotson’s hands for an incomplete pass to force a punt. Nebraska ran six plays before Pickering connected for the third time.

“We had too many drops,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. “If you’ve got to point to one thing in the football game, it would be the dropped passes. I thought Lombardi played pretty well. At the end of the day, you’ve got to put the ball in the end zone in the red zone.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Michigan State: The injury-plagued Spartans are a mess offensively. They gained 289 total yards, but between dropped passes and big stops by the Nebraska defense, they couldn’t sustain any drives.

“I’m frustrated about points. There’s an execution factor here. You’ve got to score points. That’s all inclusive,” Dantonio said. “We’re playing good enough defense to win.”

Nebraska: The Huskers’ defense has given up a lot of yards and points this year, but they played their best game of the season.

“That’s what we’ve been searching for as a defense all year, a complete game,” linebacker Luke Gifford said. “We got the stops when we needed them, got a couple takeaways. It was huge.”

NUMBERS TO NOTE

Nebraska, which had gone over 450 total yards in seven straight games, generated just 248. Devine Ozigbo ran 18 times for 74 yards to become the first Nebraska player since 2014 to go over 1,000 for the season. … Stanley Morgan caught four passes to become the school’s career leader in receptions with 182. … Lombardi, starting in place of the injured Brian Lewerke for the second time in four games, completed just 15 of 41 passes. … MSU’s Connor Heyward rushed 21 times for 80 yards and caught five passes for 78.

FOLTZ-SADLER CEREMONY

Frost and Dantonio met at midfield with the parents of former punters Sam Foltz of Nebraska and Mike Sadler of Michigan State. The two died in a car accident in Wisconsin in July 2016. The coaches made a presentation to the families.

“I’d like to mention the Sadlers and the Foltzes. Today was about them,” Pickering said. “This is a game for them. And definitely I would like to thank my performance to Mike and Sam out there. It means a lot I go out there and represent them well.”

UP NEXT

Michigan State hosts Rutgers on Saturday.

Nebraska visits Iowa on Friday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — James Palmer overcame a cold start to score 29 points, Isaac Copeland Jr. had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Nebraska beat Seton Hall 80-57 on Wednesday night.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) ended a seven-game losing streak against opponents from the Big East with their dominant performance in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

The Pirates (1-1) made just 2 of 16 3-pointers and had just three assists against 14 turnovers.

Nebraska came out sharp in the second half and built its 33-27 halftime lead to 10 points on Copeland’s tip-in. Michael Nzei scored a quick six points to cut the lead in half, and the Pirates pulled as close as 44-42 after Nebraska was assessed a bench technical for its reaction to Isaiah Roby being called for his fourth foul.

The tech seemed to inspire the Huskers. Palmer opened a 9-2 spurt with a 3-pointer, and Thomas Allen finished it with a deep shot to make it 53-44. The lead went over 20 points when Roby threw down a lob from Glynn Watson Jr. for a dunk in the final 2 minutes.

Seton Hall’s Myles Powell, who tied his career high with 30 points against Wagner on Nov. 6, led the Pirates with 24 points.

Palmer, the Husker’s All-Big Ten guard a year ago, started 0 for 8 from the field. His first make came after Seton Hall pulled to 22-20. He hit a 3 from the top of the key, then released his frustration by pumping his right fist like he was spiking a football. A couple minutes later a trailing Palmer tipped in Nana Akenten’s miss on the fast break for his third straight basket and a 31-22 lead.

Powell was held scoreless over a 10-minute stretch in the first half, but he still was able to score 15 points before the break to keep the Huskers from pulling away early.

Watson added 14 points and eight assists for Nebraska. Nzei finished with 13 points and nine rebounds for Seton Hall.

BIG PICTURE

Seton Hall: The Pirates lost a senior class that combined for more than 5,000 points and three NCAA Tournament appearances. They are finding their way, and they’ll do it against an extremely challenging nonconference schedule.

Nebraska: The Huskers needed a more strenuous test, and got it, after beating Mississippi Valley State by 69 points and Southeastern Louisiana by 52.

UP NEXT

Seton Hall hosts Saint Louis on Saturday night.

Nebraska plays Missouri State on Monday night in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska running back Devine Ozigbo was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and quarterback Adrian Martinez was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

The weekly award is the first of Ozigbo’s career, while he became the first Husker to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week since Tommy Armstrong Jr. in 2016. Martinez was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight week and for the third time this season. Martinez is the eighth player in Big Ten history to take home three freshman-of-the-week awards, and he is the first quarterback to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times since Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett in 2014.

Ozigbo was recognized after he averaged 14.7 yards per carry in the Huskers’ 54-35 win over Illinois on Saturday. Ozigbo had 162 yards rushing on only 11 carries – his fourth Big Ten game with more than 150 rushing yards – and he scored a career-high three touchdowns. Ozigbo had touchdown runs of 60 and 66 yards for the two longest rushes of his career. He is just 42 yards shy of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. The Sachse, Texas, native leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally with 12 rushing touchdowns this season, and he also ranks fifth nationally in yards per carry (7.5) and is 21st in rushing yards (958).

Martinez directed a Husker offense that totaled more than 600 yards of offense against the Illini while scoring 54 points, the most points Nebraska has ever scored in a Big Ten Conference game. The Fresno, Calif., native accounted for 345 yards of total offense against Illinois, as he tied the school record with his sixth 300-yard total offense game this season. Martinez completed 24-of-34 passes for 290 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns. He also ran for 55 yards and one touchdown, tying his career high with four total touchdowns. Martinez, who moved into the top 10 on Nebraska’s season passing yards and total offense lists on Saturday, ranks second nationally among FBS freshmen in total offensive yards per game (305.2) and is third among all freshmen in passing yards per game (245.8). Among all FBS players, Martinez ranks 14th nationally in total offense, 17th in completion percentage (66.9) and 21st in points responsible for per game (15.1).

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska overwhelmed Southeastern Louisiana Sunday, taking control of the game with a 22-0 first-half run and never letting the Lions make any kind of a comeback.  Nebraska won the game 87-35.

That pleased coach Tim Miles, as did a similar effort Tuesday when the Huskers downed Mississippi Valley State by 69.

“What I like about the team is they were able to play with the mentality and show the versatility to defend the right way,” Miles said. “I think we’ve been okay defensively. We were really good until we got to 78 points on offense. Then we just stopped. But I think we’ve shown that mindset and that consistency. Certainly you want to see that.”

Nebraska (2-0) held Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) scoreless for 8:41 in the first half run. The Lions missed 10-straight shots and turned the ball over nine times during that stretch, which began when Nebraska switched its defenses — playing zone as well as man-to-man and putting on a full-court press.

“I think it really helped us,’ Miles said of the defensive switching. ” We had 16-straight stops in the first half. The press and the zone were part of that. … I thought it really helped tonight, to keep Southeast Louisiana off balance. After the first 3 1/2, 4 minutes, we stopped them in man or zone or press. It was all good for us.”

The Huskers went up 10 on Glynn Watson, Jr.’s layup with 12:20 left in the half and led 26-7 before the Lions scored to end the drought. The Nebraska lead went to 20 on Amir Harris’ layup that made the score 34-14. The Huskers took a 31-point lead on Brady Heiman’s dunk at the 2:02 mark and led by 36 at the half.

Nebraska led by as many as 53 in the second half.

The Huskers forced 25 turnovers, turning them into 33 points. Nebraska hit 17 of 22 free throws. The Lions were just 2 of 4 from the line. Nebraska dominated the paint as well outscoring the Southeastern Louisiana 42-22.

“Nebraska is a really tough team,” said Southeastern Louisiana coach Jay Ladner. “We could play them 100 times and we’re not going to beat them. Going back to last year, I thought it was a crime they didn’t get into the NCAA Tournament. They brought most of that team back this year, so we knew we had a tall order.”

James Palmer, Jr. led Nebraska with 17 points. Also scoring in double figures for Nebraska were Watson with 16 points, Isaac Copeland, Jr., 11 and Heiman, Isaiah Roby and Thomas Allen each scored 10.

Marlain Veal led Southeastern Louisiana with 10 points.

BIG PICTURE

Southeastern Louisiana struggled to score for the second time against a Power-5 conference opponent. The Lions shot just 29 percent in the first half against LSU Tuesday before finishing at 41 percent. They shot 25 percent in the first half against Nebraska and finished at 28 percent.

Nebraska has reached the 50-point mark in three halves it’s played this season. The Huskers scored 55 and 51 points against Mississippi Valley State Tuesday and 52 in the first half Sunday.

UP NEXT

Southeastern Louisiana travels to Lubbock, Texas Tuesday to face Texas Tech.

Nebraska hosts Seton Hall Wednesday in the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the ACC and Big Ten conferences.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s high-powered offense made Illinois pay for its many mistakes Saturday.

The Cornhuskers converted four of the Illini’s five turnovers into 24 points while pulling away for a 54-35 win, their third in four games after an 0-6 start.

“We got some good breaks today. We were probably due for some good breaks,” Nebraska first-year coach Scott Frost said. “They made a couple mistakes and got us some good situations. You can’t take advantage of those if you’re not doing the right thing.”

The Huskers (3-7, 2-5 Big Ten) did plenty right. Wearing alternate uniforms to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the Huskers rolled up 606 total yards on a raw afternoon when the wind chill dipped to 13 degrees. Illinois amassed 509 yards in the meeting of the Big Ten’s worst defenses.

“There early on in the game, watching our offense executing, man, it’s fun calling plays; it was a thing of beauty,” Frost said. “Those guys were executing everything we were calling.”

Adrian Martinez threw for 290 yards and accounted for four touchdowns and Devine Ozigbo ran for 162 yards and three scores.

Illinois (4-6, 2-5) had three turnovers in the first half — two muffed punts and a fumble by quarterback AJ Bush. Those led to 17 points for Nebraska, which led 38-21 at half.

Bush moved the Illini into Nebraska territory on the opening series of the second half but was intercepted when his pass went through Dominic Stampley’s hands into safety Aaron Williams’. The Huskers embarked on a 17-play, 82-yard drive that chewed nearly 8 minutes off the clock, with Ozigbo scoring his second touchdown for a 24-point lead.

“When you turn the ball over like that, it’s tough to win,” Illini coach Lovie Smith said. “When you continue to give up big runs on the defensive side of the football, run and pass, it’s tough duty. When you have a couple mishaps like we did in the special teams game against a team like this at home, it’s tough to win.”

Martinez was 24 of 34 and threw for three touchdowns, and he ran 13 times for 55 yards and a TD. His 345 yards of total offense pushed his season total to a school freshman-record 2,747.

Ozigbo broke a career-long 66-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and went 60 yards for another TD in the fourth.

Bush, playing against the school where he spent the first two years of his college career, threw for 126 yards but was intercepted twice. Nebraska couldn’t stop Bush as a runner, though. He rushed for a school quarterback-record 187 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.

“It’s cool, but I didn’t get the most important stat I wanted,” Bush said. “You ball out, but LeBron scores 60 and they lose. It’s like that.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Illinois: Five turnovers can’t be overcome when the defense has no answer for an offense that’s rolling like Nebraska’s. It was the second straight week the Illini have had three or more turnovers and third time in four games.

Nebraska: The Huskers have scored at least 30 points in five straight games, including four straight in conference play for the first time since 2001, and have gone over 450 yards of total offense in seven straight games for the first time in program history. They’re averaging 537.9 yards over those seven games.

“I firmly believe we can move the ball on anybody,” Ozigbo said, “and we should score every drive.”

NUMBERS TO NOTE

Ozigbo is 42 yards short of becoming the Huskers’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014. … Stanley Morgan Jr. caught eight passes for 131 yards and two TDs and moved to No. 2 on the school’s all-time receiving list behind Kenny Bell. … Illinois’ 383 rushing yards were its second-most this season behind the 430 against Minnesota last week.

CORBIN INJURED

The Illini’s Reggie Corbin, who ran for a career-high 213 yards against Minnesota, left with an injury in the middle of the second quarter. He ran nine times for 59 yards and caught one pass for 34 yards. He favored his right leg as he was helped off.

UP NEXT

Illinois hosts Iowa on Nov. 17.

Nebraska hosts Michigan State on Nov. 17.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Glynn Watson, Jr. scored 19 points to lead Nebraska, which led by as many as 72, over cold-shooting Mississippi Valley State 106-37 Tuesday.

The 67-point victory margin was Nebraska’s largest at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The 106 points were the most the Huskers have scored at the five-year-old arena and the 37 points the fewest scored by a Nebraska opponent there.

Nebraska held the outmanned Delta Devils to just one field goal in the game’s first 10 minutes, using a 21-3 run to take a 24-5 lead on Thorir Thorbjarnarson’s fast break layup with 11:01 left in the first half. The Huskers shot 63 percent in the game’s first 9 minutes.

Mississippi Valley State made only three field goals in the first half, shooting just nine percent over the long, athletic Huskers. The Delta Devils reached double digits in scoring at the 5:07 mark on a layup by Dante Scott, their last basket of the period. MVSU’s 13 points tied a Pinnacle Bank Arena record for the fewest points scored in a half.

The MVSU cold shooting continued in the second half, missing their first four shots as Nebraska went 8-0 and took a 63-13 on Palmer’s dunk with 17:39 left. The Delta Devils hit just 13 of 68 shots in the game, 19 percent, a Pinnacle Bank Arena opponent record low.

Also scoring in double figures for Nebraska were Nana Akenten with 18 points, James Palmer, Jr with 17 points and Isaac Copeland with 10 points. Jordan Evans led Mississippi Valley State with 12 points. Scott had 10 for the Delta Devils.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska won its 18th straight season opener and 28th straight home season opener. The Huskers last season-opening loss came at Oral Roberts in 1990.

The margin of victory was the second largest in Nebraska history. The largest was 74 in a game against Crete in 1907.

Mississippi Valley State returns three starters from last year’s 4-28 team, aiming to build around the 3-point shooting of seniors Scott and Evans.

UP NEXT

Nebraska hosts Southeastern Louisiana Sunday in the second game of the Lincoln regional round of the Hall of Fame Classic.

Mississippi Valley State will face Texas Tech in Lubbock Friday in the second of five consecutive road games to open the season.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With five minutes left in the game and Ohio State clinging to a six-point lead, J.K. Dobbins burst through a hole between center and right guard and rumbled untouched 42 yards for a touchdown and some breathing room.

The breakaway by the Buckeyes’ tailback was hugely satisfying for coach Urban Meyer, considering the running game has been absent for the past month, most notably in the inexplicable upset loss to Purdue two weeks ago. He harped on it with his team in the days afterward.

Dobbins ran for a season-high 163 yards and two more touchdowns as No. 8 Ohio State rallied in the second half and then weathered a late Nebraska score to win 36-31 on Saturday.

“It was great to get back to our old ways,” Dobbins said. “We knew what we could do.”

It wasn’t only Ohio State’s running game that showed up again. Its depleted and much-maligned defense — missing three starters in the secondary and prone to giving up big plays — staged a second-half stand.

Down 21-16 at half after the Huskers (2-7, 1-5 Big Ten) turned two Ohio State fumbles into touchdown drives, the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1, No. 10 CFP) rallied in the second half. They forced five straight punts and held Nebraska to a field-goal when a drive stalled at the 1.

“We had every chance to in the world to win that game,” Nebraska coach Scott Frost said.

After the field goal, Dobbins broke off his run to cap the next series. Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to JD Spielman to pull the Cornhuskers within five with 3 minutes left, but Dobbins pounded away for two first downs to run out the clock.

“The biggest thing is to get that darned bad taste out of your mouth from two weeks ago and win the game,” Meyer said. “It was a close game against a team that was hitting its stride now.”

HASKINS GRINDS IT OUT

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. didn’t have a great day, but he got the job done.

After nearly flawless performances early in the season put him in the Heisman Trophy conversation, he was 18 for 32 for 252 yards Saturday with a pair of touchdowns, including a 42-yard scoring toss to J.K. Dobbins in the first quarter . But he also fumbled twice and threw an interception.

“We cost ourselves with a couple of fumbles and a couple of miscommunications,” Haskins said.

His 18 completions gave him 242 for the year and broke the single-season school record of 240 set by J.T. Barrett last season.

HUSKERS RISING

For a team that lost six a row for its worst start in the program’s 129-year history, Nebraska’s improvement is astonishing.

Martinez is getting better every week and bested Haskins. He was 22 for 33 for 266 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 72 yards and two more scores.

Running back Devine Ozigbo ran for 86 yards and a score.

“A lot of things had to happen to get a team that would go toe-toe with a top-10 team,” Frost said. “Six weeks ago we went to Ann Arbor (Michigan) and played a team like that and we had no chance. We walked out of there with our tails between our legs. Now the guys are banding together and fighting and going blow-for-blow with a team like (Ohio State).”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The win won’t look impressive on paper, so Ohio State is unlikely to gain ground.

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: The Huskers are a different team than the one that started the season with a home loss to Troy and 46-point defeat at Michigan.

“We can play against any team in the country, and that includes Ohio State,” Martinez said, “This thing is taking off.”

Ohio State: The Buckeyes survived three turnovers while bouncing back from the stunning loss at Purdue. The running game and defense are showing signs of recovery for the stretch run.

UP NEXT:

Nebraska: hosts Illinois on Nov. 10.

Ohio State: visits Michigan State on Nov. 10.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska got what it wanted out of its game against Bethune-Cookman. The Cornhuskers won, nobody got hurt, and a lot of guys got to play.

Adrian Martinez passed for 213 yards and two touchdowns and Devine Ozigbo ran for 110 and another score — all in the first half — and Nebraska prepped for next week’s road game against Ohio State with a 45-9 win Saturday.

A month ago, Nebraska was in the middle of its 0-6 start and coming off a 46-point loss at Michigan. Last week’s win over Minnesota and the fast work they did against the Wildcats of the Football Championship Subdivision have lifted the Huskers’ spirits heading into their trip to the “Horseshoe” to face the 11th-ranked Buckeyes, who were off Saturday after losing at Purdue last week.

“I think we’re a more disciplined team, a more efficient team right now,” coach Scott Frost said. “Hopefully, with the last two wins, it will make us a more confident team. We’ve got to go on the road to a tough place to play a really good team that’s going to be ticked off and has had two weeks of practice since their last game that didn’t go well for them. We know what we’re in for. We’re going to get their best shot.”

The Cornhuskers (2-6) scheduled Bethune-Cookman (4-5) a month ago as a replacement for the Sept. 1 opener against Akron that was canceled because of severe weather. The Wildcats earned an $800,000 guarantee.

“I’m appreciative of them for coming, and I think it was great for both teams,” Frost said. “It was the type of game we needed. I’m sure the amount of money we’re paying for them to come up is something they needed. I think both teams came out of the game really healthy, which is what both coaches wanted. I think it was a win-win for everybody.”

Stanley Morgan caught seven passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns and JD Spielman ran back a punt 77 yards for a touchdown and had five receptions for 72 yards.

Nebraska’s offensive starters turned the game over to the backups to start the second half. Most of the regulars on defense played the first two B-C possessions of the third quarter. A total of 74 players got on the field for the Huskers.

Bethune-Cookman started David Israel at quarterback in place of Akevious Williams, who left last week’s game against North Carolina A&T with a knee injury. Israel was 12 of 27 for 196 yards and two interceptions. Jabari Dunham led the Wildcats’ 10-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that Alfred Adams finished with a 5-yard run as time expired.

“We’re definitely appreciative of the opportunity to have a chance to come to Nebraska and play in a historic venue such as Memorial Stadium and play a program like Nebraska,” B-C coach Terry Sims said. “I don’t think we played our best. But the outcome is what it is. We had some guys that left it on the field today, played their hearts out.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Bethune-Cookman: The Wildcats showed some flashes against the Huskers’ top defense. Steffon Francois picked up 54 yards on a catch-and-run to set up Uriel Hernandez’s 28-yard field goal, and the Wildcats drove to the 8 and 14 against Nebraska’s starters on their first two series of the second half but couldn’t get into the end zone until the final play against reserves.

Nebraska: Martinez was hammered by Marquis Hendrix and got up slowly on the last of his 41 plays over seven series. Quarterback Noah Vedral, who transferred to Nebraska after backing up McKenzie Milton at Central Florida last year and was declared eligible Oct. 12, played in his first game and ran for a 20-yard touchdown.

STATS TO NOTE

Nebraska improved to 12-0 all-time against FCS opponents; Bethune-Cookman dropped to 2-10 against the FBS. … Spielman’s punt return for a touchdown was Nebraska’s first since De’Mornay Pierson-El ran one back against Iowa in 2014. … Ozigbo went over 100 yards for the fourth time in five games. … Martinez’s 1,656 passing yards are a Nebraska freshman record. … Peyton Newell had the Huskers’ first interception by a defensive lineman since 2013.

UP NEXT

Bethune-Cookman visits Morgan State on Nov. 3.

Nebraska visits No. 11 Ohio State on Nov. 3.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez was honored Monday as co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Martinez shined in Nebraska’s 53-28 victory over Minnesota, leading a Nebraska offense that put together its highest point total ever in a Big Ten Conference game. Martinez shared the honor with Purdue freshman receiver Rondale Moore.

Martinez completed 25-of-29 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for another 125 yards and a touchdown. Martinez’s 401 yards of total offense marked his third 400-yard total offense effort in the past four weeks and he has already tied the Nebraska career record for 400-yard games.

In the passing game, Martinez’s 25-of-29 effort against the Gophers set a Nebraska record for best completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts. The previous record was held by Dave Humm and stood for 44 years. The 86.2 percent completion percentage was also the best in the country this season for any quarterback with more than 25 pass attempts.

Martinez’s effort paced Nebraska to 659 yards of total offense, the Huskers’ most since the 2014 season opener against Florida Atlantic. It was Nebraska’s highest total offense output in a Big Ten Conference game and its most in any conference game since 2007 against Kansas State.

In addition to his Big Ten honor, Martinez was also honored by the College Football Performance Awards as the CFPA Co-National Performer of the Week.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bucket of sports drink having been just poured over his head, Scott Frost wrapped up a quick television interview near midfield and started sprinting off the field at Memorial Stadium.

Moments after the clock hit zeroes on a 53-28 victory over Minnesota Saturday, it was time for him to soak it all in.

As he ran through the end zone and entered the tunnel, Frost took off his cap and held it high to thank the fans who had waited seven games for the native son who won so many times as a player on this field to pick up his first win as coach.

“I just didn’t expect it to be in October,” Frost said. “But we’ve got as good a fans as there are in the country. They’re loyal. They’re supportive. Our kids appreciate it them. They’re fighting hard for them. Yeah, I almost teared up running off the field. That was a special moment.”

A week after squandering a late 10-point lead at Northwestern and losing in overtime, the Huskers (1-6, 1-4 Big Ten) scored on three of their first four possessions on their way to a 28-0 lead.

Minnesota (3-4, 0-4) made things interesting, though, scoring on three possessions in a row spanning the halves, with backup quarterback Tanner Morgan replacing Zack Annexstad to open the third quarter and leading two straight touchdown drives to pull the Gophers to 28-22.

“That’s how this whole year has been. We’re going to have to play well for four quarters,” Frost said. “We’re getting better every day. We’re still not so good we can sleep on a lead or not play our best. So proud of this team. They could have quit a long time ago. They could have shut it down. This team every week does more of what we ask them, does it better, keeps getting better. That was a pretty good show out there today.”

Barrett Pickering kicked a field goal between Adrian Martinez’s TD passes of 35 and 67 yards to Stanley Morgan Jr. to break things open again, and as the 365th home consecutive sellout crowd started sensing the long-awaited win, a chorus of “Go Big Red” chants began.

Nebraska rushed for 383 yards and totaled 659. Devine Ozigbo ran for 152 yards, Martinez for 125 and Maurice Washington for 109.

Martinez completed 25 of 29 passes adding up to 276 yards and three TDs. Stanley Morgan caught 10 balls for 163 yards, both career highs.

Tanner Morgan was 11 of 16 for 214 yards and Annexstad 9 of 20 for 135. Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said Annextad had to leave the game because of an internal injury in his midsection. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

“Congratulations to Coach Frost,” Fleck said. “It’s a big deal, everybody remembers your first. This team should be 5-1 or 4-2. We didn’t stop them tonight at all. We didn’t tackle well. We didn’t set an edge.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Minnesota: A quarterback controversy could be coming, if Annexstad is healthy enough to play next week. Tanner Morgan gave the Gophers a spark. The Minnesota defense had no answer for Martinez and Co., though.

Nebraska: The defense’s depth issue continues to show up in second halves. The Huskers seemed to tire for the second straight week. This team is much like Frost’s teams at Central Florida. It’s all about the offense.

HOLD OFF ON THE GATORADE

Frost said his Gatorade shower was “inappropriate,” hinting that such high jinx should be reserved for championships.

“First of all, it was cold. I took it like a man,” he said. “I saw it coming, but I’m glad the guys are so excited. They deserve to be excited. There’s going to be a day around here where we aren’t celebrating one win, and we’ll keep working toward it.”

CREATIVE PLAY CALLS

Frost, who calls the offensive plays, dialed up two Statue of Liberty plays, with Washington gaining 17 yards on the first. He also had Washington throw a halfback pass, but the ball fell short of tight end Austin Allen.

The Gophers used a flea-flicker on their second drive of the second half, with Tanner Morgan connecting with tight end Seth Green for 31 yards before Green took a snap out of the wildcat formation and ran in from 4 yards to cut it to 28-22.

IBRAHIM HELD IN CHECK

The Gophers were without running back Shannon Brooks, who was arrested last weekend on suspicion of misdemeanor assault for an altercation with his male roommate. Brooks, who was medically cleared to play after rehabbing an offseason knee injury, didn’t make the trip.

Mohamed Ibrahim, who ran for 157 yards against Ohio State on Oct. 13, was limited to 49 yards on 18 carries.

UP NEXT

Minnesota hosts Indiana on Oct. 26.

Nebraska hosts Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 27.

— Associated Press —