Rutgers University
1-3 , 0-1
Nebraska
2-2 , 1-0
Football Drops Big Ten Opener at Nebraska
Sep 23 | Football
Scarlet Knights force two interceptions in road loss
The Scarlet Knight defense held the Cornhuskers to just 109 yards passing. Junior defensive backs Blessuan Austin and Kiy Hester each had an interception, as Hester's went 33 yards for a pick-six to open the second half. Sophomore linebacker Trevor Morris led the unit with 13 tackles.
Fifth-year senior running back Gus Edwards produced 60 total yards of offense, including a touchdown run in the first quarter. Classmate quarterback Kyle Bolin completed 15 passes to eight different receivers in the contest and finished with 126 yards through the air.
RU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Edwards capped a game-opening 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown run to go up, 7-0, at 10:28 mark in the first quarter. Bolin was 5-of-7passing for 65 yards on the drive, as five different Scarlet Knights – Edwards, sophomore Dacoven Bailey, freshman Hunter Hayek, fifth-year senior Damon Mitchell and junior Jerome Washington – recorded a catch during the series.
Washington kept the opening drive alive with an acrobatic catch on third-and-nine, as the tight end hauled in a reception on the backside of his legs to keep the ball in play.
Tanner Lee responded for the Cornhuskers, as the quarterback rolled to his left and found JD Spielman for an 18-yard touchdown pass at the 6:52 mark in the quarter. The score would hold at 7-7 as both teams headed into the second quarter.
An interception by Austin to start the second quarter set up a 33-yard field goal by Andrew Harte. Harte's fourth field goal of the season gave RU a 10-7 lead with 10:20 left in the half. Nebraska would add another touchdown, courtesy of a four-yard scoring run by Mikale Wilbon, to make it 14-10 Cornhuskers at the half.
Rutgers outgained Nebraska, 136-126, and won the time of possession battle, 13:41-11:31, in the first half.
RU's defense continued to impress in the second half. Hester picked off Lee at the 14:07 mark in the third quarter, taking it 33 yards for the defensive touchdown. The Scarlet Knights' first defensive score of the season put Rutgers up, 17-14.
The sea-saw battle continued, with Lee orchestrating a 17-play, 91-yard scoring drive after the interception, which took eight minutes off the clock. Lee found De'Mornay Pierson-El for an eight-yard passing score to make it 21-17 Nebraska towards the end of the third quarter.
After a Bolin interception, Rutgers' defense held Nebraska to back-to-back field goals, with Drew Brown's 27-yard connection giving NU a 27-17 lead with 5:59 left to play. Nebraska's defense was able to keep the Scarlet Knights off the scoreboard to secure the win.
Rutgers returns to action Saturday, Sept. 30, when the Scarlet Knights host Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET in Piscataway. The game will broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Hester to the ??!@RFootball with another pick, and Kiy Hester had reservations for six: pic.twitter.com/YMze49W4k7
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 23, 2017
?????? in the radio booth = things are going well!
— IMG Audio (@IMGAudio) September 23, 2017
LISTEN to @ChrisCarlin on the call for this @RFootball #PICKSIX: https://t.co/5UVWycx6Si
Sticky fingers! @BlessuanAustin with the nifty pick on this Tanner Lee pass, and it leads to an @RFootball field goal: pic.twitter.com/fQ0jZkx4x4
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 23, 2017
No hands required.https://t.co/T4FRUHsG1u
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 23, 2017
?? @RFootball CATCH OF THE YEAR ?? pic.twitter.com/UPOui4bvph
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 23, 2017
All aboard the Gus Bus! ??@RFootball's Gus Edwards rumbles into the end zone to give the Scarlet Knights an early lead: pic.twitter.com/YfgX6Z3hoj
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) September 23, 2017
Team Stats
RU 7, NEB 0
RU - Edwards, Gus 2 yd run (Harte, Andrew kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:32
RU 7, NEB 7
NEB - JD Spielman 18 yd pass from Tanner Lee (Drew Brown kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:30
RU 10, NEB 7
RU - Harte, Andrew 33 yd field goal 6 plays, 28 yards, TOP 2:21
RU 10, NEB 14
NEB - Mikale Wilbon 4 yd run (Drew Brown kick), 1 plays, 4 yards, TOP 0:05
RU 17, NEB 14
RU - Hester, Kiy 33 yd interception (Harte, Andrew kick)
RU 17, NEB 21
NEB - D. Pierson-El 8 yd pass from Tanner Lee (Drew Brown kick) 17 plays, 97 yards, TOP 8:10
RU 17, NEB 24
NEB - Drew Brown 32 yd field goal 5 plays, 22 yards, TOP 1:18
RU 17, NEB 27
NEB - Drew Brown 27 yd field goal 12 plays, 50 yards, TOP 7:16
