Ad Disclosure
Final score: Oregon 42 Nebraska 35
Quick recap
Credit Nebraska. Even when the Huskers were down 42-14 at the half, they didn’t give up. They pulled within a touchdown in the second half and had a chance to tie the game. But 28 points was too much to overcome.
Tanner Lee had a bad outing, completing just 19-of-41 attempts and throwing four interceptions. Nebraska converted on just 2-of-14 third down attempts. The offense really didn’t get moving until the second half, and by then it was too late.
Nebraska didn’t play well enough to win on the road. Digging a 28-point hole doesn’t make life any easier. It was a pretty forgettable performance for the Huskers, but at least they made a game of it in the final two quarters.
Key play: Tanner Lee throws interception with two minutes left
Any of the four interceptions could fit this category, but the final one was the dagger. With the momentum of scoring 21 unanswered points and an opportunity to tie, it looked like Nebraska had a legitimate shot to make things chaotic in Eugene.
On the first play of the final possession, Lee’s pass was tipped and intercepted, ending any hopes of a major come-from-behind victory.
Stat of the game: Oregon’s 409 first half yards
Yeah, when you surrender that much real estate in one half, your chances of winning are extremely limited.
There were plenty of other factors in this game, but Nebraska’s defense just gave up too much yardage and too many points in the first two quarters. Obviously the turnovers didn’t help, but the defense really fell short and couldn’t get Oregon off the field.
What it means
Nebraska is actually probably about as far along as anticipated. This is still a young team that will continue to progress and develop throughout the season.
Nobody pegged the Huskers as a B1G contender this year and not many expected this team to be as good as last year’s group. The fact that they worked their way back into a one-sided game is a promising sign, but there’s a lot of improvement that’s needed on both sides of the ball.
Saturday’s loss also proved that Bob Diaco isn’t a magician and him simply arriving on campus doesn’t automatically turn Nebraska’s defense into a top 25 unit.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB