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Rapid Reaction: Adrian Martinez, Nebraska offense is unstoppable as Scott Frost gets first win
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Nebraska finally cashed in. The streak is over.
The Huskers took an early 28-0 lead against Minnesota and was able to hang on despite a second half surge from the Gophers, posting their first win of the Scott Frost era. The victory ends a 10-game losing streak and gives Nebraska its first victory of the season and in the B1G.
It wasn’t a “gimme,” either. Nebraska beat a Minnesota team that took Ohio State to the wire a week ago. And it dominated from start to finish.
Nebraska racked up 664 yards of total offense and totaled 371 yards on the ground on the way to a 53-28 win over the Gophers on Saturday. Devine Ozigbo rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Adrian Martinez threw for 276 yards and three scores while completing 25-of-29 passes.
The freshman quarterback also added 125 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
We’ve seen the offense perform at this level before. In games against Purdue and Northwestern, the Huskers were firing on all cylinders, but penalties and poor defense were costly.
Not this week.
Nebraska had just five penalties for 28 yards. It had just one turnover in the game. The defense wasn’t great — allowing Minnesota to score 22 unanswered points to make things really close in the third quarter — but it played well enough to win.
Saturday’s win was far from perfect. There were still plenty of cringe-worthy moments, particularly on defense and special teams. At this point in the season, and after an 0-6 start, who really cares? Nebraska showed some resiliency, and that’s a sign of growth.
The Huskers could’ve folded after that 28-0 lead was cut to 28-22. And after blowing a 10-point lead to Northwestern late last week, that’s probably what most expected. Instead, Maurice Washington ripped off a 22-yard run and an 11-yard run on back-to-back plays. Then Martinez hooked up with Stanley Morgan Jr. on consecutive passes. The first was a six-yard reception. The second was a 35-yard touchdown completion.
It was the first time all season Nebraska has answered a call. When there’s been some fight from the opponent, the Huskers have struggled to punch back. That wasn’t the case against Minnesota.
Nebraska needed this win. The players needed to see the work pay off. Coaches needed to know improvements were being made. Fans needed to see the results.
Things finally came together for Frost and his crew. And it’s a sign of things to come in Lincoln.
It’s only one win. Sometimes, those are the most difficult to get.
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