Ad Disclosure
Rapid Reaction: Nebraska keeps bowl hopes alive with blowout win over Maryland
Published:
Final score: Nebraska 54 Maryland 7
Brief recap: In order to keep bowl hopes alive, Nebraska needed to leave College Park with a victory. That’s exactly what happened. Despite the recent struggles with the Huskers, losing their last four games, they caught a struggling Maryland team at just the right time. Nebraska jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way. The defense forced three turnovers and completely shut down Maryland’s passing game. Meanwhile, Adrian Martinez accounted for nearly 300 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns in the win. The game was over by halftime, with Nebraska taking a 34-0 advantage into the locker room. The added points in the second half were nothing more than insurance.
Key moment: On its first offensive possession of the game, Maryland running back Javon Leake fumbled the football and it was recovered by Marquel Dismuke, giving Nebraska the ball in scoring territory. Two plays later, Dedrick Mills punched it in from six yards out, giving the Huskers the early advantage.
Key stat: Maryland’s entire offense was abysmal against Nebraska. The Terrapins picked up just seven first downs and totaled a meager 206 yards of offense with four turnovers. Those are all equally bad.
Key player: Martinez looked pretty darn good against a suspect Maryland defense. He threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for an additional 94 yards and a score in the victory. The sophomore quarterback has struggled this season, so this kind of performance should boost his confidence.
What it means for Maryland: There’s only one game left in this season that started with so much hope. All that’s left to play for against Michigan State next week is pride and maybe a little confidence heading into the offseason before the program starts its second year of the Mike Locksley era.
What it means for Nebraska: The last game of the season has significant meaning. Not only do the Huskers host rival Iowa, they have a chance to guarantee a spot in the postseason with a win over the Hawkeyes. That only adds to the level of intrigue for the Black Friday showdown. Nebraska hasn’t played well for the last month, so closing on a high note with wins over Maryland and Iowa, and earning a bowl bid, could be just the spark this program needs.
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