Nebraska vs. Maryland Recap: Huskers Defeat Terps 28-7 On Senior Day

First Quarter:

Maryland called Foltz on the toss and won, deciding to take the ball to start the game. DJ Moore started the game taking the Drew Brown kickoff to the 32 yard line. Max Bortenschlager started the drive getting a 1st down after two plays, a run and a pass. The 1st down got the ball to midfield, however the drive started to stall a bit. A Nebraska offsides on 3rd and 7 plus a completion gave them a new set of downs inside the Nebraska 40. The Terps got one more first down, but the drive stalled and 4th and 10 came abound. However, instead of punting or kicking the FG, Maryland ran a odd looking swinging gate play. The Huskers, however, were not fooled and the ball went to Nebraska on downs.

Nebraska started the drive with Ryker Fyfe at QB, and the opening play was Fyfe missing a open Cethan Carter on a cross. Two plays later, Fyfe threw a good ball to Jordan Westerkamp to get the first down & get to Maryland territory, but Westerkamp was injured on the play. Terrell Newby had a good run, plus a facemask put the ball for the first time in the red zone. Fyfe hits Bryan Reimers on a RPO slant to put it inside the 10. On the next play, Terrell Newby slams paydirt to make it 7-0 Nebraska with 9:42 in the quarter. 7 plays and 72 yards on the drive.

To note: Spencer Lindsay kicked the PAT after Drew Brown made the tackle and was injured on the opening kickoff.

Maryland got the ball back on the kickoff, and ran it out to the 19 yard line. Max completed a couple of passes, getting the first down to the 35 yard line. However the drive stalled, and Maryland punted. The Terps interfered with De’Mornay Pierson-El on the catch, so the Huskers got the ball on their 43 yard line.

Nebraska got their second drive off the ground with a Newby run & Fyfe to Brandon Reilly toss to get fairly into the Maryland side of the field. But a bad run and a incomplete made it 3rd and 11. Fyfe did hit Westerkamp with a 8 yard pass, but the Huskers faced 4th and 3. The offense stayed out on the field.... and ran a QB draw. That got the first down with Fyfe getting to the 5 yard line. Terrell Newby paid the drive off with a 5 yard scamper around the right side of the line to make it 14-0 Nebraska.

7 plays and 57 yards on the TD drive.

Maryland started their next drive on the 30 yard line, but a Aaron Williams sack on a slot blitz made it 3rd and 10, but Nebraska got caught in a blitz with a screen, and Maryland got the 1st near midfield. However, not much happened after that and the Terps was forced to punt from midfield. The punt was successful, pinning Nebraska inside their 5 yard line to start the next drive.

Nebraska’s drive started at their own 3 yard line. Two plays got it to 3rd and 1, where the quarter ended.

Second Quarter:

The quarter started with 3rd and 1, and Tre Bryant went left over the LT to get the Huskers near the 20 yard line. A jet look to Brandon Reilly got the ball out to the 30 yard line. Ryker hits Westerkamp with a deep 6 route to get the ball inside the Maryland 45, then Alonzo Moore on a RPO to get it to the 40. After a timeout, Fyfe hits Newby on a screen, but there was too much in the way to get the first down.

On 3rd and 2, Westerkamp hits a one-handed catch on a RPO screen to make the first down. A great run by Tre Bryant around the right end got the ball into the 12 yard line. However, after two runs and a sack by Maryland’s Shane Cockerille, Nebraska was forced to take the FG. Spencer Lindsay’s kick was blocked, however, and the ball went out of bounds. The Huskers only had 10 men on the field during the play.

Maryland took over on the 27 yard line, but nothing came from it and the Terps went 3 and out. The Terps ran a fake punt, however, and got a first down on a pick play, and the fact the Huskers couldn’t get more than 10 on the field for the punt according to the pressbox reports. Even with that, Maryland’s offense didn’t do much and they really punted this time! The Huskers got the ball back on their own 22 yard line.

Nebraska started the drive with a Newby outside zone run for 8 yards. After a loss by Fyfe on a rollout, 3rd and 3 has Fyfe to Reilly on the shallow cross. He wasn’t at the first down, but the tackle carried him to a new set of downs for Nebraska. A Newby run and a screen to Bryant got a first down. However, a Jerald Foster personal foul put the ball behind midfield again. A bad screen throw to Wilbon and a miscommunication with Stanley Morgan brought up 3rd and 10 from the Nebraska 45 yard line. Ryker Fyfe speed kicked in & he scrambled for 21 yards to take it to the Maryland 34 yard line.

A throwaway and a incompletion to Cethan Carter brought up another 3rd and 10, and Carter got atonement with a cross for 14 yards to the Maryland 20 yard line. The next play, Ryker got 1 on 1 with Brandon Reilly and a great throw almost got them the TD. The officials called DPI though, so it worked out well there too. With a minute to go in the half and Nebraska inside the 10 yard line, Fyfe got hit with a A gap blitz, but Rayvon Davis of Maryland interfered with Westerkamp inside the end zone, which put the ball on the 2 yard line. The next play, Fyfe hits Westerkamp with the hard slant into the end zone for the 3rd TD in the half for the Huskers.

16 plays, 78 yards on the drive for Nebraska to take a 21-0 lead with :17 left in the half.

The Huskers kicked off to Maryland who returned it to the 33 yard line. The one play drive, however, started with Freedom Akinmoladun sack, and the time hit 0:00 to end it. Thank him & Aaron Williams for your BOGO Big Mac’s tomorrow.

Halftime Notes:

--Nebraska honored 29 seniors before the start of today’s game, including 28 active members of the senior class and the late Sam Foltz.

--Ryker Fyfe made his second career start in today’s game. The start by Fyfe marks just the fourth game since late September of 2013 that Tommy Armstrong Jr. did not start at quarterback.

--Senior I-back Terrell Newby scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, matching his season high in touchdowns (also 2 vs. Illinois).

--Nebraska’s 14 first-quarter points were its second most of the 2016 season, and its most since opening a 17-0 lead after one quarter at Indiana.

--Nebraska held Maryland scoreless in the first half, marking the first opponent this season Nebraska has held scoreless in the first half.

--Senior receiver Jordan Westerkamp caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Westerkamp’s touchdown catch in the second quarter was his fifth of the season and the 18th of his career. Westerkamp now has 35 straight games with at least one reception, the second-longest streak in school history.

--Senior linebacker Josh Banderas made eight tackles in the first half, including a TFL, marking his sixth straight game with at least eight tackles. He has three double-figure tackle totals in that stretch.

Third Quarter:

The second half started with a Tre Bryant return out to the 27 yard line. The first drive of the half started with a Pierson-El jet for 7 yards, but a bad snap from Dylan Utter made it 3rd and 10. Maryland sent the house, and Fyfe had to throw it away, making Nebraska punt for the first time all day. Caleb Lightbourn didn’t get the best kick off, only putting it to the Maryland 45 yard line.

Maryland’s first drive of the half didn’t start well, with two plays getting negative yards. 3rd and 12 brought a blitz for Nebraska, and Freedom got sack #2 on the game. The Maryland punt was fielded by Pierson-El, and his return of 13 yards got the ball outside of the Nebraska 30.

Nebraska’s next drive started with a Newby run and continued with a couple Westerkamp RPO gains to get it to midfield. Another first down with a rollout pass from Fyfe to Stanley Morgan got the ball inside the Maryland 35 yard line. Two plays later, 3rd and 4 from the Maryland 29 yard line brought up a false start from Cole Conrad, making it 3rd and 9. Ryker hit Pierson-El in a tight window, and 15 fought to get the first down. Another 1st down came with Reilly helping out Ryker and hitting a comeback route to get inside the Maryland 15. After a Nebraska timeout, Newby stayed patient and got the ball inside the Terps 2 yard line. The next play gave Terrell his third TD of the day.

14 plays, 69 nice yards on the drive made it 28-0 Nebraska with 3:30 to go in the quarter.

Maryland started the next drive on their 25 yard line, but a incomplete pass & fumbled snap quickly made it go south, with a flush out tackle of Max by Antonio Reed put it 3 and out. The Maryland punt gave Nebraska the ball back at their own 35 yard line.

Nebraska started the drive with a 12 yard run by Tre Bryant, and then a Reilly RPO toss to get across midfield. Two rushing snaps took it to the end of the quarter.

Fourth Quarter:

The first play of the final quarter, a 3rd and 8, was a incomplete slant from Fyfe to Reilly. Nebraska punted into the end zone, and Maryland started on their own 20.

Maryland started the drive with a couple pass plays, but on 3rd and 3 Laverne Jacobs dropped a pass from Max, so Maryland had to punt one more time. Pierson-El got the ball back for Nebraska on the Huskers 35 yard line.

Nebraska started with a run to Newby, but a missed catch by Brandon Reilly on a good effort. The play was reviewed... and the play stands, making it 3rd and 9. A tunnel screen going to Pierson-El went incomplete brought up another punt by Lightbourn. The punt was good! Brad Simpson went down and tackled Teldrick Morgan inside the Terps 10 yard line.

Maryland’s turn was amplified with a DJ Moore catch from Max that turned into a really long, 91 yard TD toss. A personal foul after the play was assessed on the kickoff. 2 plays and 92 yards for Maryland makes it 28-7 Maryland.

Nebraska started the drive with the penalty yardage help at their 37 yard line. But, with three bad plays, kicked the ball back to Maryland once again. This punt was alright as well, getting the ball to the Maryland 11 yard line.

Terps started the drive with a Max scramble for 3, then a drop and an incompletion brought out the punter once again. Wade Lees sent it to Pierson-El, who made the fair catch near midfield.

Nebraska’s next drive started with a little bit of ineptitude, with a bad OL job on a Newby run & Fyfe throwing the ball away, which brought up 3rd and 13. A crossing route from Fyfe to Newby got 11 of it, bringing up 4th down and 2. Westerkamp bailed out with a slant catch for the 1st down. Newby around left end got another first down to the Maryland 25 yard line. Two Bryant rushes later brought up 3rd and 6, where Fyfe tried to throw the fade to Westerkamp but was defended well. The Husker offense stayed out there on 4th and 6, where Maryland ran Jesse Aniebonam on a A gap blitz to turn the ball over on downs.

Maryland’s next drive started poorly, with a Ross Dzuris sack to start the play sequence. Two plays later on 3rd and 12, there was another bobbled snap and the Terps drive went to poo. Lees came on once again, and Pierson-El took the kick & went to the Nebraska 28 yard line.

Two Terrell Newby runs started the next drive with Nebraska, but Tre Bryant was short on 3rd and 1. The Lightbourn punt went inside the Maryland 20, but Teldrick Morgan couldn’t do much with it.

Maryland’s final drive of the game went with a few throws and QB rushes by Max to midfield, with many Seniors in the game on defense for Nebraska. A few passes went through the air, and folks thought the game ended, however Maryland called timeout with :02 seconds left. The final play of the game was a Marcus Newby sack of Max.

Postgame Notes:

29 –– Nebraska honored 29 members of the 2016 senior class before today’s kickoff. The group included 28 active members of the roster, as well as Sam Foltz.

9 –– Nebraska’s victory improved the Huskers to 9-2 on the season, marking the 50th nine-win season in school history and the 47th since 1962.

4 –– With its nine regular-season wins in 2016, Nebraska has improved its regular-season win total by four games after a 5-7 regular-season record in 2015. This marks just the sixth time in school history Nebraska has improved by four or more regular season wins from one year to the next. It is Nebraska’s best regular-season win improvement since jumping from a 3-6-1 record in 1961 to an 8-2 regular-season record and 9-2 overall mark in 1962.

7 –– Nebraska finished with a perfect 7-0 home record at Memorial Stadium in 2016. The perfect home record is Nebraska’s first unbeaten home season since a 7-0 record in 2012, and just the second unbeaten home season since 2001. It is the 42nd unbeaten and untied home season in school history.

2 –– Senior quarterback Ryker Fyfe made his second career start in today’s game. Fyfe completed 23-of-37 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown. Fyfe was 14-of-20 for 153 yards and one touchdown before halftime.

• Fyfe’s start marks just the fourth game since Sept. of 2013 (South Dakota State) that Tommy Armstrong Jr. did not start.

• Fyfe notched a career-long 21-yard rush in the second quarter.

• The Husker victory is the first win by Nebraska started by a quarterback other than Tommy Armstrong or Taylor Martinez since a 2010 win over Colorado when Cody Green started at quarterback.

18–– Senior receiver Jordan Westerkamp caught season-high eight passes for 85 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter for the 18th touchdown catch of his career, and his fifth of 2016.

• Westerkamp has caught at least one pass in 35 straight games, two shy of Johnny Rodgers’ school record.

• Westerkamp’s eight receptions were a season-high, bettering his six receptions against Minnesota last week.

• Westerkamp increased his career receptions total to 163, moving him within three receptions of Nate Swift for No. 2 on the Nebraska career receptions list (166).

• Westerkamp increased his career receiving yardage total to 2,424, moving him within 52 yards of third place and 55 yards of second place on the NU career receiving yardage list.

9–– Senior linebacker Josh Banderas made team-high nine tackles, giving him 80 on the year. Banderas has made at least eight tackles in each of the past six games.

• Banderas moved his career tackles total to 219, moving him up to 26th on the Nebraska career tackles list.

3–– Senior I-back Terrell Newby rushed for 98 yards on 22 carries and a career-high three rushing touchdowns. Newby also had three touchdowns last season against South Alabama, two by rush and one by reception.

• Newby now has 825 yards rushing on the season and is 175 yards shy of posting a 1,000-yard season.

• Newby increased his career rushing total to 2,185, moving him up three spots to 25th on the NU career rushing list.

35–– Nebraska held the ball for more than 35:00 for the fourth time this season, possessing the ball for a season-high 38:58 in today’s game. The previous high was 38:01 vs. Illinois.

• Nebraska has won the time of possession battle in nine of 11 games this season.

207–– Nebraska allowed 207 total yards, including a combined one yard in the second and third quarters. The 207 yards allowed are a season low, bettering NU’s performance against Minnesota when it held the Gophers to 265 yards. It’s the fewest yards allowed by Nebraska’s defense against a conference opponent since allowing 175 yards at Michigan in 2013.

0––Nebraska did not commit a turnover in today’s game, marking the second straight game without a turnover. This marks the first time Nebraska has had consecutive games without a turnover since the final two games of 2003 against Colorado and Michigan State.

Other Notes...

* Sophomore defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun had two sacks for 15 yards, tying his career high (also 2 sacks vs. Southern Miss, 2015). Akinmoladun matched a season high with five total tackles in the game.

* The Nebraska defense registered a season-high five sacks, bettering its four sacks against both Northwestern and Fresno State.

* Nebraska’s 14 points in the first quarter are its most since opening a 17-0 lead after one quarter at Indiana. The 14 points are the second most Nebraska has scored in the first quarter this season.

* Nebraska held Maryland scoreless in the first half, marking the first time Nebraska has held an opponent scoreless in the first half in 2016. Nebraska allowed seven points in today’s game, its fewest in a conference game since allowing seven in a 44-7 win at Purdue in 2013.

* Senior safety Nathan Gerry had four tackles, giving him 267 career tackles and moving him within nine tackles of the top five on the NU career list. Gerry is also 20 tackles from the school record for defensive backs, held by Mike Brown who had 287 tackles from 1996 to 1999.