Nebraska at Penn State: The Morning After

Wanted to start off with what I feel is the best tweet I saw last night. And it really sums up how I feel. To those who say that Riley and Callahan are the same coach, I absolutely disagree. Callahan didn’t give a rip about Nebraska. When it comes to Mike Riley, I would say the exact opposite would be true. I think that means a great deal even though the results on the field have been truly disappointing.

Here’s what the media had to say:

Steven M. Sipple: Husker loss all too predictable as season winds toward merciful close. Lincoln Journal Star.

It was about what you expected.

A lot of gray. A lot of rain. A lot of long faces. A lot of points by Penn State.

If you're a Nebraska football fan, you perhaps hoped for a surprise Saturday. But forget it. Penn State slammed the door on that story line by bolting to a 32-point halftime lead.

Commence the cussing on social media and general despair of Husker fans. They see what everyone sees.

They see Big Ten powers applying the hammer on Nebraska like the Huskers used to do to teams.

Tom Shatel: Penn State can show Nebraska how brighter days follow darkest times. Omaha World-Herald

Random thoughts while trying to remember that college football is supposed to be fun:

How low can they go?

It’s an ominous question on a worst-case-scenario kind of day, with Penn State preparing the woodshed with a Heisman Trophy candidate who needs yards and 106,000 who want to celebrate a special senior class.

Nebraska is the foil Saturday at Beaver Stadium, the background boys, and that might be the best thing you can say about the Huskers at the moment.

Derek Peterson: Execution Wasn’t There in Blackshirts’ Defense. Hail Varsity

In the midst of a 42-10 first half demolition, and a final score that didn’t accurately portray the competitiveness of the affair, Nebraska, now 4-7, played a game that didn’t mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.

Penn State, at 9-2 with both losses coming in conference play, can’t win its division or play for a Big Ten crown, meaning its playoff hopes are, at best, on life support. Nebraska on the other hand is limping to the finish line with more attention paid to what’s happening off the field than what’s happening on it. The blueprint was similar to what it’s been for most of the season: drama-filled week, fall down early, roar back late, fall short again.

ChrisTaylor: Smoke And Mirrors: Penn State Dominated Nebraska, Pay No Attention to the Final Score. Black Shoe Diaries

The final score is not indicative of the defensive effort put forth by the Nittany Lions on Saturday. When the game was competitive, Penn State shut down Nebraska, forcing three and out after three and out, while scoring 42 in the first half.

Nebraska had just 81 total yards from scrimmage in the first half, but managed ten points thanks to a mismanaged punt return that resulted in a turnover, then a poor punt that gave the Huskers the ball only 36 yards away from the end zone.

John McGonigal: No. 10 Penn State dominates Nebraska on Senior Day. Centre Daily

Penn State’s offense reigned supreme on Saturday night.

The No. 10 Nittany Lions routed Nebraska 56-44 on Senior Day at Beaver Stadium, extending their home winning streak to 14 games.

Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) outgained Nebraska (4-7, 3-5) by a total of 609-466. And somehow, the gap felt wider as Nittany Lions dominated and the Cornhuskers fell flat on their faces — outside of a few garbage-time touchdowns.

Now some reactions from the players, some are particularly about senior day against Iowa this coming week.