Nebraska 14 Wisconsin 27: Second Half Game Thread

No Carlos Davis, no Wan’Dale Robinson and no Darrion Daniels. Not ideal.

First Quarter

It was a heavy dose of Dedrick Mills mixed in with a nice run or two by Adrian Martinez getting the Huskers across midfield. Unfortunately two consecutive sacks stalled the first Nebraska offensive possession.

Wisconsin looked like they were marching until JOJO DOMANN knocked the ball away from Jonathan Taylor. While still holding on to Taylor on the ground, he (and the coaches on the sideline) had to tell his teammates to pick up the damn thing as everyone stopped playing (sigh). Husker ball.

JD Spielman gets the Huskers across midfield and Adrian Martinez runs the option to perfection and gets Nebraska into the red zone!!! DIRECT SNAP TO DEDRICK MILLS — TOUCHDOWN NEBRASKA!!!!!

Nebraska 7 Wisconsin 0

Welp. I guess that’s one way to keep Taylor and the Wisconsin offense from picking apart the Husker defense. Wiscy’s kickoff returner Aaron Cruickshank returned the kickoff for a Badger touchdown.

Nebraska 7 Wisconsin 7

Dedrick Mills. Dedrick Mills. Dedrick Mills is on a mission. Wyatt Mazour (newly minted scholarship player) gives Mills a break. Third down fumble by Mazour is recovered by Nebraska. Fourth and three at the 33. Mills ran hard and shook off one tackler but couldn’t make the line to gain. Badger ball. They quickly covered ground and were past the Husker 30 as the quarter wound down.

Second Quarter

It appeared that there was actual communication amongst the defense as they scrambled to move around pre-snap and earned a tackle for loss on Taylor. A Dicaprio Bootle blitz led to an incomplete pass on third down. Wisconsin converted the fourth down. JoJo did his damndest to keep the receiver short of the line but they just got it. The Blackshirts are fighting hard. Third and four at the 14. Garrett Nelson (newly-minted Blackshirt) is on the field. Khalil Davis forced fourth down. The Collin Larsh field goal was good.

Wisconsin 10 Nebraska 7

Zach Weinmaster sighting. Jack Stoll got the Huskers to midfield. Wisconsin (Zach Baun) was flagged for roughing the passer. Husker ball at the Wiscy 35. Horizontal pass (my sphincter clenched) but Spielman made a big gain, followed by Mills running to the two yard line. A couple of high snaps gave fans bad flashbacks. Mills then did fullback dirty work and Martinez followed him through the hole. TOUCHDOWN HUSKERS!!!!

Nebraska 14 Wisconsin 10

Wisconsin figures that if Nebraska is going to sell out on the run, they will just Indiana the Blackshirts. AJ Taylor and Quitez Cephus caught passes from Jack Coan with Taylor breaking free for the easy touchdown.

Wisconsin 17 Nebraska 14

Shit. Interception (tipped at the line). Wiscy ball at the Husker 21. Jonathan Taylor breaks through. First and goal. Second and goal. Touchdown Badgers.

Wisconsin 24 Nebraska 14

The Husker offense decided to change up the early game plan and start running right with Mills instead of left (nice gain). Until a horizontal pass to Mills on the left. Sigh. Third and 10. Incomplete. Isaac Armstrong punts.

I’m having flashbacks to the Minnesota game as multiple Huskers cannot get a ball carrier down. Kendric Pryor grabs a pass to get the Badgers near midfield. The Blackshirts have no answers right now and all the good feels from early in the game are starting to disappear. Ben Stille tipped a pass to force third and 10. Sigh. First down Wiscy. 1:16 left in the half. Taylor to the 10 yard line. First and goal. Taylor to the six. Lamar Jackson forced an incompletion. Another incompletion. Fourth and goal. The field goal was good.

Wisconsin 27 Nebraska 14

Muffed kickoff at the 11 made Husker fans nervous. Eight seconds left. Kneel. Halftime.