Nebraska 27 Purdue 31: Recap and Afternoon Thread

Not having Cam Taylor-Britt worries me a fair bit. Adrian Martinez claims he is 100%. I doubt it, but count me among those who don’t think he has been 100% at any point this season. It is still good to have him available. On the radio, the husker announcing crew said Taylor-Britt is not injured, but is sick. We should have Darrion Daniels, or at least they said “he’s going to give it a go”. That doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

The radio crew just said DiCaprio Bootle is playing at safety in place of Taylor-Britt and redshirt freshman Braxton Clark will start opposite of Lamar Jackson at cornerback. Both starting corners for Nebraska today are quite tall with Jackson at 6’3” and Clark 6’4” (that will be today’s drinking game prompt because you know the announcers will mention it repeatedly). I wonder who is Clark’s roommate?

Mood check

The Huskers won the toss and elected to start the game with the ball.

First Quarter

Wan’Dale brought the ball out to the 20 yard line. FYI - Wan’Dale lined up at running back on the first snap. JD SPIELMAN SHOWED UP TO WORK EARLY TODAY. The 40 yard one-handed catch by #10 was impressive. It was for naught as the Huskers couldn’t get much farther. Isaac Armstrong punted from midfield. Purdue ball at the 10 yard line.

Collin Miller and Marquel Dismuke made a great tackle to force three and out for the Boilermaker offense. The Huskers nearly blocked the punt. JD was forced out of bounds around midfield.

Dedrick Mills lined up in the backfield this series. Chris Hickman was targeted at tight end (incomplete lateral that the Huskers were fortunate to have bounce out of bounds). On third and 11, Wan’Dale couldn’t find enough room. Fourth and six - the Huskers are going for it from the Purdue 36. MARTINEZ MAKES THE BOILERMAKER BLITZER WHIFF AND FINDS KANAWAI NOA AT THE THREE YARD LINE. First and goal.

TOUCHDOWN DEDRICK MILLS!!! The Barret Pickering extra point was good.

Huskers 7 Boilermakers 0

A couple of penalties on Purdue backed the Boilers up near their 10 yard line. Jake Plummer made a good scramble but airmailed the next ball. Third and 12. Incomplete (Braxton Clark in coverage). Punt. Fair catch at the 25.

Purdue’s punter looked like this

Wan’dale showed some nifty footwork on a sideline catch where he managed to get the first down. PLEASE COACH FROST - NO MORE SCREEN PASSES - PLEAZ!! Punt. Purdue ball a the 23.

TURNOVER. DARRION DANIELS!! ALMOST A FAT GUY TOUCHDOWN.

Stupid shovel pass almost intercepted. Good freakin’ grief. Sack. Martinez scramble to the two yard line. (He grabbed his left arm when he got up). Fourth and goal

Field goal. Pickerings kickering is good. (Huskers took a delay of game to move back 5 yards and reduce the nasty angle).

Huskers 10 Boilermakers 0

Trainers continue to look at Martinez’ left shoulder. NOT GOOD COTTON!

Tackle for loss by Ben Stille. Then Purdue connected on a YOLO bomb (ruled out of bounds). Thrid and fifteen. Short gain. Punt.

Eli Sullivan partially blocked the punt. It rolled for a 21 yard net. Huskers started on the Purdue half of the field.

OPTION TO SPIELMAN!! Husker fans everywhere be like...

Second Quarter

Shit. Wan’Dale looks like he’s got a hip pointer. He’s in pain on the sideline.

Martinez didn’t see the safety and throws an interception near the goal line. Double damn.

Someone please tell the Huskers that it is the second quarter and not the third? We are still supposed to be playing good-ish.

LAMAR JACKSON ONE-HANDED INTERCEPTION!!!

Kanawai was running free but Martinez air mailed it. Punt. Purdue ball on the 11.

Plummer keeper has been the best play for the Purdue offense thus far. Until three whiffed tackles allowed King Doerue to get to midfield. Then another open receiver and Purdue is in the red zone. JoJo Domann tackle for loss takes them out of the red zone. Third and 15.

ANOTHER WIDE OPEN FREAKIN’ RECEIVER. Sigh.

First and goal Purdue. Touchdown Purdue.

Huskers 10 Boilermakers 7

Mood check

Wan’dale is back on the field. Kanawai blocks his tail off for JD (9 yard gain). Martinez keeper, Wan’dale to midfield. Jack Stoll sighting but Matt Farniok holding backs the Husker offense up. Martinez fakes out the camera man to get 16. Fumbled exchange. Adrian covers. Third and seven. Incomplete. Punt.

Eli Sullivan, special teams superhero, downs the punt inside the five!!

Plummer looked cool under pressure and got the Boilers away from their own end zone. MOAR WIDE OPEN RECEIVERS AND MOAR WHIFFED TACKLES. Whew, receiver had a knee down when he caught the ball which made it slightly less bad. 2:32 left in the half.

The defense is starting to resemble the shitshow against Indiana with the passing game available to the offense at will. Unnecessary roughness on JoJo.

Yep, this looks real familiar.

A whiffed sack (Alex Davis) leads to a huge Plummer scramble. Red zone Purdue. Third and eight. Stop me if you’ve heard this...Open receiver. Missed tackles. Touchdown Purdue. Once the Boilers went to the tight end passing game, it was all over for the Blackshirts.

Boilermakers 14 Huskers 10

Halftime

Husker fans be like...

• Nebraska senior defensive lineman Darrion Daniels intercepted a pass in the first quarter and returned it 18 yards to the Purdue 2 to set up a field goal. It was the first interception of Daniels’ college career.
• JD Spielman has caught a pass in 30 straight games, including two or more catches in 29 of those 30 games.
• Sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez accounted for 151 yards of total offense in the first half to increase his career total to 4,983 yards, moving him into 10^th place on the Husker career chart.
• Martinez rushed for 35 yards in the first half to increase his career total to 1,005 yards making him the 11^th Nebraska quarterback with 1,000 career rushing yards.

Third Quarter

Purdue ball to start the second half. Third and four. SACK!! (Khalil Davis) Punt. Husker ball at the 24.

High snap. Drink. Defensive holding. Personal foul defense. Huskers are past midfield. Adrian air mails one to Stoll. I was about to complain about the horizontal passing game, but the downfield one ain’t doing much right now either. Fourth and five at the Purdue 33. Incomplete. Pass interference (Martinez should have run the ball). First and 10 at the 19. Spielman jet sweep. Wan’dale first down. First and goal. Second and goal. Third and goal. Almost intercepted. Fourth and goal. Ugly field goal still counts.

Boilermakers 14 Huskers 13

Plummer keeper - he fumbled (Alex Davis). Boilermakers recover. Third and six. SACK!! (Carlos Davis, I think?) We can haz a third down stop!

HUSKERS BLOCK THE PUNT!! (Eric Lee, Jr.) Nebraska ball at the Purdue 30. Third and three. Sigh. Fourth and six. Going for it. Incomplete (Martinez didn’t see a wide open Kade Warner). Purdue ball. Open receiver. Whiffed tackles. Boilers at the Husker 30.

Plummer called for intentional grounding (Ben Stille). Third and long. 44 yard field goal attempt. Good.

Boilermakers 17 Huskers 13

Dedrick Mills for one. Ball tipped at line of scrimmage. Holding on Purdue (before the tip). Penalties are Nebraska’s best offense right now. Martinez is not seeing the field or the defense well right now. Martinez tackled for loss. Third and 14.

Fourth Quarter

Kade Warner first down!! JD Spielman 20! Now we cookin’ with fire. Or not. Overthrow Jack Stoll (would have been an easy TD). Third and six. Martinez keeps (decisively) on the option. First and goal. Option pitch to Spielman for four. Wan’dale up the middle for three. Third and goal on the two. Martinez draw for the TOUCHDOWN!!! He looked rather determined on that one. He got a yuuuuge hole, but I think he was moving that pile even if there were bodies in his way.

Scott Frost apparently decided to chuck the game plan, reached back into the memory banks and thought, what the hell...PARTY LIKE IT’S 1997!!!

Huskers 20 Boilermakers 17

Third and one. Plummer runs for the first, but is called back for holding. Third and five. Plummer gets drilled by Mohamed Barry but still gets the pass off for a first down. Midfield for the Boilers. Open receiver. Open hole for a run. Red zone.

Plummer with a great scramble (again) but gets up limping. He tried to walk it off, but laid back down again. The trainers were looking at his ankle area. Aidan O’Connell enter the game for Purdue. Announcers were calling out the effort of Husker players (LOL, “We’re not being critical”... but it’s okay. We know. We know.)

First and goal. Second and goal. Touchdown Purdue (King Doerue)

Boilermakers 24 Huskers 20

Wan’dale Robinson brings the kickoff out to the 30. Plummer is being carted to the locker room. NO MORE SCREEN PASSES EITHER COACH, PLEASE?

Third and 10 at the Husker 42. SPIELMAN. SPIELMAN. SPIELMAN!!! Red zone.

Wan’dale gets up limping but sets up the Huskers with first and goal. ADRIAN MARTINEZ WILL NOT BE DENIED!!! Touchdown Nebraska. 4:21 left in the game.

Nebraska 27 Purdue 24

Even backups can hit open receivers (or tight ends). The Blackshirts made a valiant effort to stuff a third and one, but Purdue JUST got the conversion. On first down...Hopkins on a crossing pattern. Sigh. Whiffed tackle. Sigh.

The Husker pass rush is just too late the linebackers can’t cover. There is always someone open. Red zone. 1:16 left in the game. Third and five at the nine yard line.

Aaaand. No backside defenders. Touchdown Purdue. 1:08 left in the game.

Boilermakers 31 Huskers 27

Brody Belt brings the ball out to the 20. 1:01 left in the game.

Incomplete. Incomplete. Third and 10. Gain of seven (Noa). Fourth and three. Incomplete. Ball game.