Huskers Football Recap - Presented By The Kettersons! - It Didn’t Help - Wisconsin 24 Huskers 17

It was another ray of hope, followed by collapse, followed by more false hope, and the final nail in the coffin was delivered to remind us all that said collapse was possible even with only one turnover lobbed deep on the final play of the game.

The story going into this game involved a battle between two completely different teams.

First, we had the the Huskers taking their 3rd consecutive swing at bowl eligibility despite their quarterback room lately being a combination of injury and/or dumpster fire where turnovers were concerned. Average QB play probably would have seen them at 8-2 or 9-1 currently. Add to that a horrid record against the Badgers and no wins in Camp Randall since 1966, and it seemed like a tall order.

The Badgers, however, had just gotten whipped by Northwestern and morale supposedly ranged from horrid to “Fickell’s already lost the team.” Could Nebraska’s ridiculous bad luck turn things around for them?

Well, that answer was an emphatic yes. The order was again too tall. Y’all can probably watch it again if you want on DVR or something but that’s up to you. Here’s the recap - we dominated for a quarter, went for it on 4th when 3 & a 17-0 lead was probably good enough, and then we went the awful deep handoff route which ended as expected and we never recovered after their stop woke Wisconsin from a several week slumber.

Painful, beyond depressing, we’ll get ‘em next week, etc.

If anyone knows the drill, we do.

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PRE-GAME NOTES

• Here’s the injury report. As always, doesn’t include players for the year or Deshon Singleton - who might still fall into that category.

So here’s the Wisconsin confidence level going into this game…

• The morale and Luke Fickell reportedly on the verge of losing the team could have him on death watch very early in the tenure.

(I really want this 1-0)

• By the way, joining me for this recap will be my snotty lovely daughter, Mylie who recently joined the Corn Nation staff to scribble about volleyball. Say hi to everyone, Mylie!
• Mylie: Well if I am snotty then it’s because you are the one who raised me! Glad to be here for my first football recap and it makes it even more special doing it with my dad!

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1ST QUARTER NOTES

• Andy: No gain screen pass to start. Awesome.
• A: Back to back runs by Grant for the 1st down. Huh, running still works.
• A: The stats service lately can best be described as hot garbage, but another website shows it was 55-yard TD run by Chubba Purdy! Huskers 7 Wisconsin 0
• M: CHUBBA CHUBBA CHUBBA!!!! Can’t get too excited yet though

• A: Not excited about seeing the line get gashed on two straight Badger runs.
• M: Terrible throw by Mordecai, followed by him being forced out on a scramble.
• A: The stinking Badgers are forced to punt and Chubba and company will take over? Mylie, can we have nice things tonight?.
• M: It’s too early to tell. Might have to break out the wine here soon.
• A: As long as it’s RED.
• A: I just saw the clip of that Wisconsin safety after the Northwestern game? I 100% thought it was an ad for suicide prevention. Holy shit, the morale there.
• M: Ya know I had that same reaction he had when I got benched at Midland. “I didn’t come to Midland for this to happen”. I crack myself up.
• A: OK, no more therapy.
• M: What in the hell was that play? We just got f’ed.
• That wasn’t the greatest call…BUT it’s Chubba deep to Jaylen Lloyd who takes it, puts on a couple moves and houses it for 58-YARD HUSKER TD!! Huskers 14 Wisconsin 0

• M: SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS!!
• M: FULL CHUBB
• A: Mylie!!

• M: You already know I didn’t type that!
• A: This is why I’m divorced.
• A: Braelon Allen is in. I’ve got 2021 PTSD with him. Please don’t tell me 428 times how he’s 17 years old and squats 1258 lbs.
• A: Blackshirts get after Mordecai - not constantly trying to hold teams to FG’s after turnovers is invigorating!
• M: Looks like we’re getting Big Mac sacks in NE after that sack.
• A: Oooh, that punt stuck around the 10…thought we were gonna start at the 1 for a moment.
• A: The Huskers will take over on the 11 with 2:10 to go in the 1st quarter and Wisconsin’s morale has not improved.
• A: The cheap shit we’ve been dealing with the last few weeks continues as Wisconsin bails out NU with a QB roughing on 3rd and long.
• Grant runs for a 1st down then 4 more and that’s the 1st quarter, folks.-
• M: As Sandra Bullock famously said in The Blind Side: “Run the dang ball!”

First quarter summary: Well, that couldn’t have gone any better. The Huskers outgained the Badgers 162-32 and take the 14-0 lead thanks to two big plays. Rumors of the down psyches in Madison seem 100% true so far. It appears to be another night where only we can be our own worst enemy. Can we hold it together?

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2ND QUARTER NOTES

• A: Grant is running with purpose and hangin’ on to the rock, so far.
• M: Are we not going to talk about that Matt the Builder graphic by NBC….absolutely cringey
• A: And we go with a deep handoff on 4th & 1. No chance. Ah well, at least we didn’t try the run from the gun up the middle. I kinda wanted field goal there just to keep hitting them with points, but not devastating. Hopefully.
• M: Wisconsin had all year to throw that ball…
• A: They follow it with a quick hitter on loose coverage, but Princewill and Tommi make him pay on the hit.
• M: We got lucky on that incomplete pass. Left their receiver WIDE open.
• A: Definitely another blown coverage. But following that, Wiscy starts making our going for it on 4th down with a weak play hurt us as they put together a few 1st downs, then hit a throwback pass to Jackson Acker for a 26-yard TD. Huskers 14 Wisconsin 7
• A: And much hard work and domination is only a 7-point lead now. This next series may end up as one of the most crucial of the game.
• A: Nice start - Grant drops the hammer for an 11 yard run on 1st down.
• M: Purdy gets sacked on 2nd down. Is this the start of the downward slide?
• A: My thought exactly. That 4th down stop has given them momentum. And Buschini compounds problems with yet another miserable punt (19 yards???). He was ok last week, but they’ve really got to start thinking of turning to Bleekrode as this is turning into the trend, not a mistake or two.
• A: They might be tired of getting asked, but the Blackshirts need to get it going again. Mordecai is solid but this is a not a receiver corps who should be getting open.
• A: Two straight plays for Badger 1st downs. Wisconsin’s scoring output the last 3 games? 10, 14, 10.
• I’d say something about holding on that play, but the B1G does not believe in calling holding in the 1st half. If ever. In the grabbiest conference in football and out.
• M: The B1G doesn’t believe in throwing flags in any way, shape, or form. (A: AGREE!!)
• A: Wiscy thinks about going for it on 4th, then takes the points - HEY, THERE’S AN IDEA!! Shit. Now I don’t even want to think about how much that shit deep handoff swung this game. Huskers 14 Wisconsin 10
• A: This is as depressed as a non-turnover turnaround has made me.
• M: Good catch by Fidone. Finally getting some yardage after that penalty
• M: I can never watch 3rd and 4th downs. Too nerve racking during big games
• A: And the B1G refs have arrived!!!! It’s a ridiculous holding call on Evans-Jenkins after shoving a hapless Badger to the ground. Always on brand when you need them.
• A: And it’s Chubba to Malachi for 26 yards trying to save this quarter. Chubs squirts up the middle for 11 and it’s time for a chuck to the end zone. Incomplete.
• A: And this miserable, shitty quarter is complete as Alvano pushes a 42 yard FG attempt.
• A: Please tell announcers not to say stupid things about not wanting to put pressure on the young kickers. That entire position is about pressure and if they don’t want it, they shouldn’t play it, you jackwagons.

Halftime summary: The good news? Very nice half from Chubba, best Husker QB half of the season and there’s not a close 2nd. I don’t know what’s going on in his head, but just maybe a bunch of the demons of 2022 have been exorcised. The ball was spread around well and they bulled for 126 rushing to go with Chubba’s 10-12 144 and 2TDs (one of each). Also, no TO’s.
The bad news? One bad play call on 4th & 1 really seemed to swing everything. We outgained Wiscy 270-133 in total yardage and only have a 4-point lead to show for it. The Blackshirts need to beware of trickery but shut the Badgers the hell down out of the gate.

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3RD QUARTER NOTES

• Here we go.
• MK: Wiscy had a terrible snap and they are tackled for a 1 yard loss.
• MK: Wiscy’s quarterbacks last name sounds like he just came straight out of the Bible.
• A: Malachi vs. Mordecai definitely sounds like a swordfight on a mountain in 876 BC.
• A: Bible talk was provided to avoid you having to watch that 3 & out…but no turnover!
• A: 2021 Braelon Allen has showed up. Anyone else think that’s not at all awesome?
• A: If there’s an upside, a couple games like this will ensure the return of Ty Robinson and Polar Bear. They’re becoming non-existent as rushers and run-stoppers in this game.
• A: The Badgers go through us like hot butter at Dr. John’s as Braelon is lightly slapped at on a 2-yard TD run. Badgers 17 Huskers 14.
• M: Yep here is the downward slide we all knew was coming. Yeehaw
• A: And without turnovers!
• A: After a jump, a stuff and…oh, we’re in meltdown mode - Purdy scrambles, makes the wild throw, it gets picked, we have an illegal receiver downfield…a review…still incomplete.
• A: And a team we doubled in yards by halftime, is making us look like New Mexico State. Also, Buschini is still looking like he’s in 2021 Husker mode.
• A: Mordecai throws incomplete on 4th and Mordecai screams something which looks surprisingly like “FUUUUUCCCCCKKKK!” Yeah, that’s a shame.
• A: After a 4th down stop, Satterfield quickly stuffs Husker momentum with a reverse which is murdered.
• MK: Two dumb fucking plays in a row. Thanks Satterfield.
• A: She’s definitely my daughter.
• A: Crap mark on Kemp’s 1st down catch is pulled behind the line, but Grant bursts through on 4th down.

3rd quarter summary:

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4TH QUARTER NOTES

• A: Teddy takes his 2nd IP and it’s time to punt after another Chubba scramble.
• A: Why does this feel way worse than 14-17?
• M: Because we have sucked ever since we went up 14-0.
• A: That’s a GREAT point.
• M: Just here to state the obvious
• A: However, we’re staying very consistently dogshit on 3rd & long against teams with subpar passing attacks. 1st down Badgers.
• A: We have 29 yards of offense this half and defensively, we are making Mordecai look good on a 6-yard wander for a 1st down.
• A: We have also given a Wisconsin line, much maligned by its fans this season, a reason to hope….until Phalen Sanford rocks Jackson Acker to his fucking knees! Followed by?
• M: STOPPED on 4th down! Hopefully we can do something here with this.
• A: I was going to say - stuffed Braelon Allen like a Christmas ham, bitches!!!!
• A: And I swear to god - if Satterfield comes out running all his Madden 98 trick plays again…

• M: I think I blinked and we went three and out.
• A: This feels like the part where they eat up the rest of the clock. Not that I blame the Blackshirts and that was a hell of a stop on the last drive. Just feels like that happens.
• A: And just like that, I’m wrong as hell & happy about it. Braelon dumped by Ty for -5. Followed by stinking Mordecai for +11. And a wide open Will Pauling who you’ve never heard of on 3rd & 4 for the 1st. Never mind.
• M: And of course no three and out right on schedule.
• A: Fun for a quarter. That should be the new state motto. Just a football with a big ole red “N” and underneath? “FUN FOR A QUARTER”
• A: 3:37 to go and we got it back. Is there any hope of winning drive? Or two reverses, a QB draw and a screen to end things on downs?
• Johnson bursts for a big gain, gets stood up and the B1G refs stand around for several seconds watching the pile not move a la Adrian against Michigan, but he isn’t stripped.
• And then it’s Chubba for 22!
• M: All I can say is I’m stressed. During the Iowa game last year i went into the basement of my moms house and plugged my ears so I didn’t know what happened at the end because I was so stressed. That’s exactly how I’m feeling right now.
• A: So you’re saying you’re stressed?
• A: Here we go for OT….GOOD!!!! Alvano corrects the previous miss…barely. Huskers 17 Wisconsin 17

4th quarter summary: Eh…we tied it. False hope abounds. There’s your summary.

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OVERTIME!!

• A: Mylie, how are your stress levels?
• M: Let’s just say I probably need to take some of my blood pressure meds right now.
• A: Fuck everything. Go Big Red.
• A: Two Allen stuffs…and no rush & another completion on 3rd & long. It never gets old!!
• A: Mordecai short on 3rd down and they’re going on 4th & less than 1. C’monnnn….fuckfuckfuck.
• A: Wisconsin 24 Huskers 17

• A: Our ball. Bad start..a fullback-less option goes nowhere as it has been wont to do since Colorado tried it against us in the 90’s.
• A; Two downs to try and keep it alive on 3rd & 11. The refs up the degree of difficulty with a questionable false start flag and it’s 4th down. And we’re done.
• A: There’s almost poetry in our only turnover being chucked on the last play of the game.
• A: But I’m not writing that poem since literary magazine editors tend the blanch at uncontrollable swearing with no meter or rhyme. Stuffed shirt asshats.
• A: Fuck this. Hey, only one turnover. Love ya, Chubba. Good night everyone.