Blackshirts Shine In Homecoming Win Over Rutgers

Lincoln - Nebraska's Blackshirt defense flexed its muscles by forcing two Rutgers turnovers while turning away countless threats deep in Husker territory to lead the Big Red to a 14-7 Homecoming victory over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Playing in front of 87,464 fans in the 401st consecutive sellout in Husker history and an FS1 national television audience, Nebraska improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, while handing Rutgers its first loss of the year to slip to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

The Cornhuskers notched their 86th all-time Homecoming victory in the 113th celebration in Lincoln despite managing just 55 total yards in the second half. Nebraska was buried deep inside its own three-yard line on three occasions to start second-half drives and could never get untracked after halftime.

However, the Blackshirts answered the bell time and time again to turn away the Scarlet Knights until Rutgers finally found the end zone on Ben Black's 11-yard touchdown pass from Athan Kaliakmanis with 4:08 left in the game.

Rutgers stopped Nebraska's offense on the ensuing drive, but Brian Buschini's 69-yard punt flipped the field on the Scarlet Knights, forcing them to start on their own 11 with 2:17 left needing to cover the length of the field to tie or win. The Blackshirts allowed one first down but ended the Rutgers comeback hopes by getting to Kaliakmanis and forcing an incomplete pass on 4th-and-10 from the Rutgers 26.

Buschini's 69-yard punt was one of four huge plays for the graduate punter in the game, including a 61-yard first-half punt and a 30-yard pass completion to Jaylen Lloyd early in the fourth quarter to convert on fourth down, accounting for more than half of Nebraska's second-half total yardage. Buschini also buried Rutgers inside its own 5 on a second-half punt after getting his second kick of the day blocked by the Scarlet Knights.

The defense not only held Rutgers to 264 total yards, the Blackshirts recorded four sacks, nine tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries and broke up nine passes to go along with interceptions by Marques Buford Jr. and Ceyair Wright.

The biggest stop of the day for the Blackshirts came early in the third quarter after Rutgers recorded its second blocked punt of the game and returned it to the NU 2. The Blackshirts kept Rutgers out of the end zone despite being called for defensive holding in the end zone on the second play of the possession. The Scarlet Knight scoring threat ended with a Buford breakup on fourth down.

Isaac Gifford led the Blackshirts with eight tackles, including 1.5 TFL, a breakup and a hurry, while DeShon Singleton and James Williams each added five stops. Williams led the Huskers with two sacks and two more hurries of Kaliakmanis.

On an unseasonably warm day with temperatures in the mid-90s and a swirling 20-plus mph wind at kickoff, Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska offense struck first with an explosive first-quarter drive that included a 28-yard pass to Jacory Barney Jr. and a 36-yard connection with New York City native Rahmir Johnson to put the Big Red on the Rutgers doorstep.

Johnson added a four-yard rush before fellow running back Dante Dowdell burst over the goal line from one yard out to give Nebraska a 7-0 with 3:09 left in the period. 

Rutgers mounted four straight first-half drives that penetrated Nebraska territory, including its third drive that resulted in missed 52-yard field goal attempted that hit the right upright.

While the Blackshirts bent but did not break, they also hauled in a pair of interceptions, including one by Buford that Raiola and the offense converted to points. Buford's interception set up the offense at the Nebraska 28 with 4:20 left in the half.

Nebraska's seven-play scoring drive started with three straight runs from Dowdell and Emmett Johnson, before Raiola found Jahmal Banks for a 31-yard completion to the Rutgers 30. Rahmir Johnson then ripped off a strong 18-yard run. Two plays later, Janiran Bonner sprinted around the right side for his second touchdown of the year, an 11-yard run to give the Big Red a 14-0 halftime lead.

Nebraska produced 206 first-half yards, including 120 passing and 86 rushing. Dowdell led the NU ground game with 40 yards on 10 carries, while Rahmir Johnson added 34 yards on five attempts. Johnson also led the Husker receivers in the first half with three receptions for 40 yards. 

The Blackshirts held Rutgers to just 145 total yards in the half, including 72 on the ground and 73 through the air. Running back Kyle Monangai did the most damage for the Scarlet Knights with 10 carries for 65 yards. Athan Kaliakmanis completed 6-of-16 passes with interceptions by Buford and Wright.

Rutgers managed 119 total yards while spending nearly the entire half on Nebraska's side of the field. Kaliakmanis finished 15-of-37 for 186 yards, while Monangai ended with 19 carries for 78 yards, with just nine totes for 13 yards after halftime.

Raiola finished his day 13-of-27 for 134 yards and one interception. Dowdell finished with a team-high 57 rushing yards on 14 carries while Rahmir Johnson finished with 34 rushing yards and Emmett Johnson closed with 33.

Nebraska will enjoy a bye week before returning to Big Ten road action at Indiana on Oct. 19.