Nebraska Football: Reviewing the Cornhuskers' 42-29 Win Over Fresno State

Nebraska survived an upset scare against Fresno State, pulling away to win 42-29. The Bulldogs took a 17-14 lead into the half and stretched the lead to 20-14 in the third quarter before Nebraska rode big plays on offense and special teams to avoid a September shocker.

Let’s take a look at the good and the bad of the Fresno State game, so we can get an idea of exactly why the game turned out as it did.

The Good: Taylor's Second Half

In the second half, when the chips were down, Taylor Martinez got rid of the mistakes and played solid football. He made plays when he had to, including what is apparently Nebraska’s new go-to offensive play—have Martinez throw the ball (off his back foot) as far downfield as he can, and let one of the really fast receivers run underneath it and catch it. That worked twice, once with Kenny Bell and once with Jamal Turner, and those big plays help seal Nebraska’s win.

The Good: No. 8

Against Chattanooga, we got glimpses that Ameer Abdullah could be something special in the return game. Now we know for sure. Abdullah’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the big play Nebraska needed to salt away a dangerous upset bid from Fresno State.

In addition, it was Abdullah dotting the i, with Rex Burkhead at the fullback spot, which sprung Taylor Martinez for his first long run of the game. On the option, the defender was clearly staying with Abdullah, leaving a crease for Martinez to explode through.

The Good: Squeezing the Life out of a Game

With 5:24 left in the game, Nebraska was clinging to a six-point lead, 35-29. NU had the ball, 1st and 10, at its own 20 with a chance to ice the game. How many times, though, in the last few years have you seen the Nebraska offense put in a position to salt away a win, only to be unable to possess the ball and require the Blackshirts to do the job?

Not tonight. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck made the very smart decision to avoid getting cute, choosing instead to hit Fresno State with a steady dose of Rex Burkhead. Not only was Burkhead’s steady, powerful running enough to move NU down the field and chew up the clock, it was enough to suck the Bulldog defense inside the tackles enough to get Taylor Martinez an alley on the outside and allow him to turn the corner for a 46-yard touchdown scamper to secure the victory.

The Bad: Taylor's First Half

Yes, Taylor Martinez had some explosive plays that put points on the board for Nebraska, but he also had some plays that reminded the Children of the Corn why NU collapsed at the end of 2010. Nebraska’s offense had a number of not only three-and-outs, but six-and-outs in the first half, putting tremendous pressure on a struggling defensive unit and making the crowd more than a little jittery.

Martinez threw a terrible interception, which was salvaged when wide receiver Quincy Enunwa put the hit of the game on the Fresno State defender, jarring the ball loose and giving NU possession. He also fumbled, which was also salvaged for him on a replay. If Martinez’s second-half performance is a sign that the mythical corner has been turned, then it will be a great relief for Nebraska fans, as the first half Martinez was a flashback to Dallas.

The Bad: 444

The Blackshirts allowed 444 total yards to Fresno State. The same Fresno State that could only muster 210 yards against a pretty pedestrian California team a week ago. If that doesn’t set alarm bells ringing in Carl Pelini’s office, I don’t know what will. Nebraska got gashed by an admittedly-good tailback in Robbie Rouse, and could not figure out how to stop quarterback Derek Carr when he would waggle to either side (in a disturbing flashback to the Texas game last year).

In his post-game interview, Pelini said it was one of the worst defensive performances he remembers seeing, and that a lot of it came down to poor execution. Nebraska fans need to hope he’s right, and that he and his staff can correct it, or the Blackshirts are looking at some long afternoons ahead of them.

The Bad: Escher Referees

You know those M.C. Escher optical illusion drawings? The ones where you see things like two hands drawing each other, and you can’t tell where one begins and the other ends? The replay calls in the first half felt a little bit like that, with five replays being called in an already-interminable game.

The high point (if you can call it that) was when replay upheld a first-down catch for Fresno State. Bo Pelini argued his point (rather forcefully, of course), which resulted in the referee going back to the headset in order to re-play the replay. At that point, thankfully, the call was upheld. No one wanted to see Fresno State head coach Pat Hill then take his turn to re-play the replay of the replay…

(Bonus Bad: Fresno's helmet stripe. Why in the world would Fresno State take a perfectly good helmet design and ruin it with that ridiculous receding-hairline blue stripe down the middle? In the second half, with the blue and the red, I kept thinking NU was playing the Buffalo Bills—unfortunately, part of that might have been how good the Blackshirts made Fresno's running game look. Still, as Paul Lukas, the creator of uniwatchblog.com, would ask, is the addition of the helmet stripe good or stupid? I think you know where I come down.)

...and the Misleading Score

No, Nebraska did not cover the 24.5 spread (and you’re welcome for the investment advice given previously). But the 13-point margin of victory does not reflect how close Nebraska came to dropping a non-conference game at home for the first time since Bo Pelini’s first year against Virginia Tech.

Quincy Enunwa’s forced fumble after Taylor Martinez’s interception might have been the play of the game, as Fresno State could easily have taken a two-score lead on NU in the first half without that play. Nebraska played a sloppy game (particularly on defense), and were fortunate to win the game at all, much less register a double-digit victory.

The Big Picture

It’s hard to put the performance of an entire defensive unit on one person, but it is pretty clear that the return of Alfonzo Dennard to the starting lineup will make a big difference for the Blackshirts. A healthy Dennard will mean Nebraska will no longer need to rely on a sophomore and a freshman at corner. It will also give Nebraska better options to rotate players like Andrew Green or Ciante Evans in to nickel or dime coverage, as opposed to the players pressed into service the last two weeks.

Offensively, the second half might have been the first time the light bulbs started to go on for NU in the Tim Beck offensive experience. While not pretty at times, in the second half (and particularly in the final drive) Nebraska seemed to find its groove. Moreover, it became clear that Beck was serious about getting the ball to playmakers. Expect to see a lot more of Kenny Bell and Jamal Turner, as well as Ameer Abdullah and the other freshman running backs, as the weeks go on.

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @patrickrunge to track my thoughts and observations about college football—and one or two other topics —throughout the year!

And if you would like to contact me directly to schedule an interview, ask a question or to get my recipe for a killer peach cobbler, you can send an e-mail to [e-mail]. (DISCLAIMER: Peach cobbler recipe might not be all that killer.)