Clutch Commentary from CFB on Nebraska’s Win over Colorado

College Football News with some choice analysis and commentary on the Nebraska Cornhuskers 40-31 victory over the Buffaloes:

“As nightfall covered Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium, the outlook grew particularly dark for the Huskers when CU’s freshman safety, Patrick Mahnke, made a play far beyond his years to sack Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz for a 15-yard loss to the Buffaloes’ 40. For most teams, that loss is a death blow, given that a 57-yard field goal is beyond realistic.

But for Henery, the thin-limbed and wiry player who looks the part of a kicker, there was a lot of dynamite in a right leg that—unable to kick in the second quarter—gathered up strength following a Bo Pelini timeout, and made the most of the chance his coach gave him.

Instead of going for the first down on a fourth-and-25 play, Pelini sent Henery onto the field, on the upper part of the big red “N” that serves as Memorial Stadium’s midfield logo.

The daunting distance offered literally long odds to a Nebraska team that, already assured of second place in the Big 12 North, wanted to finish its regular season with a winning record (5-3) in Big 12 competition. One year after beating Nebraska to attain a 6-6 record and bowl eligibility, Colorado and coach Dan Hawkins were oh-so-close to replicating that very same series of events.

This year, however, there would be no bowl in Boulder. Henery’s kick, which started out to the right, drifted inside the right upright and then cleared the crossbar by two to three yards. The joint jumped in jubilation, and after grabbing that 33-31 lead thanks to Henery’s heroics, a late pick-six snuffed out Colorado’s hopes of answering with a field goal of its own.

Bo Pelini’s rebuilding project gained very satisfactory remarks for its first year in Lincoln, while the beaten Buffaloes are left to wonder what might have been, after coming up short today, and in other Big 12 battles against the likes of Texas A&M and Kansas. Alex Henery’s fabulous field goal gave the term “finishing kick” a whole new meaning in America’s heartland.

More Postgame Thoughts:

“It might not have been a pretty win over Colorado with a few big mistakes and drive after drive that stalled, but the Huskers were able to come through late and, of course, there was Alex Henery to save the day. His 57-yard field goal will go down in Nebraska lore, and then the defense came up with the big play to put the game away.

Joe Ganz closed out his Nebraska regular season career with a nice day, but he had to take too many sacks. Offensively, this was Roy Helu’s day as he led the team in both rushing and receiving, grinding out five-yard run after five-yard run.”