Nebraska Huskers Football: 5 Things We Learned from the Ohio State Game

Nebraska completed the biggest come-from-behind victory in school history on Saturday, beating Ohio State 34-27 after being down 27-6 in the third quarter.

An injury to Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller helped spark the rally, along with two key turnovers on defense and an offensive line that wore out the Buckeye front seven in the fourth quarter.

So, now that everyone has had a chance to catch their breath, what have we learned from NU’s thrilling victory on Saturday?

It's Still Bo Pelini's Team

Keep in mind that, after six quarters of B1G Conference play, Nebraska was behind 68-23. Nebraska offered a fairly feeble response in Madison after getting down big last week, and was booed off the field at halftime down 20-6. When Ohio State stretched the lead to 27-6 in the third quarter, things got to the point where Memorial Stadium has been louder when it was empty.

But Bo Pelini’s team responded. Aided by Lavonte David’s critical strip of Braxton Miller, and Miller’s subsequent injury, Pelini’s charges stayed on task and ultimately outlasted Ohio State. Any concerns about a 2007-like collapse of the team in adversity were allayed.

The Purpose of the Tempo

It’s become a pattern for Nebraska of being stronger in the fourth quarter, particularly on offense, and a lot of that is because of the quick-tempo offense called by offensive coordinator Tim Beck. Hammering at a team, without giving them a chance to breathe, is clearly having an effect on opponents as the games wear on.

In this case, the effect is more striking given how anemic Nebraska’s offense looked in the first half. At halftime, Rex Burkhead had 11 carries for 10 yards. He ended the game with 119 yards, and was getting stronger as the game wore on.

Taylor Martinez Has Grown Up

Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez took a lot of grief after the Wisconsin game, much of it deserved for his poor play. But he responded with the best game of his career. Not statistically, as he didn’t match the gaudy numbers he put up against Kansas State and Oklahoma State last year.

But against Ohio State, he managed the game, making good decisions while running, not fumbling, and throwing the ball (reasonably) accurately. And the Buckeyes were the first legitimate defense Martinez had success against in his career.

Against Wisconsin, the three interceptions seemed to force Martinez to revert back to his 2010 form. Against Ohio State, once the offense got some rhythm, Martinez made good decisions and allowed himself to be part of—but not the entirety of—a dangerous Nebraska offensive attack.

One of These Has Got to Work!

Nebraska has struggled mightily trying to find someone who can start at cornerback opposite Alfonzo Dennard. The Corey Cooper experiment, moving a safety over to cornerback, was abandoned against Ohio State. Ciante Evans and Andrew Green continued to struggle when put on an island in coverage.

So what does Bo Pelini do? He takes Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who started the season as a wide receiver, and puts him in single press coverage at a critical junction of the game. Baptiste responds with a phenomenal interception that keeps Nebraska alive and gives the resurgent offense the opportunity it needs to score.

Kyle Field Ain't the Only 12th Man

It’s always unfortunate to hear fans at a college game boo their team off the field. But give the Children of the Corn credit on Saturday. It wasn’t just that Nebraska was down 27-6 against Ohio State. It was that Nebraska looked absolutely dead and buried, about to face another humiliating loss and go into a bye week with a lot of difficult questions.

But once Lavonte David got that fumble, he lit the tiniest of sparks of hope. The Nebraska crowd gave those sparks the oxygen they needed to catch fire and keep Big Mo firmly planted on the NU sideline. Ultimately, a loud and involved Memorial Stadium crowd helped feed Nebraska’s historic comeback.

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