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Nebraska’s Week 4 game began with 85,000-plus in the Memorial Stadium stands. By the final whistle, only about 25,000 remained.
After waiting out a 55-minute lightning delay in the fourth quarter, the Nebraska football team sealed a performance good enough for a victory.mAnd while most of the sellout crowd was no longer in their seats when the final whistle blew, those remaining inside Memorial Stadium still combined to celebrate a second consecutive win from the Huskers.
Nebraska never trailed as quarterback Heinrich Haarberg led a Husker win for the second week in a row, 28-14 over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Haarberg totaled over 250 yards of offense and accounted for two touchdowns as the bulk of Nebraska’s (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) offensive success came on the ground, not through the air.
There was no instant success for the Nebraska offense, nor was there for Louisiana Tech (2-3) as a slow first quarter yielded five total punts and zero points. Haarberg finally provided Nebraska’s first explosive play, a 43-yard run on a quarterback keeper which put the Huskers in scoring range for the first time all game.
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Those points wouldn’t come until the second quarter when the Nebraska drive stalled and the Huskers faced a fourth-and-4 on the edge of the red zone. While Nebraska’s field goal unit lined up, holder Timmy Bleekrode took the snap and instantly turned upfield behind several pulling offensive linemen to convert the surprise fourth-down fake. Wide receiver Billy Kemp IV put the finishing touches on the drive by scoring a 10-yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 Nebraska lead.
The response from Louisiana Tech was instantaneous. After gaining fewer than 20 yards on each of its first three possessions, Louisiana Tech put together a 10-play, 87-yard touchdown drive to even the score. A 28-yard catch from Cyrus Allen on a pivotal third down kept the Bulldog drive going, while Jacob Fields’ 14-yard touchdown run involved several missed tackles.
Still, the opportunities were there for Nebraska to reclaim its lead going into halftime. A would-be 75-yard rushing score from Haarberg — in which the quarterback ran the length of the field untouched — was wiped off the board due to a holding penalty.
Later in the half with Nebraska in the midst of a two-minute drill, the Huskers had worked the ball into field goal range. There was no trickery this time — freshman kicker Tristan Alvano got to kick the ball — but his 41-yard attempt sailed wide left as the first half clock expired. Nebraska outgained Louisiana Tech 188-132 in the first half, though the 7-7 halftime score didn’t reflect Nebraska’s relative control of the game.
Much like last week, the Nebraska offense found its footing in the second half. Straight out of the halftime locker room, Nebraska went on a nine-play touchdown drive that included nine runs and zero passes. Running back Anthony Grant turned five carries into 76 yards during the drive, including a 2-yard rushing touchdown that put Nebraska back in front, 14-7.
While Louisiana Tech was doing its best to keep up with Nebraska’s offensive surge, the Husker defense had other plans. On a fourth-and-1 on Nebraska’s side of the field, the NU defensive line held their ground up front and kept Louisiana Tech from converting a quarterback sneak for a first down.
While four of Haarberg’s first six completions went to wide receiver Billy Kemp, the quarterback turned to his favorite target in the passing game — tight end Thomas Fidone II — when Nebraska needed it most. Making the most of excellent field position, Nebraska extended its lead to 21-7 when Haarberg found Fidone for a 29-yard passing touchdown, marking the third consecutive week where Haarberg and Fidone connected for a score.
The Husker quarterback finally got his breakaway touchdown run during the fourth quarter. Haarberg’s 72-yard scamper up the middle again involved him going from the pocket to the end zone untouched — and there were no penalties on the field this time around.
While Louisiana Tech trailed 28-7 prior to the weather delay, the Bulldogs ripped off a touchdown drive immediately after the game resumed. Louisiana Tech’s six-play, 51-yard drive concluded with a 20-yard passing touchdown from Jack Turner to Allen — but there would be no epic comeback for the Bulldogs overall. Nebraska’s lead remained in place for the game’s final five-plus minutes.
While Louisiana Tech found little success when running the ball, it’s where most of Nebraska’s offensive production occurred on Saturday. Nebraska outgained Louisiana Tech 312-46 on the ground and 419-338 overall.
