Nebraska captain Caleb Tannor gives incredibly transparent response to Northwestern loss

Nebraska’s 31-28 loss to Northwestern — another loss in a one-score game, including a blown 11-point lead this time around — was major reality check for the Cornhuskers and senior captain Caleb Tannor. All the hopes of the preseason running up against the hard truth of an 0-1 record.

Tannor expressed his frustration at the position Nebraska again finds itself during a candid moment at a press conference ahead of the Huskers’ Week 1 game against FCS North Dakota. And as upsetting as the loss is, Tannor is committed to righting the ship.

“This one was kind of hard, though. This one was kind of hard. Usually I’m on to the next one, but this one was emotionally hard. Because we put that grind in and I feel like this team right here — I feel like this team right here is like, man, we the one. The one to bring Nebraska back to where it was, so it’s hard,” Tannor said. “But like I said, I take full responsibility with that and coming with, we’ve got to get back to work. We don’t have time to sulk about it, cry about it. We gotta get back to work. That’s all I’m worried about right now.”

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Tannor, an outside linebacker, will need to play a role in plugging the holes in a defense that allowed more than 500 yards of total offense and 31 points to the Wildcats. Nebraska generated no real pass rush to speak of and got bullied by the Northwestern offensive line late in the game as the Wildcats kept bashing the Huskers with their running backs, namely Evan Hull. Northwestern ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns at a 4.6 yard-per-carry clip by the end of the game.

On the flip side, quarterback Casey Thompson, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and the rest of the Nebraska offense need to find a way to keep on track and not vanish late in the game, as it did against Northwestern.

Two games against lesser opponents at home should be the salve Nebraska and Tannor need to get right ahead of a major showdown with age-old rival Oklahoma in Lincoln on Sept. 17.