Instant Takes: Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 17
Nebraska loses a heartbreaker to Wisconsin in overtime in Madison, Wisconsin. The Badgers won 24-17 on their senior day to win their sixth game and go to a bowl game.
The Huskers (5-6) will have one more chance to win a bowl game against Iowa next week.
Here are three instant takes from the game:
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Chubba Purdy’s first start of the season
Nebraska sophomore quarterback Chubba Purdy showed out on his first drive of the game. He had a 55-yard touchdown after dodging a blitzing linebacker and turning on the jets to get to the endzone.
Wisconsin’s tacklers misjudged Purdy’s speed in his first game starting this season. He wasn’t even touched on his way to the endzone.
Nebraska continued to take advantage of Purdy’s legs. He took off for seven yards on the first play of the second drive. The Huskers put together four straight 5+ yard plays before Purdy was sacked on a double-pass play gone wrong.
He more than recovered from it. Purdy threw a perfect pass to Jaylen Lloyd, who bounced off a tackle and took it to the house for a 58-yard TD. Nebraska scored two 55+ yard touchdowns within nine minutes.
The Huskers had 13 points in the first half all season long. They had 14 within the first nine minutes vs. Wisconsin.
NU and Purdy set the tone with a huge first quarter. They had 83 rushing yards and 79 passing yards. The QB went 5-of-6 in the first quarter with two touchdowns.
Purdy also showed off his strong arm and accuracy. Along with the pass to Lloyd, he connected with Malachi Coleman for a huge 26-yard gain with under 30 seconds left in the first half. However, Tristan Alvano missed the 42-yard field goal as the seconds expired.
He found players like Billy Kemp IV, Lloyd and Thomas Fidone in tight coverage.
Nebraska’s offense was shut down in the second half. During the fourth quarter, they were on the field for just over 2 minutes, heading into their final position starting at 3:27 on the clock.
Emmett Johnson forced an 18-yard gain while dragging and driving the pile forward in a great effort. Purdy showed off his running ability three plays later with a huge 24-yard gain. Nebraska marched down to get a 30-yard field goal and tie it 17-17.
After throwing an interception on what could have been a game-winning drive against Maryland, Purdy had a chance to redeem himself. However, on fourth down, he threw a high ball to Lloyd, who tipped it into the hands of Preston Zachman. That was Purdy and Nebraska’s only turnover of the game.
Purdy went 15-of-23 for 169 passing yards and one touchdown through the air. He ran for 105 yards on 15 attempts.
Defense fights back to win fourth quarter
Nebraska’s Blackshirts played like they desperately wanted to make a bowl game to start the game. They fell off in the second and third quarters but showed up in a major way in the fourth.
Wisconsin had two short drives to start the game. The Huskers’ pass rushers were getting to quarterback Tanner Mordecai in his first game back from a hand injury. The Badgers had a personal foul to push them way behind the sticks. NU kept them there with a great tackle by Luke Reimer, a hammer of a hit by Marques Buford Jr. and Ty Robinson batting down a ball.
However, Wisconsin scored 10 points in the second quarter, including a touchdown on a bust. Having two short-field position situations during to a turnover on downs and a bad punt was harmful to this defense.
They gave up 101 total yards in the second quarter after allowing just 32 in the first. The Badgers had 68 passing yards in the second as well.
After forcing a three-and-out, Wisconsin got the ball back and drove down the field to take a 17-14 lead. Of the 10 plays on the 79-yard drive, eight were a run play. Running back Braelon Allen punched in the TD. Allen finished with 62 rushing yards on 22 carries.
The Blackshirts didn’t give up and forced another three-and-out with four minutes left in the third. Elijah Jeudy made a huge tackle on 3rd-and-3 for no gain.
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Again, Nebraska stepped up with a huge stop in the middle of the fourth quarter. Phalen Sanford stormed down the pipe to stand up Jackson Acker on 3rd-and-1. Omar Brown then stuffed Allen on 4th-and-1 with 8:32 remaining.
Wisconsin got the ball back, but NU’s defense battled to give it back to its offense. Nash Hutmacher and Riley Van Poppel both had massive stops.
The Blackshirts made it hard for Wisconsin to get into the endzone in overtime. However, a nine-yard scramble by Mordecai and a three-yard touchdown push by Allen for the touchdown.
Wisconsin has 156 rushing yards and 160 passing yards. Mordecai went 18-of-28 and rushed for 51 yards on nine carries.
Penalties, special teams suck the life out of NU
After having only one penalty against Maryland, Nebraska had seven penalties for 54 yards against Wisconsin.
Purdy had two delay-of-game penalties. Defensive back Malcolm Hartzog had a pass interference to move UW to NU’s 2-yard line, which resolved in a TD. Fidone had an illegal block in the back on the first play on the last second-quarter drive.
Teddy Prochazka had two false starts in the third and fourth quarters. Prochazka’s second false start came at a really bad time, although it’s never a good time for a penalty. He flinched on 3rd-and-7 to push back NU five yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. On the next play, he missed his man, who got to Purdy and blew up the play.
Right guard Nouredin Nouili committed a false start on third-and-11 to set NU back even more.
Nebraska’s penalties sucked the air out of drives. And then NU’s special teams took over for a punt or a field goal and struggled heavily.
As for the special teams, punter Brian Buschini had a couple of bad punts. In the second quarter, he shanked one that landed with a bad bounce for a 19-yard punt.
In the third quarter, he had a 39-yard punt that Vinny Anthony returned 25 yards to the Nebraska 40. Buschini had to make the tackle himself.
The junior averaged 35.2 yards per punt on five punts and pinned one inside the 20-yard line.
Purdy and the offense battled into field goal range at the end of the second quarter. Tristan Alvano missed the 42-yard field goal to go up 17-10 at the half.
Alvano redeemed himself by nailing a 30-yarder to tie it up 17-17 and send it into overtime.
However, Nebraska’s defense couldn’t stop a rolling Wisconsin offense and NU’s offense faltered under the pressure.
