Wildcats rally to keep Huskers winless
Clayton Thorson threw for 455 yards and three touchdowns, and Drew Luckenbaugh kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime to give host Northwestern a 34-31 victory over winless Nebraska on Saturday afternoon.
Nebraska (0-6, 0-4 Big Ten) blew a 10-point lead in the final 5:41 in regulation and fell to 0-6 for the first time. They also extended the longest losing streak in the storied program’s history to 10 games. It’s not the start coach Scott Frost envisioned when he decided to take over at his alma mater after orchestrat- ing a drastic turnaround in two seasons coaching Central Florida.
Flynn Nagel set career highs with 220 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and the Wildcats (3-3, 2-2 Big Ten) won for the first time at home after an 0-3 start at Ryan Field.
Things weren’t looking good for them trailing 31-21 with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter. But Northwestern kicked a field goal, then drove 99 yards after getting pinned at the 1 with 2:02 left.
The Wildcats were aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Carlos Davis that moved the ball out to the 16, and Thorson finished the drive with a 5-yard TD to JJ Jefferson with 12 seconds left in regulation.
Nebraska got the first shot in overtime after Northwest- ern deferred and a low snap in a shotgun formation on fourth-and-1 at the 16 did in the Cornhuskers. Martinez scooped up the loose ball around the 30, heaved it to the end zone from the 37 and got intercepted by JR Pace.
Northwestern moved six yards before Luckenbaugh nailed a 37-yarder on fourth down to give the Wildcats their second straight victory.
Nebraska’s Devine Ozigbo ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Adrian Martinez threw for 251 yards and a TD.
JD Spielman caught eight passes for 76 yards receiving and a TD. But Nebraska remained winless since a vic- tory at Purdue last Oct. 28.
Iowa 42, (at) Indiana 16: Nate Stanley threw for 320 yards and a season-high six touchdowns as the Hawkeyes beat the host Hoosiers (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten).
Stanley connected with nine receivers, completing 21 of 33 throws in a game where he was only sacked once.
Iowa (5-1, 2-1) finished with 479 yards of offense against an Indiana team that was allowing about 370 per game.
(At) Maryland 34, Rutgers 7: Kasim Hill threw three touchdown passes, Ty Johnson ran for 132 yards and Maryland had five interceptions in defeating woeful Rutgers.
The Terrapins (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led 24-0 at halftime and cruised to the finish. A Rutgers touchdown with 43 seconds remaining ended Maryland’s bid for its first shutout since a 37-0 win over West Virginia on Sept. 21, 2013.
Rutgers (1-6, 0-4) lost its sixth straight. Freshman quarterback Artur Sitkowski was pulled late in the third quarter after going 2 for 16 for 8 yards and four interceptions.