Northwestern rallies for win in opener in Dublin

Ryan Hilinski threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns to help Northwestern rally for a 31-28 victory over Nebraska in Saturday’s season opener in Dublin. Ireland.

Northwestern handed the Cornhuskers their seventh consecutive loss going back to last season and added more pressure on embattled coach Scott Frost.

The Wildcats (1-0, 1-0 Big Ten) finished with 527 yards and gained a measure of revenge after their humiliating 56-7 loss to the Huskers last October. Nebraska hasn’t won since then.

Nebraska (0-1, 0-1 Big Ten) was looking for a bounce-back season with a revamped offense following a 3-9 season, but the team and its many fans who made the trip are headed home bitterly disappointed.

Quarterback Casey Thompson had a big game in his Huskers debut, throwing for 355 yards, but a fourth-quarter mistake was costly. Cameron Mitchell intercepted Thompson’s pass and returned it almost 40 yards. Six plays later, Evan Hull ran it in from the 4 to give the Wildcats a 31-28 lead. Hull finished with 22 carries for 119 yards.

Xander Mueller picked off a pass that bounced off receiver Wyatt Liewer’s hands with 1:27 to play and the Wildcats sealed the win.

Anthony Grant rushed for two third-quarter scores, including a 46yarder to put the Huskers ahead 28-17. He ran it in from 3 yards on the previous drive to get Nebraska in front after the Wildcats went into halftime with a 17-14 lead.

Grant had 19 carries for 101 yards.

Western Kentucky 38, Austin Peay 27: Austin Reed threw four touchdown passes in his Western Kentucky debut and the Hilltoppers defeated Austin Peay in a season-opener at Bowling Green, Kentucky. Reed’s first three TD throws went to Malachi Corley. Reed completed 19 of 33 passes for 276 yards. All-American candidate Daewood Davis caught six passes for 124 yards.

AELSEWHERE

South Carolina: Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will have his No. 7 college jersey retired at South Carolina’s season opener with Georgia State on Sept. 3. “We are excited to honor one of our greatest Gamecock football players ever,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said. Clowney, from Rock Hill, South Carolina, was the country’s top recruit when he signed on with the Gamecocks and coach Steve Spurrier in 2011. Clowney was twice named an AP All-American, won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end in 2012 and helped the Gamecocks go 11-2 each of his three seasons. Clowney was selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014

NFL draft.

Auburn: Athletic director Allen Greene is stepping down with five months left on his initial five-year deal. Greene was Auburn’s first Black athletic director. Auburn announced that Greene had informed President Christopher Roberts of his decision this week, citing professional reasons. Greene’s initial five-year deal was worth $625,000 annually and was set to expire Jan. 31, 2023.

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