Huskers’ rally falls short. Nebraska cuts a 28-point deficit to seven, but a late interception is costly in a 42-35 loss at Oregon.

OREGON 42, NEBRASKA 35

EUGENE, ORE.» Maligned last season, Oregon’s defense thwarted Nebraska’s comeback.

The Huskers were down 4214 at the half but rallied with three unanswered touchdowns. Then Tanner Lee was intercepted on what would be Nebraska’s final drive of the game, and the Ducks held on for a 4235 victory on Saturday.

“I’m very proud of the defense, they made some very tough stands,” said running back Royce Freeman. “Just to see them grow, especially defensively as a unit, makes me excited for the future and trusting them in big situations.”

Freeman rushed for 153 yards and two scores while Justin Herbert threw for 365 yards and three more as the Ducks handed first-year coach Willie Taggart his second straight win to open the season.

Oregon’s defense struggled last season when the Ducks went 4-8. But they held the Huskers to 109 yards on the ground and intercepted Lee four times. There were obvious breakdowns in allowing the rally, but the unit came up big when it mattered.

“Our guys didn’t fold when adversity came,” Taggart said. “That was one thing I was concerned with going in.”

Lee finished with 252 yards passing and three touchdowns for Nebraska, but also had those four picks — including the one on the first play of the last drive.

“Squandering the opportunity at the end, that’s real disappointing. Getting the ball back, we had plenty of time and then that happened,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley said.

Tre Bryant ran for 107 yards and a score for the Huskers but had to be helped off the field because of an apparent knee injury early in the fourth quarter.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Riley, who had two stints as coach at Oregon State between 1997 and 2014. Saturday was his first trip back to the state for a game since he took over as head coach of Nebraska two seasons ago.

Riley grew up in Corvallis. During his time with the Beavers, he was 1-6 at Autzen Stadium in Civil War rivalry games. The only win was in 2007 when the Beavers beat the Ducks 3831 in double overtime.

Autzen was certainly inhospitable to Riley in the first half on Saturday. The Ducks got off to a quick 14-0 start, scoring on their opening drive when Herbert hit Brenden Schooler with a 32-yard touchdown pass, and then some two minutes later when Herbert found Charles Nelson with an 8-yard scoring pass.

After De’mornay Piersonel’s stunning TD catch on Lee’s 23-yard pass narrowed it for Nebraska, Freeman ran for a 2yard touchdown to put the Ducks up 21-7.

Bryant rushed for a Nebraska score before Freeman extended Oregon’s lead with a 1-yard TD dive.

The Ducks added a pair of touchdowns to go into the half with a 42-14 lead, but Lee threw a pair of scoring passes, of 18 and 28 yards, to Stanley Morgan Jr. to close the gap in the second half.

Mikale Wilbon ran for a 2yard TD with 2:47 left in the game to bring Nebraska within a touchdown. The Huskers’ next drive — with 2:17 left — was stopped when Lee was picked off by Ugochukwo Amadi.

“We were good in the first half. Second half ? Not so good,” Taggart said. “But our guys found a way. To me that’s what’s more important than anything.”