One-Score Game Finally Goes in Nebraska’s Favor

One game doesn’t reverse a trend. One game can continue a trend, but one game doesn’t stop it.

That said, Nebraska finally was on the right side of a one-score game Thursday night with its tense, 20-17 victory over Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Last year, the Huskers were 2-5 in one-score games, a disturbing trend with no good ending. That followed a 1-5 record in one-score games in 2023. Doing the math, in Huskers coach Matt Rhule’s two seasons in Lincoln, Nebraska was 3-10 in one-score games.

That is not the pattern of a winning football program … or even a mediocre one. Nebraska was 7-6 last season. Five of the losses were by one score. Finding ways to win close games had to be an offseason focus for the Huskers.

With Thursday night’s victory, has the ship been righted? Are the past woes and anxiety long forgotten? Of course not. Not with 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Take the Huskers’ win Thursday night for exactly what it was: a step in the right direction. It wasn’t a pretty win, but it was a win.

Hartzog’s clutch play

When Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorbsy dropped back to pass with 41 seconds to play, the goal was to quick-strike the Huskers for the possible winning touchdown. Playing for a field goal to tie the score was an option, but why not go for the win?

Cincy was at the Nebraska 33-yard line, possibly out of field goal range. Another 10 yards or so would give the Bearcats a comfortable chance to kick the field goal.

The Bearcats had plenty of time and they had just moved the ball from their own 9-yard line. Nebraska’s defense looked vulnerable at the worst possible time. Another one-score loss?

When the roaring, overflow Nebraska crowd, maybe unable to fully exhale, saw Sorsby drop back they also saw Cincy receiver Caleb Goodie open heading toward the end zone.

Sorsby had plenty of time in the pocket. He threw a beautiful pass, a rainbow, in Goodie’s direction. In those few seconds, as the spiraling ball flew toward Goodie’s waiting hands, all of Nebraska’s offseason optimism and self-esteem hung in the balance.

Not again.

Nebraska cornerback Malcolm Hartzog Jr. was on the case, backpedaling, closing quickly on Goodie. He made the play on the ball, in front of the receiver and snared the difficult catch, the interception Huskers fans had long waited for.