Nebraska grinds out win over PSU
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska did not need to do anything fancy Saturday to trample Penn State, 18-10.
"They were just running the ball," Nittany Lions linebacker Gino Capone said. "It was those first-and-10s, when we'd give up 4 or 5 yards. Then they'd get to third-and-2, and wind up getting another first down. That's their game -- just running the ball."
For all their muscle, though, the 18th-ranked Cornhuskers (3-0) couldn't cash in inside the red zone. They drove inside the 25-yard line eight times in the game, but managed just one touchdown.
That score -- a 3-yard keeper by quarterback Jammal Lord -- put the Huskers up to stay with 6:48 left in the third quarter.
Of Nebraska's 402 yards of total offense, 342 came on the ground. Lord threw just six passes -- the second-lowest total by a Penn State opponent in four decades. But, he rushed 20 times for 100 yards.
I-back Josh Davis had 32 carries for a career-best 179 yards -- the best day by a Huskers running back in three years.
"We knew we had to go out and hammer the ball at them," Davis said.
Davis was at his best when he ran behind his guards, right at the middle of Penn State's defensive line.
"Most of the things they were running, they were staying right up the gut with it," defensive end Lavon Chisley said with a shrug.
The Huskers controlled the ball for nearly 13 minutes in the third quarter. They rolled off 23 consecutive running plays, including Lord's 3-yard touchdown burst, before finally throwing on the final play of the period.
"If our offense doesn't chew up the clock, it's a different game," Nebraska linebacker Barrett Ruud said.
Penn State got 203 total yards, a paltry 44 on the ground. Still, the issue was in doubt until late in the fourth quarter.
The Nittany Lions (1-2) were driving and had a first down at midfield. But, quarterback Zack Mills fumbled the snap -- the Lions' second turnover of the game -- and Ruud recovered.
"I think he just dropped it and it was lying under someone," Ruud said. "I just grabbed it, dug it out, and got the ref's attention."
The Huskers nudged the ball to the 15-yard line. David Dyches hit a 32-yard field goal -- his fourth of the game -- with 3:53 to play.
Penn State's last chance ended with an incomplete fourth-down pass from the Nebraska 44-yard line with 2:37 to go.
For the game, Mills went 16 for 33 for 159. He was intercepted once.
"We never really had good field position and we couldn't sustain anything offensively," Lions coach Joe Paterno said.
Although its offense was terrible for much of the first half, Penn State led 10-9 at halftime.
The Lions were outgained 184-105 in the half, and managed just 17 rushing yards. Half of their offense came on the final drive of the half, a two-minute drill of short passes that led to a field goal.
The Huskers moved inside the 25-yard line on four of their six first-half drives. But all they got were field goals of 36, 35 and 41 yards by Dyches.
Penn State took a 7-6 lead with 10:28 left in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run by Ricky Upton. The score was set up when Lord was hit by Lavon Chisley and fumbled at the Nebraska 29-yard line.
Tony Johnson pulled in a 16-yard pass. Upton then took a delayed handoff, headed left and swept into the end zone.
The Lions regained the lead with an eight-play drive in the final 2:16 of the second quarter. Mills went 4 for 5 on the drive and also scrambled for 1 yard on the only running play.
Robbie Gould nailed a 47-yard field goal as time expired to put Penn State up 10-9.
Robinson disappeared from the offense for nearly all of the second quarter. After running for no gain on a fake double-reverse with 11 minutes left in the period, Robinson went to the bench.
Penn State had two possessions after that -- a three-and-out (three runs by Austin Scott gained nine yards) and the field goal drive at the end of the period.
"It felt like they had a spy on me every time I was in the game," Robinson said. "They had a great game plan."
Notes: In the second quarter, tight end Casey Williams injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He likely is out for the season. ... Offensive lineman Tyler Reed (Thomas Jefferson) made his first career start. ... Defensive lineman Scott Paxson's legal matter was cleared up last Wednesday, and he was in uniform yesterday. The charge against him of receiving stolen property was dismissed. He paid a $117 fine for criminal mischief and riding a bicycle without a headlight. ... Tailback Mike Gasparato, who missed the first two games with a sore hamstring, was in uniform yesterday but did not play. He wore a brace on his left leg.
