A trip to Ireland to open the college football season was supposed to be a step in the right direction for Nebraska.
Instead, when they return to Lincoln, the Cornhuskers likely will be in ire land.
Northwestern rallied from a double-digit deficit in Dublin on Saturday to down Nebraska, 31-28.
The loss dropped Cornhuskers Head Coach Scott Frost to 15-30 overall. Frost is 5-21 in one-score games at Nebraska.
Wow… Nebraska pic.twitter.com/WDVaBFy9sZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 27, 2022
His team led the Wildcats 28-17 in the third quarter but could not stop the Northwestern offense on a pair of drives that turned it into a 31-28 deficit.
Following this onside kick with 9:09 to play in the third, Northwestern outscored Nebraska 14-0. pic.twitter.com/F5vXV99LMP
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) August 27, 2022
Nebraska attempts an onside kick with an 11-point lead. pic.twitter.com/DlOPkwuNpB
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 27, 2022
Nebraska had Northwestern pinned inside the 5 in the fourth quarter but the Wildcats ate up 53 yards and the clock on 8 plays in a time-consuming drive.
When Nebraska finally stopped the Wildcats, punter Luke Akers pinned the Cornhuskers at their 4.
Three plays later, Casey Thompson was picked off by Xander Mueller and Northwestern was 1-0, and Nebraska had a long flight home to think about a one-possession loss.
Nebraska has lost three straight openers. Its defense allowed more than 500 yards to the Wildcats.
Ryan Hilinski threw for 313 yards and was magnificent in managing the clock, draining it to the final seconds on the fourth-quarter drive that devoured minutes.
Evan Hull rushed for 119 yards and a TD.
Thompson threw for 355 yards on 25-of-42 but Nebraska failed to score over the last 24 minutes of the game.
If you ever wanted to see many, many people do simultaneous surrender cobras, here's the crowd feed at the Nebraska watch party on that last interception pic.twitter.com/oFRa3GIqI5
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) August 27, 2022
we can probably make room for you on the Pickles staff @coach_frost
— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) August 27, 2022