Those sounds you may have heard toward the end of the second quarter of the Nebraska-Iowa game? It was a mob in Lincoln firing up their torches and sharpening their pitchforks. Whether what happened over the next two-plus quarters -- and extra time -- has quieted the grousing and grumbling in the nation’s heartland, however, remains to be seen.
What is clear is that Nebraska mounted a massive comeback, in part because Iowa failed to capitalize on first-half opportunities... and then failed to put the game away late... and then stunned the Iowa City crowd in overtime to “steal” a 37-34 win.
The Hawkeyes took a 24-7 lead at the midway point of the second quarter, although the damage could’ve -- and likely should’ve -- been much, much worse. Twice in the first half, the Hawkeyes drove into the red zone, and inside the 10-yard line even, only to turn the ball over to the Cornhuskers. At worst the lead at that point should’ve been 30-7; at best, it would’ve been a seemingly insurmountable 38-7 deficit for the ‘Huskers on the road.
Instead, the ‘Huskers dodged those bullets and began firing some of their own. A touchdown with :20 left in the second quarter cut the lead to 24-14. NU then shut Iowa’s offense down for most of the second half while scoring 14 points on offense/special teams to take a 28-24 lead.
De’Mornay Pierson-El‘s 80-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter was looking like the winning score until a Jake Ruddock five-yard touchdown pass to running back Jordan Canzeri with 1:49 remaining put the Hawkeyes back on top 31-28. Tommie Armstrong Jr. then led the ‘Huskers on a drive that was capped by a field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Iowa’s possession in the first overtime resulted in a field goal. On Nebraska’s possession, Armstrong Jr. tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell that, after a replay review, gave the Cornhuskers the come-from-behind win.
Despite the dramatic win that showed the tremendous heart on that squad, the questions surrounding Bo Pelini‘s future with the program will still swirl.
Nebraska improved to 9-3 on the season with a bowl game remaining. In each of Pelini’s previous six seasons in Lincoln, the ‘Huskers had lost four games; they’ve won 10 games in three seasons and nine in three others. Is that enough for the fan base and, more importantly, the administration?
It’s not that the Cornhuskers are a bad program under Pelini, it’s that they’re not even remotely the Cornhuskers of Tom Osborne. Or, more to the point, they’re not even the Cornhuskers of Frank Solich. In Osborne’s 25 seasons, NU never lost four games in a season and only lost three games in a season eight times. Certainly Osborne is a lofty barometer for Pelini, but it’s not beyond the pale to think that the Cornhuskers should’ve returned to the national stage at some point during the current coach’s seven-year tenure. Hell, Solich lost three or fewer games in four of his six seasons — either one or two losses in three of those years — and can claim one conference championship; Pelini’s won none in a tenure that’s one year beyond what Solich got from the university.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Pelini remain with the Cornhuskers. It also wouldn’t be a shock to see the two sides part ways. Either way, it’s a situation that bears monitoring as the 2014 coaching carousel gets set to swing into high gear.