Perhaps it would have been presumptuous to think that Nebraska could withstand the loss of two starting offensive linemen in a week and not show any drop-off.
The group, which already has been uneven through eight games, lost sophomore center Michael Decker (knee) and junior right guard Tanner Farmer (ankle) to injuries Oct. 28 against Purdue. Stepping in: junior center Cole Conrad and redshirt freshman Matt Farniok. Conrad started the year at center but was injured and then lost his spot to Decker, who came in and served as a steadying hand to early-season uneven play. Farniok played tackle early in the year but broke a bone in his wrist and slid inside upon return, where the coaches think he has the most upside.
The first full game with a retooled starting five: inconsistent at best.
Quarterback Tanner Lee was hurried on Nebraska’s first snap of the game, a bootleg pass to the right.
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He was hit as he threw on two of his three interceptions over the course of a 31-24 overtime loss to Northwestern, including the final one, which came with the Huskers well within field goal range and already leading by seven points early in the fourth quarter.
Lee was hit seven times in addition to being sacked once, by the Journal Star's count, in 40 drop-backs (he also had a 2-yard rush).
The rushing game mustered 72 yards on 30 attempts (2.4 per attempt) outside a quick-hitting end-around that redshirt freshman JD Spielman took for 40, the Huskers’ longest run play of the season.
“When we’ve had struggles running the ball, it’s just not covering guys up and letting them slip off our blocks,” Conrad said. “We did a better job of that today, but still not good enough.”
Lee’s first interception came in the face of a six-man Wildcat blitz on third-and-8 during Nebraska’s second series. Northwestern stunted on both sides and got pressure on the Huskers’ right. Freshman right tackle Brenden Jaimes widened out to take the edge rusher, but Trent Goens looped inside and found a clean lane to Lee when Farniok and Conrad double-teamed Joe Gaziano inside.
Perhaps the line’s best series was Nebraska’s third of the day. They gave Lee a good pocket on a deep incompletion for Stanley Morgan, won at the point of attack as Devine Ozigbo easily converted a fourth-and-1 up the middle and again provided Lee with ample time on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Reimers.
“I thought overall it was pretty good, but obviously there’s some things — you don’t want to have your quarterback to get hit that much — but overall it was OK. It definitely needs to improve,” Conrad said.
Farniok struggled with a tough assignment in three-year starter Tyler Lancaster. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound senior defensive tackle beat the redshirt freshman — still wearing a cast on his left hand — twice on runs in the first half, resulting in losses of 4 and 2 yards by Devine Ozigbo. The Huskers had 26 negative rushing yards on the day.
It was tight end Connor Ketter who couldn’t contain Gaziano on an end-around to freshman wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey that lost 8.
While the right side of the offensive line had its struggles, perhaps the biggest play of the day came off Nebraska’s left. On Lee’s third interception, the Huskers had their five offensive linemen plus tight end Tyler Hoppes and running back Devine Ozigbo begin in protection. What’s more, Ozigbo and Hoppes were both deployed to the left, giving Nebraska four to account for two Wildcats.
Hoppes set to pass block Gaziano, the end man. Gaziano stunted inside the tackle, who was locked up with left tackle Nick Gates. Ozigbo leaked out to the flat, though, and left guard Jerald Foster slid to the right to help Cole Conrad with blitzing linebacker Paddy Fisher, leaving a gaping hole for Gaziano to rumble through. He crushed Lee from the back side with good closing speed — it didn’t appear that Lee felt the rush before impact — and the ball came out short and right at safety Godwin Igwebuike.
“We had a seven-man protection and he got hit on the throw, and he’s throwing it to JD for a completion,” offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf lamented. “And the guy covering him was way inside and not close to covering him and he gets hit, ball flutters up in the air, and it’s picked.”
Spielman ran a bubble screen as part of a trips set to the right, and Igwebuike was nearly 10 yards from him. Spielman may not have scored, but he looked to have room to pick up at least 5 on a first-down play.
Then, on a second-down screen in overtime, Jaimes got beat clean around the edge by Samdup Miller. The screen was going left and Ozigbo had to filter through some traffic. He still had Alex Miller in the area, but Ozigbo had room if Lee could have found him. Lee pulled the ball down once as Ozigbo tried to navigate past the line of scrimmage, and was hit before he could reload.
“I felt good coming off that last drive,” Conrad said. “It came down on our shoulders and we didn’t get it done.”