Nebraska Gets Point Across

After 10 games, Nebraska still had something to learn Saturday against Kansas State.

The second-ranked Cornhuskers trailed at halftime for the first time this season and weren’t quite sure how to handle it.

They figured something out.

“We were really frustrated with the way things went in the first half and didn’t feel they should have 14 points against us,” linebacker Jamie Burrow said after Nebraska overcame a one-point deficit with a dominant second half and won, 31-21.

The Cornhuskers (11-0, 7-0 in the Big 12) will likely keep the top spot in the bowl championship series for the third straight week.

Dahrran Diedrick led the Cornhuskers with 108 yards in 24 carries, including a two-yard touchdown run that capped the opening drive of the third quarter. Nebraska took 15 plays to drive 77 yards while eating up half the quarter to regain the lead for good.

“We didn’t do anything different. Coach told us we have to keep the defense off the field. We had to get out there and get something done,” said Diedrick, who topped 100 yards for the seventh time this season. “They were popping hard, but I think we were popping harder.”

Willie Amos had two interceptions, one he ran back 20 yards for a score and another that set up a fourth-quarter field goal for Nebraska.

Quarterback Eric Crouch ran 23 times for 106 yards and a touchdown, and completed three of seven passes for 60 yards with two interceptions for Nebraska.

“It wasn’t pretty, but that is part of football. You are going to get stopped once in a while and you have to make adjustments,” Crouch said.

A win at Colorado on Nov. 23 would put Nebraska in the Big 12 title game. Going unbeaten and winning the league championship would guarantee a spot in the Rose Bowl for the national title.

Nebraska blew a 13-0 second-quarter lead but made up for it in the third quarter by shutting down Kansas State (4-5, 2-5), holding the Wildcats to 22 yards in the third.

Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson ran for 119 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries, but had a miserable passing performance. In 11 attempts, Roberson threw two interceptions and had just one completion.