Nebraska’s second half collapse leads to devastating loss at Iowa

IOWA CITY, Ia. — The Huskers are approaching the bowl season with several questions that need answers, after coming up short in the Heroes Game, and now all eyes are on their head coach.

Nebraska surrendered a double-digit, second half lead, failed to score over the final 30 minutes and suffered two costly turnovers in the 13-10 loss at Iowa. Coach Matt Rhule couldn’t stop his team from crumbling down the stretch at Kinnick Stadium, and now he has to pick up the pieces as the Huskers await their bowl destination.

It was a frustrating ordeal for Rhule, because he felt Nebraska had every chance to put Iowa away, especially when it held a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter. After all, Tony White’s Blackshirts did their part, and held the Hawkeyes to a season-low, 164 yards of total offense.

However, it was Dana Holgorsen’s offense that didn’t make the necessary adjustments after Nebraska had a 10-0 cushion. Not to mention the freezing temperatures limited what Holgorsen’s unit could do, and Rhule watched as Iowa’s defense dictated the flow of the game the rest of the way.

“Kind of more disappointed right now, kind of angry about what just happened, so credit to them, those guys have won a long time, they believed, made plays all the way to the very end and we gotta catch them,” Rhule said. “We haven’t caught them yet in terms of finding a way to finish games.”

Nebraska (6-6) got off to a hot start though. Quarterback Dylan Raiola led the Huskers on a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive, that took over five minutes of the clock on their initial possession. Kicker John Hohl capped it off with a 31-yard field goal. Nebraska later put together a 12-play, 74-yard touchdown drive right before the first half ended, in which running back Dante Dowdell punched the ball in the end zone.

The Huskers were a confident bunch heading into halftime, considering the Blackshirts held the Hawkeyes scoreless on the road in a hostile environment. Nebraska generated 10 first downs, while Iowa had none. The Huskers also recorded 182 yards of total offense, to the Hawkeyes’ 20.

Quarterback Jackson Stratton’s first start was sluggish in the first 30 minutes, and he only completed two of his seven passes for eight yards. Most importantly, Iowa’s star running back Kaleb Johnson was held in check, and only had a mere 16 yards on the ground, which encouraged Rhule.

“At the half I kind of said three things; make sure we keep tackling No. 2, win the turnover battle and don’t give up a big play on special teams,” he said. “We had some close ones in the first half, then all three later happened that caused us to lose the game.”

Regardless of the matter, the second half was a different story. Neither team was able to do much offensively in the third quarter, but Nebraska could’ve increased its’ lead if it wasn’t for a missed field goal. The Huskers’ first turnover of the night occurred when wideout Isaiah Garcia-Casteneda muffed a punt return inside their own five-yard line, and the Hawkeyes recovered the ball. The crowd went into a frenzy, and at that moment the momentum had clearly shifted to Iowa’s side.

Although the Blackshirts prevented a Hawkeye touchdown, kicker Drew Stevens got his team on the scoreboard with a 20-yard field goal. The most explosive play of the evening happened at the start of the fourth quarter. Johnson caught a pass  out of the backfield from Stratton, broke five tackles and took the ball 72 yards to the house to tie the game up at 10.

That’s when Kinnick Stadium turned into a snakepit for Nebraska. The black cloud continued to linger over the offense, after Iowa (8-4) scored 10 unanswered points. Still, the Huskers had an opportunity to win the game on its’ last possession with under two minutes left in the contest.

Nebraska had a first down at Iowa’s 43-yard line with 25 seconds left on the clock, and Rhule made a choice to go for the win, instead of overtime. Raiola dropped back to attempt a pass, but was stripped sacked by Iowa’s linebacker Max Llewellyn, who also recovered the fumble. The turnover by the offense gave the Hawkeyes’ premiere field position at the Huskers’ 36-yard line.

Two plays later, with three seconds left on the clock, Stevens nailed a 53-yard field goal as time expired, and sealed the game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes rushed the field as Rhule and his players took that walk of shame back to the locker room.

“Obviously we wasted a great opportunity to get a win, but a great defensive effort most of the day, and had opportunities on offense,” the 49-year old coach said. “Very similar to last year, and like previous years we found a way to lose the game at the end, so unbelievably disappointing.”

What’s even more telling is the numbers. Nebraska doubled Iowa in total offense, and led in first downs, plays and time of possession. The Hawkeyes didn’t even convert a single third down. It’s a head-scratcher that the odds were in the Huskers’ favor, and they still came up short.  There’s no denying that the difference in the game was the two turnovers by Nebraska, which Iowa converted into points.

Raiola completed 22 of his 32 passes for 190 yards. The gunslinger had poor protection, and was sacked four times. Running back Emmett Johnson rushed for a game-high, 71 yards on 18 carries. He also led Nebraska with six receptions. Wideout Jahmal Banks posted a team-high, 41 receiving yards.

Defensively, Malcolm Hartzog, John Bullock and DeShon Singleton each tallied five tackles. Defensive lineman James Williams had Nebraska’s lone sack of the game. Rhule was proud of the way his defense performed, and want the Blackshirts to hold their heads high, despite the loss.

It was hard for the Huskers to watch the Hawkeyes hoist the Heroes Trophy, but Rhule understands that they made the necessary plays in the clutch to win. Now Nebraska has lost two-straight to Iowa, and nine of the last 10 in the series.

“I feel for our seniors, I know how bad they wanted to get this done, and we didn’t get it done.”