Huskers Beat Jayhawks in OT - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Lincoln - The No. 21 Nebraska football team sprinted to a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and held off visiting Kansas by scoring the only overtime touchdown in a 39-32 victory at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday night.

Playing in front of 85,069 fans in the NCAA-record 279th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium and a Fox Sports Net national television audience, senior quarterback Zac Taylor threw for 395 yards and four touchdowns, including three scoring passes of 75 or more yards to lead the Huskers to victory.

The Norman, Okla., native hit former junior college teammate Frantz Hardy on a 78-yard scoring strike in the first half and a 75-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to go along with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Nunn in the game's opening minute to fuel his big passing numbers.

Hardy ended the game with a career-high 159 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history just ahead of the 152 yards he had in his first career game in the 2004 season-opening win over Maine. Hardy became the first player in Nebraska history to post a pair of 150-yard receiving games in his career.

Despite the huge passing totals and long scoring receptions, it was a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore I-back Cody Glenn on the third play of overtime that proved to be the game winner for the Huskers, who improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 with the victory.  KU slipped to 3-2 with the loss in its Big 12 opener.

Glenn's winning run was set up by a 21-yard connection from Taylor to Nate Swift on Nebraska's second overtime play, that put the Huskers at the half-yard line. Swift finished the night with two catches for 25 yards, both coming late in the game.

Glenn's touchdown, which improved Nebraska to 5-0 all-time in overtime games with touchdowns on every overtime possession, set up a dramatic defensive stand by the Blackshirts, who surrendered a first down before closing the door on the Jayhawks. The victory stretched Nebraska's home winning streak against KU to 19 games, dating back to 1968.

Nebraska finished the night with 511 yards of total offense, including 116 yards rushing. Kansas, who was outgained 313-279 in the first half and trailed 24-10 at halftime, finished the night with 574 total yards on 94 plays.

The 94 plays by the Jayhawks were the most ever by a Nebraska opponent, while KU's 32 points marked its second-highest total in series history, dating back to a 36-point effort in 1899.

While Kansas finished with major total yardage, the Blackshirts kept the Jayhawks in check in the first half by forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions and a fumble. Senior safety Andrew Shanle intercepted two of the first three passes that Adam Barmann threw on the night for KU, while Andre Jones picked off another in the end zone to stop a Jayhawk drive. Barmann also fumbled inside the Husker 5 to end another golden scoring opportunity.

Barmann did his best to make up for those big mistakes by completing 27-of-54 passes for 405 yards and two touchdowns.

The Huskers struck quickly, as Taylor connected with Nunn on the game's second play for a 75-yard touchdown strike. Taylor rolled out to his right to hit a streaking Nunn down the sideline. The pass gave Nebraska a 7-0 lead less than one minute into the game to put the Jayhawks in the hole early. Nunn finished the night with three catches for 98 yards, just shy of his second straight 100-yard receiving game.

Following NU's quick strike, the Blackshirts provided some lightning of their own as Shanle intercepted a Barmann pass on KU's third offensive play to start the Husker offense on the KU 49 on their second drive.

Brandon Jackson erupted for a 13-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive before it stalled on the KU 36. Punter Dan Titchener then came on to provide the first special teams highlight with his 35-yard punt to the coffin corner on the KU sideline that buried the Jayhawks inside their own 1 on their second drive.

Shanle continued his career night two plays later, intercepting Barmann's third pass of the game and returning it 19 yards to the KU 6.

Taylor and the offense converted immediately, as the senior quarterback connected with Todd Peterson with a six-yard strike on a rollout to his right to put the Huskers up 14-0 less than five minutes into the game.

On the Huskers' fifth offensive possession of the game, Taylor guided NU on an 11-play, 92-yard march that culminated with Jordan Congdon's 21-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in the quarter to put NU up 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Jayhawks showed signs of life by flying 95 yards in seven plays on their opening drive of the second quarter, capped by Brandon McAnderson's one-yard touchdown plunge with 11:45 left in the half to trim the NU lead to 17-7.

The KU touchdown ended a streak of five consecutive shutout quarters by the Blackshirts and was just the second touchdown allowed by the Huskers at home in their last 11 quarters.

After another stop by the KU defense, the Jayhawks were poised to cut into the Husker lead again, driving inside the NU 5 after a 41-yard burst by running back Jon Cornish, who finished with a game-high 145 yards on 31 carries. But Corey McKeon stripped the ball from Barmann to force a fumble that was recovered by Tierre Green to keep the beaks in blue at bay.

The Nebraska offense responded as well, as Taylor hit Maurice Purify with an 18-yard strike to give the Huskers some breathing room after starting the drive at their own 2. Purify finished the night with four catches for 91 yards.

After a two-yard gain by Kenny Wilson, Taylor rolled out from the left hashmark almost all the way to the far right sideline to avoid a corner blitz by the Jayhawks, leaving Hardy to roam free through the middle of the field.

Taylor finally found a passing lane and hit Hardy on his second career-long pass of the night, a 78-yard scoring strike down the right sideline to cap a three-play, 98-yard drive that put the Huskers ahead 24-7 with 6:51 left in the half.

After a Blackshirt stop, Nunn electrified the Memorial Stadium crowd with a 39-yard punt return, but the Huskers turned the ball over and the Jayhawks were knocking on the door to the NU end zone again. 

But Barmann turned the ball over for the fourth time in the first half with his third interception - this time by  Jones in the end zone - to thwart another KU scoring chance.

Kansas cut the Nebraska lead to 24-10 on the final play of the half, a 31-yard field goal by Scott Webb as time expired to mark the first time this season that NU had been outscored during a quarter at home in four games this season.

The Jayhawks continued to apply pressure to the Husker lead in the third quarter, cutting the NU edge to 24-16 in the opening minutes of the second half to convert a Husker turnover. Cornish scored on an eight-yard option pitch to the right with 12:01 left in the third, but a bad snap on the point after attempt kept the NU lead at eight points at 24-16.

KU trimmed the Husker advantage to five at 24-19 on a 35-yard Webb field goal with 5:47 left in the third quarter. Kansas then took its first lead of the night on Barmann's one-yard touchdown pass to Derek Fine, but KU's two-point conversion attempt was sacked by defensive end Jay Moore to put the score at 25-24, KU.

That play gained significance when Taylor hooked up with Hardy on a 75-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later. Taylor then connected with Swift on a rifle-armed two-point conversion pass just inside the goal line to give the Huskers a full seven-point lead at 32-25 with 4:13 left in the game.

But Barmann marched the Jayhawks again, this time hitting Brian Murph on a 26-yard scoring pass with 46 seconds left. Webb's PAT was good to send the game to overtime.

Nebraska will hit the road for just the second time this season when the Huskers travel to Iowa State next Saturday. The game will be televised regionally by ABC with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter (NU, 17-0)
NU - Terrence Nunn 75 pass from Zac Taylor (Jordan Congdon kick), 14:02 - NU, 7-0
NU - Todd Peterson 6 pass from Taylor (Congdon kick), 10:20, NU, 14-0
NU - Congdon 21 field goal, 0:23, NU, 17-0

Second Quarter (NU, 24-10)
KU - Brandon McAnderson 1 run (Scott Webb kick), 11:45, NU, 17-7
NU - Frantz Hardy 78 pass from Taylor (Congdon kick), 6:51, NU, 24-7
KU - Webb 31 field goal, 0:00, NU, 24-10

Third Quarter (NU, 24-19)
KU - Jon Cornish 8 run (PAT no good), 12:01, NU, 24-16
KU - Webb 35 field goal, 5:47, NU, 24-19

Fourth Quarter (32-32)
KU - Derek Fine 1 pass from Adam Barmann (2PAT no good), 6:32, KU, 25-24
NU - Hardy 75 pass from Taylor (2PAT pass Nate Swift from Taylor), 4:13, NU, 32-25
KU - Brian Murph 26 pass from Barmann (Webb kick), 0:46, Tie, 32-32

Overtime (NU, 39-32)
NU - Cody Glenn 1 run (Congdon kick), 0:00, NU, 39-32