Huskers Handle Penn State, 18-10Huskers Handle Penn State, 18-10
Football

Huskers Handle Penn State, 18-10

David Dyches recorded four field goals for the second straight game. Postgame Coverage

Lincoln - The Nebraska gameplan during this young 2003 season has been simple. Pound opponents up front with the running game, control the clock, and let the upstart defense take care of the rest. The Huskers continued to use that formula with success on Saturday night, punishing Penn State on the ground for 337 yards rushing, while the Blackshirts held the Nittany Lions scoreless in the second half in an 18-10 Nebraska victory. With the win, the Huskers remain undefeated on the season at 3-0.

A bruising ground attack, led by a career-night by I-back Josh Davis, allowed the Huskers to dominate the time possession battle, as the Huskers nearly doubled Penn State's possession time. Davis galloped for 179 yards on 32 carries and NU quarterback Jammal Lord added 100 more. But despite 72 rushes on the night, NU was only able to put one across the goal line, leaving much of the scoring to true freshman place-kicker David Dyches who connected on four field goals, including a crucial 32-yarder with 3:53 left in the game.

After forcing a punt on the opening series, the Huskers used the power running of Josh Davis to set up Dyches' 36-yard field goal. The senior I-back from Loveland, Colo., broke off runs of eight, 11 and seven yards, and totaled 31 of Nebraska's 36 yards on the drive.

Dyches extended the Huskers' lead to 6-0, connecting on his second field goal of the evening, a 35-yarder with 12:32 remaining in the half, to cap a 10-play, 42-yard drive deep into PSU territory.

The Nittany Lions, who were held to just 20 yards and one first down in the first quarter, got a break midway through the quarter as Lavon Chisley recovered Jammal Lord's fumble at the 29-yard line following another three-and-out for PSU . Penn State quickly took advantage, as Tony Johnson made a spectacular one-handed grab off a Zack Mills pass for a 16-yard gain before Ricky Upton scored from 13 yards out, giving the visitors a 7-6 lead with 10:28 remaining in the half.

Not to be outdone, NU came right back, as Davis, sprung by a pair of Ross Pilkington blocks, raced 42-yards to put the Huskers into Penn State territory. But two plays later Chisley caused havoc, stripping Lord's pitch. The resulting 13-yard loss knocked the Huskers out of field goal range.

The Husker special teams gave NU a golden opportunity on its next possession, as Davis returned a Jeremy Kapinos punt 26 yards to the Penn State 40. Nebraska would take advantage of the good field position, as Dyches capped the drive with his third field goal of the night, a career-long 41-yarder, to give NU a 9-7 lead with 2:23 left in the half.

Penn State went on its first significant offensive drive in the final stages of the first half to set up Robbie Gould's 47-yard field goal at the end of the half. The Nittany Lions, who had just 56 total yards in the first 27 minutes of the half, went 49 yards in eight plays to take a one-point lead into halftime.

The Huskers got untracked early in the second half behind the play of Davis and Lord. NU took the second half kickoff and covered 80 yards in 16 plays, reeling 8:12 off the clock before Lord scored on a 3-yard keeper. Davis, whose previous career high was 95 yards against Oklahoma State in the opener, carried 10 times for 49 yards on the drive to set up Lord's second touchdown of the year and a 15-10 Nebraska lead. Unfortunately, the Huskers could not convert the two-point conversion as the lead held at five.

Unlike the Huskers, Penn State could not sustain its momentum into the second half, as they failed to move the ball into Huskers territory on their first possession of the third quarter. Following a PSU punt, the Huskers once again turned to the ground game as the third quarter came to a close. The Huskers held the ball for 12:50 of the third quarter and ran 34 plays to Penn State's five, but could not extend the lead, as Scott Paxton blocked Dyches' 34-yard field goal attempt and PSU recovered to keep the Husker lead at five.

The Husker defense remained dominant in the final quarter as Penn State went to the air looking to eclipse the Husker lead. But the Blackshirts proved up to the task as the Nittany Lions failed to move into Nebraska territory until its final possession of the game, a span of nearly 10 minutes. The fourth-quarter effort was highlighted by linebacker Barrett Ruud's timely fumble recovery of a mishandled exchange between PSU quarterback Zack Mills and center David Costlow. The Nittany Lions had moved the ball to midfield on a drive that began at their own 19-yard line before Ruud's big play.

The Huskers will be off next weekend before traveling to Southern Miss on Thursday, Sept. 25. Kickoff for the ESPN nationally televised broadcast is set for 6:30 p.m. between the Huskers and Golden Eagles.