Oct. 15, 2005 at Baylor
Nebraska 23
Baylor 14
- Nebraska improved to 5-1 with tonight’s victory, including 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play. The Huskers are now 9-1 all-time against Baylor, including 3-0 against the Bears in Waco. The victory was Nebraska’s third straight in a road opener after winning at Southern Miss in 2003 and at Pittsburgh in 2004. The victory did end a three-game losing streak in conference road openers, including losses at Iowa State in 2002, at Missouri in 2003 and at Texas Tech in 2004. The win also snapped a four-game road losing streak dating back to last season.
- Nebraska junior quarterback Zac Taylor completed 18-of-32 passes in tonight’s game for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor was 14-of-24 before halftime for 129 yards.
- Taylor showed his scrambling ability throughout the game, rushing for 30 yards on five carries, for a career-best rushing total.
- Nebraska senior I-back Cory Ross caught three passes in tonight’s game, giving him 21 this season and 49 in his career. Ross’ 49 career receptions moved him into the top 25 on Nebraska’s career receptions list. Ross’ 21 receptions this season match his total of 21 receptions from last season.
- Ross carried the ball 26 times for 93 yards in tonight’s game, pushing his career rushing total to 2,410 yards, inching Ross closer to the school’s top 10 career rushing list.
- Nebraska sophomore wide receiver Terrence Nunn caught a four-yard TD pass in the second quarter against Baylor to give the Huskers a 10-7 lead with 5:09 to play before halftime. The touchdown was Nunn’s third in the past two games after he caught a pair of second-half touchdowns in last week’s game against Texas Tech. The touchdowns are the first three of Nunn’s career.
- Nunn finished the game with five receptions for 49 yards, including the touchdown reception. Nunn has caught 16 passes in Nebraska’s past three games, including a career-high eight against Iowa State two weeks ago. Nunn has 22 catches this season.
- Nebraska redshirt freshman wide receiver Todd Peterson made the most of his first career reception, grabbing a 21-yard touchdown pass from Zac Taylor on Nebraska’s initial possession of the second half. The catch gave Nebraska a 20-7 advantage in the game.
- Nebraska sophomore Cortney Grixby had a 48-yard punt return in the second quarter to the Baylor 9 to set up a touchdown that gave Nebraska a 10-7 lead. The return was a career-long for Grixby, bettering his 23-yard return against Texas Tech in last week’s game. Grixby added a career-long 33-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter, on a fumble forced by linebacker Adam Ickes.
- Nebraska freshman place-kicker Jordan Congdon put Nebraska on the board on the first quarter with a 41-yard field goal, the longest of Congdon’s career. Congdon also connected on field goals of 22 and 29 yards against Baylor. Congdon, who connected on his first five career field goals, is now 11-of-14 on the season.
- Baylor took the opening drive for an 81-yard touchdown, including 76 yards of total offense on that drive. After that, the Nebraska defense stiffened in the first half, as Baylor gained just 35 yards the remainder of the half.
- Nebraska limited Baylor to 51 rushing yards, including minus-11 yards rushing in the first half and minus-26 rushing yards in the second quarter. The Huskers ranked fourth nationally in rush defense entering tonight’s game at 67.8 yards per game and have limited four opponents to less than 100 yards rushing this season, including each of the past three games. Maine was held to minus-6 yards in the season opener, while Iowa State had 57 yards rushing and Texas Tech managed just 44 on the ground in the past two games.
- The Nebraska defense recorded four sacks in tonight’s game, giving the Huskers 34 sacks in six games this season. The Huskers’ 30 sacks entering tonight’s game led the nation.
- Nebraska senior punter Sam Koch had four punts in tonight’s game, including none in the first half. Koch punted only once last week against Texas Tech, and did not have a punt in the fourth quarter of the Iowa State game, giving Nebraska a span of seven quarters with just one punt which ended with Koch’s 55-yard punt midway through the third quarter.
- Nebraska senior Daniel Bullocks and sophomore Zack Bowman each had fourth-quarter interceptions, the second and third by Husker defensive backs in 2005. Free safety Blake Tiedtke made the last interception by a Nebraska defensive back against Pittsburgh. The NU defense now has recorded a total of eight interceptions on the season.
- Nebraska freshman Barry Turner registered career highs with two sacks (15 yards) and three tackles-for-loss. Turner entered the game with two sacks for 11 yards, his only tackles-for-loss on the season.
- Nebraska senior Blake Tiedtke led the Husker defense with a career-best tying eight tackles, including a career-high five solo stops. Tiedtke also forced his first career fumble in the third quarter.