Football

Nebraska Postgame Notes

Nebraska Postgame Notes
Nebraska at Colorado-Nov. 27, 2009
Nebraska 28, Colorado 20

  • With today's victory Nebraska picked up its ninth win, giving NU back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time since an NCAA-record 33 straight nine win seasons from 1969 to 2001. This is Nebraska's first nine-win regular season since 2006.
  • Nebraska finished 4-0 on the road in Big 12 Conference play, marking NU's first perfect Big 12 road season since 1997. Nebraska has won five straight on the road in conference play dating back to last season.
  • Nebraska has won five straight games after today's victory, marking the longest conference winning streak for Nebraska since winning seven straight in 2001.                                               
  • Nebraska's win was its seventh straight victory in the month of November and improved the Huskers to 7-1 in November under Head Coach Bo Pelini. NU is 9-1 in games played on or after Nov. 1 under the second-year head coach (including two bowl victories).
  • The victory was Nebraska's second straight win over Colorado and its seventh win in the past nine meetings in Boulder.
  • Nebraska junior punter/place-kicker Alex Henery punted six times for a career-best 50.7-yard average (304 yards) in today's game, including punts of 58 and 63 yards. He bettered his previous best of 45.7 yards per punt against Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this year.
  • Henery downed four punts inside the CU 20 boosting his Big 12-leading total to 26. He had a first-quarter punt downed at the CU 2, his eighth punt of the year that has pinned the opponent inside the 3-yard line.
  • Junior wide receiver/returner Niles Paul returned a first-quarter punt 59 yards for a touchdown. The return was a career long for Paul and the first punt return for a touchdown of his career. Paul's previous career-long return was a 55-yarder at Virginia Tech this season.
  • Paul's punt return for a touchdown was the first by Nebraska since Nate Swift had an 88-yarder for a touchdown against Virginia Tech last season. Nebraska did return a blocked punt for a touchdown earlier this season at Baylor (Justin Blatchford).
  • Paul has scored touchdowns three different ways this season (rush, reception, punt return) and four different ways in his career (kickoff return).
  • With touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams, today's game marks the first time Nebraska has scored TDs in all three areas since last season's win over San Jose State. In addition to offensive scores in that game, Ndamukong Suh intercepted a pass for a touchdown and Niles Paul returned a kickoff for a score.
  • Senior safety Matt O'Hanlon returned a second-quarter interception 20 yards for a touchdown to give NU a 21-7 lead. The interception was O'Hanlon's team-leading fifth interception and his first career touchdown. O'Hanlon's five interceptions are the most by a Nebraska player since Daniel Bullocks had five in 2004. The last time a player had more than five interceptions was Josh Bullocks' school-record 10 picks in 2003.
  • Junior defensive back Prince Amukamara intercepted a fourth-quarter pass and returned it 40 yards. It was Amukamara's fourth interception of the season, one behind O'Hanlon. Junior defensive back Dejon Gomes alsointercepted a second-quarter pass for his third interception of the season.
  • Nebraska was a +2 in turnover margin today (three interceptions), marking the fifth straight game NU has had a positive turnover margin. It is NU's longest positive turnover margin streak since being positive in the turnover margin in the first five games of 2003. In nine wins this season, Nebraska is a +16, while it is a minus-12 in its three losses.
  • Nebraska held Colorado without a first down in the first quarter, with CU's initial first down coming with 13:36 left in the second quarter. This marked the second time in three games NU did not allow a first quarter first down (also at Kansas on Nov. 14).
  • Redshirt freshman tight end Ben Cotton caught a 24-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give NU a 14-0 lead. It was Cotton's first career touchdown reception, but his second career touchdown (fumble recovery in end zone vs. La.-Lafayette). Cotton finished today's game with a career-high three catches for 33 yards after entering the contest with two catches for 10 yards this season.
  • Freshman I-back Rex Burkhead rushed a career-high 18 times for a career-best 100 yards. His previous highs were nine carries for 39 yards against Florida Atlantic in the opener. He added a fourth-quarter touchdown, rushing nine times for 55 yards on that drive alone.
  • Nebraska senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finished the game with five tackles, all solo, including a 17-yard sack in the third quarter. Suh's sack gives him 7.5 sacks this season, matching his 2008 total and 19.5 in his career. He also pushed his career TFL total to 49 (16 in 2009), one shy of second place on the NU career list. Suh added two quarterback hurries, giving him a team-high 22 hurries this season.
  • Senior safety Larry Asante had six tackles, pushing his career total to 215. His tackle total is third in Nebraska history among defensive backs, trailing only Mike Brown (287) and Daniel Bullocks (226).
  • Senior defensive end David Harvey started the first game of his career today.
  • Today's game captains were senior receiver Menelik Holt, junior offensive tackle Mike Smith, sophomore tight end Ryan Hill and junior defensive end Pierre Allen. Hill and Allen are natives of Colorado.