Huskers survive major scare from Ball State in shocking 41-40 thriller
September 23, 2007
By Jim D. Berryman
jimdberryman@missingnebraska.com

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were lucky to escape Memorial Stadium with a win on Saturday. Very lucky.

Ball State came to play in a major way, and despite posting a whopping 610 yards of total offense against a beleaguered Nebraska defense, the Cardinals fell short in their bid to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year.

Final score: Nebraska 41 Ball State 40. Whew.

The Huskers improve to 3-1 and host Iowa State next Saturday in Lincoln. Ball State drops to 2-2.

But it almost didn't happen.

Nebraska had to rally from a 9-point deficit in the 4th quarter and took the lead by one point after a touchdown, but  missed a two-point conversion attempt that would have given the Huskers a "cushy" 3-point lead.

The way Ball State was running and passing all over the Husker defense, Big Red fans just knew the pesky Cardinals would get themselves back in scoring position again.

And they did.

Had Ball State been a few yards closer than the eventual 55-yard field goal attempted and missed in the final seconds of the game, NU fans would be crying in their beers for weeks to come.

Ball State owned the Nebraska defense. That's a stinging statement, especially when you realize the words "Ball" and "State" are included in that statement.

A mid-level MAC conference opponent comes into Lincoln and dominates the NU defense? It just doesn't happen, you say? It does now.

A bright spot for the Huskers was quarterback Sam Keller, who was 29 of 37 in passing for 438 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He set a NU school record on that one.

Bo Ruud also gave the Huskers reason to cheer with an interception return for a touchdown and some heads-up defensive play.

So it's a win all right, but an ugly win that shows Nebraska may not be even at Top 25 team.

I didn't watch the game, but I listened to it on the Internet.

I was doing yard work, and thought I would skip the watch party for this week's game, as it was Ball State, and I didn't find out that the game was going to be shown at the Connecticut Watch Party at Yogi's until the last minute.  So, I listened on the Internet outdoors as I worked in the lawn.

Needless to say, I had to stop working, and get close to the speakers to see if what I was hearing was truly happening.

It was.

Still, even though there is much work to be done if the Huskers hope to even challenge for the Big 12 North title, the game was a heck of a lot of fun. I can't tell you the last time I've paced so much listening to a game. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

As soon as I started to breathe a sign of relief after a Nebraska touchdown, Ball State would come right back and do the same thing, often with more ease than the previous Husker touchdown. It was shocking. Stunning. Crazy.

But hopefully the Huskers learn from this and move on. The complaining about NU coaches will be at a fever pitch this week, so get used to it.

I look forward to the day when the Huskers get their swagger back, as right now it is nowhere to be found.


 

   
Nebraska 41
Ball State 40
STORIES - LINKS - VIDEO

> STORIES
09-23-07: NU-Ball State Final Game Stats - Sports Illustrated
09-23-07: Dodge Ball: Missed field goal, interception help NU edge Ball St.-Omaha World-Herald
09-23-07: Five things we learned, five questions unanswered -Lincoln Journal-Star
09-23-07: Now we know what mediocrity looks like -Lincoln Journal-Star
09-23-07: Cosgrove says Blackshirts' meltdown 'starts with me' -Lincoln Journal-Star
09-23-07: Near win not a moral victory for Ball State -Grand Island Independent
09-23-07: Concerns multiply after narrow win over Ball State -Grand Island Independent
09-23-07: Cards just miss upset of No. 24 Nebraska -The Star Press (Muncie, IN)
09-23-07: Cardinals nearly make case for greatest game tag -The Star Press (Muncie, IN)
09-23-07: Keller's record day allows No. 24 Huskers to stave off Ball State -AP/Yahoo! Sports


> VIDEO
09-23-07: Fans react to close game -KOLN-KGIN TV 10/11
09-23-06: Nebraska Beats Ball State, Barely -KOLN-KGIN TV 10/11
Ongoing Updates: Big Red Zone: NU-Ball State KETV-7 Omaha
09-23-07: Defenses Rest, Nebraska Escapes With 41-40 Win -WOWT-6 Omaha
09-23-07: Nebraska beats Ball State -KLKN-TV 8 Lincoln
 

> NOTES ON THE GAME
-Nebraska fans booed their own team quite a few times, especially in the early 4th quarter.

-USC doesn't look as impressive now, as Ball State scored almost as many points against the Huskers as the Trojans did. Could it be USC is overrated?

-It must have been quite a scene at a few Muncie, Indiana bars, where Ball State fans gathered to watch the pay-per-view telecast and cheer on their team. Imagine if the Cardinals would have won?

-Nebraska is 3-1, but could just as easily be 2-2 or 1-3 right now, as the wins over Wake Forest and Ball State could have gone either way.


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