The average number of plays in a given college football game is 180. Each snap brings an opportunity, but each one is not held equal. One snap every game creates one play made by one or a slew of players, affecting the rest of the contest. This play is the turning point. The turning point makes or breaks a team’s game and sometimes their season.
Saturday afternoon’s turning point was a make up by a player who made a crucial mistake during the second half kickoff return.
Tied 7-7, Louisiana Tech kicked off to the Huskers after electing to receive in the first half. The kick sailed just short of the goaline and was caught by defensive back Tommi Hill.
Hill sprinted up the right side of the field past two defenders, and looked to have a big run ahead, until he was stripped of the football. Hill panicked, turned around, and launched himself into a pile of four players.
Wrestling in the pile, Hill emerged with the football, keeping possession for Nebraska and stopping Louisiana Tech from having the ball on NU’s 25 yard line.
Despite the fact that the fumble was Hill’s mistake, his recovery avoided this being a turning point in the other direction.
Through four games, this is by far the weirdest turning point of the season.
If Hill doesn’t show the awareness and commitment he did, Louisiana Tech would have had all the game’s momentum and a lead in the third quarter with a drained Memorial Stadium. Instead, Hill’s recovery turned into a dominant drive for the Big Red.
The Huskers took the second chance and turned it into a 9-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. Every play on NU’s march was a run. Anthony Grant found his stride carrying the ball five times for 76 yards and one touchdown. He finished with 139 yards on 22 carries.
Nebraska took the momentum and scored touchdowns on two of their next three drives to put the game out of reach, eventually walking away with a 28-14 victory.
Hill gets the credit for saving the team from disaster, but it is the offense who took the blessing and literally ran with it. Nebraska now moves to 2-2 on their season and will host the Michigan Wolverines.