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.
Nebraska’s versus Northwestern can be classified as a classic Big Ten West matchup. The game consisted of 14 punts, three interceptions, and one missed field goal. While both defenses looked dominant, both offenses looked the opposite. With a downpour of miscues and sloppy play from both sides, it was just flat-out ugly. Considering all of this, it’s no surprise that the turning point of this game came on the defensive end. Here’s how it went down.
After a 44-yard touchdown reception from true Freshman Malachai Coleman, Nebraska held a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter. The Huskers seemed poised to shut down the Wildcats and walk out of Memorial Stadium over .500 for the first time in the Matt Rhule era.
Then, Northwestern’s offense punched a Blackshirts in the mouth.
On second and ten, Northwestern Quarterback Brendan Sullivan was flushed out of the pocket. With a lane to run, Sullivan planted his feet and fired a dime to wide-open receiver Bryce Kirtz. Kirtz scampered down the sideline until Malcolm Hartzog brought him down on Nebraska’s 9-yard line.
Any momentum that the Big Red collected on the last drive was gone, with Northwestern on the precipice of making it a one-possession game.
That was until the Blackshirts stood on their head.
In the following play, Wildcat RB Anthony Tyus III picked up 4 yards, keeping the drive churning. On the next play, an unblocked John Bullock barreled down Sullivan’s eyesight, moving him out of the pocket until Nash Hutmacher and Isaac Gifford swallowed him up. The sack prevented Sullivan from relaying the ball to his wide-open Tight End, Marshall Lang, who would have waltzed into the endzone. The Last play of this turning point was a screen pass to Lang, which Malcolm Hartzog sniffed out for no gain.
Northwestern settled for the field goal, making the score 17-9.
Northwestern still scored on the drive and brought themselves within one score, but the stop did a lot for the Big Red.
For starters, it brought the crowd back into the game. The Husker faithful held their breath, praying they would not see another Nebraska meltdown at Memorial Stadium. The stop allowed them to breathe.
Most importantly, it reinstilled the belief in the team that the game was in hand. The message was that even Northwestern’s best punch could not knock out the Blackshirt defense. It was a momentum-gaining stand and the last points Northwestern scored all day. The Wildcats ran 12 more plays in the game and gained 13 yards.
For the second straight game, Nebraska’s defense was the backbone of the team and proved why it’s one of the best units in the Big Ten and the entire country.