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 football walked into East Lansing, Michigan, riding a three-game winning streak and possessed a golden opportunity to qualify for a bowl game and continue their surge for a Big Ten West Title. Instead, they laid an egg.
The game was full of sloppy offense we are accustomed to, but defensive coverage mistakes we have not seen this year.
It seemed like a Nebraska football game we were so familiar with watching in the previous era. And very much like the luck of the previous six years of Cornhusker football, Saturday’s turning probably shouldn’t have counted.
With both offenses struggling, it felt like the team who gained a two-possession lead first would be the victor. After a 38-yard punt, Michigan State held great field positioning to do exactly that. After converting on third down, the Spartans held the ball on Nebraska’s 25. Backup QB Sam Leavitt rifled a ball into the endzone to wide receiver JR Montorie. Montorie corralled the ball and rolled into the endzone.
Looking at the replay, it appeared while falling into the endzone that the ball hit the ground, and Montorie lost control for a split second. Fox rule analyst Dean Blandino’s opinion that it was an incomplete pass.
In what was a very close call, replay review determined that Montorie retained possession of the football after it hit the grass, confirming the call of touchdown.
While Nebraska still had many opportunities to win the ball game, this play firmly shifted control to the Spartans. The touchdown put the pressure on a Husker offense that struggled all morning. It felt like a herculean task for the Big Red to put 10 points on the board.
From then on, the game was an uphill battle for the Big Red. Nebraska was forced to shy away from their identity and threw the ball 13 times after the touchdown. Michigan State was able to pin their ears back, which made it difficult for Heinrich Haarberg to move the ball down the field through the air.
What was even more deflating about the play is that it likely should not have counted. The ball clearly hits the ground, and Matorie’s bottom hand seems to separate from the ball for a split second. But because of how close the play was, the replay officials decided to stick with the original call.
Regardless of how you think Nebraska played and whether or not they deserved to win, this call changed the game. It potentially changed the game’s result and could change the entire result of the season. This touchdown, without a doubt, is the most impactful turning point of the season so far and very easily could have massive impacts on the rest of the year for Nebraska Football.