Malcolm Hartzog, Jr., intercepted a long pass in the end zone with 34 seconds to go to clinch a 20-17 win for Nebraska over Cincinnati in the season opener in Kansas City. A raucous and mostly Husker-backing crowd of 72,884 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium roared a sigh of relief as Hartzog snagged the pass and turned away a late Bearcats rally. The win was just the Cornhuskers’ third in a game decided by one score under coach Matt Rhule, with 10 losses in one-score games in that span.
Nebraska had done plenty right through the first three quarters, nearly doubling Cincinnati’s yardage (279 to 143). But Husker mistakes and the inability to finish off drives with touchdowns left the game in doubt heading its final minute.
There were signs of the hoped-for improvement: Kyle Cunanan hit two field goals in his first game as a Husker, including a 52-yarder. Heralded punter Archie Wilson punted four times and pinned the Bearcats inside their 10 twice and another time stuck them inside their 15. Transfer wide receiver Nyziah Hunter made six catches for 65 yards including a pair of heavily contested balls, one of which went for a touchdown. Transfer wide receiver Dane Key made six catches for 51 yards, including a touchdown grab that put the Huskers up 10 with 10:36 remaining in regulation. And Emmett Johnson looked ready to be Nebraska’s lead running back, rushing 25 times for 108 yards while also leading NU with seven catches out of the backfield.
But there were concerns as well. While Dylan Raiola was fairly efficient (33-for-42 passing), the vast majority of the passes were short and the Huskers struggled to push the ball downfield, with Raiola only passing for 243 yards. The Blackshirts showed signs of strength, but also allowed Cincinnati to march 75 yards in nine plays and three minutes, 21 seconds in the fourth quarter to cut the Huskers’ lead to three with most of the fourth quarter to go. And Nebraska settled for two field goals on an 11-play, 42-yard drive and a 16-play, 80-yard drive.
It was close throughout. After the Bearcats got on the board with a field goal late in the first quarter, two long second quarter drives ended in Cunanan field goals to give Nebraska a 6-3 lead. After near disaster on a fumble by Raiola on a sack by Jonathan Thompson, the Huskers caused havoc of their own as, on a completed pass from Brendan Sorsby to Caleb Goodie, Vincent Shavers, Jr., hit Goodie and jarred the ball loose for a fumble, recovered by Williams Nwaneri at the Cincy 24. Three plays later, Raiola connected with Hunter, who made a contested catch on a fade route for a touchdown to push NU’s lead to 13-3 with 11 seconds to go in the first half.
After Nebraska turned the ball over on downs on its first drive of the third quarter, Brendan Sorsby ran for a seven-yard touchdown, capping a 10-play, 57-yard drive to cut the Huskers’ lead to 13-10 with 6:53 to go in the third quarters. After the teams traded punts, Nebraska minced its way down the field on a 13-play, 67-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes. Facing fourth-and-goal on the 3, the Huskers opted to for it, and Raiola hit Key for a six-yard touchdown that built the lead to 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter. Cincinnati answered with its best drive of the night to cut the lead to three. Nebraska burned five minutes of clock and all three of the Bearcats’ timeouts with its ensuing drive, but when it stalled near midfield, the Huskers had to punt.
Wilson buried the Bearcats at their nine, but Cincinnati quickly moved to the Huskers’ 33. A Hartzog defensive holding penalty put the Bearcats on the verge of field goal range. But on the very next play, Hartzog intercepted Sorsby’s pass to clinch the Nebraska win.
The Huskers now prepare to open the home portion of their schedule on Sept. 6 against Akron at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. on KLIN and Froggy 98.