The Rutgers offense stalled out after a fast start, costly penalties hampered a chance of a comeback, and the Scarlet Knights dropped their third straight came with 14-13 loss to Nebraska on Friday night.
Rutgers held a 13-0 lead in front of a second straight sellout crowd in Piscataway, but a last-dash effort with a minute to go in the game ended with no points on the board, and Noah Vedral on the sideline after helping RU out to the early lead in his first start of the season.
Instead, it was Evan Simon trying to orchestrate the comeback, but an initial pass interference call was overturned after replay review showed the pass was tipped, and Simon’s next pass was intercepted to seal the win for the Cornhuskers.
Vedral, lining up against his former school, made an instant splash on Rutgers’ opening drive with a 33-yard completion to Shameen Jones on his first throw of the game.
Vedral, the sixth-year senior who transferred from Nebraska and missed the first four games with an upper body injury, played just four snaps last weekend at Ohio State but didn’t throw a pass, and his first heave of the season was on the money.
Later in the drive, Vedral used his legs, making two defenders miss on a keeper from 21 yards out to give the Scarlet Knights, and Vedral’s season, an optimal start and a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
Vedral’s impressive start continued on Rutgers’ next drive, finding Sean Ryan for 34 yards on a well-placed pass to get the Scarlet Knights into Nebraska territory. The pass didn’t lead to points, but after Rutgers blocked a Nebraska punt, Jude McAtamney snuck in a chip shot field goal from 25 yards out to extend the RU lead to 10-0 late in the first quarter.
Jones was on the receiving end of another big play later in the half, shaking a defender on a screen and breaking free for a 44-yard run to set up another McAtamney field goal, this one from 40 yards out to extend the lead.
The Cornhuskers threatened late in the first half, but Max Melton came up with its second interception of the half inside the RU 10-yard line, helping the Scarlet Knights hold their 13-0 lead into the second half. But Nebraska broke through to start the third quarter with a nine-play, 70-yard drive to cut the deficit to six with less than five minutes gone by in the second half.
Nebraska threatened for more late in the third, but on a 4th-and-1 in Rutgers territory, the Scarlet Knights forced an incomplete pass to maintain their 13-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The lead didn’t last much longer, as Simon, seeing expected playing time alongside Vedral, was picked off by Myles Farmer before Thompson connected with Trey Palmer for a 27-yard touchdown pass on the very next play, giving the Cornhuskers a 14-13 lead with just under nine minutes left.
As Nebraska fought back, the Rutgers offense went cold, enduring a stretch where their last seven drives since the midway point of the second quarter included two interceptions, a missed field goal, and four punts.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)