The Gophers were averaging 44.3 rushing yards in Big Ten play, the least in the conference. They were giving up 174.7 rushing yards in league play, 16th among conference teams.
Not surprisingly, confidence wasn’t in abundance with many followers of the team entering Friday night’s game against No. 25 Nebraska, a team averaging 41 points per game.
Instead, the Gophers crumpled those statistics, threw them away and went out and dominated the Cornhuskers 24-6 in front of an announced 48,549 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Fans stormed the field as the victory became final.
Behind a defense that sacked Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola a program single-game record nine times, Darius Taylor’s 148 rushing yards and quarterback Drake Lindsey’s efficient 16-for-20, 153-yard passing night, the Gophers improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten with their most complete effort of the season.
The Gophers have beaten Nebraska six consecutive times, and they are 7-1 vs. the Cornhuskers under coach P.J. Fleck.
“Our players were relentless,” Fleck said. “They set the tone from the beginning.”
Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) never got its offense going because Anthony Smith and Karter Menz (2½ sacks each), Jaxon Howard (two sacks) and Deven Eastern and Matt Kingsbury (one sack each) harassed Raiola all night. Raiola finished 17-for-25 for 177 yards with 63 yards lost to sacks. Nebraska’s offensive output consisted of two short field goals by Kyle Cunanan.
“I’m looking at Jaxon Howard, I’m looking at Karter Menz,” Smith said. “Everybody gets a sack. It’s like an Oprah Winfrey thing.”
