Somehow, this one hurts the most.

Good morning Husker fans!! Tyler and I are going to tag team the recap today. With Dear Leader in the stadium and Beth taking a break from volleyball today, that will give me some breathing room in managing game threads, halftime thread the evening thread.

Mood check

(I don’t know what I mean by that gif either - I just liked it ~Jill)

Tyler here. Jill, anytime is a good time for a Back to the Future reference. Thumbs up for a solid showing in Minnesota by the Huskers this morning!

Jill: I knew I liked Tyler for a reason!

Jeff Foxworthy throwing some shade on Nebraska’s own Larry the Cable Guy during College Gameday picks.

First Quarter

(For the readers: Jill is taking the 1st and 3rd; Tyler is taking the 2nd and 4th quarters. We’ll collaborate on pregame, halftime and postgame thoughts).

Minnesota won the toss and deferred so Nebraska gets the ball first. They will be going into the wind. Rahmir Johnson and Zach Weinmaster were back to receive. Touchback.

Bummer. Three and out. Adrian overthrew both of his receivers (Austin Allen and Oliver Martin).

The Gophers came out throwing (I predicted that!) and crossed midfield on their second play for scrimmage. Autman-Bell is going to challenge the Blackshirts today.

Then the ruAn game started to pay dividends. It’s clear the Gophers installed a few things Nebraska needs to adjust to during their bye week. Red zone.

Flag on Minnesota, block in the back, moves them back out of the red zone. Wildcat for the Gophers on third and one. Play clock running down and timeout. This is Minnesota’s first third down play. Sigh. They convert.

Fourth and one at the five Yard line.

Wide open receiver. Touchdown. The Gophers used eight minutes of the first quarter on that drive.

Time to forget and get some work done on offense.

Minnesota 7 Nebraska 0

Austin Allen wasn’t overthrown!! Misdirection worked as Martinez found his tall tight end. Option to Rahmir!!! Within two plays Nebraska is across midfield and approaching the red zone.

Third and six at the Gopher 25. Crap. Adrian is sacked (given up by Sichterman), bringing up fourth and 14. Nebraska shows that they will go for it and Fleck calls timeout.

About the second down play call/execution...

Connor Culp comes out for the 50 yarder. Good!!

Minnesota 7 Nebraska 3

Franke’s kickoff is fielded at the one and returned to the 11. Not surprisingly, the Gophers go to Autman-Bell right away. This drive looks a lot like the Minnesota’s first one so far. They are running a lot of plays with extra (6 or 7) offensive linemen but still passinHalg out of that look.

A reviewed catch (upheld) and a pass interference on Deontai Williams set up Minnesota across midfield. With the heavy look Minnesota is showing, the Huskers are putting all of their big boys on the field on defense. That could be a problem late in the game. The soft coverage of the secondary is getting diced up by Tanner Morgan too.

Second Quarter

My turn. Well it looks like P.J. has done his homework on how to show some chinks in them Blackshirts armor. Quick play action and a mass of humanity moving methodically downfield.

First play of the quarter Morgan hooks up with Mike Brown-Stephens for 28 yards in the back of the end zone. Good protection, good pass over three defenders.

Time to wake up boys.

Minnesota 14 Nebraska 3

False start. Corcoran. Then, a option play snuffed out by the Gophers for one yard. Third and 14 coming up.

3 and out. This team looks like they don’t know how to respond at this point. I’m slightly frightened right now.

William Pryzstup punts the ball for 54 yards. Special teams unit downs it at Minnesota’s 25 yard line.

Missed tackle by Nick Heinrich and 10 yards on first down. 9 yards on the next run. More arm tackles. So frustrating.

First good thing for this defense! A little trickery with a reverse, plus flea flicker, is sniffed out. CTB drops Tanner Morgan for a loss of 12 yards.

Soft coverage gets Autman-Bell 13 yards, but a stop for the defense, finally, to bring up a 4th and 6.

50 yard field goal attempt by Matthew Trickett. MISSED! Nebraska takes over at their 32 yard line.

Betts goes for 25 yards on a reverse on 2nd and 9! He needs to be more involved. His is truly explosive.

Yant for 11 on 2nd and 10 from the Minnesota 40. Two separate shots to Toure sandwiched in between. Both incomplete.

Martinez hits Austin Allen for his second completion for 20 yards to the 7 yard line.

TOUCHDOWN RAHMIR!!! #14 takes it in from 6 yards out.

Connor Culp misses extra point. Crap.

Minnesota 14 Nebraska 9

Franke touchback.

Autman-Bell is making the secondary look silly. 36 yard strike. Gophers over midfield. Already close to 100 yards receiving.

3rd and 8 and the Gophers convert. LB Chris Kolarevic on WR Mike Brown-Stephens. WR usually wins that match up.

Gophers on the 7 yard line with a 2nd and Goal. Huskers call timeout. 1:58 remaining. Holding Gophers to 3 should be your goal, if not a takeaway here.

21-9, with Gophers in possession out of the half, the way Minnesota is humming offensively would send this runaway train speeding more rapidly towards disaster.

Fade to Autman-Bell, with a PI call on Quinton Newsome, that was questionable was unnecessary ultimately. He maintained possession and put 6 more on the board for the Gophers.

Minnesota 21 Nebraska 9

Gopher touchback.

For needing to execute a two minute drive, the Huskers are not showing a lot of urgency. Short throws to Liewer, Johnson, and Falck. Martinez throws high and incomplete on 3rd and 9.

Pryzstup punts 52 yards into the end zone for a touchback.

Gophers kneel twice to end the half.

Minnesota 21 Nebraska 9

Halftime

The halftime notes are pretty sparse - as you would expect given the first half performance by Nebraska.

• Place-kicker Connor Culp connected on a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter. It marked his second 50-plus field goal of the season, with him also hitting a career-long 51-yarder at Oklahoma.
• Receiver Brody Belt made his first career start in today’s game.
• Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt had a 12-yard sack in the second quarter, marking his first sack in the past two seasons. He now has 2.5 career sacks.

Tanner Morgan is 14/15 in the pass game. That should have Nebraska fans worried, especially when Autman-Bell is back to full speed.

Mood check

Third Quarter

The Gophers get the ball first. I really hate seeing how the Gophers can run for 3 or 4 yards even when the Blackshirts are on top of the play. Let’s see how this half goes.

CAM TAYLOR-BRITT INTERCEPTION IN THE END ZONE. Good to see you again #5. That looked like a Gopher touchdown (again) but CTB recovered and made the play.

Three and out it is. Sigh.

Deontai Williams gave his left knee to secure another interception.

If this offense doesn’t do something to return the favor, they should be shot out of a cannon and sent to outer space.

Austin Allen INTO THE RED ZONE!! The Huskers showed option and then ran play action. Rahmir to the two yard line! First and goal.

Offsides defense. (NOT A FALSE START - YOU ALL KNEW THAT, RIGHT?!?) Okay, it might have been a false start? The Big Ten refs taketh away, but we deserve a giveth once in a while.

WE LOVE YOU RAHMIR!!

Minnesota 21 Nebraska 16

Cam Taylor-Britt is taking things personally now (tackle for loss). Followed by another TFL and then fourth and 10. Will we finally see Minnesota’s punter???

Oliver Martin not only fielded the ball, but was allowed to return it for a few yards. Husker ball on the Gopher side of the field.

On third down, Martinez had to scan the entire field (three times it seemed like) and found Betts.

Rahmir Johnson may be a “little” guy but WE LOVE YOU! Travis Vokolek deserves HUGE kudos for a block to spring him. First and goal. Second and goal.

Third and goal. Jaq Yant is in the game for an injured Rahmir Johnson. Adrian is ruled short.

BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT. #B1Grefs strike again

Fourth and goal. No good. I still call bullshit on the Martinez carry. The Blackshirts back up the Gophers.

The Blackshirts allow the Gophers to get as far as the three yard line, but punt. There was a case to be made for a Minnesota safety, but whatever.

Nebraska ball.

“Your mission, should you choose to accept...is to score twice to be given credit for one...” #B1Grefs, probably.

Austin Allen gets Nebraska inside the red zone!!! Then the offense goes backward. Fourth and four brings out Connor Culp for the 27 yard field goal.

Fourth Quarter

Connor Culp no good. This is my nightmare.

From the 27 the Gophers start with two straight runs. A third and 2 run by back up QB, Cole Kramer, is snuffed out by Defensive End Super Senior, Ben Stille. Gophers to punt.

Martin fair catch at the 16 yard line after a 43 yard rugby roll out punt by Crawford.

A little trickery to start almost costs the Huskers. Martin looks to throw, but runs it back to the line of scrimmage.

ZAVIER BETTS WITH A HUGE CATCH ON 3RD AND 10! 27 yards on the reception.

Crucial catch by Omar Manning on 3rd and 5. he comes off with a shoulder issue. Big catch, #5!

False start on LG Nouili, his first of the year, and in a crucial 3rd and 5. Now makes the situation 3rd and 10. Incomplete pass.

4th down and offense on the field. Another incomplete pass. Turnover on downs.

The Blackshirts get a 3 and out. Before the punt, Fleck calls a timeout.

No fishy stuff after the timeout. Fair catch Martin. Huskers start on the 11 yard line.

Safety by Gopher defense after Martinez tries to throw the ball out of the end zone with no one around.

Minnesota 23 Nebraska 16

Free kick to Minnesota starts their drive on the 25 yard line.

Gophers pick up a crucial 3rd and 4. Clock continues to run. Frost calls timeout with 2:20 left in the game.

56 yards to the house by RB Bryce Williams. Found a crease and was gone. XP good.

Minnesota 30 Nebraska 16

Touchback on the kick.

Might be too little too late, but the Huskers drive 75 yards and Martinez hits Allen with a fade from 9 yards out. Culp good on XP.

Minnesota 30 Nebraska 23

Onside attempt fails for the Huskers. Gophers take over on the 43 yard line.

Two straight runs and a secured first down. Ball game is over after one kneel down

FINAL:

Minnesota 30

Nebraska 23

RECAP OF HEARTBREAK---AGAIN

Tyler: I got nothing. As poorly as we looked for a majority of the game offensively, we had opportunities to win this game. Multiple opportunities. Maybe it’s general fatigue of the past eight game grind. Maybe it’s injuries (which multiple cropped up during this game as well). All I can say is...their is still hope. Husker Nation, you might not want to believe it and be willing to cash in your chips for a 5-7 season, or worse. But I think this team still has a reason to fight. They got hit in the mouth today and still they fought. Another, "close, but not close enough" week. This one will have longer to digest as a bye week is all we have to look forward to next Saturday.

Bowl eligibility is nearly out of reach for Nebraska and we now have to rethink our narrative. What is the new goal? LOL! I don’t know.

Jill: I got nothing. This was a winnable game against an opponent who was going to throw the kitchen sink against us. I called it. I am a bad analyst. I still called it. Why our coaches didn’t see it coming is beyond me.

I need to use the chainsaw to get some stuff done. But, the Huskers require enough beer consumption that chainsaw use is unsafe.

My team lost. And, I don’t get to tidy up the ranch. Nebraska sucks. Bowl eligibility isn’t even realistic right now. This team had everything open to them from winning the west to being a punching bag (again). They chose the latter.

Bad choice.And the ranch still has mulberry and cedar trees where they should not.

The next few weekends are not even up for discussion. I am not going to sacrifice useful stuff to watch this bullshit. I love this team. I want this team to win. But they don’t.

#GBR