Husker Football Notes, 10/22: Callahan not happy with kickoffs
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Special-teams play was not a strong suit for Nebraska on Saturday, starting with the opening kickoff.
Jordan Congdon’s opening boot, with the wind, made it only to the Texas 13-yard line, and Quan Cosby returned it 78 yards, to the Husker 9.
“We didn’t do a good job with our (kick) placement,” said head coach Bill Callahan.
Enter North Bend’s Jake Wesch, who took over for the next Nebraska kickoff. Wesch lined one into the end zone for a touchback.
“It’s something Coach said to be ready for,” Wesch said. “They tell us always to be prepared. They told me prior in the week, ‘Just be ready because you might be kicking it.’ ”
Wesch handled another kickoff in the fourth quarter, kicking the ball to the Texas 6. Congdon took care of the final Husker kickoff with a kick returned by Selvin Young from the Texas 8 to the Texas 36.
Nebraska was on the edge of field-goal territory at the end of the game, moving to the Longhorn 41 with the help of a roughing-the-passer penalty, but Callahan elected to have Zac Taylor throw another ball to the end zone rather than have Congdon try a 58-yarder with the wind.
“We thought it was a little bit out of his range,” Callahan said.
On the subject of special-team miscues, Terrence Nunn caught an earful from the coaches after calling for a fair catch on a punt in the second quarter. He let the ball drop, and it rolled to the Nebraska 1-yard line, costing the Huskers about 20 yards.
After that misjudgment, Nunn was replaced on punt returns by Nate Swift.
Give them a hand
Nebraska fans chanted and clapped loudly as the Huskers left the field after the final gun.
“I noticed it,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t surprised at all. That’s the type of fans we have. They got to see a great game. They know we had opportunities to win. We know they’re still proud of us, and they’re always going to hang with us. If we lost every game of the season, they’d still be there selling out the stadium and chanting for us. It’s great to see that support, because we’re going to need it for the rest of our home games.”
With 15 completions against Texas, Taylor became Nebraska’s career leader in the category with 359. Previous leader Dave Humm had 353 from 1972-74. With two touchdown passes Saturday, Taylor now stands eight shy of Tommie Frazier’s school-record 43 from 1992-95.
Just missed him
It was a microcosm of Adam Carriker’s season. The Husker senior defensive end smashed into Texas quarterback Colt McCoy a split second after McCoy unleashed his 55-yard second-quarter touchdown strike to Limas Sweed.
“That’s just kind of the way it’s gone,” said Carriker, who has one sack this season after recording 9½ a year ago. “You just have to keep coming and keep knocking quarterbacks down.”
Purify surging
Nebraska wideout Maurice Purify, a junior college transfer, provided a huge lift with his 63-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. He now has 17 receptions on the season, with 16 going for first downs, including three touchdowns. He is averaging 24.5 yards per catch and has 10 receptions of more than 20 yards.
Home sweet road
Texas coach Mack Brown wasn’t thrilled with the cold, wind and snow. But he still likes NU’s Memorial Stadium.
“This is still the best place to play on the road in the country,” he said. “These people are great. You’ve got people before the game shaking your hand and saying, ‘Welcome, I’m glad you’re here.’ You got people coming off halftime saying, ‘Great first half, coach.’ Sometimes you’re taken aback by it because that doesn’t happen a lot where we travel.”
Etc.
Nebraska failed to score a touchdown on its first drive for the first time in five games. ... Husker senior defensive end Jay Moore recorded his team-leading fourth sack. ... Terrence Nunn finished with five receptions for 84 yards, his 21st consecutive game with at least one catch — trailing 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers’ streak of 37.
John Mabry, Steven M. Sipple and Ryly Jane Hambleton contributed to this report.
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