Oregon left Saturday night with a win, but the final score came with plenty of debate attached. The Ducks beat Nebraska and moved to 4-2 under Dan Lanning, yet the Cornhuskers were in control for almost the entire game before Oregon finally grabbed its first lead with 28 seconds left.
The first point of contention came on Nebraska’s opening touchdown, a play that was sent to replay and still ended up standing. Anthony Colandrea threw to Kwazi Gilmer in the back corner of the end zone, and the original call on the field was a touchdown. With Oregon defensive back Na'eem Offord tightly covering the play, the question was whether Gilmer got both the catch and the footwork right before ending up out of bounds.
On the Fox Sports broadcast, rules analyst Mike Pereira explained why the call stayed as it was: "You know the word I kept saying? I think.
I think that foot hit the ground, but I like where replay mostly stays in that it's got to be clear and obvious before you absolutely reverse something. . . . Does that hit the ground?
I don't think you can prove it didn't, so you have to stay with the call," Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira said on the broadcast.
From the available angles, there wasn’t clear proof that Gilmer’s right foot touched the turf before his body landed on the out-of-bounds line in the back of the end zone.
This was called a @HuskerFootball TD after review. Fox Sports Rules Analyst @MikePereira gives the breakdown behind the call. pic.twitter.com/8CFaKOdA0B
That wasn’t the only play that raised eyebrows. Late in the fourth quarter, with less than six minutes to play, Nebraska running back Isaiah Mozee took a check-down from Colandrea, turned upfield and was tackled near the line of scrimmage. The ball came free in the process, but it was hard to tell whether Mozee was already down.
The officials did not stop to review it. Mozee was ruled down with the ball, and Nebraska kept possession.
That mattered because Oregon defensive back Davon Benjamin clearly came away with the loose ball. If the play had been ruled a fumble, the Ducks would have had it back in the red zone. Instead, Oregon’s defense had to get a stop the old-fashioned way, and Nebraska punted on the next snap.
Mozee may well have been down, but the situation looked close enough to merit a review. And with Oregon’s offense struggling to finish drives all night, a short field there could have changed the shape of the fourth quarter. Instead, the Ducks still had to wait until the final half-minute before taking the lead for good.
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Matt Rhule Sends Clear Message After Nebraskas Painful Oregon Finish
A trip to Oregon ended in another close, painful loss for Nebraska, but Matt Rhule came away focused on the bigger picture as much as the final score. The Ducks edged the Cornhuskers 17-14, and Rhule pointed to a combination of fatigue and Oregons run game as factors in how the evening played out, while also making it clear he did not want to hang the result on the late kickoff time.
Rhule also made a point of backing Dylan Raiola, the junior quarterback who entered in the fourth quarter and guided Nebraskas go-ahead drive with a touchdown pass to tight end Jamari Johnson. Even with the disappointment of letting a winnable game slip away, Rhule emphasized the value of going toe-to-toe with one of the nations better programs, a reminder that Nebraskas margin for error against top competition remains razor thin. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets A Clear Opening As Nebraska Brings Real Concerns
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Nebraskas Defense Did Enough But One Problem Still Cost Them
Nebraska had plenty to feel good about on the defensive side after a tight 17-14 loss to Oregon, especially in a game where the Cornhuskers carried a lead into the fourth quarter. The defense did its part for much of the afternoon, holding up against a Ducks team that had to battle back, and for long stretches it looked like Nebraska might have done just enough to pull out a signature win.
But the game still turned on the familiar pressure point the Huskers could not quite solve. Oregons Dylan Raiola came off the bench to spark the late comeback, and Nebraskas offensive line struggles remained the central issue as the offense stalled when it needed one more drive. In a one-score game like that, one weak spot is enough to decide everything, and Nebraska was left with a loss that felt as frustrating as it was narrow. [Read more 🡒]