Upset Alert: Nebraska football trails at half vs Northern Illinois

Nebraska football could do nothing on offense as NIU’s defense gave the Huskies a 14-0 halftime lead. Is Tanner Lee the right quarterback for the Cornhuskers?

The Nebraska offense gained plenty of yardage on Northern Illinois during the first half of their game against the Huskies. But Tanner Lee had a few huge mistakes, and the Huskies bent but did not break on defense. NIU has the Cornhuskers on upset alert as they took a 14-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The two interceptions

There really wasn’t much that the offense could do to stop Shawun Lurry when he jumped Tanner Lee’s quick pass. He read what looked like a predetermined read perfectly, jumping into the flat to snatch the ball away and then racing 87 yards to the house. Lurry was behind the offense before they could even turn around to head the other direction down the field.

The second pick-six thrown by Lee was worse, as Lee unwisely tried to throw the football as he was being taken to the turf. Jawuan Johnson nabbed the fluttering ball and raced 25 yards to put NIU up two scores in the first quarter.

Sure, Lee settled down a bit as the game progressed. But he finished the first half just 15-of-26 for 147 yards and the two interceptions. He isn’t reading the field well, as he tries to force bad throws and allows pressure to cloud his judgment.

The two interception returns by the Huskies marked the only points of the first half. Nebraska’s defense held up its end of the bargain, allowing just 88 total yards of offense to the Huskies on 25 plays. But NIU’s defense put them into position to snag a statement win over a Big Ten opponent.

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After the loss at Oregon, the Nebraska coaches decided to keep Lee in at starter. Riley and his offensive staff might need to reassess whether Lee is the right guy to lead their offense moving forward as they try to rebound in the second half.