Nebraska Football: 3 takeaways from comeback win over Purdue
By Shawn Ekwall
A wild fourth quarter comeback allowed Nebraska football to wiggle off the hook and escape West Lafayette with a 25-24 win.
Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee was sensational. Both of Lee’s touchdown throws came in the final quarter, and the junior transfer from Tulane finished with 431 yards.
With the heat turned up on head coach Mike Riley following back-to-back home losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State, a win over Purdue was a must. For over three quarters it looked as if the Boilermakers would get the upper hand.
After Purdue quarterback David Blough tossed a 14-yard scoring strike to Jackson Anthrop early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-12, Lee and the Huskers would rally.
Nebraska mustered only four Drew Brown field goals up to that point. The running game was bogged down. The Huskers turned to Lee to throw on nearly every play to lead the comeback.
His 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Hoppes made it 24-19, then after a late defensive stop by the Nebraska defense, Lee led Nebraska down the field, hitting Stanley Morgan for a 13-yard score with just 14 seconds remaining.
Nebraska desperately needed a win to keep its hopes of reaching a bowl alive. Purdue was hoping for the same. The Boilers fell to 3-5 with the disappointing loss.
Here are three takeaways from Nebraska’s thrilling comeback win over Purdue.