Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 42

2F HUSKER EXTRA Lincoln Journal Star Sunday, September 28, 2008 n. EQSly I U0 loss to VrrginiaTech on Saturday. i Fourth quarter Third quarter Second quarter First quarter VT Statistic NU VT Statistic NU 5 First downs 6 6 First downs 3 61 Rushing yards 24 73 Rushing yards 8 33 Passing yards 41 12 Passing yards 132 11 Total plays 15 21 Total plays 9 5:49 Time of possession 9:11 11:33 Time of possession 3:27 V36 Avg. fteld position N24 V35 Avg. Held position N28 1-2 Thlrcktown conversions 1-3 2-6 ThlrcMown conversions 0-1 00 Fourth-down conversions 1-1 00 Fourtlvdown conversions 00 VT Statistic NU VT Statistic NU 3 First downs 2 7 First downs 3 19 Rushing yards 23 53 Rushing yards 0 54 Passing yards 62 72 Passing yards 43 19 Total plays 10 17 Total plays 17 9:17 Time of possession 5:43 8:05 Time of possession 6:55 N42 Avg.

field position N20 i V24 Avg. field position N29 1-3 ThlrcMown conversions 0-2 14 Third-down conversions 1-5 00 Fourth-down conversions 00 00 Fourth-down conversions 00 r. lbs -u- Key moments Nate Swift returned a punt 88 yards for a score to pull NU to 28-23, but Nebraska missed on the two-point conversion. The Huskers had the Hokies stopped on a key thirckfown play, but a personal-foul penalty gave Virginia Tech new life and it went on the once again go ahead by 11 points. Key moments The Hokies hit two big pass plays to Greg Boone, setting up a field goal to make it 21-10.

Then came more Macho Harris. A 21-yard return by Harris set up the Hokies, who scored three plays later on a 19yard run by Darren Evans. Nebraska came back with a 12-play drive that lasted more than six Key moments Tyrod Taylor helped the Huskers by missing a wide-open receiver on the goal line to start the quarter. The Hokies had to settle for three points. Nebraska got three points back on a 48-yarder by Alex Henery, set up by a 29-yard pass to Marlon Lucky, in which the senior made a splendid grab and tiptoed the sideline for extra yards.

Key moments Victor "Macho" Harns turned the field-position game completely in Tech's favor with two major plays. A 28-yard punt return gave the Hokies a big edge, the field position later taken advantage of when the Hokies blocked an NU punt through the end zone. Harris then intercepted a Joe Ganz pass and returned it to the Husker 5, setting up Darren Evans' 1-yard TD run. Key stat 4: Joe Ganz was 4-for-4 passing for 41 yards in the period. Key stat 10: The number of plays Nebraska ran in the first quarter, for 85 yards.

Keystatx 2: Personal-foul penalties against Nebraska on Tech's final touchdown drive. After the fourth Key stat 0: Who would believe that NU would not gain a yard rushing in the quarter? After the second After the third After the first GWYNETH ROBERTSLincoln Journal Star Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz tries to get off a pass while under pressure from Virginia Tech's Jason Worilds in the second quarter Saturday. Team statistics 10 1 7 How they scored FIRST QUARTER 8:35 VIRGINIA TECH 2. NEBRASKA 0 Safety, punt blocked through end zone. 5:22 VIRGINIA TECH 9.

NEBRASKA 0 Darren Evans 1 run (Dustin Keys kick) 5 yards, three plays VIRGINIA TECH 9. NEBRASKA 7 Mike McNeill 32 pass from Joe Ganz (Alex Henery kick) 68 yards, three pays SECOND QUARTER 14:51 VIRGINIA TECH 12. NEBRASKA 7 Keys 19 field goal 10:45 VIRGINIA TECH 12. NEBRASKA 10 Henery 48 field goal 45 yards, nine piays 7: ft I NU 14 25-55 278 17-26-1 333 242.0 2- 4 3- 1 2 2-11 1-1 7-69 25:16 Statistic First downs Rushes-yds. Passing yds.

Passing Total offense Plays-avg. Punts-avg. Punt retums-avg. Kickoff retums-avg. Sacks by-yds.

lost FumWes-tost Total turnovers Third-down conv. Fourth-down conv. Penalties-yds. Timeofposs. 1 4 YV 'ls 7:10 VIRGINIA TECH 15.

NEBRASKA 10 Keys 35 field goal 54 yancs, nine plays 1:15 VIRGINIA TECH 18. NEBRASKA 10 Keys 27 field goal 66 yards, nine plays THIRD QUARTER 10:25 VIRGINIA TECH 21. NEBRASKA 10 Keys 36 field goal 61 yards, nine plays 6:54 ffialMAJEH2a, NEBRASKA 10 Evans 19 run (Keys kick) 33 yards, four plays 0:04 VIRGINIA TECH 28, NEBRASKA 17 Roy Helu 12 run (Henery kick) 75 yards, 12 plays FOURTH QUARTER VIRGINIA TECH 28. NEBRASKA 23 Nate Swift 88 punt return (pass failed) 2:28 VIRGINIA TECH 35. NEBRASKA 23 Tyrod Taylor 1 run (Keys kick) 80 yards, Hpays 1:32 VIRGINIA TECH 35.

NEBRASKA 30 Todd Peterson 22 pass from Ganz (Henery kick) 80 yards, four plays Husker individuals NEBRASKA Passing Yds. TD Int. Sck Joe Ganz 17-26 278 2 1 2 Att. Yds. TD Rushing 21 Roy Helu Jr.

8 18 Joe Ganz 8 17 Marlon Lucky Quentin Castille Niles Paul WILLIAM LAUERLmcoln Journal Star Team Hokie individuals Rec. Yds. TD Virginia Tech's Stephan Virgil (22) blocks Dan Titchener's punt in the first quarter Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The ball went through the end zone for a safety. Swift says his punt return was too little, too late for NU 5HL) Todd Peterson 4 60 1 TEAM NAME Mike McNeill 3 66 1 Nate Swift 3 58 0 Passing Yds.

TD Int. Sck Marlon Lucky 3 38 0 Tyrod laylor 9-15 171 0 0 2 Niles Paul 1 21 0 Rushing Att. Yds. TD Menelik Holt 1 20 0 Tyrod Taylor 15 87 1 Dreu Young 1 10 0 Darren Evans 21 72 2 Curenski Gilleylen 15 0 Kenny Lewis 17 50 0 Danny Coale 1-10 Defense UT AT Tot. Sk-yds PB Team 1-2 0 Cody Glenn 2 12 14 Receiving Rec.

Yds. Phillip Dillard 2 9 11 Jarrett Boykin 2 58 0 Pierre Allen 3 6 9 1-2 Andre Smith 2 54 0 Matt O'Hanlon 3 5 8 Greg Boone 2 33 0 Armando Murrillo 5 2 7 Danny Coale 2 0 Larry Asante 3 3 6 Dyrell Roberts 1 12 0 NdamukongSuh 3 3 6 Defense UT AT Tot. Sk-yds PB Ty Steinkuhler 1 5 6 W) Jason Worilds 4 3 7 Zach Potter 1 5 6 VfeO Pumell Sturdivant 2 5 7 Major Culbert 13 4 Victor Harris 4 2 6 Rickey Thenarse 12 3 Stephan Virgil 5 0 5 Eric Hagg 112 Orion Martin 2 2 4 110 1 Blake Lawrence 0 2 2 Kam Chancellor 13 4 Prince Amukamara 0 2 2 Brett Warren 2 13. Tyler Wortman 0 2 2 Cam Martin 12 3 Anthony West 10 1 Jacobs Sykes 2 0 2 Lydon Murtha 10 1 Davon Morgan 112 Wes Cammack 10 1 Matt Reidy 112 Mason Wald Oil Jonas Housenght 0 2 2 Lance Triorell Oil Lorenzo Williams 101 Clayton Sievers Oil Cody Grimm 101 Quentin Castille 0 1 1 Jake Johnson 10 1 Demetrius Taylor 10 1 Returns KR-yds. PRyds.

INT-ydg Cordarrow Thompson 0 1 1 Niles Paul 6121 H-4) OO Dorian Porch Oil Nate Swift OO 1-88 00 Justin Myer Oil Curenski Gilleylen 1-26 00 OO John Graves Oil Punts No. Yds. Avg. Blk Fumbles recovered: Porch 1-8. Dan Titchener 4 147 36.8 0 Returns KR-yds.

PR-yds. INT yds. Team 1 0 0.00 1 Victor Harris 1-16 249 1-15 Place4lcklng XP Att. FG-Att. Long Stephan Virgil OO 114 00 Alex Henery 3-3 1-1 48 Davon Morgan 1-18 OO 00 Kenny Lewis 2-60 OO 00 Punts No.

Yds. Avg. Blk Brent Bowden 5 173 34.6 0 Placjlciir XP-Att. FfrAtt. Long Dustin Keys 3-3 44 38 he said.

"We take responsibility for that We have to be sharper in terms of our assignments and that's up to the coaching staff. "When you play gap control defense, you have to be right on with your assignments and we weren't always there. We just didn't execute very well." Briefly Virginia Tech had not scored in the first quarter of any previous game this season. Saturday night, the Hokies scored nine points. More than 1 00 Nebraska lettermen from teams in the 1970s and '80s lined up to greet the Huskers when they entered Memorial Stadium.

The former players wore T-shirts with "Behind the Team" printed on the back. Redshirt freshman Curenski Gilleylen caught his first career pass, a 5-yard swing pass from Joe Ganz, on the Huskers' first play of the second half. He also had a 26-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. Cornhusker captains for the game were offensive tackle I.ydon Murdia, return specialist and wide receiver Niles Paul and cornerback Armando Murrillo. When Virginia Tech's Stephan Virgil blocked a punt for a safety on Nebraska's second possession of the game, it was his second career punt block.

The other one came in last year's game against Duke. later in the half, he was flagged for roughing punter DanTitchener. Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhamhletonjournalstar.com BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star The timing could have been better, according to Nate Swift. His 88-yard punt return for a touchdown with 7:52 left in the game gave Nebraska new life. "We emphasize the special teams and work on that every week," Swift said.

"But unfortunately, the punt return was a little late." It cut VirginiaTech's lead to 28-23, but the 1 luskers couldn't keep the Hokies out of the end zone one more time, keeping victory just out of reach. "He had to do quite a few things on his own," NU assistant coach Ron Brown said. "He did a great job making people miss early on. He's a nifty guy and has great instincts and he handles pressure very well." Swift said Nebraska put itself in a hole. "It's never good to spot a team nine points right off the bat.

That took a little bit out of us," he said. "It's touch to put it on the defense's shoulders. The offense has to pick it up and help them out." Brown said Virginia Tech made it difficult for the Huskers to keep their wide receivers involved. "We just couldn't get things sustained offensively. The interior of their defense had the ability to get in there," Brown said.

"We just couldn't run our whole offense. Plus, we shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. "Their defensive front is very strong and they clearly had a great influence on the game tonight." Brown said the Hokies didn't allow Nebraska to open up their entire attack. "It's tough to get a rhythm. The running game could have gone better, but we never got anything sustained," he said.

"We couldn't maintain the control of the football to get any rhythm in the running game and then have the pass-inggame. "Sometimes we had crossing routes open and we just couldn't get the ball there because of their defensive pressure." Some good things The learning curve got pretty steep for the Nebraska defense, but coordinator Carl Pelini saw things he liked. "The first tiling we can build on is that there's no quit in our guys. They fought down to the last five seconds," he said. "We didn't always play smart, didn't always do the right tiling, but they never 3uit.

That's something to build on for lis team." Pelini said the defensive mixups the I luskers experienced weren't necessarily player mistakes. "We didn't always execute very well defensively and that's on the coaches," flats Swa Tyrod Taylor Hokie quarterback The so)homore is far from a complete product, but he's growing up in a hurry. Having directed three point wins the previous two wnoks, Taylor was cool in the clutch Curt McKoever Alex Henery NU place-klckor That was a pretty impressive field goal in the first quarter. Officially. It was 48 yards, but would've teen good from 55.

Don't underestimate the Importance of Henery's leg as Big 12 play begins. Brian Rosenthal Victor Harris Virginia Tech comerhack He set the tone with a 28-yard punt return that g.we Tnch the early field-position advantage. Beamer ball continued as Harris' second interception of the season set up the Hokies1 first TD. The kid is as explosive as advertised. Steven M.

Senior receiverreturner Ho was being shut down on offense, but then Swift sud-ctenly broi ight the house down with an SSynrd punt return in which he showed great elu-slveness and preity good jets. The score pulled NU to 28 23 with just. 7:52 left. Brian Chiktnpherson.