LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska narrowly averted Arkansas State’s upset bid Saturday night in front of 90,171 red-clad fans at Memorial Stadium, but the Cornhuskers were not apologizing for their 43-36 victory.
Even if it came down to the final play against a team they were favored to beat by more than two touchdowns, a team Nebraska guaranteed $1.65 million for the visit.
Nebraska players and coaches said they knew what they were getting into when they faced off against ASU, the winner of five of the past six Sun Belt Conference championships.
So, the Huskers were not caught completely off guard when they had their backs against their end zone in the final seconds with quarterback Justice Hansen throwing for a chance to tie and force overtime, or possibly go for two and the victory.