COLUMBUS, Ohio — Opportunism cost Nebraska early on Saturday afternoon, then it put the Huskers in the driver’s seat on the road against a top-10 team.
Down the stretch, though, Scott Frost’s team couldn’t capitalize on enough opportunities to turn a valiant effort into a statement win.
The final count: 36-31. The feeling: A big sigh of relief for the hosts and a massive opportunity slipped through the fingertips of the visitors.
Two drops will stick in Nebraska’s craw for the flight home and beyond. First, freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez put a third-and-12 throw on sophomore receiver JD Spielman’s hands up the seam that may have extended a 21-16 lead to two scores had Spielman not dropped it.