One third down out of twelve
North Dakota arrived in Lincoln ranked inside the FCS top 10. They left with 205 yards of total offence and a single third-down conversion from twelve attempts.
Nebraska won 34-7 overnight and moved to 3-0. The visitors managed 106 yards through the air on 9-of-19 passing and averaged 2.8 yards on 36 carries, figures that would look poor against a mid-tier FBS defence and looked worse than that here.
Three of North Dakota’s four first-half possessions ended in punts, two of them three-and-outs. Two more three-and-outs opened the second half.
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Long drives on the other side
Nebraska’s answer was to keep hold of the ball. The opening possession ran ten plays and 75 yards, finished by Anthony Colandrea on a 10-yard carry. The next went eleven plays and 90 yards, ending with a 3-yard Jamal Rule touchdown.
Rule scored again to open the second half, this time breaking off a 55-yarder that put Nebraska 24-0 up. He finished with 119 yards on 15 carries in a rushing attack that produced 277 yards at 6.2 per attempt.
Colandrea was efficient rather than spectacular: 15 of 21 for 195 yards, two touchdowns, 19 yards on four carries. Four receivers cleared 33 yards, with Kwazi Gilmer on 42, Rule and Jacoby Barney Jr. on 35 each and Luke Lindenmeyer on 33.
What the Fighting Hawks salvaged
North Dakota’s only points came with 5:49 left in the third quarter, when Jerry Kaminsky found Caleb Goodloe from 7 yards to cap a 12-play, 62-yard drive. Nebraska replied at the start of the fourth with a 5-yard Colandrea throw to Quinn Clark.
Matt Lawson led the visitors with 34 rushing yards and Kaminsky passed for 106. North Dakota drop to 3-1 with the bulk of their FCS schedule still to come.
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