Niles Paul ran back a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter sparking the Huskers to a 35-12 win over San Jose State Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

The 26 1/2-point underdog Spartans pulled to within 14-12 with a field goal early in the fourth, but on the ensuing kickoff, Paul made a move to his left and headed up the Nebraska sideline untouched for his first collegiate touchdown, accompanied by Alfonzo Dennard.

"I could pace myself and watch 'Fonzo," said Paul. "I know he's only a freshman, but he plays like a senior. He told me to follow him and I trusted him. He picked up two blocks and saved my butt twice."

"We got lucky, that's all it was," said offensive lineman Matt Slauson. "The football gods were looking upon us. There was a point in the game where they had double our yards and we were still up. I don't know how that works."

Roy Helu Jr. scored on a 14-yard run and Marlon Lucky from 5 yards out to put the game out of reach and send the Spartans (1-1) to their 12th straight nonconference road loss.

Nebraska's Joe Ganz, 17-for-25 for 216 yards and an interception, said he and his offensive teammates couldn't find any rhythm. "It took Niles' kickoff return to jump-start us."

San Jose's comeback hopes all but ended on the first play after Paul's return when Zach Potter and Phillip Dillard knocked first-time starting quarterback Kyle Reed out of the game with a sack.

Before Paul's kick return, San Jose played the Huskers on even terms or better. All the Huskers (2-0) had managed to that point was one long scoring drive and nose tackle Ndamukong Suh's 49-yard interception return.

San Jose coach Dick Tomey said last week that he backed out of a game at Tennessee in order to replace it with the trip to Lincoln where the Huskers have won 43 of 45 nonconference games. It didn't look like a bad move for a while.

San Jose outgained the Huskers 353-315 overall and though they trailed 14-9 after three quarters, they easily could have led if their kicking game hadn't cost them seven points the first half. Will Johnson missed an extra point and a 41-yard field goal and Jared Strubeck bounced a 32-yarder off the right upright.

"We practiced to be in the hunt in the fourth quarter with a chance to win," said Tomey. "That's what you hope to do in every game and we were right there. Nebraska deserves the credit for shutting the door on us and making plays of their own in the fourth quarter and we didn't get it done. The winner gets everything, the loser gets nothing."

San Jose State sacked Ganz twice on Nebraska's first series, then Reed drove the Spartans 59 yards in five plays for a 6-0 lead. Yonus Davis broke a 24-yard run before Reed, a transfer from California, passed 14 yards to Jalal Beauchman and ran 12 up the middle for the touchdown.

Davis led the Spartans with 58 yards rushing.

Quentin Castille scored from 3 yards to cap a nine-play, 86-yard drive that gave the Huskers the lead and then Suh intercepted a pass tipped by Potter and ran it back 47 yards to put the Huskers up 14-6.

The Huskers were fortunate to lead at halftime after allowing three sacks and getting called for six penalties, including three straight false starts by receivers.

"We were very sloppy in the first half," said Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "I mean, when you talk about penalties, we had a multitude of errors. Tackling was sloppy in the first half. We were our own worst enemy."

San Jose made it a two-point game after Castille fumbled at midfield and Strubeck kicked a 27-yard field goal. On San Jose's first play from scrimmage after Paul's return, Potter and Dillard broke through to bring down Reed hard. Myles Eden entered and could get nothing going.

Reed completed 18-of-26 passes for for 161 yards and an interception.

After Helu, who finished with 59 yards, gave the Huskers a 28-12 lead, Eden hit Kevin Jurovich with a 55-yard pass to set up the Spartans at the Nebraska 10, but Eden was intercepted by Potter and the Spartans never threatened again.

"We just tried to keep playing and not look at the scoreboard," said San Jose defensive end Carl Ihenacho. "Coach told us not to look at the scoreboard because it's a liar."

In the end, the scoreboard always reveals the truth. The scoreboard also told the Huskers one other thing, Ganz said. "Now we realize we're not as good as we thought we were."

Nebraska defensive end Barry Turner has a broken bone in his left leg and probably is out for the season, coach Bo Pelini said Sunday.

Turner was injured on San Jose State's third play from scrimmage. Pierre Allen replaced Turner and finished with a team-high 10 tackles and a pass breakup.