No. 2 Michigan clobbers Nebraska, 45-7

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - No. 2 Michigan was as advertised Saturday afternoon in their dominant 45-7 win over Nebraska. The Huskers entered the game allowing just 46.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked second in the nation. The Wolverines responded to that challenge with three rushing touchdowns and running for 249 yards in the win.

FIRST QUARTER:

Michigan struck first with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a highlight-worthy 29-yard touchdown grab from Roman Wilson. The Wolverines receiver caught a JJ McCarthy lob on the back of Isaac Gifford’s helmet, corralling the ball as he tumbled into the back of the endzone.

Heinrich Haarberg was named the Huskers’ starting quarterback for a third straight week. Unlike his last two games, Saturday’s outing started on a sour note. The sophomore threw his first career interception on his first pass of the game. The Wolverines needed just two more plays to convert their second score of the game on a 20-yard run from Kalel Mullings, taking a 14-0 lead.

SECOND QUARTER:

Michigan continued dicing up the Nebraska defense, opening the second quarter with a 9-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a wide-open McCarthy making an easy 20-yard touchdown run. Wolverines move in front 21-0.

The Wolverines converted on their final possession of the half with an 8-play, 55-yard drive, culminating with another McCarthy touchdown strike to Wilson, staking Michigan to a 28-0 halftime lead.

The Huskers’ run game struggled mightily in the first half, tallying just 37 yards. Haarberg’s 16-yard run was Nebraska’s longest rush of the first half.

THIRD QUARTER:

Michigan’s Blake Corum runs in one yard for the Wolverines’ fifth touchdown of the game, extending their lead to 35-0.

FOURTH QUARTER:

With the win secured, McCarthy came out of the game, but the Wolverines onslaught continues. Michigan kicked a 30-yard field goal and tacked on an 8-yard touchdown pass to pad the lead to 45-0.

The one bit of drama remaining in the game was Nebraska’s streak hung in the balance. The Huskers had scored in 343 consecutive games dating back to 1996, the fifth longest active streak in college football. Joshua Fleeks gave Huskers fans some reprieve, dashing up the field for a 74-yard touchdown to keep the streak alive.

No. 2 Michigan hands the Huskers their first home loss of the season, 45-7. Nebraska drops to 2-3 on the season, 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Huskers will play at Illinois next Friday, Oct. 6.

PREGAME COVERAGE

“We’re gonna play every team we play [the same way],” Nebraska HC Matt Rhule said in his press conference Monday. “No one came to the University of Nebraska to not play good teams. This is a great opportunity. We have good players and we expect our players to play well.”

After stumbling out of the gate with losses to Minnesota and Colorado, Nebraska is fresh off two straight wins, a 35-11 thrashing of Northern Illinois, and, most recently, a 28-14 victory over Lousiana Tech last week.

Meanwhile, Michigan has rolled through its schedule thus far. The Wolverines have outscored their opponents 127-23 in its first four games, which included a 31-7 win over Big Ten foe Rutgers a week ago.

GAME INFO

• Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb.
• When: 2:30 p.m.
• Watch: FOX
• Listen: Husker Radio Network
• Vegas Odds: Nebraska +17.5, O/U 40

Nebraska is a 17.5-point underdog against the Wolverines, who’ve qualified for the College Football Playoff the past two seasons.

These two squads met last year; a 34-3 rout in favor of Michigan. The last time this matchup took place in Lincoln was in 2021, which saw Nebraska lose a 32-29 heartbreaker.

In all, the Huskers are just 2-4 against the Wolverines since joining the Big Ten in 2011, the last win for the Huskers coming in 2013.

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