Husker Overtime Futility: 2015-2021

Failing to score is bad enough, but Nebraska hasn't even mustered a first down in OT during this seven-season stretch

Joe Hudson | Sep 27, 2021

As you've probably heard by now, the crushing loss at Michigan State marked the sixth consecutive overtime game in which Nebraska was shut out after regulation. But that detail -- failing to score -- merely scratches the surface of the Huskers' confounding stretch of overtime futility.

As if zero points weren't bad enough, the Huskers haven't even picked up a first down in their six overtimes under coaches Mike Riley and Scott Frost. They've generated a grand total of 15 net yards of total offense -- less than one yard per play. And they've thrown interceptions at a 25% clip.

Some other stunningly poor composite numbers from the overtimes against Miami, Wisconsin, Northwestern (twice), Colorado and Michigan State:

Meager running game. Officially, the Huskers have run the ball seven times for minus-12 yards. Exclude quarterback sacks and it isn't much better: five rushes for five yards.
Trouble stopping the run. Nebraska's opponents have piled up 94 rushing yards on 21 carries. Their average rushing gain (4.5) is 50% better than Nebraska's longest rushing gain (3). Due in part to that success, opponents have attempted just three passes.
Disastrous passing game. Husker quarterbacks have completed five of 12 passes for 27 yards and have had three intercepted. On two other passing plays that count officially as runs, Nebraska suffered quarterback sacks for losses totaling 17 yards. That means 14 passing plays netted just 10 yards and three turnovers.
Add it all up. That's 15 yards of total offense, zero points, zero first downs and three turnovers.
Lose the coin toss, then lose the ball. In three of the six games, the opponent won the overtime coin toss and Nebraska got the ball first. Incredibly, all three of those Husker possessions ended with deflating interceptions. That allowed the opponents to then play it safe on offense, needing just a field goal to win.

It's worth noting that five of the six overtime games were played on the road, and the Huskers were underdogs four of those times. Simply getting to overtime in some of those games was arguably an act of overachieving, even if it was followed by an overtime goose egg.

Before the current six-game skid, Nebraska was a sparkling 8-1 in overtime games, but now the ledger stands at 8-7. The Huskers' last win in OT came in 2014 at Iowa in Bo Pelini's final game as head coach. In that game, like the one Saturday at Michigan State, special teams came up big for the winning team in the fourth quarter.

Below are composite stats from the six-game streak of overtime ineptitude. Scroll down further for Nebraska's game-by-game plays on offense.

	NEB	OPP
Points	0	25
First Downs	0	6
Rushes-Yards	7-(-12)	21-94
Average Gain	-1.7	4.5
Longest Gain	3	23
Excl. Sacks (Rushes-Yds-Avg)	5-5-1.0	21-94-4.5
Passing Yards	27	3
Comp-Att-Int	5-12-3	1-3-0
Longest Gain	7	3
NCAA Pass. Rating	10.57	41.73
Total Offense Plays-Yds	19-15	24-97
Yards Per Play	0.8	4.0
Penalized-Yards	2/18	2/10
3rd Down Conv.	0/5	0/4
Sacks-Yards	0-0	2-17
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	0-0

Game-by-game offense

2021 at Michigan State (L 23-20)
Nebraska had first possession
1-10 MS 25: Adrian Martinez pass to Rahmir Johnson for 2 yards.
2-8 MS 23: Martinez pass to Omar Manning for 5 yards.
3-3 MS 18: Martinez pass intercepted by Chester Kimbrough.
(3 plays, 7 yards, INT)
2019 at Colorado (L 34-31)
Colorado had first possession, scored 3
1-10 CU 25: Maurice Washington rush for no gain.
2-10 CU 25: Washington rush for 1 yard.
3-9 CU 24: Adrian Martinez sacked for loss of 7 yards.
4-16 CU 31: Isaac Armstrong field goal attempt wide right.
(3 plays, -6 yards, missed FG)
2018 at Northwestern (L-34-31)
Nebraska had first possession
1-10 NW 25: Devine Ozigbo rush for 2 yards.
2-8 NW 23: Adrian Martinez pass to Ozigbo for 7 yards.
3-1 NW 16: PENALTY NEB false start (Boe Wilson) -5 yards.
3-6 NW 21: Martinez pass to JD Spielman for 5 yards.
4-1 NW 16: Martinez pass intercepted by JR Pace in end zone.
(4 plays, 14 yards, -5 penalty, INT)
2017 vs. Northwestern (L 31-24)
Northwestern had first possession, scored 7
1-10 NW 25: Tanner Lee pass incomplete.
2-10 NW 25: Lee sacked for loss of 10 yards.
3-20 NW 35: Lee pass complete to Tyler Hoppes for 8 yards.
4-12 NW 27: Lee pass incomplete.
(4 plays, -2 yards)
2016 at Wisconsin (L 23-17)
Wisconsin had first possession, scored 6
1-10 WIS 25: Terrell Newby rush for 3 yards.
2-7 WIS 22: Newby rush for loss of 1 yard.
3-8 WIS 23: Tommy Armstrong Jr. pass incomplete.
4-8 WIS 23: Armstrong pass incomplete.
(4 plays, 2 yards)
2015 at Miami (L 36-33)
Nebraska had first possession
1-10 UM 25 Tommy Armstrong Jr. pass intercepted by Corn Elder.
(1 play, 0 yards, INT, -13 penalty on INT return)

Husker overtime games

Click to see the HuskerMax game page. Wins are in bold.

Coaches' OT records at Nebraska

Tom Osborne 1-0
Frank Solich 2-0
Bill Callahan 2-0
Bo Pelini 3-1
Mike Riley 0-3
Scott Frost 0-3

Published Sep 27, 2021

JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.