NU STAR

After three unproductive games, Roy Helu stepped up to finish with a 138-yard night against a defense that had been allowing opponents to rush for 80 yards per game. Helu, hindered by a shoulder injury, had rushed just 28 times for 116 yards in the three previous games. He had 20 carries against the Sooners, including one that produced the longest run by a Husker this season, a 63-yard sprint that started with a broken tackle near the line of scrimmage.

HIGHLIGHT

Outside of Helu, there weren’t many. Nebraska finished with 180 yards on 57 snaps, averaging 3.2 yards per play. Subtract Helu’s 63-yard run from that total, and the Huskers’ other 56 snaps totaled 117 yards, an average of 2.1 yards per play.

BUSTED PLAY

Two plays after Helu put a jolt into the crowd with his 63-yard, second-quarter dash to the OU 11-yard line, Zac Lee pitched away the scoring opportunity. Helu never had a chance to corral Lee’s high pitch on an option play, and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy recovered the loose ball at the 21-yard line.

OUR TAKE

Nebraska’s offensive performance was encouraging from the standpoint that it did little to hurt itself. Outside of the bad pitch by Lee, the Huskers did not commit a turnover. The Huskers were able to convert a turnover into a touchdown, but they did not have an offensive series that lasted more than seven plays, with nine of their 17 possessions ending in three-and-outs. They’ll need to be more productive the rest of the month if they want to have a chance to play for a championship.

— Steven Pivovar

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