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    TODAY'S POLL

    Signing Day

    What do you think about Nebraska's 2012 signing class?


    Total Votes: 146
     
    6%
    Outstanding
     
    49%
    Solid
     
    29%
    Could be better
     
    15%
    Disappointing

    THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


    Nebraska wide receiver Niles Paul




    HOLIDAY BOWL

    Quarter by quarter

    FIRST QUARTER

    Matt O’Hanlon: The game is just three plays old when the Nebraska safety intercepts Nick Foles and returns the football 37 yards to the Arizona 5.

    Zac Lee: Nebraska shoots ahead 7-0 as the junior quarterback gets to the right pylon on a bootleg for a 4-yard touchdown run.

    Alex Henery: It’s going to be another good night for the NU kicker, who drills a 47-yard field goal with 8:53 left in the first quarter for a 10-0 lead.

    Ndamukong Suh: Arizona is struggling for a third straight offensive series when a third-down shovel pass from Foles to Keola Antolin gets funneled back inside and Suh buries the tailback.

    Lee: The Huskers have rare bad field position, starting at the 14, but Lee helps move them close to midfield with an 8-yard run and passes to Mike McNeill, Rex Burkhead and Brandon Kinnie.

    SECOND QUARTER

    Burkhead: The “Wildcat” formation makes an appearance as Lee splits wide, and Burkhead takes the snap. It works as the freshman I-back runs 34 yards to start the second quarter.

    Niles Paul: Nebraska stays on the attack as Paul runs 20 yards on a reverse and follows three plays later with a 23-yard reception.

    Burkhead: The third “Wildcat” of the seven-play, 82-yard scoring drive results in a 5-yard TD run by Burkhead. Nebraska leads 17-0 with 11:57 left in the first half.

    Henery: NU’s first series with Cody Green at quarterback is a little choppy, but Henery makes something out of it by kicking a 50-yard field goal for a 20-0 edge.

    Ricky Elmore: Arizona forces Nebraska to punt, but Elmore is flagged for a personal foul that extends the drive. When it stalls again, Henery connects on a 41-yard field goal, and it’s 23-0 with 35 seconds left.

    THIRD QUARTER

    Paul: The junior puts NU right back on the attack by returning the second-half kickoff 49 yards to the Arizona 46.

    Henery: The kicker has four field goals in a game for the sixth time in his career, making a 22-yarder that puts it at 26-0.

    Foles: There weren’t many bright spots for the Arizona quarterback, but his 13-yard throw to Delashaun Dean and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Suh advance the Wildcats to midfield for the first time midway through the third.

    Pierre Allen: Nebraska’s junior defensive end gets the first of his sacks on back-to-back possessions, forcing a Foles fumble that Arizona manages to recover.

    Lee: The Husker line gives Lee time, and he fires a beauty of a pass to Paul for what turns into a 74-yard TD and a 33-0 lead with 3:39 left in the third.

    FOURTH QUARTER

    Burkhead: The freshman won’t make it to 100 yards (finishing with 89 on 17 carries), but he carries five straight times on the Huskers’ second possession of the fourth quarter, including a 10-yard run.

    Green: Nebraska brings back the freshman quarterback with just over nine minutes remaining, and Green has runs of 8, 4 and 1 yards before a Husker punt.

    Antolin: Arizona is going to put together its best drive late, helped by a 36-yard run by Antolin that nearly doubles the Wildcats’ offensive output to that point.

    Phillip Dillard: Is NU going to make it easy? Apparently not as Dillard punishes Nic Grigsby after a short gain on the next play.

    P.J. Smith: Nebraska protects the shutout as Smith spearheads a fourth-down blitz, making it so Foles’ last pass from the Husker 8 doesn’t have a chance with 1:37 remaining.

    — Rich Kaipust


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