For a quarter and a half, Homecoming was not going to plan. Maryland led by nine, its offense was moving at will and Memorial Stadium was getting nervous. Then Dwayne McDougle III changed everything.
Nebraska scored the game’s final 34 points and beat Maryland 48-23 on Saturday to improve to 5-0. It is the program’s best start since 2016.
A rough first quarter
Maryland piled up 207 yards in the opening quarter alone. A blocked punt set up a 19-yard Mekhi Nelson touchdown run for Nebraska, but the Terrapins answered less than a minute later with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Chris Durr Jr. Maryland also kicked three field goals in the quarter and led 16-7 after one.
Nelson scored again early in the second quarter. Maryland responded with another touchdown and led 23-14.
The play that changed the game
With under three minutes left in the half, McDougle stepped in front of a Malik Washington pass and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown. It was Nebraska’s longest interception return for a score since 2007.
The offense took it from there. Anthony Colandrea led a drive in the final minutes and found tight end Luke Lindenmeyer for a 1-yard touchdown with five seconds left. A nine-point deficit had become a 28-23 halftime lead in less than three minutes of game time.
The second half was a shutout
Maryland gained 300 yards before halftime and 95 after it. Vincent Genatone scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Colandrea added touchdown passes of 5 and 30 yards to Kwazi Gilmer to finish it off.
By the numbers
| Stat | Nebraska | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 447 | 395 |
| Rushing yards | 209 | 141 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 254 |
| Third downs | 6 of 13 | 1 of 14 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 16 for 132 yards | 12 for 115 yards |
Standout performances
- Anthony Colandrea: 238 passing yards, three touchdowns and 108 rushing yards, his first 100-yard rushing game. That is 346 yards of total offense.
- Kwazi Gilmer: career highs of 11 catches and 147 yards, with two touchdowns.
- Dwayne McDougle III: the 81-yard interception return that turned the game.
- Mekhi Nelson: two first-half rushing touchdowns.
- Kade Pietrzak: Nebraska’s second interception of the day.
What to clean up
The flags. The two teams combined for 28 penalties and 247 yards, the most in an FBS game since 2021. Nebraska’s 16 penalties were its most in a game since 2010. That cannot happen again next week. Jamal Rule also sat out with the injury he picked up at Michigan State.
The takeaway
Good teams find a way through bad stretches, and this one did. Nebraska has now won all five games by at least 18 points and has scored 30 or more in each of its first five games for the first time since 2014.
The crowd of 85,033 marked the 414th straight sellout. Next Saturday’s will be louder. Defending national champion Indiana is coming to Lincoln. Go Big Red.
Dr. Bruce Marko is a University of Nebraska alum and a proud supporter of the Huskers. Read more about his Nebraska Cornhuskers roots.
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