Nebraska wanted a faster start in week two. It got one. The Huskers led 35-0 at halftime and rolled past Bowling Green 56-7 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium to move to 2-0.
Over by halftime
Anthony Colandrea opened the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jacory Barney Jr. On Bowling Green’s next drive, Williams Nwaneri tipped a pass and Donovan Jones intercepted it. Seven plays later, Colandrea hit Kwazi Gilmer from 12 yards out for a 14-0 lead.
The second quarter brought three more touchdowns. Gilmer caught a 4-yard score, freshman Jamal Rule burst up the middle for a 59-yard touchdown run, and Barney added a 32-yard catch. Nebraska had 369 yards at the break. Bowling Green had 46 yards and two first downs.
The defense joins the scoring
The third quarter was scoreless, and Bowling Green ended the shutout on the first play of the fourth. Nebraska answered with a 7-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Mozee. Linebacker Derek Wacker then scooped up a fumble and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Backup quarterback TJ Lateef closed the scoring with a 6-yard pass to Kwinten Ives.
By the numbers
| Stat | Nebraska | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 546 | 169 |
| Rushing yards | 264 | 85 |
| Passing yards | 282 | 84 |
| First downs | 28 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
Standout performances
- Anthony Colandrea: 20 of 24 passing for 222 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, all before halftime. He is the first Nebraska quarterback with at least three touchdown passes in back-to-back games since Tommy Armstrong Jr.
- Jacory Barney Jr.: eight catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
- Kwazi Gilmer: two touchdown catches.
- Jamal Rule: 88 yards on eight carries, including the 59-yard score.
- The Blackshirts: two takeaways, a defensive touchdown, sacks from Jamir Conn and Malcolm Simpson, and a blocked punt by Quinn Clark.
The takeaway
This was the complete game the Huskers were looking for. Nebraska topped 500 yards for the second straight week, and the defense never let Bowling Green get comfortable. The competition gets tougher from here, but the first two weeks have shown an offense with real balance.
The announced crowd was 86,193. Nebraska closes its three-game homestand next Saturday against North Dakota. 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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