ap

Skip to content
First-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads celebrates a Nebraska turnover Saturday near Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, who threw three interceptions. Nebraska committed eight turnovers overall, tying a school record, in Iowa State's 9-7 victory.
First-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads celebrates a Nebraska turnover Saturday near Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, who threw three interceptions. Nebraska committed eight turnovers overall, tying a school record, in Iowa State’s 9-7 victory.
Author
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...

Bo Pelini had everything lined up to lift Nebraska back atop the Big 12 North in only his second full year as the Cornhuskers’ coach. He had seven starters back from a vastly improved defense. Bruising running backs returned. They had momentum from a 9-4 Gator Bowl season. Kansas, their toughest rival, had a defense to rebuild. The Cornhuskers had only one big question mark.

Quarterback.

If junior college transfer Zac Lee ever got hurt, Nebraska was in deep trouble. All it had behind Lee were freshmen and a converted linebacker. After Nebraska’s mind-numbing 9-7 loss Saturday to Iowa State, the Cyclones’ first win in Lincoln in 32 years, it’s clear Nebraska has more problems than Lee.

Only two of Nebraska’s remarkable school record-tying eight turnovers were Lee’s fault. Banged-up Roy Helu Jr. fumbled twice, including on the first play from scrimmage, and one of Lee’s three interceptions went through Curenski Gilleylen’s hands right to a Cyclone.

“We were lucky to be in the football game,” Pelini told reporters after the game. “Eight turnovers? We could have gotten run out of the stadium.”

If the Cornhuskers (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) are taking solace in not getting blown out by Iowa State at home, they’re in trouble. This was an Iowa State team missing starting quarterback Austen Arnaud and tailback Alexander Robinson, the Big 12’s leading rusher.

“I think Zac was the least of our problems,” Pelini said.

Blame Lee or not, Nebraska’s offense is struggling. The Cornhuskers are ninth in the Big 12 at 381.4 yards per game, and Pelini has no option at quarterback. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said freshman backup Cody Green is not ready.

Whatever, the Pelini bandwagon suddenly has plenty of space available. On Nebraska’s final drive Saturday, about 5,000 seats in Memorial Stadium were empty.

Cyclones on right Rhoads.

Of the nation’s 21 first-year head coaches, none has produced a bigger turnaround so far than Iowa State’s Paul Rhoads. He has taken a 2-10 team and made it 5-3, just a win at Texas A&M this week from its first bowl game in four years.

Rhoads used a conservative game plan Saturday with redshirt freshman quarterback Jerome Tiller and redshirt freshman running back Jeremiah Schwartz.

The Cyclones had only 239 total yards, but also zero turnovers.

“We came in here with the mind-set that we were going to win the game,” center Reggie Stephens said after the Cyclones beat Nebraska. “That started last Sunday night when Coach Rhoads told us we were going to be the first Iowa State team to win here since 1977.”

Behind Rhoads, the other top first-year turnarounds in the country are Steve Sarkisian, Washington, 0-12 last year, 3-5 this year; Brady Hoke, San Diego State, 2-10, 3-4; Tim Beckman, Toledo, 3-9, 4-4; and Dave Christensen, Wyoming, 4-8, 4-3.

Tears in Morgantown.

There was a time during West Virginia’s 28-24 win over visiting Connecticut that became as emotional for UConn as before the game, when the Huskies ran out and Mountaineers fans greeted them with a standing ovation and a poster board reading, “Today we are all Huskies.”

It came with 3:50 left when UConn’s Marcus Easley caught an 88-yard touchdown pass.

After repeatedly answering West Virginia strikes, the Huskies had a 24-21 lead. Wide receiver Kashif Moore, who had held cornerback Jasper Howard while he died from knife wounds at a school dance seven nights before, had told his teammates about the call he received Friday night from Howard’s mom.

She told them to go beat the No. 22-ranked Mountaineers. Then he looked up and saw the scoreboard: Connecticut 24, West Virginia 21.

“A couple of tears started coming out right there,” Moore said afterward.

It wasn’t to be. Noel Devine won it for West Virginia with a 56-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left, but it didn’t matter.

“I’m not one to show too much emotion,” Easley said, “but it all kind of came out today.”

Hot seat of the week.

Coach David Elson, Western Kentucky. Don’t tell Hilltoppers fans it’s their team’s first year as a full-fledged Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) member. The Hilltoppers are 0-7, and their 15-game losing streak is the longest in either Division I division. After Saturday’s 62-24 loss to Middle Tennessee State, they are 120th (last) nationally in total defense (509.1 yards per game), 119th in scoring defense (41.9 points per game) and 113th in total offense (289.6 yards per game). But Elson, 39-39 in his seventh year, is signed through 2016.

Footnotes.

How methodical is Georgia Tech? In their 34-9 win over Virginia, the Yellow Jackets ran off an 18-play scoring drive that took 10:47. The drive included one pass. . . . Notre Dame has had five games decided in the final minute. It’s 3-2 in those games.

RevContent Feed

More in Sports