SEATTLE — Every Nebraska fan and probably most of the players were wondering how Taylor Martinez would do in his first road start as the Cornhuskers’ starting quarterback.
So before No. 8-ranked Nebraska kicked off against Washington, Huskers receiver Mike McNeill figured he might as well ask the redshirt freshman, “Are you nervous?”
If he was, it didn’t show.
Fearless and confident, Martinez rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns — including the longest TD run by a freshman in Nebraska history — threw for another 150 yards and a touchdown and the Huskers overwhelmed Washington 56-21 on Saturday.
“I just don’t get scared or nervous at all,” Martinez said.
Martinez scored on a pair of 1-yard runs and zipped 80 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half. Roy Helu Jr. added 110 yards, including touchdown runs of 65 and 8 yards, and the Huskers finished with 383 yards rushing against the Huskies’ manhandled defense.
Rex Burkhead added 104 yards, including a 19-yard TD in the fourth quarter. It was the first time Washington ever allowed three 100-yard rushers in the same game.
“I was talking to (Martinez) before the game. I asked him, ‘Are you nervous?’ ” said McNeill, who caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Martinez. “He said, ‘You’re more nervous than I am.’ The kid just has ice water in his veins.”
While Martinez was tormenting the Washington defense, Jake Locker was slogging through the worst game of his career on a day the Huskies needed him to be Heisman-worthy to have a chance.
“I didn’t really hook up with anybody,” Locker said. “I just think they did a really good job within their defense and I tried to force a few balls when I could have dropped it down to other guys.”
Pressured by the Huskers’ defensive line and unable to find receivers against Nebraska’s aggressive secondary, Locker made mistake after mistake. He was 4-of-20 for 71 yards and two interceptions.
