The Cornhuskers beat the Heat and then Rutgers 14-7, putting them one win away from bowl qualification

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dante Dowdell and Janiran Bonner scored on 1-yard runs and Nebraska leaned on its defense on a day when Dylan Raiola struggled to beat Rutgers 14-7 on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) prevailed in the hottest conditions ever in an October game at Memorial Stadium and were one win away from qualifying for their first bowl since 2016.

The Scarlet Knights (4-1, 1-1), whose offense struggled for 3 1/2 quarters, made it a one-score game with 4:08 remaining Athan Kaliakmanis beat Ben Black with an 11-yard touchdown pass.

“It was a tough day in a lot of ways,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “Thanks to Rutgers, thanks to Greg Schiano. They did a lot of things against us. But we only turned the ball over once. We won the turnover battle. And it was a great defensive performance I’ve ever seen.”

The temperature at kickoff was 97 degrees, there was a swirling and gusty wind, and both teams had trouble passing.

“I've been doing this for 37 years. “I didn’t have the same conditions as today,” Schiano said. “Usually with wind like that it’s a storm, some kind of hurricane, a tropical storm.”

Raiola, Nebraska's freshman quarterback, could never find a rhythm. He completed just 13 of 27 passes for 134 yards, a season low.

“These games happen, I hate to say it,” Raiola said. “We won the game, that’s all that matters.”

The defense's work was certainly something former Nebraska star Ndamukong Suh appreciated. Suh, a 2009 Heisman Trophy finalist and consensus All-American before embarking on a long NFL career, was in attendance for his induction into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame.

Suh led the Huskers out of the tunnel before the game and then watched the Blackshirts Sacked Kaliakmanis four timeslimiting the nation's third-leading rusher, Kyle Monangai, to 78 yards on 19 carries and holding Rutgers to 264 total yards. Kaliakmanis was 15 of 37 for 136 yards and was intercepted twice. The Huskers also held Rutgers out of the end zone six times by playing inside the 2.

“Nothing short of elite,” cornerback Marques Buford Jr. said.

Rutgers had great chances to score but didn't get it done until late. With the game's second blocked punt, the Scarlet Knights took it to the Nebraska 2, but the Huskers kept them out of the end zone on three consecutive plays after Monangai appeared to score but was denied unopposed by Schiano just before the goal line. He said he didn't want to use the time off to challenge the trademark because it had been reviewed at the Replay Center in Chicago and he was told it would stand.

Later, Buford slipped in coverage, leaving Black plenty of room to run under Kaliakmanis' deep ball down the sideline. But the ball bounced off the side of Black's helmet and landed on the grass.

“They’re a strong, physical team up front,” defensive lineman Ty Robinson said. “I just think our squad decided to play a little harder.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights' identity was the deciding game, and they may have given it up too soon. They rushed for 70 yards on their first two possessions against the wind, and Monangai broke off three runs of at least 14 yards. When Rutgers tried to get back to the run, there wasn't much to be gained and the game ended with a 78-yard run.

Nebraska: As great as the defense has been, the Huskers enter their open game with concerns on offense. Raiola was just 2 of 9 for 14 yards in the second half, and the running game averaged 2.3 yards per carry, largely because Raiola was sacked four times.

BUSCHINI jumps back

It was a tough day for Nebraska's players for three quarters. He had two punts deflected and moved cautiously for the rest of the game after being shaken up on the first punt.

But in the fourth quarter, Buschini made one of the best plays of the game when he received the snap, took a step and pulled up and threw a pass to Isaiah Neyor turned into a 30-yard gain. The Huskers ended up punting, and Buschini made a 41-yarder that held Rutgers to its 5 yards. His final throw went 69 yards, forcing Rutgers' final possession at its 11-yard line with 2:28 left.

NEXT

Rutgers: Host Wisconsin.

Nebraska: Open date before visiting No. 23 Indiana on Oct. 19.

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