Freshman QB Green powers Nebraska to win
October 31, 2009
WACO, Texas (AP)—Freshman Cody Green led Nebraska to points on its first threedrives in his first college start as the Cornhuskers ended a two-game losingstreak, beating Baylor 20-10 on Saturday.
Justin Blatchford returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, DontrayevousRobinson added a rushing score and Jared Crick had a school record of five sacksto help Nebraska (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) beat Baylor (3-5, 0-4) for the 10th-straighttime.
Green, a Texas high school star from a town about 200 miles southeast ofWaco, was 12 of 21 for 128 yards passing to stake Nebraska to a 20-0 lead. TheHuskers had scored a just 17 combined points in recent home losses to Texas Techand Iowa State, and they matched a school record with eight turnovers againstthe latter.
Nebraska Dontrayevous Robinso… AP – Oct 31, 2:48 pm EDT Nebraska Deion Gomes (7) pulls… AP – Oct 31, 2:47 pm EDT YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 1; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091031/capt.18eaf2acdb814c579e32cac8c763c840.nebraska_baylor_football_txwac102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=39&yc=1&wc=332&hc=369&q=70&sig=.d3ZccxiaF.l23WNJyFj6A--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 2 Neb-Bay Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Baylor lost its fourth in a row and hasn’t beaten Nebraska since 1956.Clifton Odom returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter tobring the Bears within 10.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini promised personnel changes earlier this week afterwatching his offense sputter in consecutive lackluster performances. The biggestmove came at quarterback, where junior Zac Lee had started the first seven gamesof the season.
Green got a hand from the Huskers’ special teams before he even took thefield.
Eric Martin came up the middle and blocked Derek Epperson’s punt on thefirst series of the game. Blatchford scooped up the loose ball at 25 and doveinto the end zone right in front of the red-clad Nebraska contingent.
Green and the Huskers offense received a hearty applause from Nebraska’sfans when they first took the field.
The 18-year-old from Dayton, Texas scrambled for 10 yards to earn a firstdown on third-and-5 during Nebraska’s opening offensive series, which ended inAlex Henery’s 45-yard field goal.
Green was 3 of 5 passing on his second drive, including a 22-yard toss toKyler Reed that set up another Henery field goal.
Green dropped a perfect throw just over Niles Paul’s shoulder for 45 yards,giving the Huskers the ball at the Baylor 1. Robinson scored two plays later,extending Nebraska’s lead to 20-0 with 9:28 left in the first half.
Nebraska had 273 yards of offense, 30 fewer than what it averaged inconference play. The Huskers, though, capitalized on their opportunities,something they didn’t do when they turned the ball over four times inside the 5last week.
The Huskers then went more than a quarter without a first down to helpBaylor get back in the game.
Ben Parks kicked a 41-yard field goal to cap the Bears’ first possessionafter halftime, then Green made his biggest mistake of the game.
Odom stepped in front of Paul and intercepted Green’s pass, returning for atouchdown with 3:27 left in the third.
The Bears drove inside the Nebraska 20 twice in the fourth quarter but cameaway with no points. Parks missed a 24-yard field goal and turned the ball overon downs as Baylor failed to cut into Nebraska’s lead.
Nebraska’s defense constantly badgered quarterback Nick Florence, whostarted the season third on the depth chart before he was forced into actionbecause of injuries.
Florence, 19 of 38 for 222 yards, was intercepted twice and sacked seventimes. David Gettis caught seven passes for 124 yards.