Grading the Game (Ohio State)

Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PREWIRE

Nebraska falls to 4-2 after a huge loss to Ohio State on the road. Nebraska gives up the most points under Bo Pelini. How did the Huskers grade out against the Buckeyes? Find out here.

Quarterback D-

Redshirt junior Taylor Martinez turned the ball over 4 times against the Buckeyes. He threw 3 interceptions and fumbled the ball twice, but the Huskers recovered 1 of those. He finished the day with 15 completions on 25 passes, for 214 yards, and 1 touchdown. The only thing that stopped Martinez from grading out with an F was the fact that he ran for 2 scores on the ground, but he only racked up 40 yards rushing.

Running back B+

Senior running back Rex Burkhead rushed for 119 yards on 14 carries before suffering a knee injury in the third quarter. Sophomore Ameer Abdullah rushed the ball just 7 times for 28 yards, but he did score twice on the ground. Sophomore Braylon Heard rushed 5 time for 24 yards. He also lined up at wide receiver on Saturday. He caught one pass for 20 yards, and then never lined up at receiver again for the rest of the night. Freshman Imani Cross got 1 carry for 13 yards after the game got out of hand.

Wide Receiver C-

Only 3 Nebraska wide receivers recorded a catch Saturday. Kenny Bell and Jamal Turner were the only ones to record more than one catch. Bell hauled in 5 catches for 133 yards. Turner only had one catch in the first half, but finished the day with 3 catches for 24 yards. Quincy Enunwa was essentially a none factor. He had a grab for 3 yards.

Tight End D

Super Star tight end Kyler Reed, did not have one catch, and offensive coordinator Tim Beck did not do a very good job of getting either of his senior tight ends involved in the game. Walk-on full back Andy Janovich had a catch on Saturday, but Reed could not get involved in the passing game, because the Buckeyes did a great job of keeping him out of the game. Ben Cotton had two catches for 19 yards, and 1 score.

Offensive Line F

The Huskers offensive line was out matched, and out played all game long. The lack of depth on Nebraska’s offensive line is starting to show. Nebraska could be more thin at offensive tackle than any other team in the country. The Buckeyes sacked Martinez 4 times, and gave the offensive line fits all night long.

Defensive Line C+

The game plan going forward for any team should be pretty obvious. Run away from No. 46. Eric Martin sacked Braxton Miller twice on Saturday. His fellow defensive linemen, were no where near as successful. Senior defensive end Cameron Meredith continues to struggle against mobile quarterbacks. Nebraska’s defensive line was clearly outmatched all night long. The Buckeyes put up 371 yards rushing, and 6 rushing touchdowns.

Linebacker C+

Will Compton still seems to be the only shining light at the linebacker position now that Zaire Anderson has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. Compton had Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller caught behind the line of scrimmage three times on Saturday. Yet Miller got away every time. Nebraska line backers continue to show poor form tackling, and continue to miss tackles.

Secondary C-

Ohio State only attempted 14 passes, because they were so effective on the ground. Ciante Evans continues to impress every week, and is developing as a true cover corner. The secondary gave up two plays of over 30 yards.

Special Teams D-

The first 3 kicks Ameer Abdullah took out of the end zone, he didn’t make it past the 20 yard line. Brett Maher played one of his best games of the year, but Nebraska did give up 76 yard return to Philly Brown.

By Jimmie Allen

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