Nebraska Football: Heartbreak part infinity against Minnesota

The Nebraska football team, as it has done countless times over the last six years, pulled defeat out of the jaws of victory.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were given a chance right from the first game of the Matt Rhule era to prove that they were no longer the team that shoots themselves in the foot in the biggest moments. Then they shot themselves in the foot. Over and Over.

Certainly they shot themselves in the foot at the end of the first half. With the ball inside the Gophers 10 yard line and trailing just 3-0, Jeff Sims threw a terrible pass into the endzone and into the waiting arms of a defender. So the Huskers went to the lockerroom still down 3-0.

Then they came out in the second half and once again, looked like they might exorcise the demons of the Scott Frost era. The era of Nebraska football where the team could never finish. Could never win the close one.

They took a 7-3 lead thanks to a play that by all rights, should have gone horribly wrong. A dropped pass on a trick play to Sims, where he picked it up off the turf and threw to a wide open Alex Bullock.

The Huskers eventually took a 10-3 lead and looked like they had all the momentum. And then, the curse of Scott Frost struck again.

Gabe Ervins fumbled. Minnesota scored a touchdown on a great pass and throw in the back of the end zone that had no business being as open as he was. He was in bounds by inches. Oh, and it was 4th and 10.

So tied at 10, all Nebraska football had to do was not make another mistake. Just go and get in field goal range and kick the winner.

And then Jeff Sims threw his third interception of the game. None of his interceptions were anything other than terrible passes. His decision-making is a problem. But we’ll talk about that another time.

Sims’ third interception was the killer. The Huskers defense couldn’t bow up when it needed to most. And with three seconds on the clock, Minnesota hit a 47-yard field goal to win, 13-10.

Pain. Again. Is this kind of thing ever going to stop? It sure doesn’t feel like it.