Final take: Steady wins the race

I think what I've grown to respect the most about Mike Riley over his time at Nebraska is how he keeps his emotions in check.

Through all the setbacks his team went through last year he was the same guy - steady-handed Riley. He never panicked and he never changed up his approach. He didn't get caught up in what was being said on sports talk radio or on internet message boards. He didn't limit or cut off media access when things were going bad. He just went back to work.

Down 20-7 late in the first half to his arch nemesis Oregon, Riley and his football team continued that approach. This wasn't like past big games where when the Huskers got down and folded like a cheap Walmart tent. This team made adjustments, kept their composure and executed when it mattered.

This is really the definition of what Nebraska fans want in a team. A team that doesn't beat themselves. A team that plays physical and finds a way to execute in the clutch.

They got all of that on Saturday, as NU improved to 3-0 with their 35-32 victory over No. 22 Oregon.

"I think the thing that meant the most to me just in this brief moment after the game is how we just stayed in and had enough about us to win the game," Riley said. "As many of you know that sat right in this room last year we had too many of these that went the wrong way a year ago. To play tough with a lot of poise and make the plays to win at the end was really good for this group of guys."

It was hard not to think about BYU, Wisconsin, Miami, Northwestern and Illinois from a year ago. The Huskers were so close in 2015, yet so far.

They took a step back in 2015, but that learning experience appears to have helped them take a step forward in 2016.

"As you all know we had a lot of close games and it came down to little details," senior wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp said. "We have grown so much more coming into this season and said we weren't going to be beat like that anymore. Just the second year with this new staff we have grown so much closer with them and have been able to take this playbook in so much more now, and everyone has a much better understanding and everyone is playing better. It has been great."

Saturday was also special for Riley and his staff that came with him from Oregon State.

Oregon was Riley's Oklahoma. Chip Kelly/Mark Helfrich were Riley's Barry Switzer. He couldn't beat those guys. They got the best of him every time, and really diminished his accomplishments at Oregon State.

To win like he did on Saturday was special. Riley will never say it, but he wanted this game on Saturday as much as any in recent history.

"I've been involved with Oregon since my dad coached against them in the '60s, so this game, this Husker team, what it means to us is a lot," Riley said. "I think it means a lot to get 3-0 going into the Big Ten. I think it's a really good deal.

"This team and what we're doing - we still have a lot of work to do, but I love the fight and just the fact that we kept our poise so we'll to come back and make the plays to win."

Now on to the post game breakdown...

***Hands down this was the best game to me in Tommy Armstrong's career at Nebraska. Yes he's had games with better stats, but the toughness and execution in the clutch he showed on Saturday is hard to ignore.

***The biggest stretch of the game was when Nebraska was able go on a 21-point scoring run from the end of the second quarter through the middle of the third. Down 20-7, this team showed they were different than past Husker teams that have gotten down like that.

***I don't think it's even a question who Nebraska's starting running back is after three games. Devine Ozigbo finished with 95 yards on 21 carries and opened up the Husker offense in the third quarter.

***I always hear people justify why kids should take the scholarship money to FCS and Division II schools vs. walking on at Nebraska. Well, I think wide receiver Bryan Reimers showed other in-state kids what can happen if you follow your dream and decide to walk-on at NU. His touchdown catch from Armstrong is proof the walk-on program is still alive and kicking.

***The biggest break of the game on Saturday came when Oregon All-American candidate running back Royce Freeman left early in the first half with a foot injury. Freeman was well on his way to a 100-yard game and losing him really hurt the Ducks' offense.

***You knew Oregon was going to get yards on Saturday and it was going to be a bend-but-don't-break game for Mark Banker's crew. When it mattered the most they found a way to get a key stop.

***It was a special sight at field level to see all the Oregon State-connected members of Nebraska's coaching staff celebrate the victory. You could just see the emotion and their overall feeling of vindication after finally beating the Ducks.

Rushing offense: B+

After rushing for just 62 yards on 18 carries in the first half, the Huskers made the right adjustments and finished with 228 rushing yards in the game, including 95 from both Armstrong and Ozigbo. The Huskers do not win this football game if they don't find a way to get 200 on the ground. Riley is now undefeated at NU when his teams run for 200 yards or more.

Passing offense: B

It wasn't Armstrong's best day passing the football, but he made the throws when it counted. He threw three perfect touchdown passes, and his fourth down conversion to Jordan Westerkamp in the fourth quarter was probably one of the most important plays in the game.

Rushing defense: D

The Huskers really struggled on the perimeter in stopping the Duck ground attack. Oregon finished with 336 yards on 47 carries and five touchdowns. Dakota Prukop was also very slippery and proved he's going to be a tough guy to stop in 2016.

Passing defense: B

Nebraska held Oregon without a passing touchdown for the first time in 82 games, snapping its NCAA record streak. The Ducks had just 146 yards passing and their longest completion was only 25 yards. The Huskers really took away the vertical passing attack from Oregon.

Special teams: A

This may have been one of Nebraska's better special teams games under Riley. Caleb Lightbourn was outstanding, averaging 47.2 yards on five punts and putting three inside the 20. De'Mornay Pierson-El had a 45-yard return that sparked the Huskers' comeback. The kick coverage was great, as Oregon's long return was only 20 yards. However, the most impressive accomplishment by NU's special teams was stopping the Ducks on 4-of-5 two-point conversion plays. That was "the game within the game" and it ultimately played a huge factor in Nebraska's win.

Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and he can be heard each day at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall and each week he appears on NET's Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesday's at 7 pm.