Game Rewind: NU overcomes drama once more

IOWA CITY, Iowa - One of the last Huskers out of the locker room, defensive coordinator John Papuchis stopped and spoke with the media for about five minutes before heading to the bus. As he walked away, he paused to express one last thought.

"Man," he said with a wide smile. "Does the drama of Nebraska football ever get old?"

Here's to guessing Papuchis didn't feel the same way about two hours earlier, when Nebraska was down 24-7 midway through the third quarter and committing a comedy of errors.

A pair of interceptions. A blocked field goal. A punt that hit off a blocker's backside and was returned for a touchdown - by Drew Ott, the Giltner, Neb., native that NU chose not to offer, no less. Down 24-7, it seemed that another Bo Pelini meltdown was under way.

But things turned in the fourth quarter. The defense forced five straight punts. Kenny Bell caught a touchdown, and De'Mornay Pierson-El sparked the Huskers with two long returns, the second of which was an 80-yard touchdown. Even after the defense gave up a touchdown that put NU down three with 1:49 left, the offense drove down and tied the game to send it into overtime.

When things have gone bad under Pelini, they usually go bad in a hurry. Minor miscues snowball into major momentum shifts. But this time, the Huskers flipped the table. This time it was Iowa who couldn't stop the bleeding, and Nebraska seemed to gain more confidence with each impact play.

"As a coach, you want to make sure that your guys continue to compete," Papuchis said. "It's what this game is about. I was proud of the way our guys not only prepared this week, but let's face it, at 24-7 things don't look so good. That's a deflating moment, but we just kept fighting and swinging."

At the center of it all was Pelini, who's endured two weeks of constant questions about whether or not he should keep his job. The nail appeared to be in the coffin during the third quarter, but Pelini and the Huskers shoved the lid back.

The future remains undecided, but Papuchis is right - the drama never really disappears.

"A lot of people think they know what goes on in here, but they don't know Nebraska football," Ameer Abdullah said. "We're solid."

Three defining moments

Bell's game-winning touchdown: Nine yards from victory, Armstrong scrambled to his right during Nebraska's first and only drive of overtime. He gunned a pass to Bell on the right sideline, and the senior caught it for the game-winning score. Bell bobbled the ball and the play was reviewed, but the initial call was upheld.

Pierson-El's punt return: The play that truly made NU's comeback seem possible came at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Bell had caught a touchdown just two minutes earlier and the defense forced a three and out. Pierson-El weaved his way through Iowa's punt coverage and scored from 80 yards out to give the Huskers their first lead 28-24.

Nebraska's final drive: The Huskers' final drive fell short last week against Minnesota because of a fumble, but NU wasn't denied this time around. Down 31-28 with 1:49 left, Armstrong led Nebraska 69 yards in eight plays, including long passes to Cethan Carter and Brandon Reilly, to allow for the game-tying field goal.

Game balls

Nathan Gerry: The safety had one missed tackle that allowed a touchdown but was otherwise brilliant. Gerry was all over the field, collecting a team-high 15 tackles, including 2.5 for loss. He also intercepted a pass on Iowa's first drive, stopping the Hawkeyes from grabbing early momentum.

Zaire Anderson: Though he had a few breakdowns in pass coverage, Anderson was essential to NU's work against the run. He had 14 tackles and a sack that forced a critical fumble in the first half.

Kenny Bell: He only had three catches, but the senior made them count. He had two touchdowns, making him just one of three Huskers to have 20 or more in their career, and has caught at least one pass in 50 of his last 51 games.

By the numbers

+2: Nebraska's turnover margin against Iowa. The Huskers had a margin of minus-five the past four games.

1: Touchdown allowed in four Iowa red-zone drives. The Hawkeyes kicked one field goal and turned the ball over twice.

4: Field goals made by Drew Brown in his past nine attempts. Brown missed once against Iowa and had another blocked.

They said it

"Trevor Roach pulled everyone together and said, 'No matter what, this is our last regular season game. We're going to go out swinging.' That mentality and that approach is what allowed us to stay in this football game."

Papuchis on what sparked the turnaround

"A lot of teams probably would have quit at that point, but it really shows the character on this team, especially that senior leadership. Everyone is behind coach Pelini. We love him and he loves us. We're playing out there for our seniors. The resiliency is just ridiculous."

Brown on the team's resiliency