Pittsburgh vs. Nebraska game notes

***Nebraska senior I-back Cory Ross rushed 32 times for 153 yards in today's game, marking his 11th career 100-yard rushing game. The 153 rushing yards moved Ross into the top 20 on Nebraska's career rushing list. Ross now has 2,217 career rushing yards, good for 17th place on the Nebraska career rushing list.

***Nebraska junior defensive end Adam Carriker had two sacks for 21 yards in today's game and finished the contest with seven total tackles and four tackles for loss netting 26 yards in losses. Carriker was dominant in the first half with two sacks for 21 yards, three TFL for 25 yards and four total tackles. Carriker leads Nebraska this season with five sacks, resulting in 48 yards in losses.

***Nebraska junior quarterback Zac Taylor rushed for a one-yard touchdown to give Nebraska a 7-0 advantage in the second quarter, marking Taylor's first career rushing touchdown. In the passing game, Taylor completed 10-of-20 passes for 93 yards.

***Nebraska senior defensive end Wali Muhammad recorded two sacks for 13 yards in today's game, giving him four sacks on the season. This afternoon's contest marked Muhammad's second consecutive big day against the Panthers. Last year in Pittsburgh, Muhammad had an interception, a forced fumble, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries.

***The Nebraska defense finished today's game with four sacks for 34 yards in losses. In three games the Huskers now have 20 total sacks, including a school-record tying 11 sacks against Maine and five last week against Wake Forest.

***The Nebraska defense has not allowed a point in the first quarter in three games this season and has allowed just three points in the first half on the year. The three points came on 51-yard field goal by Wake Forest's Sam Swank on the final play of the first half in last week's game.

***Nebraska senior punter Sam Koch rocketed a career-long 84-yard punt in the third quarter of today's game, giving him three punts of 70 yards or longer this season. The 84-yard punt is the second-longest punt in Nebraska school history, trailing only an 87-yard punt by Mike Stigge on Oct. 10, 1992 against Oklahoma State. Koch is just the second punter in school history with three career punts of 70 yards or more, joining his predecessor Kyle Larson, now a member of the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Koch finished the day with a 46-yard average on eight punts and is averaging 44.8 yards per punt this season. Koch also had five of his punts downed inside the Panther 20, including one at the one-yard line and another at the Panther 4.

***Nebraska sophomore Terrence Nunn returned a second-quarter punt 62 yards, tying his career-long set earlier this season against Maine. Nunn ranks among the nation's leaders in punt returns with seven returns for 213 yards this season, an average of 30.2 yards per return (5-138 entering today).

***Nebraska freshman defensive end Zach Potter blocked a field goal attempt by Pitt on their first drive of the day, marking the first blocked field goal by a Husker since Trevor Johnson blocked a field goal at Texas in 2003. Senior linebacker Adam Ickes added another blocked field goal attempt on the final play of the game, marking the first time NU recorded two blocked field goals in a game since a Nov. 26, 2000 game against Colorado.

***The 13 combined points marked the fewest combined points in a Nebraska game since the Huskers' 13-0 victory over Baylor on Sept. 1, 1990. The last time NU was victorious with seven points was a 7-3 win at Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 1988. The last time the Huskers were victorious when scoring fewer than seven points was at Missouri on Oct. 24, 1981 (6-0).

***Neither team committed a turnover in the game, marking the first time since a 24-17 Nebraska win over Oklahoma State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 3, 1998 that the Huskers were involved in a turnover-free game.

***Nebraska freshman place-kicker Jordan Congdon misfired on a 26-yard field goal early in the second quarter, ending a streak of five straight made FG to open his Husker career.

***A pair of Huskers made their Nebraska debuts today. Place-kicker Jake Wesch handled kickoff duties for Nebraska, while running back Cody Glenn saw his first action of the season, carrying four times for 20 yards. Redshirt freshman tight end Clayton Sievers made his first career start as NU opened in a two tight-end formation.

***Nebraska is off next week before beginning Big 12 Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 1 against Iowa State at Memorial Stadium. Iowa State is 2-0 heading into next Friday night's game at Army. Nebraska has won the past 13 meetings with the Cyclones in Lincoln.