Post-game nuggets from Nebraska's loss at Wisconsin

Here are some quick notes from Nebraska’s postgame press conference following Saturday night’s 23-17 overtime loss to Wisconsin…

***Head coach Mike Riley said it was “really, really disappointing” to lose this game, especially because “for a while it looked like a typical game of ours” where Nebraska would come out on top in the end.

However, Riley said: “Everything that I know about our team was confirmed, and that is they’ll continue to fight.”

***Riley had no update on the injury status of right guard Tanner Farmer, who was carted off the field with a foot/ankle injury in the first quarter. However, Farmer was seen after the game walking on crutches and wearing a protective boot on his left foot.

***Riley also said Jordan Westerkamp, Devine Ozgibo, and Terrell Newby all suffered sprained ankles during the game. He wasn’t sure on the seriousness of the injuries, but said the fact that all three were able to finish the game was encouraging.

***Westerkamp said his injured back “felt great” during the game and didn’t hinder him much at all on the field.

***Asked if he thought there was pass interference on the incomplete pass to Westerkamp on third down of the overtime possession, Riley said: “It looked like it to me.” While Riley admitted he didn’t have the best vantage point on the play, he said “it looked like something was going on where (Westerkamp) was impeded.”

***Riley said he was proud of the way Tommy Armstrong played on Saturday night against a very good defense in such a difficult atmosphere. “Tommy fought like crazy,” Riley said. “He made some plays when it looked like we were down and out.”

***Riley said he knew it was going to be hard for Nebraska to run the ball on Wisconsin, which came in boasting the top rush defense in the Big Ten at 102.9 yards allowed per game. The Huskers managed to put up 152 yards on the ground, but Riley said they could have been even better.

One area they’re really going to evaluate this week is the decision making in the zone-read running game, as Riley thought there were some missed opportunities for big plays there.

***Riley said one of the defining moments in the game was Nebraska failing to score after Nate Gerry’s first interception. The Huskers went three and out and were forced to punt after starting inside UW territory.

“That was a really disappointing series, there’s no doubt about it,” Riley said. “That felt like such a great opportunity for our team, and to get nothing there was pretty scary as to the outcome of the game.”

***Riley said he sensed a bit of a “wear-down factor” for the defense as the game wore on. He said the Blackshirts got “out-positioned” on some of the Badgers’ big runs late in the game, and “that was a difference maker.”

***Every player who spoke after the game said that while they’re not taking any moral victories from the loss, they were all proud of the way they competed as a team and were going to use the loss as motivation going forward.

“This team has been through so much, one loss isn’t going to bring us down,” Gerry said. “We’re a bunch of fighters, and I’m proud of the way we played tonight.”

***Armstrong said he liked the matchup he got on the final play with Stanley Morgan going one-on-one with a smaller Wisconsin cornerback. Looking back on the play, though, Armstrong admitted “I maybe threw it a little bit late.”

***Armstrong said Wisconsin’s defensive line was basically trying to force him to run with the way they were rushing on pass plays. He said the d-line would get a quick initial push and then fall back a bit and spy Armstrong in the pocket. That was a big reason why UW was batting down so many passes.

***The loss ended Nebraska’s 7-0 start to the season, which was its best since beginning 11-0 in 2001. The loss also snapped Nebraska’s eight-game win streak, its longest since winning 13 straight between the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

***The Huskers fell to 8-3 all-time in overtime games. Nebraska has lost its last two overtime games (lost 36-33 at Miami last season).

***Each of Nebraska’s last 10 losses dating back to 2014 have been by 10 or fewer points, including seven by six points or less.

***Wisconsin won for the fourth straight time in the series and took a 7-4 overall series lead.

***Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. accounted for 192 yards of total offense, including 39 rushing yards and 153 passing yards. He increased his career total to 10,181 yards of total offense, making him the 11th player in Big Ten history to surpass 10,000 career yards of total offense.

***Armstrong’s 192 yards of total offense leaves him 52 yards shy of Taylor Martinez’s school record of 10,233 yards of total offense.

***Armstrong scored on a two-yard TD run in the fourth quarter for his 22nd career rushing touchdown and the 87th touchdown he has accounted for in his career. Armstrong is tied for second on the NU career touchdowns list at 87 with Taylor Martinez, trailing Eric Crouch’s school record by three touchdowns.

***Senior safety Nathan Gerry had two fourth-quarter interceptions, giving him four interceptions in 2016 and 13 in his career. ***Gerry moved into a tie for second with Josh Bullocks on the Nebraska career interceptions list. He trails only Dana Stephenson (14) on the list after also passing Bret Clark (12) in tonight’s game.

***Gerry collected seven tackles, increasing his career total to 249, leaving him five tackles shy of the top 10 on the Nebraska career tackles list.

***Nebraska senior receiver Jordan Westerkamp caught three passes for 62 yards. Westerkamp’s three receptions give him 145 in his career, moving him up to third on the NU receptions list. Westerkamp passed Johnny Rodgers (143 receptions) in tonight’s game.

***Despite losing in overtime, Nebraska outscored Wisconsin 10-0 in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. The Huskers have outscored their opponents 108-13 in the fourth quarter this season.

***Senior running back Terrell Newby rushed for 77 yards, increasing his career total to 1,948. He is 52 yards from becoming the 29th Husker with 2,000 career rushing yards.

***Freshman punter Caleb Lightbourn averaged 41.6 yards on seven punts, with three punts downed inside the Badger 20-yard line. The three punts downed inside the 20 tied his season high set last week vs. Purdue.

***Senior linebacker Josh Banderas had eight tackles in tonight’s game, marking his third straight game with at least eight tackles. ***Sophomore wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. had a career-high five catches for 58 yards. Morgan had four catches for 56 yards in the fourth quarter.