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Post-game nuggets from Nebraska's win over Minnesota

Here are some quick notes and observations to pass along from Nebraska’s post-game press conference following Nebraska’s 24-17 win over Minnesota…

***Head coach Mike Riley described the game as “a typical Husker win” with the way this season has gone. He said he was proud of way team finished, as they “kept fighting until they won.”

***Riley said they didn’t officially get the green light for Tommy Armstrong to start until Saturday morning. The trainers were observing him all week and wanted to wait as long as possible before finally clearing him to play.

***Riley said Armstrong suffered and ankle injury and then a hamstring injury in the win, noting that the hamstring is a much bigger concern. “That’s a little scary.” Riley said he had no update on the extent of the injuries.

***Riley said Armstrong’s final drive “was a big-time, clutch drive” where everything was clicking with great balance from the entire offense. “That’s as well as we’ve played like that in a while.”

***Riley said so many seniors stepped up on Saturday night. Along with Armstrong, Riley noted Terrell Newby, Kevin Maurice, Josh Banderas, and Alonzo Moore as some of the seniors who had big games.

***Riley said Jerald Foster was “unbelievably comfortable” in coming back after an injury like that and playing the way he did, and he was excited about Foster going forward. Riley said they didn’t have a plan for a specific number of plays for Foster, as they would just spell him if he needed it.

***After losing two in a row and losing the way they did last week at Ohio State, Riley said coming back with a win like this shows what this team was all about.

***Nebraska only ran two running back carries in the first half and then had 15 in second half. Riley said at halftime the staff knew they had to get back to traditional run game and couldn’t just rely on Armstrong to be the only source on the ground.

***On the 12 men on the field penalty on a fourth-down punt that gave Minnesota a first down on the opening drive, Riley said: “I’m so disappointed in that. I just absolutely hate that. It’s so stupid… It was junior high. No, junior high would have done it better than that.”

***Armstrong when asked how he was feeling after the game: “I'm good.”

Does he think he will be able to play next week against Maryland: "No doubt. No doubt."

Additional game notes courtesy of NU Media Relations

***Nebraska won for the 19th straight time in a home night game, dating back to a loss to Missouri in 2008.

***Nebraska improved to 45-5 all-time in home night games at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska improved to 6-0 in home Big Ten Conference night games.

***Nebraska improved to 6-0 at home this season. A win over Maryland next Saturday at Memorial Stadium would mark Nebraska’s first perfect home season since 2012 and just the Huskers second since 2001.

***Nebraska won its 19th straight game when winning the turnover battle, including four times in 2016. The Huskers won tonight’s turnover margin, 1-0, and the Gophers entered the game leading the Big Ten in turnover margin.

***Nebraska trailed at the half for the fourth consecutive home game, and has rallied to win each of those games. Nebraska trailed 17-10 at the half tonight after trailing Oregon by six points, Illinois by three and Purdue by four before rallying to win each of those games.

***Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw two touchdown passes in tonight’s game and rushed for a 13-yard TD in the fourth quarter. He increased his career touchdown total to 90, tying Eric Crouch for a Nebraska school record.

***Armstrong Jr. started tonight’s game, marking his 43rd career start. The 43 starts tie Taylor Martinez for the most career starts by a Nebraska quarterback.

***Armstrong accounted for 278 yards of total offense in the game, moving his career total to 10,552.

***Tonight’s win was the 30th of Armstrong’s career, the third-most by a Nebraska quarterback, trailing only Eric Crouch (35) and Tommie Frazier (33).

***Armstrong completed 19-of-27 passes, good for a 70.4 percent completion rate. The 70.4 completion percentage was the best of Armstrong’s career when attempting at least 20 passes. His previous best was a 21-of-30 effort (70.0 percent) last season against South Alabama.

***Armstrong completed 18-of-26 passes last season against Minnesota (69.2 percent).

***Senior receiver Jordan Westerkamp caught six passes for 50 yards in tonight’s game, increasing his career receptions total to 155. Westerkamp is the third player in Nebraska history to surpass 150 career receptions, joining Kenny Bell (181) and Nate Swift (166).

***Westerkamp has caught at least one pass in 34 straight games, three shy of Johnny Rodgers’ school record.· Westerkamp’s six receptions in tonight’s game were a season high.

***Senior I-back Terrell Newby had a 31-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, marking a career long reception for Newby. His previous long was 30 yards against South Alabama in 2015. The touchdown catch was the second of Newby’s career. Newby also rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries, including 60 yards in the fourth quarter on nine carries

***The Huskers entered the fourth quarter with 76 rushing yards on 18 carries. NU more than doubled that total in the final quarter, as it rushed for 81 yards on 14 carries in the fourth quarter.

***Freshman I-back Tre Bryant had a 35-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. The catch was Bryant’s first career touchdown reception and he entered tonight’s game with just two receptions for zero yards.

***Nebraska tight end Cethan Carter had three receptions for 15 yards, giving him 55 career receptions which ties him with Junior Miller for sixth place among Nebraska tight ends. Carter passed Jim McFarland (53) in tonight’s game.

***Junior kicker Drew Brown connected on a 46-yard field goal in the first quarter, marking his 45th career field goal. Brown scored six points in tonight’s game pushing his career scoring total to 272, moving him past Ahman Green (270 points) into seventh place on the Nebraska career scoring list.

***Senior safety Nathan Gerry had five tackles tonight, giving him 263 career tackles and moving him within 10 tackles of the top five on the NU career list. Gerry is also 24 tackles from the school record for defensive backs, held by Mike Brown who had 287 tackles from 1996 to 1999.

***Tonight’s game marked the first time Nebraska has scored on its opening drive of each half. The Huskers kicked a field goal on their first drive of the game and marched 79 yards for a touchdown to open the second half.

***Sophomore offensive guard Jerald Foster made his first start in tonight’s game.

***The game time for the Nebraska-Maryland game next Saturday is expected to be announced before Noon on Sunday.

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