Ganz, Blackshirts stymie Aggies
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
This was some chicken soup for the Husker soul: a charged running game, a little trickery, a lot of attitude.
“Coach (Shawn) Watson told us we’re going to run the football. Period,” Husker senior right tackle Lydon Murtha said. “We’re not getting yards? We’re still going to run it. Period. We had to take that mentality tonight, put a helmet on someone and really play some football tonight.”
It was a feel-good romp for the Big Red on Saturday night, a 38-7 win against New Mexico State at Memorial Stadium that was more lopsided than the final score indicated.
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Senior quarterback Joe Ganz joined elite company when he became just the third Husker to score a touchdown running, passing and receiving in the same game. On Saturday, Ganz caught a 20-yard pass from running back Marlon Lucky, ran 33 yards for a score and 35-yard pass to Mike McNeill.
Johnny Rodgers in NU's 40-6 win over Notre Dame (1973 Orange Bowl)
Rushing TDs: 8, 5, 4 yds.
Passing TD: 52 yds to Frosty Anderson
Receiving TD: 50 yards from David Humm
Eric Crouch in NU's 45-0 win over Cal (1999 in Lincoln)
Rushing TDs: 1, 4 yds.
Passing TD: 70 yds to Tracey Wistrom
Receiving TD: 60 yds from Bobby Newcombe
The Huskers flirted with a shutout on defense and racked up 533 total yards on offense, 330 of them coming on the ground and perhaps reducing some of the anxiety about Nebraska’s rushing game.
“I said to my wife today, ‘We need to play well tonight going into the bye (week),’” Husker head coach Bo Pelini said. “I loved the way our kids approached the game, their attitude going into the game, their focus going into the game. We’re coming. It’s coming.”
I-back Marlon Lucky was huge in this one, scoring two touchdowns with his feet and getting another with his arm. The senior had plenty of room to roam, as the Husker offensive line had by far its best showing of the young season.
Lucky rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for 21 yards and threw a 20-yard TD pass.
“They gave it to us this game and we poured it out,” Lucky said of the run game. “We poured it all into the field.”
The O-line seemed bolstered by the return of Murtha who, after missing the first two games because of an infection in his leg, looked mean and ready to play again.
During one nifty 58-yard run by Lucky in the third quarter, Murtha kicked the helmet that had fallen off a New Mexico State player he had just pancaked.
“I booted his helmet, acted like I tripped on it,” Murtha admitted with a smile. “You don’t want to go out there and do stupid things, and make stupid mistakes, but going out there and playing relentless… that’s definitely part of the play we like.”
NU’s line needs a little bite to it now as the Huskers turn their attention to tougher tasks. Next up, after a bye week, is a Sept. 27 home game against Virginia Tech. With the meat of the schedule coming up, the Huskers had to show they could run the ball on someone, anyone. The Aggies were the victims of that mission Saturday.
By midway through the third quarter, the Huskers had more rushing yards in one night than they had the previous two weeks (237), averaging 7.5 yards per rush for the game.
Quarterback Joe Ganz said Murtha’s presence was huge.
“He’s a dominant football player. He can do anything he wants. He’s so strong. He’s so physical. ... He’s as good as he wants to be.”
Murtha said he was just thrilled to be playing again.
“It was huge. This thing really hung me up. I was laid up for 2 ½ weeks. ... Just to be out there with the team and be able to score a touchdown and celebrate with them, it’s just all what football’s about.”
Nebraska asserted its dominance in a span of two plays early in the second quarter. Two minutes into the period, Husker cornerback Armando Murillo picked off a deep pass and then showed off his running ability on a 57-yard return that put the ball on the Aggie 20.
The next play brought some more highlight material, as Lucky took a pitch, then threw back across the field to a wide-open Ganz for a touchdown. That made it 14-0 and obvious as to the direction the game was headed.
Ganz said Lucky had misfired when the team practiced the play twice this week. But Saturday?
“It was perfect. He hit me right in stride,” Ganz said. “He’s just money when you turn on the lights.”
There’d be more delight for the 84,821 fans when Ganz scored again five minutes later on a 33-yard option run. Ganz became just the third Husker to score rushing, receiving and passing in a single game, joining Eric Crouch and Johnny Rodgers.
“Those guys aren’t bad company, I guess,” Ganz said of the former Heisman Trophy winners.
The Husker defense played with great passion, too, its effort bringing the crowd to its feet even as the score stood 35-0 late in the third quarter and the Aggies threatening to score.
There were chants of “Go Big Red!” as the Huskers tried to preserve the shutout, and an eruption after back-to-back sacks by Ndamukong Suh and Zach Potter. A few plays later, Matt O’Hanlon got an interception.
“We weren’t going to give them anything,” Murillo said. “That’s the bottom line.”
The Huskers lost the shutout in the fourth quarter but not at the fault of their defense. Backup quarterback Patrick Witt fumbled near midfield and the ball was picked up and returned by the Aggies to the NU 3. They scored a play later, finally getting on the board with 12:31 left.
It was the kind of game that was necessary for a team that was sloppy a week ago.
“We’re starting to understand that we will play the way we practice,” Ganz said. “We came out with great intensity and preparation this week, and it showed today. We’re starting to get it.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
