{"id":221950,"date":"2025-10-13T16:53:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T16:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/221950\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T16:53:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T16:53:08","slug":"nebraskas-five-coolest-most-sensational-plays-of-the-season-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/221950\/","title":{"rendered":"Nebraska\u2019s Five Coolest, Most Sensational Plays of the Season (So Far)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Second of two parts. To read Part One, a look at the first half of the season, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Nebraska\u2019s first six games included some of the coolest plays you\u2019ll ever see.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it takes years (and years) for a team to have so many interesting and decisive plays.<\/p>\n

The Huskers (5-1) created all of this coolness in six games.<\/p>\n

So, we present: The five coolest plays of 2025 (in chronological order), with some bonus honorable mentions.<\/p>\n

Cincinnati was on the move, and only three points behind in the season opener. With 34 seconds to play and Cincy at the Nebraska 33-yard line, Bearcats wide receiver Cyrus Allen was open enough in the end zone for a potential game-winning touchdown reception.<\/p>\n

Cincy\u2019s talented quarterback Brendan Sorsby let it fly, but instead of throwing a safer pass toward Allen\u2019s outside shoulder, the ball was slightly underthrown. Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr., closed in, and flew into Huskers history with the interception.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked up and seen the ball and I just made the play,\u201d Hartzog told reporters after the 20-17 victory. \u201cIt felt unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the previous play, Hartzog was called for holding that gave Cincinnati 10 crucial yards. But one play later, redemption was his.<\/p>\n

The play had no bearing on the Huskers\u2019 59-7 win, but the suddenness of the hit and resulting touchdown got your attention.<\/p>\n

Along with the sight of a defensive lineman rumbling toward the opponent\u2019s end zone.<\/p>\n

Huskers defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel buried HCU quarterback Jake Weir in the pocket<\/a>. Rocked Weir\u2019s world, really. The ball popped free and redshirt freshman Williams Nwaneri did a scoop-and-score. Williams ran 29 yards for the touchdown to give Nebraska a 31-0 lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I picked it up, I was really trying to get my balance,\u201d Nwaneri said after the game. \u201cThat\u2019s why I was running like that, but I definitely have to make sure to tuck the ball away next time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can remember, throughout my career, little league I don\u2019t think I scored, yeah I think that was my first one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nebraska was seconds away from going into halftime down 17-10 to the 21st-ranked Wolverines. A critical timeout error by the Wolverines gave the Huskers one final play before the half.<\/p>\n

Dylan Raiola rolled right, facing no defensive pressure. He made the pass from the Huskers\u2019 45-yard line. The ball arrived a few yards into the end zone, where wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. plucked it from the crowd. The play totaled 52 yards and the Huskers went into halftime tied, 17-all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe run it every week in practice,\u201d Barney said. \u201cIt was called. I was like, I just gotta do my assignment and do what I need to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cDylan made a good throw. I made a good catch. I\u2019m proud of it. It wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michigan won, 30-27, handing Nebraska its only loss.<\/p>\n

Michigan State dropped back in punt formation, trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. Spartans punter Ryan Eckley stood on the MSU 13-yard line awaiting the snap.<\/p>\n

Nebraska came hard for the punt. Huskers defensive back Jamir Conn, looking like a 100-meter sprint man, came through untouched. He blocked the punt, his second blocked punt of the season. Tight end Carter Nelson returned it 3 yards for a touchdown.<\/p>\n

It might have been the easiest punt block in college football history.<\/p>\n

Nelson\u2019s score was the Huskers\u2019 second touchdown in 1 minutes, 14 seconds in an eventual 38-27 Nebraska victory.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] wanted the scoop-and-score, looked up and saw Carter had it in the end zone,\u201d Conn said after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were talking about it a couple of times [during the week] saying how he was going to scoop it, and I said: \u2018I\u2019ll meet you in the end zone.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Dylan Raiola completed a screen pass to Nyziah Hunter in the third quarter, the Huskers ahead, 24-21. Hunter turned the corner, lost one of his shoes, and sprinted 59 yards for a touchdown in the Huskers\u2019 38-27 victory.<\/p>\n

Hunter was motoring, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my first one-shoe touchdown and I had a top speed, too,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cEven if I had both shoes on, I just wonder what would be my top speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technically, this did happen on the Memorial Stadium field \u2026 and is worthy of mentioning.<\/p>\n

The Huskers tight end proposed to girlfriend Kailyn Storovich, a Scarlet dancer, after the Huskers defeated Akron, 68-0. Lindenmeyer, a former walk-on, had his first career touchdown catch against the Zips.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t think of a better place to do it,\u201d Lindenmeyer told Storovich during the proposal that could be heard in a Nebraska Instagram video. \u201cTo tell you I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both are from the scintillating Maryland game, a 34-31 Nebraska win.<\/p>\n

First, sophomore Kenneth Williams\u2019 85-yard kickoff return at 8:13 of the second quarter, that set up the Huskers at the Maryland 10-yard line. The Terps had just taken a 14-10 lead, so Williams\u2019 return gave the Huskers new life. Two plays later, Raiola hit Lindenmeyer for a 7-yard TD pass and the Huskers led, 17-14.<\/p>\n

Second, Emmett Johnson\u2019s 50-yard run in the fourth quarter on a drive that resulted in a Nebraska field goal. The points cut Maryland\u2019s lead to 31-27.<\/p>\n

Johnson used his speed to get outside and when he cut back, he used every elusive technique ever used by a running back \u2014 one or two that Barry Sanders would have applauded \u2014 to set up Nebraska at the 10-yard line.<\/p>\n

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking\u00a0Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI<\/a>,\u00a0subscribing to\u00a0HuskerMax on YouTube<\/a>, and visiting\u00a0HuskerMax.com<\/a>\u00a0daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Second of two parts. To read Part One, a look at the first half of the season, click…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":221951,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-221950","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}