LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Dwayne McDougle III’s 81-yard interception return for a touchdown sparked Nebraska in the first half, and the Cornhuskers all but shut down Maryland after that in a penalty-filled 48-23 victory Saturday.
asserted
Cornhuskers → spark → victory
The Cornhuskers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are out to their best start since 2016 with defending national champion and sixth-ranked Indiana coming to Memorial Stadium next week.
asserted
champion → defend → Stadium
The Terrapins (2-3, 0-2), a week removed from a 54-3 home loss to UCLA, led most of the first half before seeing the game turn on the third pick-6 thrown by Malik Washington over four quarters.
asserted
game → remove → quarters
Their 18th loss in 20 Big Ten games only increased the pressure on eighth-year coach Mike Locksley.
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loss → increase → Locksley
Without injured running back Jamal Rule, quarterback Anthony Colandrea had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, going for 108 on 10 carries.
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Colandrea → have → carries
He was 26-of-39 passing for 238 yards and three touchdowns.
asserted
He → pass → yards
Kwazi Gilmer had career highs of 11 catches for 147 yards and two TDs.
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Gilmer → have → yards
“The way we play, it’s maybe not all the time the coolest thing, the visual, but we’re going to try to be physical,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said.
asserted
Rhule → play → ?
“Sometimes we might go three and out, but if we continue to be physical, we give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter.”
uncertain
we → go → quarter
Washington was 23 of 44 for 254 yards and a touchdown, and his two interceptions increased his season total to six, all in the last two games.
asserted
interceptions → increase → games
Chris Durr Jr. caught seven passes for 149 yards and a TD.
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Jr. → catch → yards
The Huskers were down 23-14 midway through the second quarter when McDougle stepped in front of Washington’s pass intended for Kaleb Webb and ran it back all the way for Nebraska’s longest pick-6 since 2007.
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McDougle → step → 2007
“I was playing off the quarterback, and as soon as he pulled the trigger, I knew I was taking it the other way,” McDougle said.
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McDougle → play → it
Washington’s three pick-6s over four quarters are the most over such a short span since Kyle McCord threw three in the first two quarters against Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, 2024, according to Sportradar.
uncertain
McCord → throw → Sportradar
Colandrea passed one yard to Luke Lindenmeyer to finish a quick eight-play, 80-yard drive that put the Huskers in front 28-23 at half, and Gilmer’s TD catches of 5 and 30 yards pushed the lead to 25 points.
asserted
catches → pass → points
Maryland totaled 300 yards of offense in the first half and just 62 the rest of the way.
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Maryland → total → way
“I can’t complain about the effort and the energy we started the game with,” Locksley said.
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Locksley → complain → game
I thought they came and approached this team with the right mentality, but had way too many self-inflicted wounds.
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they → think → wounds
And when you play good teams like Nebraska, they don’t need help.”
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they → play → help
The Terps are doing nothing to help themselves.
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Terps → do → themselves
They were called for two personal fouls, a silly unsportsmanlike conduct when kick coverage player Zion Elee was caught shoving after the whistle on a touchback and roughing the passer.
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Elee → call → passer
The Huskers have scored at least 30 points in each of their first five games for the first time since 2014 in spite of being penalized 16 times for 132 yards, the most since they were flagged 16 times for 145 yards against Texas A&M in 2010.
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they → score → 2010
“I thought it was ridiculous,” Rhule said.
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Rhule → think → ?
“I thought it was poorly handled by the officials and poorly done by us.
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it → think → us
You’ve never heard me say that before but I was frustrated today.
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I → hear → that
There were things I’ve never had called before.”
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I → be → ?
Asked to elaborate on his comments, Rhule said, “I’m just waiting for the fine.
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I → ask → fine
I’m going to stop, respectively.
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I → go → ?
The combined 28 penalties were the most in a Bowl Subdivision game since Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky totaled that many in 2021.
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Atlantic → combine → 2021
The teams combined for 18 penalties in a first half that lasted 2 hours, 4 minutes.
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that → combine → hours
It was the most penalties in a first half since San Diego State and California combined for 19 on Sept. 14, 2024, according to Sportradar.
uncertain
State → combine → Sportradar
Up next
Maryland visits No. 5 Ohio State next Saturday.
asserted
Maryland → visit → State
Nebraska hosts No. 6 Indiana next Saturday.
asserted
Nebraska → host → Indiana
The Aporia
