For the second straight season, Nebraska dropped a season opener against a Big Ten opponent in blowout fashion, blowing not one, but two double-digit leads in a 31-28 loss to Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. Usually on the wrong end of close games, the Cornhuskers now fall to 5-21 in one-score affairs under fifth-year coach Scott Frost. Nebraska showed real promise early in the third quarter, but everything changed when Frost made a fumble at home after going up 28-17. Northwestern quickly sniffed the kick and converted with a 44-yard drive capped by a 3-yard Cam Porter touchdown run to cut the lead to four. Then Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson threw his first interception in a Cornhuskers uniform. Northwestern responded with a six-play, 42-yard scoring drive capped by Evan Hull’s four-yard run to give the Wildcats the lead for good. Northwestern ran the ball 12 straight times to kill the clock in the fourth quarter, using a four minute drive to get the clock just outside the two minute mark. Thompson threw a scrambling interception through the fingers of a receiver on the next possession to end the game. Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski had one of his longtime caretaker’s best games, however, completing 27 of 38 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions. Hull and Porter also combined for 213 yards rushing and two scores. A lot was asked of Thompson in his first start. the carry threw 41 times for 355 yards with two total touchdowns. However, one pass was tipped slightly high and another was tipped by a receiver for two frustrating interceptions. Anthony Grant had 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but the Cornhuskers averaged just 2.2 yards per carry outside of a 46-yard touchdown run. CBS Sports will update this story with information from the game
