2019 Nebraska-South Alabama football postgame notes
• Nebraska was victorious in its season opener for the 33rd time in the past 35 seasons. Nebraska improved to 98-27-5 all-time in season openers, including 85-14-3 in season openers in Lincoln.
• Nebraska improved to 14-0 all-time in games played in August, 2-0 against South Alabama and 10-1 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• Today’s game marked the first time Nebraska had three non-offensive touchdowns in a game since the Huskers had three defensive touchdowns against Wake Forest in a 31-3 win in 2005. Nebraska scored on a punt return, interception return and fumble return in today’s game. Today’s game also marked the first time the Blackshirts scored two touchdowns since having two interception returns for touchdowns against Southern Miss in 2013.
• Senior safety Eric Lee Jr. had two of Nebraska’s three interceptions, including a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown to give Nebraska a 21-7 third-quarter lead. The interception was Lee’s first career interception. It was also Nebraska’s first interception return for a touchdown since Marcus Newby returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown against Northwestern in 2017. Lee added a second interception late in the fourth quarter. Nate Gerry was the last Husker to have two interceptions in a game (at Wisconsin, 10/29/16)
• Junior JD Spielman recorded his second career punt return touchdown with a 76-yard yard score in the third quarter. He had a 77-yard punt return last season against Bethune-Cookman. Spielman has three total return touchdowns in his career with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Arkansas State in 2017.
• Senior linebacker Alex Davis scored his first career touchdown on a fumble return to open the fourth quarter. It was Nebraska’s first fumble return for a touchdown since Josh Mitchell had a 57-yarrd fumble return for a touchdown against Miami in 2014.
• Nebraska’s defense had four takeaways in today’s game its most since having five takeaways against Illinois last season and the second-highest takeaway total in Frost’s two seasons as head coach.
• True freshman place-kicker Dylan Jorgensen started at place-kicker in place of the injured Barret Pickering. Jorgensen is the first true freshman walk-on to earn a start for Nebraska since fullback Andy Janovich started as a true freshman in 2012.
• Junior tight end Jack Stoll set a personal-best with 66 receiving yards on three receptions. Stoll passed his career high on Nebraska’s first drive with two catches for 56 yards. His previous career best was 51 yards vs. Purdue last season. Stoll also had a career-long 42-yard reception in the first quarter, surpassing a 37-yard catch vs. Bethune-Cookman last season.
• Redshirt freshman center Cam Jurgens earned his first career start in today’s game. Jurgens is the first freshman (true or redshirt) to start at center for Nebraska since the NCAA re-instated freshman eligibility in 1972. He is only the sixth freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener for Nebraska at any position, joining Nick Gates (2015), Tyler Moore (2001), Jeremiah Sirles (2010), Marcel Jones (2008) and Richie Incognito (2002).
• Junior running back Dedrick Mills rushed for two touchdowns in today’s game. It marked the fourth time in his FBS playing career Mills has had multiple rushing TDs (also vs. Georgia Southern, Miami and Vanderbilt in 2016). He had a career-high three rushing TDs against Vandy in 2016.
• Sophomore Cam Taylor had a fourth-quarter interception marking his first career interception.
• Nebraska’s defense forced five turnovers (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles) – the most since also forcing five against Illinois last season. Nebraska last forced six turnovers in a game against Wyoming in in 2016.
• Nebraska opened the game with a nine-play, 81-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead. Nebraska scored a touchdown seven times on game-opening drives last season, and Scott Frost-coached teams (UCF, Nebraska) have scored a touchdown on their opening possession 17 times in 26 games.
• Players making their first career start in today’s game included: C Cam Jurgens, OG Trent Hixson, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, DL Khalil Davis, LB Caleb Tannor, LB Collin Miller, PK Dylan Jorgensen. In addition, DL Darrion Daniels made his first career start at Nebraska.
Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics | Return to game page