Game notes: 2017 Nebraska-Minnesota

Nebraska at Minnesota, Nov. 11, 2017, TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.     

 49, 734 –– Redshirt freshman JD Spielman had nine receptions for 141 yards in today’s game. With his totals, Spielman increased his season receiving totals to 49 receptions and 734 yards to set Nebraska freshman records in both categories. The previous records were 45 receptions for 641 yards by Nate Swift in 2005. Spielman recorded his second 100-yard receiving game of the season, joining Swift as the only freshmen in Nebraska history to post multiple 100-yard receiving games. Spielman’s 49 receptions this season leaves him just one catch shy of the single-season top 10.

 1,445 –– Spielman totaled a career-high 291 all-purpose yards today, including 141 receiving yards and 150 yards on kickoff returns. He now has 1,445 all-purpose yards this season, setting a Nebraska freshman record for all-purpose yards. The previous record was 1,259 yards by Ahman Green in 1995. Spielman’s 291 all-purpose yards against Minnesota marked the fifth-highest total in school history and the second-best mark by a Husker freshman, trailing only Calvin Jones’ 298 all-purpose yards at Kansas on Nov. 9, 1991.

 200 –– Senior safety Joshua Kalu had five tackles in today’s game to increase his career tackle total to 203. Kalu is the sixth defensive back in Nebraska history with 200 career tackles. 

Other Notes

·         Quarterback Tanner Lee threw for 174 yards in the first half of today’s game before sitting out the second half. Lee increased his season passing total to 2,439 yards good for seventh on the NU season passing list.

·         Lee surpassed 6,000 passing yards for his career when including his two seasons at Tulane. Lee now has 6,140 career passing yards in his college career. 

·         Receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. caught four passes for 37 yards, giving him 24 straight games with a reception, the fifth-longest streak in school history. Morgan has 47 receptions this season, three outside the season top 10.

·         Senior receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El caught three passes for 63 yards, including a 44-yard reception in the first quarter. Pierson-El moved up two spots to 11th on the NU career receptions list at 93 catches and moved up to No. 15 on the NU career receiving yardage list with 1,216 yards.

·         Junior safety Antonio Reed had a career-high 15 tackles in today’s game, including eight before halftime. Reed’s previous career high was six tackles.

·         Senior tight end Tyler Hoppes had four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. Hoppes has 24 receptions, eight catches shy of the NU tight end record of 32 catches by Mike McNeill in 2008.

·         Minnesota returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, marking the first kickoff return for a touchdown against Nebraska since USC’s Adoree Jackson had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Nebraska in the 2014 Holiday Bowl.

Source: Nebraska Athletics