Virginia Tech 16
Nebraska 15

Sept. 19, 2009 • 2:30 p.m. Central
Lane Stadium •Blacksburg, VA • ABC/ESPN2
1st2nd3rd4th F 
Nebraska390315
Virginia Tech730616

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1st quarter
VT - Ryan Williams 1 yard (Matt Waldron kick) 11:15
NU - Alex Henery 40 FG, 0:56
2nd quarter
NU - Alex Henery 27 FG, 12:49
NU - Alex Henery 19 FG, 5:23
VT - Matt Waldron 39 FG, 2:30
NU - Alex Henery 38 FG, 0:18
4th quarter
NU - Alex Henery 38 FG, 04:33
VT - Tyrell Roberts 11 pass from Tyrod Taylor (pass failed) 0:21

                            NU        VT
FIRST DOWNS ............... 18        11
  Rushing................... 9         2
  Passing................... 7         9
  Penalty................... 2         0
NET YARDS RUSHING ........ 207        86
  Rushing Attempts ........ 36        37
NET YARDS PASSING ........ 136       192
  Comp-Att-Int ....... 11-30-2   12-27-0
TOTAL OFFENSE ......... 66-343    64-278
Fumbles-Lost ............. 0-0       0-0
Penalties-Yards ......... 9-60      7-53
Punts-Average ......... 6-41.5    8-46.9
Punt Returns-Yds ........ 6-86       1-6
Kickoff Returns-Yds ..... 4-86     3-114
Interceptions-Yds ........ 0-0       2-3
Fumble Returns-Yds ....... 0-0       0-0
Possession Time ........ 29:46     30:14
Third-Down Conv. ........ 6/17      8/18
Fourth-Down Conv. ........ 0/0       0/1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances... 4-5       2-2
Sacks By-Yards .......... 4-25       0-0

RUSHING
NU: R.Helu 28-169; Z.Lee 8-38.
VT: R.Williams 21-107; J.Oglesby 3-7; D.Roberts 1-(-2); D.Wilson 3-(-4); T.Taylor 9-(-22). 
 
PASSING
NU: Z.Lee 11/30 136 Yds, 2 INT, 0 TD.
VT: T.Taylor 12/27 192 Yds, 0 INT, 1 TD.
 
RECEIVING
NU: R.Helu 4-33; C.Brooks 2-16; C.Gilleylen 1-35; N.Paul 1-19; R.Burkhead 1-16; M.Holt 1-13; M.McNeill 1-4.
        
VT: J.Boykin 4-43; D.Coale 2-89; X.Boyce 1-21; S.Wheeler 1-14; D.Roberts 1-11; K.Jefferson 1-7; G.Boone 1-5; R.Williams 1-2.

Attendance: 66,233

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Coverage

Stats & Recap
Complete Stats

Huskers lose heartbreaker

Tyrod Taylor’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts with less than half a minute left allowed the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies to escape with a 16-15 home win over the No. 19 Huskers.

The Huskers got off to a slow start in the first quarter but controlled the action until Virginia Tech’s final drive. It appeared Alex Henery’s five field goals would be enough to give the Huskers their first road win over a top-20 team since 1997.

But Taylor, who had been stymied by a relentless Blackshirt defense throughout the game, connected with Danny Coale on an 81-yard pass with 1:11 left to take the Hokies to the Nebraska 3.

Safety Matt O’Hanlon registered an eight-yard sack of Taylor on Virginia Tech’s next snap to take the Hokies back to 2nd-and-goal from the NU 11. The Blackshirts blitzed again and forced Taylor to throw the ball away to set up 3rd-and-goal.

With the clock running and pressure coming, Taylor scrambled for several seconds before finding Roberts in the end zone for the winning score with 21 seconds left.

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Pregame & team info
2009 schedule
04/18Reds 31, Whites 17
09/05Florida AtlanticW 49-3
09/12Arkansas St.W 38-9
09/19@ Virginia TechL 15-16
09/26LouisianaW 55-0
10/08@ MissouriW 27-12
10/17Texas TechL 10-31
10/24Iowa St.L 7-9
10/31@ BaylorW 20-10
11/07OklahomaW 10-3
11/14@ KansasW 31-17
11/21Kansas St.W 17-3
11/27@ ColoradoW 28-20
12/05TexasL 12-13
12/30ArizonaW 33-0
Alex Henery did all the Huskers' scoring.

Commentary

Stryker

A national contender finds a way to finish a couple of those drives against Tech.

HuskerMax
Colonel Mustard

O’Hanlon’s blown coverage was a glaring error but just one of many on which the game changed.

Shatel

Nobody said the program’s comeback would be easy. Nobody said it would be this cruel, either.

Omaha World-Herald
McKeever

It’s a cruel game – just be careful about pinning it all on No. 33.

Lincoln Journal Star
Sipple

On this day, it was mostly what the Huskers didn’t do. They didn’t finish.

Lincoln Journal Star
Chatelain

Is 20 to 30 yards of field position really worth taking away your offense's chance to gain 2 yards and lock up the program's biggest win in eight years?

Omaha World-Herald
McKewon

“[Coale’s] catch was, truly, one of the most inexplicable defensive plays in Nebraska history

Nebraska StatePaper
Douglass

The Huskers know they can’t let one setback ruin their season.

Grand Island Independent
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