QB Martinez, Huskers sprint to win in opener
Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez made an impressive college debut by rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries to help No. 8 Nebraska sprint to a 49-10 season-opening win over Western Kentucky.
Martinez, who became the first Husker freshman quarterback in history to start a season opener, dashed 46 yards for a touchdown on his first carry to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. He also completed all four of his first-quarter pass attempts for 59 yards to help NU to a quick 14-0 lead.
After sophomore quarterback Cody Green led the Huskers on a successful second-quarter scoring drive to put Nebraska up 21-0 at the half, Martinez found the end zone again on the first drive of the second half.
Martinez raced 43 yards on his first carry of the drive, before dashing 19 yards up the middle to the end zone to cap a four-play, 68-yard drive that put NU up 28-0. The touchdown run also pushed him over the 100-yard mark to make him the first NU quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Jammal Lord against Texas A&M in 2003.
Nebraska’s big-play offense amassed 536 total yards on just 58 plays, an average of 9.2 yards per play.