Malcolm Hartzog Jr. made an acrobatic one-hand interception in the end zone with 34 seconds remaining, sealing Nebraska’s 20-17 win over Cincinnati on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
The game was the season opener for both teams.
The Bearcats got the ball with 1:36 left at their own 9-yard line after a Nebraska punt. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby guided Cincinnati to the Cornhuskers 33-yard line before Hartzog’s clinching pick.
It was a tight game the entire night, with the teams relying on methodical approaches to move the ball.
Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola was accurate and decisive throughout the night, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns while completing 33 of his 42 passes.
Five Cornhuskers had at least five receptions, with running back Emmett Johnson leading the way with seven receptions. Nyziah Hunter topped the team with 65 receiving yards and added a touchdown grab among his six catches.
Nebraska’s secondary held Sorsby in check. He had just 20 passing yards at halftime and then threw for a meager four yards in the third quarter. He finished 13 of 25 for 69 yards.
However, with the passing lanes not open, Sorsby used his legs to move the Bearcats down the field in the second half. Cincinnati’s second-year quarterback led the team in rushing with 96 yards on 13 attempts and scored both of his touchdowns on the ground in the second half.
After not running a single play in the red zone in the first half, the Bearcats took two of their first three drives in the second half all the way to the end zone for touchdowns. Those two drives covered 57 and 75 yards.
Cincinnati, though, has now lost six straight games dating back to last season and are now 8-17 with Scott Satterfield as the head coach.
