5:07 PM ET
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ESPN NEWS SERVICE
DUBLIN – Ryan Shilinski threw 313 yards and two touchdowns helped the Northwest beat Nebraska 31-28 in Saturday’s season opener in Ireland.
Northwestern handed Cornhuskers a seventh straight loss that stretches back to last season — all in single digits — and adds to beleaguered coach Scott Frost With more pressure, he took responsibility for a failed offside kick that changed the game’s momentum in the third quarter.
“I made that call so it’s up to me,” Frost said of the offside kick after Husk took a 28-17 lead. “At the moment of the game, I think all the momentum is on our side. I think if we get it, we can end the game.
“You can’t really foresee them going 14 in a row. We scored a few times and we played well after starting the attack in the second half. These are excuses again. If I had to (do) it, I wouldn’t call. “
The Wildcats finished for 527 yards and got some revenge after a 56-7 rout to the Huskers last October. Nebraska has since Never won again.
The Cornhuskers were the first major conference team to lose seven games in the Associated Press polling era (dating back to 1936) according to ESPN Stats & Information study, streaks in single digits.
Nebraska is looking for a rebound season after a 3-9 season and improved offensively , but the team and many fans who attended the trip came home very disappointed.. Cameron Mitchell intercepted Thompson’s pass and returned it for nearly 40 yards. After 6 games, Evan Hull ran from the 4 to give the Wildcats a 31-28 lead. Hull completed 22 passes for 119 yards.
Xander Mueller chose the catcher with 1:27 left. Wyatt Liewer’s pass was hit, and the Wildcats sealed the win.
Anthony Grant rushed for two points in the third quarter, including a 46-yarder to give the Huskers a 28 -17 lead. After the Wildcats went into the half with a 17-14 lead, he put the ball in from 3 yards on his last drive to give Nebraska the lead. Grant had 19 rushes for 101 yards .
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald called the offside kick in the game “a huge power swing”.
“We went down and hit it,” he said of Cam Porter’s 3-yard touchdown that straightened the gap to 28-24.
In Thompson put a After a 32-yard touchdown pass to teammate Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda made it 14-3 before hitting the ball from No. 1 early in the second quarter. Castaneda finished the game with 120 yards on four catches.
But Shilinski ended up with a great first half in the The back of the box found Donnie Navarro for a 6-yard field goal. The Wildcats led 17-14 with 25 seconds left in the half.
earlier , Hilinski hit an open Raymond Nile III on a game-action pass for 41 yards.
After Nile’s touchdown, inside Braska tee off again, linebacker Grayson Metz after finishing 24 yards from the NW 11-yard line Tear the ball away from Garcia Castaneda.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
