WATCH: Nebraska gets ball taken away on controversial fumble ruling
Controversy emerged in the second quarter of Nebraska vs. Northwestern on Saturday. It could turn into a key play, too.
Casey Thompson completed a pass to Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda with 9:52 to play in the first half of the Cornhuskers’ matchup with the Wildcats in Dublin, Ireland. But Garcia-Castaneda was called for a fumble, and Northwestern recovered. Officials then went to a replay review to see if his knee was down.
The call stood, and Northwestern got the ball.
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The play came at a key moment in the game. Nebraska got out to a 14-3 lead, but Northwestern came back to score and make it 14-10. The fumble occurred on the ensuing drive, giving the Wildcats the ball right back. Ultimately, the Wildcats punted, so it didn’t hurt the Cornhuskers in the long run.
Casey Thompson leads Nebraska to touchdown on first drive of the season
It didn’t take long for the Nebraska offense to showcase its new look. The Cornhuskers got the ball first after Northwestern deferred — and Casey Thompson went to work.
Thompson, on his first drive as Nebraska starting quarterback, led the 75-yard scoring drive, capped off by a perfectly placed 32-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda to get the Cornhuskers on the board first and take a 7-0 lead over Northwestern.
It was the first time Mark Whipple showcased his offense at Nebraska, and he picked up right where he left off at Pitt. Thompson went 5-for-6 for 68 yards on the opening drive, which is a similar style Pitt ran last year with Kenny Pickett under center.
The game has plenty of implications for Scott Frost and the Cornhuskers. Rumors continue to swirl about the Nebraska coach’s job security after he took a pay cut as part of a restructured contract this offseason, and he revamped the coaching staff. Ahead of the game, ESPN’s Pete Thamel said Frost has a lot at stake in the Week 0 matchup, making it one of the biggest season openers of his career.