Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Match Player Stats On Nov 23, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 23, 2012

No. 14 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7: Rex Burkhead returned from a knee injury and sparked the visiting Cornhuskers with a team-high 69 yards - including the go-ahead 3-yard score in the third quarter - to secure Nebraska's spot in the Big Ten championship game.

Burkhead, who missed the last four games, compiled all of his yards in the second half after sitting out the first 30 minutes. Alonzo Whaley sealed the victory with a late interception. The Cornhuskers (10-2, 7-1), who have won six straight games for the first time since 2001, will face Wisconsin in the Dec. 1 conference title game in Indianapolis.

Mark Weisman had 91 yards on 29 carries for the Hawkeyes (4-8, 2-6) as the teams focused on the ground amid blustery conditions. Nebraska shut out Iowa over the final three quarters to hand the Hawkeyes their sixth consecutive loss overall and fifth straight in the series.

The Hawkeyes equaled their output of last year's 20-7 Heroes Game defeat on their opening possession, answering a Nebraska field goal by going 62 yards in 12 plays. Quarterback James Vandenberg ran in untouched from 1 yard out and also had a key 25-yard completion – the only pass attempt of the drive – to give Iowa a 7-3 edge.

But Iowa came away empty on three prime chances to extend its lead before halftime, failing to convert on two drives following fumble recoveries and later hooking a wind-facing 42-yard field goal with 4 ticks left. Brett Maher trimmed Nebraska's deficit to 7-6 when he drilled a wind-backed 52-yarder with 9:30 to go in the third quarter.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Cornhuskers ran 14 out of 15 plays going against the 30-mph wind on the game's opening drive and chewed up 8:09 before settling for a 26-yard Maher field goal. … Not counting kicks, the teams rushed 26 times versus just two pass attempts in the first quarter, which had all but 28 seconds taken up by just two possessions. … Nebraska's Daimion Stafford broke up a 28-yard pass in the end zone to keep Iowa's lead at 7-3 following Taylor Martinez's second-quarter fumble, and added an interception in the third. ... Burkhead had two big carries to get Nebraska off its own 1-yard line during a fourth-quarter drive.