Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Match Player Stats On Nov 17, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 17, 2012

No. 14 Nebraska 38, Minnesota 14: Taylor Martinez threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns and the Cornhuskers moved a step closer to the Big Ten championship game with their 16th straight victory over the visiting Golden Gophers.

Kenny Bell had nine receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns and Imani Cross rushed for two scores for Nebraska (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten), which will play Wisconsin for the Big Ten title Dec. 1 in Indianapolis if it wins at Iowa on Friday or if Michigan loses at Ohio State next Saturday. The Cornhuskers have won five straight.

Ameer Abdullah rushed for 79 yards and went over 1,000 for the season and the Cornhuskers outgained the Golden Gophers 306-60 in the first half en route to a 24-0 lead. MarQueis Gray rushed for two touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation in the fourth quarter for Minnesota (6-5, 2-5 Big Ten).

Nebraska scored on its first two possessions as Martinez's 36-yard touchdown pass to Bell made it 10-0. Cross' scoring runs of 1 and 3 yards came 3:25 apart in the second quarter.

Martinez found Bell in the flat and the sophomore did the rest for a 30-yard touchdown and a 31-0 lead in the third quarter. The Cornhuskers' defense got on the scoreboard later in the third when Stanley Jean-Baptiste returned a tipped pass 48 yards for a touchdown to put Nebraska on top 38-0.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead, the sixth-leading rusher in Nebraska history (3,059 yards) missed his fourth straight game - and sixth this season - because of a knee injury suffered in the season opener that he keeps reaggravating. ... Abdullah, a sophomore who has done an admirable job taking over for Burkhead, has 1,021 career yards. ... Freshman quarterback Philip Nelson was 8-of-23 for 59 yards and an interception before being lifted in the fourth quarter for Minnesota, which last defeated Nebraska 26-14 in 1960.