Nebraska blows 14-6 fourth-quarter lead and falls 17-14 at Oregon, its second straight loss

Nebraska took an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night and left Eugene with a 17-14 loss. Oregon scored 11 unanswered points in the final period and won it in the last minute. Through three quarters the Ducks had managed only 91 yards of offense.

The Cornhuskers have now lost twice in a row by three points each, falling to 5-2. A week earlier, No. 7 Indiana beat them 20-17 in Lincoln. Jon Johnston of Corn Nation, writing for SB Nation, said Nebraska had been beaten by two of the best defenses in the sport. He also noted that the winning drive came from a quarterback who used to play for the Huskers.

The Nebraska offense finished with 207 total yards. Anthony Colandrea completed 18 of 33 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also led the team in rushing for the third week in a row, gaining 38 yards and scoring a touchdown on 13 carries. Mekhi Nelson ran 11 times for 25 yards and Isaiah Mozee four times for 28. Oregon sacked Colandrea three times for 33 yards of losses, and Nebraska averaged about 2.4 yards per rush. "You can't win in the Big Ten when your quarterback is also your running game," Johnston wrote.

Small mistakes cost Nebraska points. Punter Archie Wilson's knee touched the ground on a punt, which gave Oregon the ball inside the Nebraska red zone. Colandrea's interception also handed the Ducks a short field. Johnston blamed inconsistent blocking up front and by the receivers for the loss more than Dana Holgorsen's play-calling. He said Colandrea, who made quick decisions early in the season, has been holding the ball too long against better defenses. Johnston praised the Nebraska defense, which gave up 37 points over the two losses and may have tired late because the offense kept going three-and-out.

What it means for the next game

Nebraska is off this week and plays Washington at home on Saturday, Oct. 31. The two-week gap in the numbers is clear. In their first five games, all wins, the Huskers scored 218 points, or 43.6 per game, against Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota, Michigan State and Maryland. Against Indiana and Oregon they scored 31 points combined. The defense has held up in both games. Against Washington the main question is whether the offense can run the ball well enough that Colandrea is not carrying it as the team's leading rusher every week.

Oregon improves to 4-2 and plays at Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24. The win came one week after a 17-15 home loss to No. 21 UCLA. The Ducks have scored 15 and 17 points in their last two games, which is a big drop from the 41 they put up at No. 12 USC and the 84 against Portland State. Both of their losses have been close: 39-31 at Oklahoma State and the two-point loss to UCLA. Oregon will go to Champaign after winning a defensive game that it trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter, with its offense still looking for the form it had in September.