LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska football came off its bye week and pulled away from Northwestern in the second half on Saturday for a 17-9 win.
It came on a day the school celebrated 100 years of Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers are now two games away from bowl eligibility.
Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg threw two interceptions early in the first quarter—the first on the opening play of the game. The second came on the Huskers' third drive of the game which led to a 45-yard Northwestern field goal by Jack Olsen with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter.
Nebraska freshman kicker Tristan Alvano tied the game at 3 about four minutes later on a 47-yard field goal.
The Huskers lost two key starters in the second quarter. Billy Kemp IV and Ethan Piper both went down on the same play.
With under six minutes left in the first half, the Wildcats took the lead again on another Olsen field goal, this one from 37 yards to make it 6-3.
Haarberg gave Nebraska a 10-6 lead in the final minute of the half on a short 3-yard touchdown run.
A scoreless third quarter made way for a 44-yard Haarberg touchdown pass to true freshman Malachi Coleman—the first of his career—to make it 17-6 less than a minute into the fourth.
Northwestern later responded with a 25-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to eight with 11:09 left in the game.
