By Mike Marut
The Wildcats looked to catch a break after a personal foul resulted in NU entering Nebraska territory early in the 2nd quarter but the very next play, quarterback Trevor Siemian threw to the endzone looking for receiver Mike McHugh who was triple covered. The attempt resulted in an interception. On the Cornhuskers first drive of the second quarter, they looked to be picking up momentum and ended their first second-quarter-drive in an Abdullah touchdown.
Northwestern had trouble picking up any offensive steam early in the second quarter but later in the quarter, running back Justin Jackson got the offense rolling. After a 88 yard drive, the Jackson spinned in for a touchdown. The Cornhuskers immediately retaliated with a deep 46 yard strike followed by a trick play for the touchdown. With 1:14 left in the half, the Wildcats drove back down the field to score a 29-yard field goal before ending the half.
Abdullah did not break away for any big plays but steadily racked up his rushing yards, quickly approaching the 1000 yard mark on his season. If he breaks that milestone, he will be the first running back in Nebraska football history to achieve three 1000+ yard seasons.
Halftime Score: Northwestern: 17 – Nebraska: 14