The turning point: Nebraska vs. Rutgers

An unlikely hero showed up at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A man whose unit struggled constantly throughout the day and was in excruciating pain, propping the team up on his bad back and pushing them to victory. A man whose position has the least impact on the game has done the exact opposite to keep his team's dream season alive.

The last 30 minutes of the weak affair between Nebraska and Rutgers were about two sessions. Despite a lackluster NU offense in the second half, the Blackshirts had their backs, making stop after stop and maintaining their 14-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Despite gaining 10 total yards in the fourth quarter, Nebraska's offense had a chance to get revenge. With the ball on its own 29-yard line with 4:04 left in the game and a Rutgers timeout remaining, Nebraska's O needed two first downs. Just two first downs could end the game and make fans forget most of the pathetic performance that was put on the field in the second half.

But that wasn't the case.

The Big Red faltered for the sixth game in a row, and Husker fans were left in a lurch. Nightmares of previous chokeholds crept into their minds, and how could one blame them? The same bad movie was playing in front of their eyes again and, as always, there was nothing they could do about it.

To make matters worse, the Special Forces was somehow worse than the offense in the competition. NU's punting unit allowed two blocks, and punter Brian Buschini was noticeably hurt from taking a big hit early in the game. After each of the five punts before this one, Buschini noticeably winced as he left the field. It was hard not to feel sorry for him, but his previous kicks left a lot to be desired.

It would be easy to think Bushini's kick would be a high-pooch. A punt to make a fair catch just inside the 50-yard line. But not under Boomschini's supervision.

The stricken punter caught a low snap and fired a rocket over the head of returner Jordan Smikle. The ball bounced at the 25-yard line and rolled to the 11-yard line. For the first time in a long time, an outbreak broke out at Memorial Stadium, and Bushini was given a hero's welcome on the sidelines.

Buschini not only turned the pitch, but also the momentum of the game. He gave his defense enough room to stop Rutgers' equally faltering offense and brought the crowd back into the game.

The Blackshirts seized the momentum and ran with it, shutting down Rutgers' offense and winning the game, moving one win closer to the Huskers' first bowl appearance in seven seasons.

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