COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP

‘Huskers roll behind RB Abdullah’s 232 yards rushing

The Sports Xchange

August 30, 2014 at 7:16 pm.

Aug 30, 2014; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Ameer Abdullah (8) runs for long yardage during the first half of the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Memorial Stadium. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

LINCOLN, Neb. — Ameer Abdullah ran 21 times for a career-high 232 yards and No. 22 Nebraska collected 784 yards of total offense in defeating Florida Atlantic 55-7 on Saturday before 91,441 fans at Memorial Stadium.

Abdullah, a senior running back, displayed shifty moves and elusive speed while running for 178 yards on 16 carries in the first half, helping Nebraska (1-0) take a commanding 31-7 halftime lead. He eclipsed his previous career high of 223 yards, set last year against Illinois, with a 9-yard run midway through the third quarter.

That was his last play. Nebraska scored two plays later for a 45-7 lead and Abdullah watched the rest of the game from the sideline.

Nebraska sophomore quarterback Tommy Armstrong was 15-of-29 passing for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran seven times for 62 yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp caught seven passes for 125 yards, including his second career touchdown and a highlight-reel behind-the back pass along the sideline, a third-and-6 conversion that kept alive a touchdown drive.

The only down spot for Nebraska was the loss of junior defensive end Randy Gregory, another All-American candidate, after only one series. Gregory, last year’s Big Ten Conference sacks leader, remained on the sideline with what looked like a leg injury, the severity of which wasn’t immediately known.

Florida Atlantic (0-1) scored on its opening series — an 11-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a tying touchdown — but advanced into Nebraska territory only one other time in the first half.

That resulted in a missed 45-yard field goal attempt from Greg Joseph, and the Owls then went three-and-out on seven straight possessions, a streak that lasted until FAU’s first series of the fourth quarter.

Owls quarterback Jaquez Johnson, who kept Nebraska’s aggressive defensive line off-balance with a series of short passes and screens on that opening drive, left with an injury in the second quarter.

Johnson, who rushed four times for 19 yards and threw for 61 yards, didn’t return. His replacement, Greg Hankerson, was 5-of-18 passing for 34 yards.

Abdullah ran six times in Nebraska’s game-opening drive, a 13-play, 86-yard touchdown series that Armstrong capped with a 4-yard run off a draw play. The Huskers overcame 20 yards of penalties on the drive.

Abdullah broke away on a 47-yard touchdown that gave Nebraska a 24-7 lead in the second quarter. He sidestepped a tackle attempt by cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc at the 38-yard line and had an easy, open lane to the end zone the remainder of the way.

Westerkamp, whose wide-open 36-yard touchdown catch on a post route gave Nebraska 14-7 lead, hauled in a 33-yard pass that helped set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Imani Cross for a 31-7 lead.

NOTES: Nebraska won its 30 straight season opener, the longest current streak in the nation. The Huskers’ last season-opening loss came at home to Florida State in 1985. … Florida Atlantic DL Brandin Bryant, an Omaha, Neb., native, is the grandson of the late Charles Bryant, who played in the 1950s and was the first African-American in the modern day to letter for Nebraska. … Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards and 5,000 all-purpose career yards in the first half.