Takeaways from Georgia Southern's upset of Nebraska on Saturday night

Georgia Southern overcame long odds, heavily favored home team Nebraska and, some could argue, two critical reversals of official rulings on the field that went the Cornhuskers' way late in the game.

When Nebraska missed a 52-yard field goal on the game's final play, all was good in Eagle Nation as Georgia Southern emerged with a 45-42 victory on Saturday night in front of 86,862 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The Clay Helton era has started 2-0, and the head coach brought Georgia Southern its second victory over a Power 5 conference opponent in program history.  The Eagles also recorded a 26-20 win over Florida on Nov. 23, 2013 in Gainesville.

“What a special night,” Helton said in a story in The Associated Press. “So proud of our kids, especially when you come off the season where you just win three games and you've got a new collection of people. You watch them come together and watch them starting to believe in themselves and believe in each other.”

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Key takeaways from a historic night in Nebraska — the first meeting between these football teams and the first game in the Cornhusker State for GS, which is guaranteed a $1,423,000 payout:

Containing Nebraska's stars

Georgia Southern didn't have to play a perfect game necessarily to upset host Nebraska, but it knew it had to contain Nebraska's star players.

Nebraska wasn't able to contain Georgia Southern's stars, either, in an offensive showcase.

Georgia Southern finished with 642 yards of offense, 409 passing and 233 rushing.

Quarterback Kyle Vantrease was 37 of 56 for 409 yards, one touchdown pass and two interceptions in one of the biggest passing performances of any quarterback in program history. The total of 409 yards is second best in GS history.

Vantrease, a sixth-year player who transferred from the University of Buffalo in January, has two starts as an Eagle, with games of 367 and 409 passing yards.

But it was his second run of Saturday's game, a designed QB keeper for a 8-yard touchdown with 36 seconds left in regulation, that provided the difference for the Eagles. Vantrease said offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis called the play.

"We've been practicing that all week long," Vantrease said in the postgame show on the Georgia Southern Sports Network. "We knew it might come in handy. Whatever situation that we needed it, we would use it. The offensive line did a great job of executing the play and gave me the opportunity to get into the end zone."

Running back Gerald Green had 10 carries for 132 yards and two scores, while teammate Jalen White had 17 rushes for 87 yards and two TDs. Sophomore receiver Derwin Burgess Jr. put in a marathon effort with team-record 12 catches for 119 yards on 23 targets, which could be another program high.

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Among many other contributors was Alex Raynor, who kicked a 19-yard field goal and was 6 of 6 on extra-point attempts. Eight different Eagles caught passes, with Jeremy Singleton (nine for 89 yards) and Khaleb Hood (six for 82, a 13.7 average) along with Burgess making key reception late for the Eagles.

Helton said that Vantrease played extremely well and ran the right plays.

"To be able to find Derwin Burgess 12 times and Khaleb (Hood) six times, and all the guys, it was just a really special night by him," Helton said on the postgame show on the Georgia Southern Sports Network. "That's why we brought him here. To be able to get 642 yards (of total offense) in this place and find a way to come down and even run the ball in for a touchdown to win the game, pretty neat."

The Cornhuskers' standouts got their yards — not that it will mean much to them now.

Standout running back Anthony Grant was a threat to make a big play on any carry and finished with 27 attempts for 138 yards and one score.

Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson was very good as a passer at 23 of 34 for 318 yards and a score, but he was dangerous as well with critical runs and tallied 31 yards on 10 carries, including three TDs.

It was Thompson's third touchdown— on a drive that included a play that was ruled a lost fumble and then overruled, and a second play that was ruled an incomplete pass and then overruled — that had given the Cornhuskers a late lead.

The Cornhuskers put up 575 yards of total offense, 318 through the air and 257 on the ground.

Not a night for defense

Whether or not Georgia Southern was looking to get into a shootout with Nebraska, that's what it got.

Nebraska was better than a three-touchdown favorite and certainly wasn't expecting an offensive explosion from both sides, but that's what it got.

The Cornhuskers punted only twice in the first half and did not commit a turnover. The Eagles had one turnover, an interception in the first two quarters, and didn't punt until the third quarter. That was it, one punt for the game.

Both defenses struggled to contain the offenses, which were putting up big numbers like in an indoor football game where field goals are like defensive stops, and actual defensive stops feel like touchdowns.

In the first half alone, each side put up 28 points.

Georgia Southern had 364 yards of total offense, 185 through the air and 179 on the ground. Nebraska tallied 325 yards, 202 passing and 123 rushing.

GS was 5 of 5 on third downs, Nebraska 5 of 7. The offenses had their way.

The Eagles' Green had 120 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries. Teammate White had 50 yards and two scores on nine carries.

Quarterback Vantrease was 19 of 26 for 185 yards and the pick. The Huskers' Thompson was 13 of 16 for 202 yards, no picks, and one TD.

Missed opportunity for GS

The bad came with the good on the Eagles' final possession of the first half.

This might have been the most-talked about possession of the game had not the Eagles got the clutch score in the fourth quarter to retake the lead.

It was good at the time that GS called timeout at the start of the drive to avoid a delay of game, but that used up the first team timeout.

Sam Kenerson's 31-yard catch was very good, but as the receiver made a cut, his right knee buckled and he was tackled as he fell to the turf. Kenerson held his knee in tremendous pain, and his injury situation looked very bad. He was later taken off the field by cart and did not return to the game.

The Eagles had first and goal on the play with 18 seconds left, but the offense imploded. Its first penalty of the game, an illegal snap, set it back five yards.

Vantrease passed to Singleton, but the receiver couldn't get out of bounds. With the clock ticking down to 2 seconds, Vantrease spiked the ball, which seemed good. But by rule there has to be at least 3 seconds left, so it was an illegal snap penalty with a 10-second runoff.

Georgia Southern didn't get seven points, or even attempt a field goal, after Kenerson's big play. That was just bad for the Eagles.

Misery in the Midwest

Losing close games is nothing new to Nebraska, which went 3-9 last season including six straight to end the campaign and eight by one score or less.

The Cornhuskers fell to 1-2 this season in what was the last game at Nebraska for embattled head coach Scott Frost, an alumnus and star as a Cornhuskers player in his fifth season at the helm in Lincoln. He was fired on Sunday with a 16-31 record.

Losing to ranked teams and Big Ten opponents did not sit well with Husker Nation. Dropping a game, albeit a tight one, to a Group of 5 foe in Georgia Southern was the finale for Frost.

Fast start for Clay Helton

Clay Helton has coached in big games in his long career. He's won big games. Last week, he won his first game as Georgia Southern's coach with a 59-7 home victory over a struggling FCS program in Morgan State.

Going on the road, into the sea of red at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, was a tough place to play for Game 2. But Helton and his team rose to the challenge and showed Nebraska from the start it could play and produce in such an intimidating atmosphere.

There will be more challenges ahead in this young season, including a rugged slate of Sun Belt Conference games. This win should do a lot toward building confidence in Helton's program as it navigates the Sun Belt East Division.

The Sun Belt enjoyed one of its best football days, as in addition to Georgia Southern's win over Power 5 Nebraska, Appalachian State knocked off No. 6 Texas A&M 17-14, and Marshall defeated No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21.

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern shocks Nebraska in Lincoln: Takeaways from Saturday