In the first half:
Nebraska's starting field position was their own 35 yard line. Exclude the boneheaded decision by Stevenson to run backwards on a kickoff return which started them at their own 9, and their average starting field position in the first half was their own 39 yard line. They had to go about 31 yards, just 3 first downs, in order to get into field goal range for Drew Brown.
Instead, we did this:
NEB 48: 9 plays, 26 yards: 4 runs, 10 yards, 4 passes, 2 completions, 16 yards--Field Goal
NEB 24: 8 plays, 38 yards: 2 runs, 5 yards, 6 passes, 4 completions, 40 yards--Punt
NEB 45: 3 plays, 7 yards: 1 run, 7 yards, 2 passes, 0 completions, 0 yards--Punt
NEB 37: 3 plays, 8 yards: 2 runs, 8 yards, 1 pass, 0 completions, 0 yards--Punt (This was the drive where Newby got 9 yards on 1st down and then we didn't run it up the middle like any other f'ing team would do on either 2nd or 3rd down)
NW 47: 6 plays, 18 yards: 3 runs, 13 yards, 3 passes, 1 completion, 5 yards--NW Pick Six
NEB 25: 13 plays, 75 yards: 6 runs, 2 yards, 7 passes, 3 completions, 38 yards--Touchdown (This is the drive where we though running outside with Cross was good--it wasn't, we lost 6 yards)
Thanks to that wonderful interception, Nebraska gained just 3 points on NW. Northwestern, on the other hand, started their drives on their own 20, which meant that they had to go about 50 yards (5 first downs) in order to get into field goal range. They got ONE FIRST DOWN in those 7 drives. The Huskers allowed Thorsen to scramble on a broken play for 68 yards (pretty much all of NW's first half offense) en route to a TD, but the Huskers got two points back on a safety before allowing Thorsen to again scramble for a big play setting up a FG right before halftime.
Northwestern with far worse field position, netted 8 points on Nebraska. That's where the game was lost, because the field position battle was more even in the second half.
You simply cannot do f#*k all with such an advantage in field position.