Nebraska football was supposed to be free of the stench of the Scott Frost era after hiring Matt Rhule to rebuild the once-proud college football blue blood.
But something still smells rotten in Lincoln.
The Cornhuskers fell back into old habits in the season-opener against Minnesota, blowing a seven-point lead with less than three minutes remaining to lose their 26th one-score game in the last five seasons. It was their 17th defeat giving up a second-half lead in that span.
It's early enough in the new regime to keep blaming Frost for the psychological hangover, but he's not the only one who deserves some criticism.
Nebraska Cornhuskers to blame for blown lead: No. 3 DB Isaac Gifford
In a game decided by three points, missed opportunities are amplified.
While the Cornhuskers defense did well to hold Minnesota to just 13 points in this game, they still had the chance to put the game away and didn't.
Minnesota's touchdown to tie the game at 10 with 2:32 on the clock came after Nebraska put the Gophers in a do-or-die position on fourth-and-one just past midfield. That's when freshman Cameron Lenhardt committed a costly facemask penalty that both extended the drive and moved Minnesota inside the 30. But Lenhardt was in a tough spot playing his first college football game and it might have been a first anyway.
Instead, it's junior defensive back Isaac Gifford who could have ended the game. The defender dropped an interception in the endzone on third-and-10. He jumped the route exactly as he should have, he just didn't make the catch. On the next play, Daniel Jackson showed him how it was done with a spectacular grab to tie the game on fourth down.
Those are the margins that decide games. Minnesota made the play. Nebraska didn't.
Nebraska Cornhuskers to blame for blown lead: No. 2 RB Anthony Grant
When protecting a lead late, ball security should be the No. 1 thing on the running back's mind in particular. The mantra on every carry should be, first and foremost: Do. Not. Fumble.
Anthony Grant needed a reminder of that before he took a handoff with five minutes to play and the Cornhuskers in full kill-the-clock mode.
Rahmir Johnson had just popped off a six-yard run to convert a third-and-four. Nebraska had a 94 percent win chance at that point, per ESPN.
Then Grant fumbled and it was all downhill from there.
The forced fumble wasn't even particularly exceptional. The running back was just holding the ball too out in the open for a defender to take a swat at.
This may be where Matt Rhule takes a chunk of the blame because he actually called out Grant for his fumbling issues during fall camp. If it was an issue in camp and didn't get cleaned up, that's on the coaches.
Nebraska Cornhuskers to blame for blown lead: No. 1 QB Jeff Sims
It's very simple: You will not win many games when your quarterback throws three interceptions.
Jeff Sims did good things with his legs in this game, but his turnovers were extraordinarily costly for the Cornhuskers.
He got away with the first one when Minnesota missed a field goal on the ensuing drive. The second one was painful to watch as Sims tossed an easy end zone interception straight at a Minnesota defender.
The Golden Gophers have an excellent defense as it is. The quarterback can't be gifting them stops like that.
But the final interception was the most devastating of the bunch. Nebraska had just given up a heartbreaking game-tying touchdown on fourth down because of an S-tier catch. There was still plenty of time to drive down the field and set up a game-winning field goal. And it looked like Sims could do just that after moving his team across the 50. Then, on second-and-six, Sims stared down his receiver and telegraphed an interception.
Sims' mistakes cost Nebraska the game more than any other individual. If he's the guy to lead the Cornhuskers this season, he has to clean that up.
