Nebraska had the worst kickoff you’ve ever seen, and that’s not all

Ohio State didn’t take immediate advantage, but the Huskers had a rough first half.

Nebraska kicker Caleb Lightbourn had a kickoff against Ohio State on Saturday literally travel backward, before rolling 1 yard in front of the line of scrimmage and being downed. I don’t say this to exaggerate or be mean: It’s the worst kickoff I’ve ever seen, and I’m reasonably confident it will be the worst kickoff you’ve ever seen, too. Look at it:

If I could pause that and enhance it for you, here’s a breakdown of the film;

Here’s another angle to help you appreciate the spectacle more fully:

It appears to have been an attempted onside kick. Those can sometimes go horribly awry. The Steelers’ Chris Boswell had this happen to him a few years ago:

Reasonable people could consider this kick and that kick to be tied.

The Huskers were really going through it throughout the first half.

Amazingly, Ohio State didn’t take immediate advantage of the 2-6 Huskers kicking off 1 yard to their own 31. Emphasis on immediate advantage.

The Buckeyes turned the ball over on downs in four plays and gave the ball directly back to the visitors. But Ohio State did block a Nebraska punt four plays later and get a safety out of it, as the Huskers’ special teams ineptitude ultimately caught up to them.

Later, they committed a turnover on this unfortunate exchange between Adrian Martinez and JD Spielman, who’d been his intended target on a lateral:

It’s starting to appear that 2018 may not be Nebraska’s year.