Jamal Rule runs for 119 yards and 2 TDs to lead Nebraska past North Dakota 34-7

LINCOLN, Neb. -- — Jamal Rule ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and Nebraska finished unbeaten in nonconference play for the third straight year with its 34-7 win over North Dakota on Saturday night.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) scored on their first two series to take control, and the Fighting Hawks (3-1) went three-and-out four times and turned the ball over on downs once before putting together their lone scoring drive in the third quarter.

Nebraska held the sixth-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision to 205 yards and sacked Jerry Kaminski five times.

Quarterback Anthony Colandrea outran safety Avery Dixon on a 10-yard touchdown run, diving to the end zone pylon to finish a 75-yard drive on the game's opening series, and then Rule bulled in from the 3 to end a 90-yard march.

North Dakota managed just 68 yards and two first downs in the first half and finished 1 of 12 on third-down conversions for the game.

Rule broke a 55-yard run for a touchdown to put the Huskers up 24-0 early in the second half. The freshman has six touchdowns — five rushing, one receiving — through three games.

Colandrea threw his eighth TD pass of the season, a 5-yarder to Quinn Clark, and has accounted for a total of 10.

The Takeaway

North Dakota: The Fighting Hawks, who lost 38-17 to the Huskers in 2022, dropped to 1-17 against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. They had come to Lincoln averaging 50.3 points and 540 yards over three games against FCS competition.

Nebraska: The Huskers have rushed for 240-plus yards in three straight games for the first time since 2014 and improved to 17-0 against FCS teams.

Up next

North Dakota: visits Indiana State next Saturday.

Nebraska: visits Michigan State next Saturday.

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