Posted: 10/23/2010
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Taylor Martinez set a Nebraska freshman record with 323 yards passing and threw a career-high five touchdown passes and the 14th-ranked Cornhuskers knocked No. 17 Oklahoma State from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 51-41 win on Saturday.
Martinez, who came in trailing only Michigan's Denard Robinson in yards rushing by a quarterback, showed off his arm while also running for 112 yards on 19 carries.
Brandon Kinnie caught the first three touchdown passes of his career, including an 8-yard lob from Martinez that made it 51-34 in the final 5 minutes.
Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter ran for 201 yards, but Nebraska (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) forced the Cowboys (6-1, 2-1) to go three-and-out on three of their four drives in the second half while pulling ahead.
Martinez had only three touchdown passes and had never thrown for more than 150 yards in his first six starts. He even got benched in favor of Zac Lee after the Cornhuskers fell behind Texas in a 20-13 loss last week.
He proved more than capable of picking on an Oklahoma State defense ranked 114th in the country against the pass.
Martinez rallied the Huskers for the go-ahead score with 55 seconds left before halftime, delivering a 9-yard touchdown pass that Kinnie was able to take in for a 31-27 lead. Then he kept Nebraska ahead by evading the Cowboys' pressure with some impressive throws downfield.
Kyler Reed beat Andrew McGee, the most experienced member of the Cowboys' young secondary, deep for a 41-yard touchdown pass from Martinez that made it 41-27 midway through the third quarter and even Oklahoma State's high-powered offense couldn't recover.
Hunter scored from 1 yard, his second TD of the game, on the Cowboys' ensuing drive but Oklahoma State then went three-and-out on its next two possessions as Nebraska added to its advantage.
Alex Henery hit field goals from 52, 32 and 45 yards to surpass Kris Brown's school records with 17 straight successful field goals and 59 makes for his career.
Niles Paul, who was responsible for two of Nebraska's four dropped passes that could've gone for touchdowns in a 20-13 loss to Texas last week, bounced back with a career-high 131 yards receiving and Nebraska's first 100-yard kickoff return for a score since 1949.
Justin Blackmon, the nation's leading receiver, caught five passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns but was a non-factor in the second half until he caught a 25-yard TD pass with 1:24 left that only got OSU back within 10.
He also had an 80-yard TD catch on a flea flicker pass from Brandon Weeden that gave Oklahoma State its only lead at 27-24.
Weeden finished with 283 yards on 18 for 35 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.
The Cowboys were trying for just their third 7-0 start in school history.
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