After the Nebraska running attack had been bottled up for the start of the game, I-back Rex Burkhead busted a career-long 73-yard run to set up the Huskers’ first score against Ohio State.

The run also put Burkhead at 3,000 yards for his career, the seventh player in NU history to reach 3,000.

After the Burkhead run, and a face-mask penalty at the end, Nebraska scored three plays later. Burkhead was lined up at quarterback and pitched to Ameer Abdullah for a 1-yard scoring run to tie the game at 7-7.

After a 47-yard punt return by Abdullah, Burkhead again pitched to Abdullah for a 3-yard touchdown run. The 14 consecutive points gave the Huskers a 14-7 lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter.

Ohio State’s only first-quarter points came on a 41-yard interception return by Bradley Roby. NU quarterback Taylor Martinez was trying to hit Quincy Enunwa on a third-and-10 out route from the Huskers’ 31.

Some other first-quarter notes:

>> Ohio State did not get a first down in the first 15 minutes. The Buckeyes’ last offensive snap was a fake punt that netted 6 yards on fourth-and-7 from their 25.

>> Martinez had come into the game with 11 touchdown passes and just one interception.

>> Eric Martin had a pair of first-quarter sacks for NU, dropping Braxton Miller for losses of 7 and 1.

>> Both teams started their first offensive series with penalties (Ohio State with a false start, Nebraska with a block in the back). The Huskers added a sack and a delay-of-game to face third-and-35 before punting.

>> Devin Smith muffed Nebraska’s first punt, but Ohio State teammate Corey Brown recovered at the Buckeyes’ 30. Charles Jackson nearly got the football for Nebraska.