Bowl Week Open

The stage was set. Two-time AALoA Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez' swan song was taking place at the Rose Bowl against a surprise three loss team in Notre Dame. Coach Kelly and Coach Jeanneret have a heated past dating back to a year before. Would tempers flare once again? Or would the teams play a great game, unlike Notre Dame's 2013 showing versus Alabama where Manti Te'o's girlfriend played better coverage than he did.
Notre Dame opened the game kicking.  On Nebraska's first drive, Ameer Abdullah took a play to the left, and gets lit up losing the ball, and maybe even consciousness.  ND LB Shembo scooped off the ball and raced to daylight. 7-0 ND.  Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez, wanting to show off the passing skills in preparation for the NFL draft arm punted a ball deep down the seem for ND to pick it off. The Drunken Fighting Irish capitalized and Heisman Finalist GAIII ultimately plowed in from 1 yard. After 1 Quarter, ND was up 14-0.
Nebraska would quickly answer though, not wanting to fall behind too far. The offense would find a rhythm, Coach Jeanneret would restrain Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez' new-found Rex Grossman-syndrome (release the dragon!) and All-American Ameer Abdullah (how's that for alliteration) would score from 2 yards out. Late in the half, Notre Dame would score again. This time kicking a 51 yard FG. Down 17-7, Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez would engineer a two minute drive racing down the field before connecting with TE Jake Long from the 11 yard line. Halftime score, ND 17, UNL 14 and the Irish receiving to start the half.

ND would open up the 3rd quarter with a simple field goal. And Nebraska would take the ball, and promptly give it right back to ND on a stupid, stupid, stupid play by Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez where he pitched the ball to a RB being dry-humped by an Irish defender. Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez saw his mistake and merely stood over the ball letting ND scoop it up. GAIII would score from 9 yards out on what else, a Counter play that ND had been and would call all night.  The 3rd quarter was not lost though, Nebraska would score a TD, Imani Cross would haul in a short pass (forward option) from Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez.
The 4th quarter is where things get even crazier.  Less than a minute into the quarter, Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez would connect with Jamal Turner downfield for a 35 yd touchdown where the single high safety disappeared, and Turner got behind the 4-2-5 safety with ease. Nebraska led 28-27. From here, Notre Dame's offense got a bit too unimaginative and the Husker defense could anticipate where the ball was going before the snap based on personnel grouping alone. Despite this though, Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez wanted to give the game away. Rumors exist that while not only suffering from the aforementioned Rex Grossman-syndrome, that Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez also has a touch of Pete Rose-syndrome and can't go a week without gambling. Had he bet against the Huskers? With less than 3 minutes to go, all the Huskers had to do was get a first down to salt the game away while on the brink of field goal range. But no, Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez audibles out of the play call, and unleashes yet another arm punt downfield for an easy interception.

With one time out and a really good return on the interception, Notre Dame was poised to kick a field goal and win. Except, the defense held true again, jumping the same route combos and forcing Rees to scramble. Just outside field goal range, ND took a major step backwards.  A timely Jason Ankrah sack would ice the game as the Irish could not get another play call off in time. And that's how Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez ends his college football career. Throwing a stupid interception late in the game, but still miraculously hoisting the crystal.

FINAL SCORE
27
 28

Player of the Game
DE Jason Ankrah
For having to chase the stone footed, yet surprisingly elusive Tommy Rees around the field all night, Ankrah saved Heisman Trophy winner Taylor Martinez' ass for some pretty boneheaded plays. The game-clinching sack was a pure effort play, and makes Ankrah one of the few defensive players to win MVP status in a title game for that reason alone.