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LINCOLN, Neb. — Alabamians are used to seeing Yellowhammer State natives dominate college football, and usually they’re doing it while suiting up for Alabama or Auburn, or at least an SEC school.
But on Saturday, it was a Big Ten program that benefited from an Alabamian’s gridiron gifts.
The nineteenth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers survived an upset scare from McNeese State, thanks in large part to a 58-yard touchdown reception by Homewood, Ala., native Ameer Abdullah with just 20-seconds to go in a tie game.
Abdullah, a senior running back, ran a five-yard out and caught the ball in the flat sprinting toward the sideline before slamming on the breaks, bouncing off several would-be tacklers, and scampering the final 25 yards untouched.
The touchdown put Nebraska up for good.
“Ameer Abdullah carries Nebraska to victory,” was the ESPN headline after the game.
“I saw a special player making a great play,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said in his post game press conference. “He put the team on his back and won the game. Thank God for Ameer. He showed why he is who he is.”
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