Scott Frost asked if he’s step down after Nebraska falls to Northwestern: ‘I’m gonna fight’

Embattled Nebraska coach Scott Frost was asked Saturday if he’d be willing to step down after the Cornhuskers lost to Northwestern 31-28 in Ireland.

“No, absolutely not,” he said in response. “I love Nebraska. I’m gonna fight with the guys as long as I can fight.”

He isn’t calling the plays on offense this season, but he did call for one of the bigger decisions of the game and took responsibility when Nebraska’s onside kick failed.

“I made that call so that’s on me,” Frost said of the decision after the Huskers took a 28-17 lead. “At that point in the game, I thought all the momentum was on our side. I thought if we got it, we could end the game.

“You can’t really foresee them scoring 14 straight and us sputtering after we played well to start the second half on offense. Again those are excuses. If I had (to do) it over, I wouldn’t make the call.”

Ryan Hilinski threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns to help Northwestern rally to a victory in the season opener before 42,699 fans at Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital.

The Wildcats finished with 528 yards and gained a measure of revenge after their humiliating 56-7 loss to the Huskers last October. Nebraska hasn’t won since then.

“You’ve got to win in this business to keep your job,” said Frost, who is in his fifth year at the helm. “That’s the way it is. I love the state of Nebraska. I love these fans that sacrificed to come over here. We’ve got to get this turned around.”

Quarterback Casey Thompson had a big game in his Huskers debut, throwing for 355 yards, but a fourth-quarter mistake was costly. Cameron Mitchell intercepted Thompson’s pass and returned it almost 40 yards. Six plays later, Evan Hull ran it in from the 4 to give the Wildcats a 31-28 lead. Hull finished with 22 carries for 119 yards.

Xander Mueller picked off a pass that bounced off receiver Wyatt Liewer’s hands with 1:27 to play and the Wildcats sealed the win.

Anthony Grant rushed for two third-quarter scores, including a 46-yarder to put the Huskers ahead 28-17. He ran it in from 3 yards on the previous drive to get Nebraska in front after the Wildcats went into halftime with a 17-14 lead. Grant had 19 carries for 101 yards.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald called the onside kick “a huge momentum swing” in the game.

“We went down and punched it in,” he said of Cam Porter’s 3-yard touchdown run on a direct snap to close the gap to 28-24.

Frost’s record as Nebraska’s coach is now 15-30.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.