As a fifth-year senior, Gophers defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman understood the magnitude of Saturday's 34-23 victory over Nebraska as well as anybody.
"I don't know if we've beat Nebraska since, what?" he asked, during the postgame news conference. The answer was 1960.
"So you do the math," Hageman said. "It's a long time."
Hageman was a big part of the reason the Gophers were able to shut down the nation's 10th-ranked scoring offense. Nebraska had averaged 42.7 points per game, but after jumping to a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter, the Cornhuskers had a hard time moving the ball.
In the second quarter, Hageman sacked Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez but was flagged for a 15-yard facemask penalty. So on the next play, Hageman sacked Martinez again for an 8-yard loss.
"I did grab onto his facemask, but I thought I had to help my team and come back and fight adversity," Hageman said. "I got off the ball angry and just attacked my man, and just made a play pretty much. You really don't think when you're out there."
Hageman took another costly facemask penalty later in the second quarter but came back later in that drive and chased down speedy running back Ameer Abdullah with a key tackle.
That helped hold Nebraska to a field goal right before the half, allowing the Gophers to take a 17-13 lead to the locker room.
