No. 17 Huskers lose Abdullah to knee injury, take 1st in B10 West with 35-14 win over Purdue
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Imani Cross ran for two short touchdowns after Heisman Trophy hopeful Ameer Abdullah left the game with a knee injury, and No. 17 Nebraska defeated Purdue 35-14 on Saturday to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West.
The Cornhuskers (8-1, 4-1, No. 15 CFP) are a half-game ahead of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin after their third straight win. Purdue (3-6, 1-4) lost its third in a row.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and passed for another score. Cross carried 20 times for 66 yards. Akeem Hunt led Purdue with 66 yards on 21 carries.
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Abdullah, who came into the game third nationally in rushing at 156 yards a game, injured his left knee on the Huskers' second possession while recovering Armstrong's fumbled snap at the Purdue 1-yard line. Abdullah returned to carry one more time, losing 5 yards, and didn't return. The nature of his injury wasn't immediately known.
The senior has run for at least 200 yards in a nation-leading four games and has 1,250 for the season.