Kenneth Williams Gets Nebraska’s First Kickoff Return for Touchdown Since 2017

Nebraska’s most explosive offensive weapon hardly touches the football.

But when he does … boom!

Sophomore running back Kenneth Williams took the second-half kickoff and not only returned it 95 yards for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead, he also lifted the Huskers out of the doldrums.

Williams fielded the kickoff, veered left, flew past would-be tacklers, ran through two attempted ankle tackles and sprinted unimpeded into the end zone. Memorial Stadium came alive. So did the Huskers, who got a much-needed boost after an uneven first half.

In the end zone was a huge celebration, a swarm of Huskers congratulating Williams. It was the Huskers’ first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2017.

“It was the best feeling,” Williams said after the game. “I just turned around and I seen my entire team just celebrating with me. It was the best feeling for sure.

“The credit goes all to them [teammates on the kick-return team]. Without them blocking for me I wouldn’t be able to return how I did. All thanks to them.”

Ultimately, the 6-2 Huskers won the game, 28-21, over a gritty Northwestern team that refused to go away. But not before some seriously dicey moments in the second half that saw the Wildcats tie the score at 21 in the fourth quarter.

“I definitely felt the momentum change,” Williams said about his TD return. “Coach [Matt] Rhule at halftime gave us a good little speech. As we came out, we came out with our best foot forward. I just knew I had to make a spark for sure.”

Coming into the Northwestern game, Williams had eight kick returns for 223 yards, a 27.9-yard average.

He had seven rushes for 22 yards.

He had one reception for 20 yards.

That’s only 16 touches, plus two kickoff returns Saturday against Northwestern for a total of 18 touches in eight games. Williams’ other kickoff return Saturday went for 29 yards.

“I don’t own a business, but if I did I’d probably get him an NIL deal here pretty quickly,” Rhule said about Williams.

“And the guys on that group, there was a lot of great blocks out there. For no one to clip or hold or hit someone in the back. Anytime you run a field bounce return you put yourself at risk. They have one of the best kickoff teams we’ve seen in terms of getting down the field.

“[Williams] had a good return early. The first one went out to the 30 or so. We used the south wind in our favor knowing that we would have a returnable kick and bounced it back. So, really happy for Kenneth. Big-time play.”

This was Williams’ second time at kickoff heroics this season. Williams, who is from Detroit but spent his senior year at Lincoln High, was a walk-on until the Huskers’ 34-31 win over Maryland.

Williams helped fuel that win with an 85-yard kickoff return in the second quarter that set up the Huskers with a short field. A touchdown pass from Dylan Raiola to Luke Lindenmeyer two plays later regained the lead for Nebraska, 17-14.

“During the Maryland game should have had another one [touchdown],” Williams said. “I just learned from that game. I got the opportunity and did what I could.”

After that kickoff return, Williams went from a walk-on to a scholarship player.

“His payment probably hasn’t been processed yet” Rhule said after the Northwestern win. “He’s probably still owed money for classes. He’s probably still paying for the classes he’s in.

“You talk about a story, but that’s why we all got into coaching for things like that to watch him do that.”

It was Nebraska’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Sept. 2, 2017, when JD Spielman ran one back 99 yards against Arkansas State.

“2017? I was in middle school,” Williams said.

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