A Strong Effort Falls Short

In a game where the Huskers faithful created a fantastic blackout atmosphere, the Nebraska football team again fell short in a one-score loss, a result that has become all too common lately. This loss was especially frustrating because of how many things the Huskers did right. Nebraska attacked USC's rushing defense with plenty of Emmett Johnson, who had a great night. The Blackshirts held an elite USC passing offense to its worst game of the season. Despite a solid game plan executed well, poor in-game coaching decisions and the unfortunate injury to Dylan Raiola made it even harder for Nebraska to secure a win.

The game shifted in the third quarter. After Dylan Raiola was injured on the previous drive, the Blackshirts stepped up to force a turnover on downs after stopping the USC rushing attack following six consecutive runs (with a big assist from the blackout crowd, causing a false start). Huskers coach Matt Rhule called a timeout after a late hit against Turner Corcoran went uncalled. A few plays later, Nebraska lined up to try for a first down before calling another timeout to change strategies and then kicking the field goal.

The Huskers had opportunities to win but it fell through their fingers. | Game On Paper

Aside from wasting the two timeouts that could have been used in the final two minutes of the game, Matt Rhule’s decision to kick the field goal was probably the wrong choice. While Kyle Cunanan made a kick from the same distance in the opener against Cincinnati, this is a low-probability play. The field goal percentage of attempts from 50+ yards in college football in 2025 is 48.9%. However, 4th and 1 opportunities have been converted at a rate of 66.2% this season. Emmett Johnson is one of the best backs in the country. Matt Rhule and Dana Holgorsen should trust him to make that play.

USC is a great football team and one of the best offenses in the nation, year after year, thanks to Lincoln Riley. The Blackshirts restricted them to their lowest passing output since the Trojans' 2018 game against Utah. This was also the first game since the 2012 Sun Bowl where the Trojans completed fewer than 40% of their passes. It was a winning effort by the Blackshirt secondary.

The Huskers and Trojans were even in many areas this game. | Game On Paper

While this loss is tough in the moment, the final story of this game will unfold over the next three weeks. In most stats, Nebraska played USC evenly, which is something to be proud of. If they keep playing like that, they will likely win at least two of the next three games. However, this could also be a turning point for the team after losing a game it entered with so much hype.

The Huskers players executed the game plan well in this game. It’ll be on the coaches to demonstrate that they can improve over the next three games.

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