Akron Coach Calls Nebraska Loss 'Ass Kicking of Epic Proportions'

Akron head football coach Joe Moorhead didn't mince words after his team's 68-0 loss to Nebraska Saturday night.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson runs against Akron Zips defensive back Malcom DeWalt IV. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

When your football team loses a game to the tune of 68-0, there's really not a lot of positives you can take away from it. In the aftermath of the blowout loss Saturday night, it appeared Akron coach Joe Moorhead agreed.

"The first thing I take away is that was an ass kicking of epic proportions in every facet of the game," Moorhead said to kick off his postgame press conference. "We knew going into it that Nebraska was extremely talented in all three phases of the game and well coached. There was two levels of football being played out there. I think that was obvious."

To give you a better scope of the two levels he's referencing, let's look at some key stats of the game for both teams in a quick glance chart.

STAT	AKRON	NEBRASKA
First Down	13	31
Net Rushing Yards	113	234
Net Passing Yards	62	494
Total Offensive Yards	175	728

Other quick-hitting facts include two sacks on the day for the Blackshirts, 15 different players caught a pass for NU, and with his parents in the stands, Nebraska punter Archie Wilson never had to punt. It was a dominant showing for the Huskers from start to finish, and the head coach of the Zips was more than willing to heap praise on the Big Red. He also reflected in the moment.

Nebraska defensive lineman Gabe Moore combines with Javin Wright to bring down Akron's Sean Patrick. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

"I've been on both ends of these in my 29 years here," Moorhead said. "I've been on some of the good ones, and I've been on very few of these bad ones, and it doesn't taste very good. It was difficult for us to execute at a high level in any of our three phases because of the disparity between the two programs."

59 of Nebraska's 68 points came in the final three quarters of the game after Nebraska struggled to find the end zone early on. An Emmett Johnson fumble near the goal line, followed up by Akron stuffing a Nebraska four-and-goal attempt on a Heinrich Haarberg QB sneak, left the game in a weird lurch with a weird score of 9-0 thanks to an earlier Johnson touchdown and a safety.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola couldn't be stopped from the second quarter on Saturday night against Akron. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

However, from the second quarter on, the Huskers got behind their signal caller in Dylan Raiola and never looked back. The Nebraska sophomore showcased his arm talent for the second straight week. Raiola completed 24 of his 31 passes for four touchdowns on the day, making it evident that Akron didn't have an answer for him once he got rolling.

"Raiola's a heck of a player," Moorhead noted. "He operates the system well. He made throws; he's got some guys who can get open. They have a good, strong, physical offensive line. Running backs run behind their pads. Coach Butler is doing a really nice job dialing up the defense, presenting a bunch of different looks and keeping you off balance."

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— Akron Football (@ZipsFB) September 7, 2025

For the second-straight week, the Zips scored...you guessed it... zip. A season-opening 10-0 setback to Wyoming was followed up by the 68-0 shellacking on Saturday. Following the game, Moorhead said there's still some value from watching the tape of this one, even if there's very little "good" that will come from it.

"I don't think you necessarily throw away the tape, but I don't think you linger on it," Moorhead said. I told the guys this is number two of 12. We've got plenty of football left with UAB coming up next, and it's the most important one because it's the next one."

Understandably, Nebraska's next opponent — Houston Christian — will have an even tougher time. The FCS foe enters the game 1-1 after a 20-10 loss to Eastern Kentucky this past Saturday, but the Huskies do have one similarity with the Big Red heading in. They, too, have been on the winning side of a nearly 70-point blowout. HCU upended Arkansas Baptist 69-0 in their season opener.

It's safe to say HCU is taking a step up in competition this weekend when they come to Lincoln to take on the Huskers. It will also be Nebraska's last tune-up before they kick off conference play against a Michigan team that just suffered its first loss of the season to Oklahoma on Saturday.

Akron Coach Joe Moorhead said he'll remember Nebraska's fans more than anything after falling 68-0 to the Huskers. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Near the end of his postgame press conference, Moorhead was asked if there was anything particular about Nebraska and the game that stood out to him, and he went a bit off-script and off the field to tell the gathered media what he'll remember most.

"I had not been here," Moorhead said. "I've probably coached in five of the top environments in college football. The genuine nature and friendliness of the fan base. Usually when you drive in on the team bus, you get the double bird salute, but Nebraska fans were waving and even wishing you luck. They were polite and friendly, so I thought that was unique."

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