Are the Huskers Ready for the Main Course?

With the nonconference appetizers finished, Nebraska approaches the meat of the schedule with confidence and a few question marks.

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea is tackled by North Dakota defensive back Avery Dixon during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I love a good appetizer.

Wings, spinach dip, mozzarella sticks, a basket of fried pickles, you name it. When I go to a restaurant, my eyes usually start in the appetizer section of the menu. I'll be the first to tell you that you can easily make a delicious (but not very nutritious) dinner out of nothing but apps.  

But most of the time, I want more from a meal. Everybody loves the gigantic fried onion, but that is not the reason I go to a steakhouse. Skip the amuse-bouche and bring out the meat.

That's how I feel about Nebraska's 2026 season to date. We've had the chips and queso, some rolls, and a nice side salad. But now it is time for the main course. Clear out these empty plates. I'll be sitting here like a cartoon coyote with a fork and knife in hand.

Through three games, Nebraska has looked very good. They're 3-0 and none of the games have truly been in doubt. There has been a definite talent disparity between the Huskers and their opponents. This is good. This is what we want to see. But it also creates challenges as we try to find trends and truths about just who this team is.

In the past few seasons, I've shied away from using non P4 results in any sort of analysis I've done. They're statistical outliers that skew the reality.*

*For example: Nebraska's former quarterback averaged 267.8 yards, 2 TDs and 0.3 INT per game against the four FBS and FCS opponents he faced in 2024 and 2025. Against P4 schools, that QB threw for 208.4 yards per game with 1.3 TDs and 0.9 INTs per game.

The gap between power conference schools and the other FBS leagues has never been wider. And there is a canyon between the P4 and the FCS. The statistical successes we've seen so far are great, but eventually they will be discarded like the bones from your hot wings.

The 2026 season is going to be judged upon how Nebraska does in these next nine games. Nobody goes to a restaurant and says "we hated our entrées, but the calamari rings were good." But based on the three appetizers, I'm cautiously optimistic that this will be a good experience.

One reminder as we wait for the main course to be served: If you predicted 8-4 (a very popular preseason pick), that means that Nebraska is going to lose nearly half of their remaining games. That's not a cheery was to wrap this up, but as somebody who was deeply disappointed with a steak I ordered in an oceanside restaurant, I think it is important to keep expectations in check.

Things I believe

I'm glad Nebraska was able to honor Tom Osborne.  

In a postgame ceremony, legendary Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne was honored for his induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The Hall is an exclusive who's who of Nebraskans who have made the state better. Osborne is the 28th person to have their bust reside at the state capitol. While Osborne's coaching achievements were obviously a factor, his non-sporting accomplishments - including U.S. Congressman and founder of the TeamMates mentoring program - make him worthy of recognition.

Osborne is the first living member to be inducted. Previously, the Hall had a stipulation that honorees needed to be deceased for 35 years before they could be considered. The Nebraska legislature - at Governor Jim Pillen's request - changed state law to allow Osborne, 89, to be inducted now.

In a postgame ceremony, Governor Pillen and Larry the Cable Guy unveiled a replica of Osborne's bust and showered him with praise. I hope Osborne can continue to be active and around the program for years to come, but I will gladly take every opportunity I get to stand and applaud him for what he has done for this university and state.

It's okay to be disappointed with the margin of victory.  

I think many fans came into Saturday night's game with expectations of another blowout win where Nebraska's dynamic offense scored 50 points. Through one quarter, Nebraska was on pace to do just that.

But the Huskers managed just 10 points combined in quarters two and three. A promising drive stalled out and Kyle Cunanan's 54-yard field goal attempt was no good. On Nebraska's next drive, they went three and out. Their final drive of the half resulted in a short field goal as Colandrea's third down pass was behind Luke Lindenmeyer.  

Nebraska had another three and out in the third quarter, managing just six yards. In the fourth, Nebraska largely called off the dogs, content to run the clock out.

So what happened on those failed drives?  

From my seat, I got the impression that Dana Holgorsen was calling specific plays for certain players (notably, Isaiah Mozee and Nyziah Hunter) to see if he could give them a spark. Ultimately, it came down to a lack of execution. Missed blocks, inability to break tackles, and a zone read handoff that probably should have been kept. It happens, even against FCS teams.

I like that we're getting back to a place where the expectation against lesser teams is shifting from "avoid an embarrassing loss" back to "step on their neck and empty the benches."

Rob Aurich heard the "there's no pass rush" complaints and took it personally.  

When the coordinators spoke to the media before the North Dakota game, Rob Aurich came prepared with a list of stats to defend his defense's paltry sack numbers. His message was NU had not seen a lot of true drop back pass attempts, and the Blackshirts would be ready when they did.

Against North Dakota, the Huskers recorded five sacks - the most since the 2024 game against Colorado. There was a nice combination of power rushes (Riley Van Poppel), delayed blitzes (Owen Chambliss), defensive back pressure (Donovan Jones), and more. The Huskers were credited with seven hurries, three by Williams Nwaneri. Give credit to the Cornhusker secondary as well, the back end made it difficult for quarterback Jerry Kaminski to find open receivers.

Things I don't know

With the preseason tune-ups over, what are the biggest concerns moving forward?  

The good news is there are no five-alarm fires burning anywhere on the team. Aside from Carter Nelson leaving the field on crutches with a brace on his knee, the overall health of the team appears good. But as the degree of difficulty in Nebraska's opponents goes up, what are the potential issues we'll be talking about in the weeks to come?

On offense, my biggest worry is turnovers. So far, Colandrea has gotten away with making some risky throws. Take the sideline route to Barney in the second half. With tight coverage, Colandrea threw it over the top of the defender and Barney made a great catch. But it is very easy to envision a Big Ten cornerback using his body to screen Barney and pick off the pass. Colandrea has one INT in three games (a simultaneous possession against Bowling Green that was more on the receiver than him), but it is easy to see at least three more picks against more athletic defenders.

The offensive line and running game have looked very good, but can they sustain it against the big boys of the B1G? The success of the ground game will likely impact how much Colandrea feels like he has to force throws.

Defensively, I don't really know what to think. Excluding the bust on the first play of the season, the Blackshirts have played great (35 points and 609 yards through three games). But let's be honest: none of the teams they faced are an offensive juggernaut. I was encouraged about by the increased pass rush against North Dakota, but I don't think the best Fighting Hawk lineman would start for very many of the teams on Nebraska's conference schedule.

Who is Nebraska's best wide receiver?  

Through three games, Jacory Barney Jr. and Kwazi Gilmer are nearly even. Barney has 15 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Gilmer has 14 catches for 139 yards, but does have an extra touchdown.   

Nyziah Hunter, who led the WR room a year ago (617 yards and 5 TDs) has gotten off to a slow start. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen had some blunt comments* about Hunter before the game, but I remain confident in his ability to put in an 8 catch, 150-yard game.

*"There's a confidence level with me, there's a confidence level with the quarterback that if guys are making plays in practice, they're going to make plays in the game and that needs to improve from Nyziah," Holgorsen said. "When it works, you tend to go back to it. So, if you want the ball more, be a better player. And Nyziah is a great player, but need to see a little bit more of that."

Behind the top three, Quinn Clark continues to push for more playing time. The lanky Clark looks like an explosive talent, but he hasn't been able to show it in the first halves of games.

If Nebraska was facing third-and-nine in the fourth quarter, who would you want to be on the receiving end of Colandrea's throw? I would look for Gilmer, but there is a lot to like about Nebraska's receiving corps. They're fast, athletic, and are willing blockers in the run game.

Does Jacory Barney Jr. know how to signal for a fair catch?  

After three games, I've come to believe three things about Nebraska's punt return operation:

1. If he can catch it, Barney is going to try to return it.
2. At some point, he's going to break one.
3. Whenever NU has a good return, scan the field for flags before getting too excited.

Barney is absolutely fearless when he's fielding kicks. He got pummeled on his first return a split second after catching the ball, but continued to try and make plays. After watching Nebraska fair catch everything for when felt like the better part of a decade, I'm all for a skilled return man trying to make something happen. He looks explosive, and if he can make that first guy miss, good things should happen.

Unless, of course, Nebraska gets called for a holding penalty. A hold on Keelan Smith erased a nice return in the second half.

But again, I appreciate the aggression.

Huskerigami Update

A “Huskerigami” is a final score combination (win or lose) that has never happened in the 130+ year history of Nebraska football.

Final score: 34-7

Is that a Huskerigami? No. It has happened seven times before. The first time was a 1914 win over Morningside. The most recent was a 2019 loss at Minneapolis, a game best remembered for the hooded sweatshirts Nebraska players wore during warm-ups.

5 Things I loved

1. Jamal Rule. His 55-yard touchdown (and endearing bowling celebration) was the highlight, but he looked good as an every-down and short yardage back. Are his 15 carries a sign that he might be winning the job outright?
2. Kwazi Gilmer. Remember Rule's long touchdown run? Without the relentless efforts of Gilmer, that is probably a 12-yard gain. Instead, Gilmer was a one-man security detail escorting Rule down the field and into the end zone. Those are the unselfish, team-first plays that you see from winning teams.
3. Anthony Colandrea. He continues to put the Huskers in good positions, and is (for the most part) making good decisions with the ball. He is a very capable runner, but there seems to be a concerted effort to keep his carries low. In the non-conference, that's a wise decision.  
4. Owen Chambliss. The quarterback of the defense stood out with six tackles, including a sack and quarterback hurry. His best games are still to come.
5. Defensive Line. The defensive line created a ton of disruption in this game.  Fighting Hawk were held below 100 yards rushing, 78 of which came in the fourth quarter after Nebraska started to empty the bench. The D line accounted for half of Nebraska's five sacks (plus a TFL from Cameron Lenhardt), including a few plays where they simply threw their man out of the way. It won't always be this easy, but sometimes success leads to success.

Honorable mention: Donovan Jones, Derek Wacker, Williams Nwaneri, Jacory Barney Jr., Dawson Merritt, Luke Lindenmeyer, Elijah Pritchett and offensive line, Quinn Clark, Mekhi Nelson, Kwinten Ives, Daniel Kaelin's Husker debut, Janiran Bonner, and the Cole Swindell concertgoers for making it easy for me to get out of the stadium after the game.

5 Areas for improvement

1. Penalties. The good news is the Huskers were only flagged four times for 45 yards. The bad news is that for the third straight week, a penalty had a direct impact on the scoreboard. A late hit call on Victor Evans III - on third-and-17! - extended North Dakota's lone scoring drive. It was a letter of the law call (embellished with a World Cup worthy flop), but it was avoidable.
2. Turnovers. I'd like to see the Blackshirts force more turnovers. Against North Dakota, I saw a few players punching and stripping at the ball, but NU came away with zero forced fumbles or turnovers gained.
3. High snaps. Multiple times a game, Colandrea is having to catch a snap near his eyes (or higher). Other than throwing off the timing on a couple of plays, it hasn't really been an issue yet. But it is something to keep an eye on.
4. Concessions. At halftime on Saturday, I would have killed for a hotdog or a slice of pizza. Unfortunately, I don't have 30 minutes to wait in the congested concessions lines. I miss the days where I could find one of a dozen vendors selling their wares in the concourses and give them money. The new grab-and-go beverage lines tend to move very efficiently. Why not have a supply of pizzas, dogs, and Runzas that fans could grab and go. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Nebraska should make it as easy as possible for me to give them money. Otherwise, I'll do what I did Saturday night: give it to somebody else.
5. Eagles and fireworks. During the national anthem, a handler stood on the field with a bald eagle. It was a beautiful animal, and it is always cool to see one in person. One small problem: Nebraska shoots off a decent number of fireworks during and after the anthem, and this majestic eagle was NOT a fan. As we sang about the rockets' red glare, and the bombs bursting in air, the poor eagle was trying to get to the nearest aerie. The eagle's feet were tethered to a lead held the trainer, but as hard as the bird was flapping its wings, I thought he was going to get her airborne.

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