Nebraska’s New Identity Wins the ‘Battle for NU’

Dave Feit recaps the Huskers’ win over Northwestern, discusses the officiating, and asks why Nebraska struggled in short-yardage plays.

This four-yard run for the winning touchdown capped off Emmett Johnson's big day against Northwestern. | Cory Edmondson, KFGE

Author's note: As is the tradition in the unofficial "Battle for NU" game, the winning team earns the right to be referred to as "NU". Any and all uses of NU in this piece refer to Nebraska.


I've noted multiple times over the years how it feels like every Nebraska game - win or lose - gets treated as a referendum on the state of the program. It's not enough to analyze what happened on the field. There’s an unwritten requirement that every win must be viewed as another symbolic step in Nebraska's journey to "back". Every loss serves as a reflection point on if the current coaching staff can get the job done. Admittedly, I have been guilty of participating in this weekly ritual multiple times. But for the most part, I find it exhausting.

After an ugly loss at Minnesota - and a week of handwringing angst by the media and fans - the Northwestern game was shaping up to be the mother of all referendum games. It felt like Husker fans were ready to abandon the Matt Rhule bandwagon and start vetting candidates for his eventual replacement.

I'll be honest - I walked into Memorial Stadium with a fair amount of trepidation. Between the flaws exposed by Minnesota, the 11 am kickoff, and an opponent known for a) always playing Nebraska tough and b) being overlooked, I was dreading a repeat of the 2024 UCLA game - a sleepwalk of a game played in front of one of the most uninterested crowds I can remember.

I am happy to be wrong.

The atmosphere at an 11 a.m. game will never be confused with a game under the lights, but consecutive sellout 408 did bring a good amount of energy. The Huskers wisely gave fans something to cheer about early on.

After inexplicably failing to do so in Minneapolis, NU ran the dadgum ball Saturday - early and often. The line kept their quarterback upright. Heck, Dylan Raiola threw the ball away - twice! The defense was solid and forced two turnovers. And the special teams were excellent, again.

Wide receiver Nyziah Hunter had another impactful game for the Huskers. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

We saw the return of complementary football. In the span of five plays, Nebraska pinned Northwestern deep with a great punt and coverage, intercepted a pass, and converted it into a touchdown.

Games against Northwestern are rarely easy. There have been 14 meetings since Nebraska joined the Big Ten. Eleven of those, including Saturday, have been one-score games. At the two-minute timeout, the Wildcats were 39 yards away from forcing the third overtime game in the series. The previous two ended in Husker losses. But the Blackshirts got a stop and the offense ran out the clock.

NU vs. NW 2025 was a lot of things: a rock fight, a tribute to the Big Ten West, and quite possibly the quintessential 11 a.m. game. But it was not a referendum for - or against - the current state of the program. It was a game that NU was happy to win and Northwestern was disappointed to lose. That's it.

The Huskers are now bowl eligible, meaning they'll play in the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2015-2016. With one more win, NU will have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2013-2014. That's not a referendum on the program; it's just a fact. Whether you choose to acknowledge that as a sign of progress in Matt Rhule's rebuild is up to you. Personally, I don't know how any Husker fan who experienced the last 10 years would not see that as progress.

Wait… we're drifting into referendum territory, and I don't want to do that today. The November stretch run - which looks wildly different than it did in August, but somehow just as challenging - will greatly shape how we view Year 3 of the Rhule era. There are plenty of referendum opportunities ahead, starting Saturday night against Southern Cal. For now, I'm content to enjoy and analyze a one-score win over a team that has given the Huskers fits for years.

Things I believe

Dana Holgorsen changed Nebraska's offensive identity.

One week after Nebraska's offense failed to score a touchdown and allowed nine sacks, I was curious how Dana Holgorsen would call the game. Would he stick to the same general script that NU had used in their other games? Or would he make some tweaks?

It turns out that Nebraska changed their offensive identity. Holgorsen switched the focus of the offense from Dylan Raiola's arm to Emmett Johnson's legs.

In NU's first five games against power conference teams, Raiola averaged 32 attempts per game. Remember, that number does not account for sacks (an average of five per game). Against Northwestern, Raiola threw just 22 passes. For context, Raiola attempted 24 passes against Michigan State on an extremely windy day. Raiola threw it 21 times against Houston Christian, despite not taking a snap in the second half.

Emmett Johnson's 27 rushes amounted to a new single-game high for the junior running back. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Johnson had a career-high 27 carries Saturday, including six on the opening possession. That's two more than the 25 carries he had in the Cincinnati game, and as many as the Michigan State and Minnesota games combined. Additionally, Holgorsen clearly made an effort to incorporate Jacory Barney and Nyziah Hunter into the running game with sweeps. Those were less effective (a combined four carries for five yards), but those explosive players deserve to have the ball in their hands.

The offensive game plan wasn't sexy, but it was effective. It played to NU's strengths (run blocking, and Johnson's jump-cutting elusiveness) and avoided things that have been issues (pass protection and Raiola holding the ball for too long). As an added bonus, it helped the defense - who was facing a run-heavy, ball control attack - stay off the field.

The result may have been an unattractive Big Ten rock fight, but it was a winning formula. Nebraska would be wise to consider repeating it against USC to keep their prolific offense off the field.

The special teams units are the best - and most consistent - on the team.

Another day, another standout performance by Nebraska's special teams units.

The highlight was Kenneth Williams's 95-yard touchdown of the second-half kickoff. It was NU's first kickoff return touchdown in 100 games (dating back to JD Spielman against Arkansas State in 2017). As fast as Williams is, return touchdowns do not happen due to speed alone. There was some tremendous blocking on that play.

This punt was caught at the 15.

Three more Huskers arrive before the next Wildcat. https://t.co/SbytZorkU4 pic.twitter.com/fUEQl1Hg15

— Dave Feit (@FeitCanWrite) October 26, 2025

Archie Wilson's first punt was a 53-yard bomb that was caught at the 15. If you paused the game when the punt is caught, you'd see the returner, five Huskers, and nobody else. When the returner is tackled for no gain, three more Huskers had arrived on the scene. A second Wildcat shows up well after the whistle to help his teammate up. It was a perfect example of both punt and coverage. For the season, Nebraska has allowed one single yard of punt returns.

Northwestern attempted to return two of John Hohl's five kickoffs. Their best effort gave them possession at the 26, one yard better than if they had done nothing.

Kyle Cunanan did miss a 44-yard field goal attempt, pushing it wide to the right. While disappointing, it happens. That was just his second miss of the season. 

Overall, it is shocking just how much Nebraska's special teams units have improved in Mike Ekeler's first season. I can easily make a case that special teams have been a factor in all four of Nebraska's wins over power conference teams.*

*This is a such an unbelieve sentence to type after the last 5-10 years where special teams often cost Nebraska 2-3 wins every season.

Here's a challenge for you: think of any assistant coach hire in Nebraska's history who had a bigger immediate impact than Mike Ekeler.

The only thought that comes to mind is when Bob Devaney promoted Tom Osborne to offensive coordinator before the 1969 season. The transformation has been that dramatic.

Nebraska had its best drive of the season.

With 9:18 to play in the game, Preston Stone dropped back for a third-down pass. His throw appeared to be intended for Javin Wright, who intercepted the ball and returned it 14 yards.

With the score tied at 21, Nebraska had first down and was 64 yards away from the end zone. At the point, the Huskers had 218 yards of offense, and every inch felt like a battle. On their last possession, Raiola threw his own ugly interception. It felt like Nebraska was more likely to punt than to get the ball into field goal range.

But then, Nebraska went on its best drive of the season.

Nebraska was less reliant than usual on Dylan Raiola's passing, but his third-down completions on the winning drive were crucial. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Things got off to an inauspicious start. Holgorsen called for a deep throw to Hunter, but Raiola overthrew him. On second down, Johnson gained just three yards. Now, it was third-and-seven. At this point, NU was an abysmal 3-10 on third down. Raiola dropped a pass off to Johnson, who fought to gain the necessary yardage. First down Nebraska.

The pattern would repeat. Nebraska wouldn't accomplish much on first and second down, leaving the Huskers with a crucial third-and-long play. The line gave Raiola time, he found open receivers (Hunter for 19, Dane Key for 13, and Jacory Barney for five), and the Huskers kept the drive going.

On first-and-goal from the four, Johnson took a handoff and scored the go-ahead touchdown. It capped a 13-play, 64-yard drive that chewed up 6:27 of clock. The Huskers ran it six times, threw it seven, and converted all four of their third downs. The drive was equal parts ugly and beautiful. Most importantly, it was effective.

Things I don't know

Did NU get away with one?

On Northwestern's final offensive play, cornerback Andrew Marshall appeared to hold a Wildcat receiver as he went into his route.

Mike Pereria, the rules analyst on the FS1 broadcast, said "Nebraska got a pretty big break there."

Mitch Sherman of The Athletic posted a tweet that said (in part), "All the screams about officiating from Nebraska fans are nullified by that lack of a holding flag against Andrew Marshall on fourth down."

Did Nebraska get away with one? And if so, did that missed call cancel out other fan complaints about the officials?

Yes and no.

Let's start by acknowledging that the officials had - to put it politely - a very rough game. Basic things like announcing and administering penalties were a challenge. After Nebraska was (correctly) flagged for being offside, the ref said, "The penalty is declined. Five-yard penalty results in a first down." Nebraska was penalized for Nyziah Hunter "moving forward at the snap." When Raiola received the snap, Hunter was two yards behind where he started.

On this play, Nyziah Hunter (the player in motion) was flagged for, and I quote: "moving forward at the snap" pic.twitter.com/6STdH3kaaU

— Dave Feit (@FeitCanWrite) October 26, 2025

Throughout the game, spotting the ball was done with a horseshoes and hand grenades level of "close." Emmett Johnson appeared to surpass the line to gain on a third-down reception but was marked short. A fourth-down catch by Northwestern was initially spotted a yard short of the sticks, before it was placed a yard ahead. Video replay did not change the spot.* Northwestern scored a touchdown two plays later.

*Does anything in sports have a lower rate of success than challenging the spot via replay review? A team would be more likely to win a game using nine players on defense than getting the replay official to correct a bad spot.

And I'm not even going to get into the nonsense that was "abrupt movement" called against a player ("number 6") who was not on the field.

This was not a banner performance for Big Ten officiating.

As for the play at the end of the game: In the first 59 minutes of any game, I would expect Marshall to be called for a hold, just as I would expect a player from the other team to be flagged for the same action. But in the final minute… let's just say I was not surprised to see a crew swallow their whistles.

Frankly, given Nebraska's history on the other side of it (USC in 2024, Wisconsin in 2021, Wisconsin in 2016, to name a few) the Huskers were long overdue to have one go their way.

Personally, I want all of the teams within this multi-billion-dollar conference to be confident that their games will receive clear, competent, and consistent officiating.*

*How the Big Ten should accomplish this is another topic for a different day.

Until then, good luck finding a Nebraska fan who believes the Huskers routinely benefit from bad and/or missed calls… in any sport.

Why does Nebraska struggle in short-yardage situations?

For reasons I don't quite understand, Nebraska makes short-yardage situations (third and fourth down with two yards or less to gain) look like unsolvable puzzles.

On fourth-and-one in the first quarter, Haarberg lined up under center in a "tush push" formation. So far, so good. We saw the tush push (or, "Heiny heave") used successfully in the Cincinnati game, so we know it works. But instead of plowing forward, Haarberg handed the ball to Johnson, who needed a big second effort to extend the drive. The play looked awkward and disjointed.

On the same drive, NU had another fourth-and-one situation and put Haarberg in the tush push formation. Haarberg - listed at 230 pounds - looked as if he was trying to dive over the top of the pile instead of powering forward behind the line. Northwestern challenged the spot but failed to get the call changed.

Before halftime, NU faced another fourth-and-one. This time, Raiola took the snap. He rolled back to throw, was pressured, and ran for it. The ball was stripped out of his hands and Northwestern recovered the fumble.

Nebraska's short-yardage struggles included this fumble by Dylan Raiola on fourth-and-1 shortly before halftime. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

It seems like Nebraska is severely overthinking short-yardage plays. I like Haarberg's chances to pick up a single yard in a true Philadelphia Eagles-style tush push behind Justin Evans, Rocco Spindler, and Henry Lutovsky. Like I said, we saw it work against Cincinnati.

In the Cincy game, we also saw 270-pound defensive lineman Cam Lenhardt play as a short-yardage fullback. I don't believe Lenhardt has had an offensive snap since. Tell me that Emmett Johnson couldn't pick up a yard following the block of Lenhart or, say, 300-pound Elijah Jeudy.

I like Rhule's aggressiveness (backed by the analytics) in going for it on fourth down. But the results - just 6 of 15 - suggest that more work needs to be done. 

My advice to Dana Holgorsen: Don't overthink it. Line up and run some old-school smashmouth football (or the new-school tush push).

What happens when NU's offensive line goes up against NU's defensive line?

Picture this: Nebraska is doing a live, full contact scrimmage, starters against starters. It's third-and-nine and Raiola drops back to pass. The defense wants to sack him (or tag his green no-contact jersey). The offensive line wants to keep him upright.

What happens? Who wins?

Nebraska's offensive line has a well-earned reputation for struggling in pass protection. The Huskers have allowed 26 sacks in six games against power conference teams… and that is after Northwestern only recorded a single sack on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Blackshirts have not exactly had a dominating pass rush. Nebraska has recorded six sacks in six power conference games. Just two of those are by players listed as a defensive lineman.

I think the combined weakness of these two units is not a coincidence. I have a hard time picturing either unit stressing the other in practice, which has carried over to games. When the level of competition across the line of scrimmage goes up, Nebraska's chances for success goes down.

The fear of getting sacked severely altered Nebraska's offensive game plan on Saturday, and likely will for the rest of the season. The Blackshirts' struggle to generate pressure could be a big issue against Southern Cal this week.

I would love to hear from those who got to see scrimmages in the spring and fall. In those battles between the movable objects and the stoppable force, who came out victorious?

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: 28-21

Is that a Huskerigami? No. It has happened five times before. The first time was a home win over Oklahoma in 1970 that sent Bob Devaney's team to the Orange Bowl and Nebraska's first national championship. The most recent was a 2021 home loss to Iowa that was a fitting end to one of the worst seasons in school history.

5 Things I loved

1. Emmett Johnson. The Huskers don't win this game without their workhorse running back. He had 139 yards of yards from scrimmage on 29 touches (including 27 for 124 on the ground) and two touchdowns. He displayed an impressive mix of elusiveness and power that Northwestern struggled to contain. There were several times where he simply refused to be tackled. On his final carry, he probably could have taken it another 50 yards for his third score, but he wisely slid and set up the victory formation.
2. Donovan Jones. The redshirt freshman from Omaha played his best game, flashing all over the field. He filled at the line of scrimmage in run defense. He was excellent in the open field - both in coverage and in run support. He made a diving catch for a huge interception that led to a touchdown. His future is bright.
3. Kenneth Williams. His first return was a 29-yard flash with extra yards gained after contact. But he's here for what it did on the second-half kickoff. A 95-yard jolt of adrenaline coming out of halftime. After getting caught from behind at Maryland, the high school track star wasn't going to let it happen again. Troy Dannen gave Williams a scholarship after the Maryland game and was one of the first to greet him on the sidelines after the touchdown. That is what you call return on investment.
4. Nyziah Hunter. He once again led Nebraska in receptions and yards, and had the best catch of the day. His diving, toe-dragging touchdown is one of the best catches you'll see this year. The sophomore is Nebraska's best (and most consistent) wide receiver.
5. Offensive line. Nebraska's conservative game plan relied on the line to open holes for EJ and keep Raiola clean enough to move the chains. They did that and then some. The lone sack allowed came on the play where Teddy Prochazka was hurt. Additional shoutouts to Rocco Spindler and Turner Corcoran. I don't want to picture what Spindler's hand looked like when he left the field in Minnesota, but he was out there Saturday playing an excellent game. Corcoran - who has been on the receiving end of fan criticism for years - played well both as a jumbo tight end and in relief of Prochazka.

Honorable mention: Javin Wright, DeShon Singleton, Ceyair Wright, Luke Lindenmeyer, Riley Van Poppel, Archie Wilson, Isaiah Mozee, Dane Key, Rex Guthrie, Dylan Raiola, Vincent Shavers, Kade Pietrzak, Elijah Jeudy, the Cornhusker Marching Band's annual playing of the armed forces medley, and the four students in the inflatable T-rex costumes.

5 Areas for improvement

1. Blowing leads. Nebraska led by 15 points in the middle of the third quarter. A little while later, the game was tied. This was the fourth time Nebraska has squandered a lead of 10 points or more, allowing the opponent to tie or take the lead. That is a recipe for disaster that falls on the offense and defense.
2. Run busts. Overall, the Blackshirts did a very good job against Northwestern's running game (172 yards on 30 carries). But there were a few plays - notably, the 56-yard touchdown on third-and-two to tie the game - when the effort and execution were not great.
3. Controlling emotions. It was a chippy game from the first possession (when Roman Mangini was body-slammed after a Northwestern punt - no flag thrown, by the way). At one point, Dasan McCullough was blocked into the sideline fence. If he falls down, it's a 15-yard penalty on Northwestern. Instead, McCullough threw the player to the ground, which led to offsetting penalties. Right after the Williams return TD, Mehki Nelson threw a Wildcat to the ground on a kickoff that bounced through the end zone. Later in the game, Dane Key could have been called for a facemask after the whistle blew. Nebraska simply cannot afford to risk multiple 15-yard penalties.
4. Third downs. Before the final drive, the Huskers were just 3-10 on third down. Nebraska's execution on some of those plays - such as a high throw to Barney on a quick pass or receivers running their routes short of the sticks - left a lot to be desired. Credit to NU for coming through in the clutch, but there is room for improvement.
5. Officiating. Glass half full: I've been to nearly 225 games at Memorial Stadium and have never heard a stadium-wide chant of "Refs you suck" before. So, credit to the crew for inspiring something new. Glass half empty: pretty much everything else. The chippy play mentioned above? The officials could - and should - have shut that down early, but they were struggling with too many other things.

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