Missed Opportunities Haunt Nebraska in Loss to Southern Cal

Back in August, I made the analogy of Nebraska football fandom being a lot like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.*

*A not-so-humble brag: that August column is aging very, very well.

Saturday night's game against Southern Cal was the epitome of a Charlie Brown moment. The environment was unlike anything we've ever seen in Memorial Stadium. The vast majority of the 86,529 fans wore black and brought their A game.

Nebraska had the No. 23 Trojans near the ropes few times, but they couldn't decide what to do. Keep landing body blows? Go for a knockout punch? Call another timeout? Regardless, it felt like it was finally going to be the night where the Huskers would defeat their first ranked team in the last 29 tries. The moment where this team and fan base would be able to definitively declare to a national audience that Nebraska is back.

But once again, the ball was pulled away. The Charlie Brown Huskers went sailing through the night sky, landing square on their back with a collective "AAUGH!"

Now, we're left to figure out how, why, and where to go next.

Nebraska did not lose because of wasted timeouts, TJ Lateef, or a black jersey curse.*

*Although it is worth noting that the Huskers are now 0-5 in black.

Nebraska did not lose because the blackout environment was too much, because of distractions surrounding Matt Rhule's contract extension, or a mistake by any one player. You can argue they were too conservative and that they didn't run the ball enough.

The Huskers lost because they could not take advantage of opportunities. The men in black had multiple chances to seize control of the game. But Nebraska continually came up short - or shot themselves in the foot.

The Huskers had a good game plan, which they were following until fate (disguised as a hip drop tackle) threw a monkey wrench into the rest of the season.

Suddenly, a challenging November slate becomes a lot more daunting. It is easy to see a scenario where the football gets pulled away three or four more times. Personally, I see it as another opportunity. Can this team - now with a true freshman quarterback taking snaps - find a way to keep the season from skidding into the ditch?

Things I believe

That was a harsh way for the TJ Lateef hive to learn what we've been saying since September.

For weeks, whenever Raiola has taken a sack, thrown an interception, or otherwise struggled, there has been a group of fans who have begged and pleaded for TJ Lateef to get in the game.

Part of that is the old football cliché of the backup QB being the most popular guy on the team. A big part was Lateef's play in two nonconference games. For a true freshman, he looked really good. Confident, strong and accurate arm, and willing to tuck and run. This fanbase loves a mobile a quarterback and Lateef is faster and more elusive than Raiola.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef drops back to pass against USC. — Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef looks for a receiver against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

There were good reasons for Lateef's success against Akron and Houston Christian. First and foremost, those are not very good teams. Southern Cal, on the other hand, is good team. Also, Lateef likely knew ahead of time that he was going to play extended snaps in those nonconference games and was well-prepared to come in. Many people smarter than me tried to pump the brakes, but the Lateef bandwagon rolled on.

Against USC - seven weeks since his last game action - I'm guessing Lateef was not expecting to play. There are questions to be asked on just how much of the playbook Rhule and Dana Holgorsen trusted him to execute. Against a top 25 team - in likely the coldest game the California native has ever been a part of - he looked mortal.

Now, he has the opportunity to grab this team by the reins and lead them to the best finish in years.

Nebraska was unprepared for what to do without Dylan Raiola.

Let's start by saying that I loved Nebraska's offensive game plan in the first half. The Huskers were continuing the ground-based identity they showed a week ago against Northwestern: let Emmett Johnson be a workhorse, and have Raiola keep the sticks moving.

In the first 30 minutes, Johnson had 15 carries for 76 yards. Raiola threw it 13 times, completing 10. Add in few designed runs by Raiola and a carry by Isaiah Mozee, and the Huskers were running on nearly 60% of their first-half snaps.

Two first-half drives stalled out near midfield. On fourth-and-three and fourth-and-five, Rhule opted to punt and let the Blackshirts (and the 86,000 fans in black shirts, hoodies and jackets) go to work. Nebraska's game plan was to do what Minnesota had done to the Huskers a few weeks ago: play keep-away, frustrate and annoy. And it was working.

But then Raiola got hurt.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is sacked by USC. He would suffer a season-ending injury on the play. — Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is sacked by USC early in the third quarter. He suffered a season-ending injury on the play. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

True freshman TJ Lateef came in. Nebraska tried to stick with same game plan (Johnson had 14 carries in the second half), but there was one problem. USC did not respect Lateef's ability to throw the ball as well as Raiola. They routinely packed extra defenders in the box and said, "Hey kid, see if you can beat us."

Aside from a well-defended deep pass to Nyziah Hunter, Lateef's throws were all close to - or behind - the line of scrimmage. He finished 5-7 for a total of seven yards. His longest completion went for 11 yards. When your do-or-die final drive starts 96 yards away from the end zone with one timeout*, a bunch of short passes is unlikely to get it done.

*On a related topic, can anybody explain why Nebraska was continuing to huddle on their final drive? They ran just three plays in the first 70 seconds of the drive, gaining just 14 yards. Even if Johnson converts the fourth down, I feel like NU would have run out of time.

Nebraska went all-in on the blackout theme.

Let's give credit to Nebraska's athletic department for what they did with the blackout theme. They could have posted a "wear black on Saturday" message on their socials and called it a day.

Instead, they above and beyond to create a cool and fun environment. Black jerseys, black paint on the field, black balloons, the Cornhusker Marching Band in all-black with black wraps around their drums, black on the stadium graphics and signage, a large Blackshirts logo projected on Hamilton Hall, and more that I likely missed.

And we need to give a huge shoutout to the fans who clearly heard the seemingly constant reminders to wear black, and did so in large numbers. A few minutes before kickoff, I did a scan of the three sections of west stadium closest to my seats in north. In the heart of "blue hair" country, I saw 10 fans wearing something other than black. Six of them appeared to be under the age of 30.Give the "olds" their due for coming through.

At its core, a blackout is a gimmick. There was a time when Nebraska (and/or the fans) would have been "too good" to engage in such things. I like that Nebraska and the fans were willing to buy in and have fun. The atmosphere was tremendous.

I don't need a blackout every week (or even every year), but I guarantee we'll see it again.

Things I don't know

Why didn't Nebraska go for it on fourth-and-one?

At the top, we talked about missed opportunities. One of the biggest of the game came on Lateef's first drive. Nebraska had gained 20 yards, but had fourth-and-one at the USC 34. Initially, Heinrich Haarberg went under center in the tush push formation that Nebraska has shown multiple times this season.

To be honest, I had a little trepidation with that idea, because - as we discussed last week - Nebraska has struggled in fourth-and-short situations. It definitely did not feel like an automatic first down.

Rhule apparently felt the same way and called timeout (ask you likely know, it was the second of that drive). After the timeout, NU came out and attempted a 52-yard field goal. The kick hit the right upright and bounced to the turf. Five plays later, USC scored to tie the game at 14.

Had the field goal been closer - say in the 35–45-yard range - I would have been fine with taking the points to stretch the lead to 17-6. But 52 yards is no chip shot for the average college kicker. It would have time Kyle Cunanan's career long.

It tells me a lot that Nebraska - with a timeout to talk it over - felt better about a 52-yard field goal attempt than having a 230-pound former quarterback (or your All-Big Ten caliber running back) follow your two best offensive linemen (center Justin Evans and guard Rocco Spindler) in an attempt to gain approximately 36 inches.

Why does Nebraska struggle in the third quarter?

Here are Nebraska's scoring margins by quarter:

First quarter: +48 overall, +22 vs P4
Second quarter: +55 overall, +10 vs P4
Third quarter: -18 overall, -46 vs P4
Fourth quarter: +34 overall, +13 vs P4

Against power conference teams, Nebraska has scored a total of 21 points in the third quarter - 33% of which came on a kickoff return for a touchdown. The Huskers have been held scoreless five times in the third quarter.

Yikes.

NU's third-quarter woes are not limited to the offense. The Blackshirts have allowed 70 third-quarter points to Power 4 teams, 21 points more than any other quarter. The only time Nebraska has held a team scoreless in the third quarter this year was against Akron.

So, why is Nebraska coming out of the locker room on the struggle bus? It is not like the Huskers lack opportunities. Against USC, an out-of-bounds kickoff gave NU the ball at the 35. The offense gained seven yards and punted.

Nebraska defensive back Andrew Marshall grabs an interception in front of USC wideout Ja'Kobi Lane. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

On the next snap, Andrew Marshall intercepted a pass at the USC 34. Four plays later, Raiola fumbled while his leg was being broken. The pivotal fourth-down call came on Nebraska's next series.

One possible answer for the struggles that the other teams are making halftime adjustments and Nebraska is not. Maybe that is the issue, but it seems too simplistic. I don't buy that in every game, Nebraska has gone into the locker room and said "Doing great boys! No changes!" before spending the rest of the time scrolling on their phones. Adjustments are happening. The effectiveness of them is open for debate.

Bottom line: There's an old football joke* that currently applies to Nebraska, and it is costing them games.

*What's the difference between Nebraska and a dollar bill? You can get four quarters from a dollar.

Has Dylan Raiola taken his final snap in a Nebraska uniform?

Early in the third quarter, Dylan Raiola dropped back to pass. He did not see anybody open as the pocket started to collapse. Fans in the stands shouted at him to throw it away, but it was too late. A Trojan tackled Raiola awkwardly, bending him backwards. The replay didn't look good.

After a spending a few minutes in the medical tent, Raiola was on the sidelines throwing with Lateef and testing out his injured leg. His limp was visible from the north endzone. According to Matt Rhule, Raiola wanted to go back in the game, but Rhule refused.

That turned out to be a wise choice. Raiola was diagnosed with a fractured fibula and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

As I share my condolences for the injury and hopes for a full and speedy recovery, I cannot help but think: Was that his final snap in a Nebraska uniform?

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola looks for a target against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Before the injury, there was always possibility that he might choose to move on after the season. He isn't exactly beloved by a notable chunk of the fan base, plus the college football free agent market is likely to overpay for a former five-star QB with two years of good results. The injury may lower the asking price, but nothing else changes.

There is also a widely held opinion that if offensive line coach Donovan Raiola is not on staff in 2026 (fired or otherwise), Dylan would follow his uncle out the door. I've never bought into this theory. While I understand the power of family loyalty, does Dylan have more loyalty to his uncle or to the school his father loves? Besides, having been sacked 27 times in 8½ games, there's a part of me that believes Dylan wouldn't mind the chance to prove himself with better protection.

If I had to guess, I think Raiola is back with Nebraska in 2026. Regardless of what Lateef does in the final four games, or the recruiting/portal class, Raiola coming back would be a good thing for Nebraska.

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: 21-17

Is that a Huskerigami? No. It has happened eight times before. The first time was a 1965 road win over Oklahoma State. The most recent was the 2024 loss at Ohio State.

5 Things I loved

Emmett Johnson. Everybody in the stadium - including USC - knew that Johnson was going to get the ball early and often. But they could not stop him. Johnson had 29(!) carries for 165 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for an additional 15 yards. Carry number 29 (where is slipped on a do-or-die fourth down) was a bummer, but EJ is simply playing his heart out.
Husker fans. The Memorial Stadium crowd brought the juice Saturday night. The majority of fans stood the entire game and made a ton of noise. If NU could have pulled out the win, this game would be remembered as one of the great fan performances in a long, long time. Rest your voices and let's do it again for the Iowa game.
Pass defense. Jayden Maiava is a very good quarterback. Makai Lemon is the best of an extremely talented receiving corps. The Blackshirts held the Trojans to just 135 yards - 43 of which came on a flea flicker that was pretty well defended. Maiava was 9 of 23 with an interception.
Andrew Marshall. He got picked on, but he played a good game. His third-quarter interception should have led to Nebraska taking a commanding lead.
Javin Wright. Another big game (11 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup) for the guy who is making a case for the title of "best player on defense."

Honorable mention: Nyziah Hunter, Dane Key, Williams Nwaneri, Vincent Shavers Jr., Rex Guthrie, DeShon Singleton, Luke Linenmeyer, Dylan Raiola and Will Compton’s hype speech.

Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson rushes against USC. — Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson rushed for 165 yards against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

5 Areas for improvement

Run defense. USC ran for 202 yards and could have eclipsed 300 if Lincoln Riley had not been so stubbornly adamant about trying to throw it. NU's inability to stop teams on the ground is keeping this defense from being truly elite.
Timeouts. Matt Rhule with three timeouts is like a kid in a candy store with $20. You just know they will spend it as quickly as possible, and usually on the dumbest crap. I get being upset that Nebraska didn't get a flag in their favor. But what good was going to come from spending a timeout to argue with the ref? Unfortunately, Nebraska's final drive did not progress enough to where the wasted timeout was really a factor. But it added to the anxiety of the moment.
Inconsistent calls. There were three different plays on NU's first possession that would have been flagged for pass interference in other games. NU got away with the same level of contact on a few plays, which was good. I don't care if the standard is physical or no contact, as long as it is the same for both teams. But in the fourth quarter, the standard changed. DeShon Singleton drew a DPI flag which set up USC touchdown. Would it be flagged in most games? Yeah, probably. Was it DPI compared to other plays in this game? Not even close. That type of inconsistency is maddening.
Field goal unit. A 52-yard field goal is a very long attempt. Only 13 field goals in school history have been made from 52 yards or more, (including one by Kyle Cunanan in the season opener). It is by no means a "gimme" kick. But when a timeout is called, the offense is pulled off the field, and the field goal unit comes on, that kick needs to be made. Kyle Cunanan's kick was agonizingly close, but hit the upright.
Blackout shamers. To my knowledge, nobody handed out black trash bags or told a fan in red to leave. But after all of the faux tough guy talk, I would not have been shocked to hear that it happened. I'll say the same thing I said earlier in the week: Try bringing that same passion for maintaining the Sea of Red the rest of year.

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