Better Than an Easy Blowout? Dave Feit’s View of Nebraska’s Uneven Opener

Despite the four-touchdown victory margin over Ohio, the Huskers should be well aware there's plenty of room for improvement.

Mekhi Nelson scores during the fourth quarter of Saturday's scorching-hot opening game against the Ohio Bobcats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What does the ideal first game of the season look like?

If you could script every play in the Nebraska-Ohio game, control every single outcome, what would you draw up?

Initially, my mind went to a 70-0 blowout. Let the starters play for a half, empty the benches and get the underclassmen some reps. I suspect many Husker fans would agree. No mess, no stress, and we'll see you next week!

But here's the thing: I think Nebraska got more out of their 49-21 win than they would have from a dominating blowout.

The Cornhuskers faced some true adversity in this game. The very first play went for 68 yards. The Huskers trailed after one quarter and had their lead cut to seven points early in the fourth quarter. The offense sputtered at times. The defense gave up four scoring drives. Special teams had some shaky plays as well. NU made some dumb mistakes, shooting themselves in the foot multiple times. Nobody in red had that in their script.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule on the sideline during Saturday's season opener. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Huskers also did a bunch of things right. The running backs were impressive. The receivers made plays. After allowing 10 points in the first quarter, the defense tightened up and gave up 11 the rest of the game. As a whole, the team focused on their execution and the desired results followed.

There was a lot for fans to be excited about, and there are no shortage of things for the coaches to address this week. And while there were some tense moments, a 28-point win shouldn't set off any alarm bells.*

*As is our first-game tradition, I strongly encourage you to not overreact to anything you saw on Saturday - good or bad.

Was it - all in all - an ideal first game? Assuming Nebraska escaped relatively injury-free, it would check a lot of the ideal boxes. I saw Jamir Conn leave the game in the fourth quarter holding his shoulder, but overall, it was a pretty good opener.

Except for the heat. That was definitely less than ideal.

Things I believe

After an inauspicious start, the Aurich defense played well.

On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage with new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, Ohio completed a ridiculously easy pass that went for 68 yards (setting up a touchdown). The play appeared to be a coverage (or communication) bust - the type of thing that should be easy to correct. But that's not how anybody wanted to start.

Other than the first play, Ohio's longest gain on the day was a 20-yard reception at the end of the first quarter. That's about the time the Blackshirts started to settle in. After allowing 136 yards (on 12 plays) in the first quarter, the defense allowed 52, 44, and 71 yards in the final three quarters.

Aside from one big pass play, Ohio's Nick Poulos frustrated the Huskers the most with his legs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I was especially encouraged by Nebraska's run defense. If we take out the scramble yards by quarterback Nick Poulos, the Bobcats ran the ball 20 times for 62 yards with a long carry of nine yards. The ability to stop the run is a critical key to Nebraska's season.

Of course, we can't completely ignore those scramble yards. The defense's most glaring weakness Saturday was a lack of pressure on the quarterback. Poulos was sacked just once and was usually able to find an escape route for positive yards. Most of Poulos's 70 rush yards came from running around the guys who were supposed to contain him. That's no good.

But otherwise for a first game, it was an encouraging start.

I'm encouraged by what I saw from Anthony Colandrea (and I'm going to play my one Dylan card for the season).

I have a proposal. Every fan, media member, and/or random internet writer gets to make one (1) Dylan Raiola to Anthony Colandrea comparison this year. And once you've used it, you don't get to mention Raiola until Nebraska travels to Eugene. Deal?

I'm going to use mine in the form of a question: How many sacks would Nebraska have allowed Saturday if Raiola had been the quarterback?

Ohio applied a concerning amount of pressure on Colandrea throughout the game. Colandrea was able to move the pocket, extend plays with his feet, and scramble for positive yards that likely would have ended in sacks (or throws out of bounds) a year ago. Colandrea's 23 rushing yards is already 110 ahead of Raiola's total from 2025 (-87 yards).

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea takes a snap during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colandrea showed a strong arm on most of his throws, and his 56% completion rate was hindered by several dropped passes. I saw that Pro Football Focus rated Colandrea to have zero turnover-worthy plays. While I disagree with that assessment, he did protect the ball and avoided a lot of glaring mistakes.

You may remember that Raiola always played well in the non-conference, so I'll temper my enthusiasm a little bit until I see Colandrea shine against Big Ten competition. But as expected, Colandrea appears to be a much better fit for the offense that Rhule and Dana Holgorsen want to run.

That was the hottest game I've ever been to.

In my life, I've been to around 225 Nebraska games at Memorial Stadium. In over 20 of those, the temperature was 90 degrees or warmer.* I was at the San Jose State game in 2000, where the actual temperature (not "feels like") topped 100 degrees* but I don't have any lasting memories of that game being unbearable.

*Last year, I collaborated with a meteorologist from the National Weather Service on an informal project. I sent him a list of Nebraska's game dates and kickoff times. He sent me either the high temperature or the peak temp during the game. His data for the San Jose State game was 106 degrees.

Before Saturday, I would have said the hottest game I've attended was the 2021 Buffalo game (high of 97 degrees). That one was a scorcher, but it takes a back seat to the 2026 Ohio game.

The box score says it was 91 degrees at the 11 a.m. kickoff. But the sun was unrelenting and anything resembling a breeze was elusive. The temperature on the turf exceeded 145 degrees (the approximate internal temperature of a steak cooked medium-well). It was hot.

I’m not going to lie. It was miserable at times. I took out a second mortgage on my house to buy enough Gatorade to stay somewhat hydrated.

I don't know how many people in and around the stadium were treated for heat-related issues, but I'm sure it was a lot. Hats off to the Red Cross, Lincoln Fire and Rescue, and everybody else who helped to keep the crowd safe.

Things I don't know

Were all of us wrong about Nebraska's running back situation?

"And when we look at the running back room, we believe in those guys, and we're gonna roll with them."

Matt Rhule said those words in January. The collective reaction from fans and media was a side-eyed "Are you sure about that? Really?" Throughout the offseason, many pundits expressed their concerns with Nebraska's running back room (including yours truly). Nebraska should have found a starter in the portal! The returning guys are too inexperienced! The depth chart has more "OR"s than a rowing crew!

But Rhule and his staff stood firm in their belief. Through one game, their confidence was justified.

Freshman Jamal Rule was the star of the game, rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns, as well as catching two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. Mekhi Nelson ran for 64 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes, gaining 65 yards and scoring once. Isaiah Mozee had only six carries (for 31 yards), but he set the tone with a 24-yard carry on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in 2026.

True freshman Jamal Rule's first game was one to remember. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All told, the running backs combined for 329 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. That'll work.

Obviously, it would be foolish to make any definitive statements after one game against a MAC team. But I - and many others - will gladly eat crow if the backs can continue that level of play.

Should we be worried about dropped passes?

I couldn't find an official stat on the number of passes dropped by Husker players Saturday. I recall at least five throws from Colandrea that hit the turf after hitting the receiver in the hands. Kwazi Gilmer had three that I recall.

One of Gilmer's drops came over the middle when it appeared he was bracing for an impending collision with the safety. There was a drop in the second half where Colandrea threw a 95 mph fastball to a player standing all alone in the flat. I can give grace on those. But many others were balls that absolutely should have been caught.

Overall, I'm not worried about dropped passes. I have confidence in Nebraska's wide receivers (and in WRs coach Daikiel Shorts Jr.) Hopefully, when we look at back at this in November it is a nothing-burger and not a harbinger of doom.

Is there a middle ground with announcing the single-digit players?

A quick background: One of the things Rhule brought to Nebraska* is a policy of awarding the higly coveted single-digit uniform numbers to the players who are voted the "toughest" by their teammates.

*During Rhule's weekly press conference he said "I invented single digit numbers." I know what he meant, but his unintentional misstatement made me laugh.

On paper, I love the idea. Done correctly, the single-digits foster a culture of toughness and competition, while demonstrating that things are earned instead of given.

But in reality, the single digit thing has jumped the proverbial shark in the first three years. There has been a lot of breathless speculation from fans and media on who would earn them, pushback when a player wearing one of them had a bad game (or in the case of Jeff Sims, a rough season), questions on why offensive linemen can't have them*, or wondering if a certain quarterback would change his NIL empire if he was voted in. Personally, I've wondered if the digits were truly going to the toughest players, or if it was more of a best players popularity contest or a de facto captaincy vote.
*NCAA rules state that offensive linemen must wear a number between 50-79. Personally, I believe - and have previously written - that NU should set aside a jersey number from one of their Outland Trophy winners (50, 67, 71, 72, and 75) or a tough S.O.B. like Jake Young to use to honor linemen like Justin Evans who received the most votes on the team.

The Huskers' eleventh-hour single-digit reveal left fans guessing. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Presumably with this in mind, Rhule said Nebraska would not publicly announce the single-digit winners prior to the game. Instead, it would "be a surprise." In theory, I like this approach. The single digits should be something that has greater meaning for the team than it does to the average fan. I think it was a misstep for Nebraska to overly hype them up in the first few years. It's okay if the team keeps some things in-house without feeding the content and hype machines.

But the reality was the numbers weren't known until the players came out for warmups Saturday morning. And there was a ripple effect as the numbers previously worn by a single-digit guy are snatched up by other players.*

*Nyziah Hunter was awarded the 1 jersey. His previous number (13) was then grabbed by Mekhi Nelson. I was very confused when I thought Hunter was lined up at running back. Thankfully, nobody took Nelson's old number (35). Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer was awarded 8. Another tight end named Luke (Sorensen) took over Lindenmeyer's 44.

For those who like to spend some time figuring out who is wearing what number before the game starts, it was a bit of a confusing day not really knowing who was who. I can't imagine how tough it was for the announcers.

Going forward, I hope we can find a middle ground where the single digits are awarded without any public fanfare or hype videos AND fans can have access to a complete roster more than 90 minutes before kickoff.

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: 49-21

Is that a Huskerigami? No. It has happened three times before. The first time was a 1950 win over Kansas State. The most recent occurrence was a win at Baylor in 1997. Ahman Green rushed for 158 yards and four touchdowns.

5 Things I loved

1. Jamal Rule. One of the most impressive freshman debuts by a Husker. 169 total yards and three touchdowns accumulated with speed, burst, power, and soft hands. During camp, Rule talked about his new hobby saying "My peace is bowling." On a fourth-and-one Rule bowled over several Bobcats and almost scored. How did he celebrate his big game? You guess it. He and his family went bowling. Husker fans, meet your new favorite player.
2. Anthony Colandrea. Showed nice acceleration on his touchdown run, good touch on a sideline throw to Gilmer when the Huskers were backed up by the goal line, and generally put the offense in a position to be successful. I'm excited to see what he can do the rest of the season.
3. Mekhi Nelson. Rule stole the show, but don't sleep on Nelson's impressive day. 129 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Nelson is a good runner between the tackles, but I continue to be impressed with his hands as a receiver. Also, Nelson's impression of Rule's excitement before the game is required viewing.
4. Dexter Foster. There are several defenders - new and returning - who deserve consideration for this spot, but I'm going with Foster, a linebacker transfer from Oregon State. He was very active and always around the ball, finishing with five tackles, a pass broken up, and team-high three quarterback hurries.
5. Jacory Barney Jr. Barney is at his best when he's in punt return mode, where he can see the field and move to daylight. Nebraska was able to get him the ball in space three times - a pop pass on third-and-11 inside the red zone, a completion over the middle, and a simple checkdown that he took for 16 yards, cutting back against the grain. He looked like a big play waiting to happen every time he touched the ball.

Honorable mention: Frank Solich, Rex Guthrie, Kwazi Gilmer, defensive tackles as fullbacks, Vincent Shavers, Donovan Jones, John Hohl, Jamir Conn, Luke Lindenmeyer, Riley Van Poppel, Dawson Merritt, the guy who has to clean Jahsear Whittington's puke off the turf, the Red Cross, EMTs, and other stadium safety workers, and the 20 new United States citizens who were naturalized on the field after the game.

Mekhi Nelson was part of a platoon of unproven running backs that delivered. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

5 Areas for improvement

1. Red zone defense. Ohio entered the red zone twice and came away with points both times. This means it has now been one year since Nebraska last stopped an opponent from scoring in the red zone. (A blocked field goal versus Akron on Sept. 6, 2025).
2. Penalties. Some first-game sloppiness is to be expected, but NU hurt itself with penalties, especially in the first half. Nyziah Hunter lost a 57-yard touchdown because of an illegal blindside block (more of a shove in the back than a Kenny Bell hit). A facemask on third-and-eight extended an Ohio scoring drive. I can't recall ever seeing two offside penalties on kickoffs.
3. Kickoff returns. I get it. A return man wants to make a big, splashy play to answer the points the defense just allowed. And a guy like Nyziah Hunter is absolutely capable of making such a play. But if you bring the ball out from the goal line, you had better get to the 25 - aka, the spot they'll give you for doing absolutely nothing. After starting up the east sideline, Hunter attempted to reverse his field to the west - with a detour toward the north end zone. He was tackled at the 8.
4. Road construction. I didn't hear any horror stories from out-of-town fans who were stuck in one of the numerous road projects in and around Lincoln. While I will always advocate for better roads, I question how much coordination occurred between the City of Lincoln (downtown projects) and the state of Nebraska (interstate projects) on the timing of their construction plans - and the impact it would have on game day commuters.
5. Concession sales in the stands. After Nebraska's switch to a new concessions vendor a year ago and the move to a cashless stadium, vendors hawking their wares in the stands are hard to find. The situation becomes dangerous during a day with extreme heat when folks need some liquids (even at $6 a bottle) but might not feel good enough to walk to the nearest concession stand and wait in line. I saw only one person in the stands selling waters - in the west stadium midway through the fourth quarter after 95% of the crowd had left. Hire some extra staff, make more money, and help keep people safe.

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