For Nebraska, Moral Victories Hurt Just the Same

Moral victories are hollow and at the end of the day — and especially the next morning — they still hurt.

Nebraska had to grab a moral victory Saturday afternoon against Michigan because that’s all that remained. A real victory eluded the Huskers, 30-27 losers to No. 21-ranked Michigan.

With a chance to defeat a ranked team for the first time since 2016, Nebraska didn’t blink, but didn’t win, either.

With coach Matt Rhule on the verge of the biggest victory of his coaching career, Nebraska went shot for shot, big play for big play with Michigan.

Final. pic.twitter.com/VmdEz2hWGc
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) September 20, 2025

Quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns — no easy task when he was constantly harassed by Michigan defenders. The Huskers completed a 52-yard Hail Mary to Jacory Barney at the end of the first half to go into the locker room tied at 17.

Still, it wasn’t enough. None of it was.

Too much Michigan ground attack

The Wolverines’ running game was too much for the Huskers to handle. Whether that shortcoming is fixable, we’ll see as the season progresses.

Michigan running back Jordan Marshall ran for a touchdown against Nebraska on Saturday. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Michigan went on a a 16-play drive in the fourth quarter that ate up a precious 8 minutes, 46 seconds of the clock and resulted in 21-yard field goal that gave the Wolverines a 10-point lead with less than 6 minutes to play.

Michigan gained 286 yards on the ground and scored on three long touchdown runs.

“Just too many big plays to win a football game like that,” Rhule said after the game.

Dealing with this loss might not be easy, but as soon as the Huskers accept it and move on — easier said than done — the season’s possibilities still await.

"We're gonna play. This is why you come to the University of Nebraska...

We're playing great defense other than 2 plays."@HuskerFootball's Matt Rhule with our @JennyDell_ pic.twitter.com/cCGMBIuytw
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 20, 2025

In a world of expanded college playoffs, one loss — no matter how bitter — does not eliminate a team. Nebraska’s goals are out there, still attainable. This is not the time to overreact.

Maybe beating blue-blood Michigan and regaining an exalted place among college football royalty was a step too far and too soon for Nebraska.

Moving forward for the Huskers

So, now what?

That certainly is the question of the day … and the next two weeks.

Basing any season’s assessment on one game is short-sighted and not smart. You can’t formulate a definitive case study off of one football game. You also can’t get a predictive model from one game to look into the future and see what’s in store for the Huskers.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has two weeks to get his team ready for its next game, against Michigan State. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The loss doesn’t mean Nebraska is headed for another 7-6 season. Had the Huskers won, it wouldn’t have meant they were going to finish 11-1. A sensible approach to looking at the rest of the Huskers’ season is to accept the outcome for what it is — one game.

Sensible, and wise, too.

Neither fans nor the media can determine what Nebraska’s loss means. No one can, really. The Huskers’ destiny probably lies in the next few days, during the bye week, when they regroup.

Will this loss — in a winnable game — haunt them and damage their psyche? Will the good feelings of the first three games be washed away in self-doubt?

Or, will the Huskers bounce back? Will they recognize they could have won the darn game, learn from why they didn’t and come back more determined and with more fighting spirit?

This is when a head coach truly earns his keep. The team probably is fragile at this moment. Hurting, too.

What a tackle for @HuskerFootball 😤 pic.twitter.com/urXeZiyPzN
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 20, 2025

Rhule’s job now isn’t necessarily to tweak some X’s and O’s — although that would help in certain areas. Rhule has to sell the season’s most important message to his coaching staff and players: It was just one game. Get over it.

If everyone in the program wakes up disappointed and angry on Sunday morning — if they got much sleep on Saturday night — go with it. Remember that feeling immediately after the game, in the locker room and when you woke up.

🎙️ Postgame from Lincoln https://t.co/JnHokoTojP
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) September 20, 2025

Focus those feelings into the work at hand. First, a bye week, then a home game against Michigan State. Losing isn’t therapeutic, nor does it define a moral victory.

“We battled ... but it wasn’t enough,” Rhule said.

The Huskers lost a physical, hard-fought game. This one will hurt the Huskers deep into the night. Nebraska’s job now is to do everything it can to prevent it from happening again.

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