HuskerMax Season Sim: Nebraska, Cincinnati Combine for 93 Points in Opener

Exactly six weeks from the release of this article, we'll officially be recapping Nebraska's season opener against Cincinnati.

That fact makes it all the more fitting that we start the journey of our HuskerMax simulated season via EA Sports College Football 26. If this is your first read on our simulation series, I helped set the stage for the season simulation HERE. The biggest notes to know, quarters are 10 minutes due to no time runoff between plays, and all other settings are completely neutral. What happens on the field is how EA Sports rated the teams to perform.

As we all know, the Huskers and Bearcats will do battle in Kansas City inside Arrowhead Stadium, but when it comes to the world of a college football video game -- EA Sports kept Cincinnati as the true home game for the contest, so to Ohio we go for this one!

The Bearcats enter the contest after a heartbreaking end to their 2024 campaign. After starting the year 5-2, Cincinnati lost five-straight games and ended up missing the chance at a bowl game. Considering the Bearcats haven't been on the field since November 30 of last year, it's safe to say they're hungry to get the bitter taste out of their mouths -- and it showed.

Cincy shot out of a cannon in this one. Just a minute and a half into the game, the Bearcats carved up the Husker defense to get to the NU 23-yard line. That's when redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby found a wide open Caleb Goodie across the middle. Goodie took it in the rest of the way to give the home team an early 7-0 lead.

Nebraska's first drive of the game couldn't have gone in the more opposite direction. After just a one-yard gain on first down, sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola dropped back and couldn't escape redshirt junior Cam Roetherford, who wrapped up Raiola for the game's first sack.

However, after punting the ball away, the Blackshirts returned the favor. On a 3rd & 6, Deshon Singleton shed a block to bring down Sorsby and force a Cincinnati punt.

The defense quickly turned to offense for the Huskers as Raiola connected with Emmett Johnson out of the backfield for Nebraska's first touchdown. The 4-yard touchdown knotted things up at 7 apiece.

Just one minute later, and Cincinnati's knocking on the door yet again. From just a few yards out, Sorsby turned and handed it off to fifth-year senior running back Tawee Walker who trotted into the endzone untouched. The Bearcats regain the lead, 14-7.

In the second quarter, Raiola once again had an answer, and again it's through the air. The Husker sophomore threaded the needle through the middle of the Cincinnati defense to find sophomore wideout Jacory Barney Jr. The 32-yard connection locked the teams back up in a 14-14 tie.

At the midway point of the second quarter, this game officially became a shootout. Sorsby lifted the top off the Husker defense by airing out a 50-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Evan Pryor. If you're new Nebraksa defensive coordinator John Butler, now would be the time to head back to the drawing board.

After a Nebraska 3-and-out, Cincinnati looked to create some separation, and they did so by going back to the ground with Walker. He walked in for his second rushing touchdown of the first half to open up a commanding two-score lead over Nebraska.

This is where the game gets really fun. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Raiola shows off his arm strength by finding a wide open Nyziah Hunter for an 85-yard touchdown pass. The TD marks the first of the year for the Cal transfer and brings the Huskers back within 7.

With just two minutes remaining in the half, Nebraska's defense found itself in desperate need of a stop to get the ball back in Raiola's hands. The Blackshirts met the occasion head on, as a Sorsby pass gets tipped at the line of scrimmage and is eventually intercepted by senior linebacker Javin Wright. The Huskers were back in business.

Just 40 seconds later, it's Raiola taking to the air again. He boots left and connects with Hunter for his second receiving touchdown of the day, and just like that, Nebraska was back in it. The two teams ended up going into the halftime locker room all square at 28.

The second half started off much like the first -- with a Cincinnati touchdown. This time, it's Walker getting the handoff for his third goal line touchdown on the night. The Bearcats jump back out in front, 35-28.

Nearing the midway point of the third quarter, it's back to the air for the Dana Holgorsen-led Nebraska offense. Raiola goes top shelf for Barney, Jr., and he takes it the rest of the way for a 76-yard touchdown grab. The game is tied again -- this time at 35.

The Blackshirts stood firm on the next Cincinnati possession, and had a chance to drive down and take their first lead of the game. With a little more than two minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Nebraska couldn't convert a short 3rd-and-Goal opportunity from the Bearcat 1-yard line, so NU tacked on a short field goal to go up 38-35.

The Nebraska defense again stepped up in a clutch moment, recording a 3-and-out of the Cincy offense. With a 3-point lead and the ball, Nebraska finally created a bit of its own separation. From 34 yards out, Raiola hit a crossing Barney, Jr. who made the grab and turned on the afterburners. Barney, Jr. sped off and into the endzone to give Nebraska its first double-digit lead of the night.

To the 4th Quarter we go, and Cincinnati finds a way to claw back into it. The Bearcats drive down the field and punch through a short field goal to make it 45-38. The Bearcats then proceeded to get a huge stop of the Husker offense, forcing them to punt. On the ensuing possession, with just 1:22 left in the game, Sorsby heaved it up and senior receiver Cyrus Allen comes down with it for the touchdown. The extra point ties everything back up at 45 apiece.

With just a little over a minute left in the game, Raiola was thrust into a career-defining moment in Week 1 of the season. After only a 5-yard gain on first down, Raiola decided to use his feet in a major way. After seeing nobody open downfield, Raiola tucked it and ran for an 18-yard first-down run. More importantly, the run got Nebraska into field goal range.

With just 17 seconds left in the game, Nebraska lined up for a 48-yard field goal attempt to take the lead, and the kick went right down the middle! Nebraska took the late 48-45 lead!

With just seconds left on the clock, Cincinnati wasn't able to get down the field fast enough to attempt their own field goal, and the Huskers escaped with a 48-45 win to start the 2025 season.

Are you breathing heavy...or is it just me? I know it's a video game, but if the real version of this game comes even remotely close to this, we'll all need to take the following Friday off of work to recover. The Huskers get the W, and there were certainly some video game-like stats that came from this.

Jacory Barney Player of the Week — Jacory Barney Jr. earns Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after his monstrous performance against Cincinnati in EA Sports College Football 26. | EA Sports College Football 26

Jacory Barney Jr. ended up with a monstrous game, surpassing 200 yards on 11 receptions for three touchdowns. As for the guy throwing him the football, Raiola threw for 481 yards in the shootout, completing a jaw-dropping 44 of his 47 passes for six touchdowns. Obviously...this is a video game for a reason..so certainly some video game numbers to start the year! If Raiola does that in real life, they just as well hand him the Heisman Trophy now.

Nebraska also tallied 161 yards on the ground on 43 rushing attempts (an average of just 3.7 yards per rush) and zero touchdowns. Cincinnati, at least virtually, contained the Nebraska rushing attack in week one, although Johnson did pull in a receiving score early.

Ultimately, Nebraska won't have to play that game in Ohio, so the home-field advantage that certainly played a factor in the simulation won't be the case come Aug. 28. Nonetheless, the HuskerMax simulation is off and running, and the Huskers are 1-0 despite giving up 45 points to Cincinnati.

On July 25, we'll simulate the remainder of Nebraska's non-conference schedule, which includes home games against Akron and Houston Christian (relegated to FCS Midwest in the game). Here's to the heart rate slowing down relatively soon. See ya in a week!

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

Aug. 28 (Thursday) vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN
Sep. 6 vs. Akron 6:30 p.m. CDT on BTN
Sep. 13 vs. Houston Christian 11 a.m. CDT on FS1
Sep. 20 vs. Michigan 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS
Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 11/2:30/3 CDT
Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. CDT on FOX
Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CST on CBS

Home games are bolded.

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