Huskers Look to Return to Former Dominance in Season Openers

The Nebraska football program will look to extend its season-opener streak to three, with hopes of returning to their former identity

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule talks to his team as the Huskers' season opener gets closer. | Nebraska Athletics

From 1986 through 2014, the Nebraska Cornhuskers dismantled opponents who were unfortunate enough to kick their season off against the college football blue-blood. Nebraska held the longest streak in the country at that time with 29 consecutive victories to start a season. The streak produced a point differential of plus-915 and an average margin of victory of 31.6 points.

A visual representation of how dominant the Huskers were in their season opener win streak from 1986-2014 | Alex Kopf | HuskerMax

Then the BYU Cougars, led by future NFL utility man Tayson Hill, changed that with a last-second Hail Mary to knock off Nebraska and end their nation-leading streak.

Since then, the Cornhuskers haven’t really found their footing in season-opening contests. Nebraska has gone an even 5-5 since BYU's prayer was answered, including four straight losses to start a year from 2020 to 2023. 

Though Nebraska teams have been littered with talent throughout the years, it is safe to say that criticism or praise will normally fall on the quarterback any given day. You hear the names like “Eric Crouch”, “Taylor Martinez”, and “Scott Frost” and your mind automatically takes you back to one memory that probably had Nebraska coming out on top.

On the flip side, Nebraska hasn’t seen a three-year starter under center since Adrian Martinez in 2021. In the four seasons since, six different players have started three games or more. The quarterback carousel is one of many reasons for the season-opener inconsistency.

The Raiola Effect

With hopes and dreams of Nebraska returning to its former football glory slowly disintegrating for lifelong fans, five-star recruit Dylan Raiola showed flashes of hope for Husker fans, including their teeth clenching 20-17 win over Cincinnati last season at Arrowhead Stadium. 

But as many players do in this day and age of NIL, Raiola left for “bigger and better” things, while remaining in the conference as an Oregon Duck. And boy did he make sure Nebraska fans knew about it, with remarks including “Oregon has much more talent here” when asked about the differences between the two. 

Run the Ball. Stop the Run.

At Big Ten Media Days in late July, head coach Matt Rhule mentioned the importance of getting off to a good start. He has emphasized that Nebraska can't overlook its nonconference opponents and needs to establish its identity early in the season.

That theory will be tested right away against a stubborn Ohio rush defense that allowed just over 140 yards per game, placing them 45th in the country in rush yards allowed. On the other side of the ball, Nebraska sat in the 104th notch with 183.3 rush yards allowed per contest.

The revamped defense will need to get hats to the football and keep their gap integrity on rushing plays, with the Bobcats from Ohio ending the 2025 season in 10th place for rushing yards per game in the country with 220.6 YPG. 

When looking at what Anthony Colandrea brings to the table in comparison to previous starters, the athleticism is clearly in his favor. With 33 total touchdowns and 10 of those coming with his legs, Colandrea is much more of a threat to hurt you on the ground if he needs to. 

Anthony Colandrea looks for a receiver during the 2026 Red-White Spring Game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Colandrea has a shared history with Ohio, as the Bobcats defeated UNLV (his team at the time), 17-10 in the 2025 Frisco Bowl. Ohio’s defense gave Colandrea struggles in key situations, including two sacks, an interception in the red zone, and a lost fumble. 

Like most season openers, the Sept. 5 matchup between the Huskers and Bobcats should be an eye-opening experience in one way or another for Nebraska fans eager to see how the fourth season under Rhule will go. 

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