Six Storylines to Watch in Nebraska Football vs. Houston Christian

Another blowout may be on tap, but there is still plenty to watch for Nebraska on Saturday against Houston Christian. Here are six storylines to keep an eye on.

Dylan Raiola has been on a heater through the first two games of 2025. That is expected to continue against FCS foe Houston Christian on Saturday. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska football hosts Houston Christian on Saturday at 11 a.m. CDT on FS1. Below are six storylines to watch this weekend.

1. Nebraska's Dominant Start

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule is looking for a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season in Lincoln. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska dominated Akron last week, 68-0. That's the most offensive points in a game since 2012 against Idaho State and the first shutout since 2009.

Added with the season-opening victory against Cincinnati, the Huskers are 2-0 on the young year. The Big Red are looking to move to 3-0 for the second consecutive year under Matt Rhule, and just the third time in the last decade.

2. First-Ever Meeting & Non-Conference Streak

Nebraska is on its longest winning streak against non-conference opponents since the turn of the century. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska and Houston Christian have never met on the gridiron, and that includes when the Huskies went by Houston Baptist. HCU will be the 16th FCS opponent that NU has lined up against, with the Huskers 15-0 all-time in such games.

The most recent FCS foe was Northern Iowa in 2024. Nebraska won that game 34-3.

Houston Christian is a member of the Southland Conference, which is 0-3 against the Big Red. Nebraska has two wins over McNeese State and one against Nicholls.

Including the bowl game, Nebraska is on a three-game winning streak. A four-game streak would be the first since 2016. NU is also on a run of eight-straight non-conference wins since a stretch of 12-straight from 1999-01

3. Nebraska's Offensive Firepower

Dylan Raiola and Dane Key have connected for a TD in each game so far this season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska erupted for 728 yards of total offense against Akron, the eighth-highest total in school history. The last time the Huskers hit that mark was against FAU in 2014., when the Big Red totaled 784.

The 494 yards passing are the second-highest total in school history, trailing only the 519 yards against Kansas State in 2007. It was the 10th 400-yard passing game in program history and the first since 2018 against Wisconsin.

Through two games, Dylan Raiola has completed 78% of his passes for 607 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. His 20-consecutive completions from the end of the Cincinnati game to the beginning of the Akron game broke a school record that had stood since 1974. The four TDs he threw against the Zips were the first time a Husker QB had done so since Ryker Fyfe did so against Purdue in 2015.

Emmett Johnson has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. He's on pace for more than 1,400 rushing yards this season, which would be a top-10 rushing season in program history. Only one Husker has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in a season since Ameer Abdullah in 2014: Devine Ozigbo in 2018.

4. Nebraska's Defensive Prowess

Nebraska defensive lineman Ashton Murphy sacks Akron's Michael Johnson Jr. for a loss of 11 yards. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The first shutout for the Huskers since 2009 didn't need the starters to re-enter the game late to finish it off. Through eight quarters of play, the Blackshirts have held opponents to just 17 total points, all of which came in Kansas City from Cincinnati.

The Zips and the Bearcats had similar success throwing the ball against the Huskers. Nebraska is giving up just 65.5 passing yards a game so far, with no touchdowns through the air. Across the nation, only Minnesota, which has allowed a passing touchdown, is giving up fewer yards through the air.

5. Houston Christian's FCS Challenge

Work hard. Grind. Uphold The Standard 🤘#TheStandard#DawgsUp pic.twitter.com/LSl11t9D1a

— HCU Football (@HCUFootball) September 9, 2025

The Huskies enter the contest 1-1 and are in just the second year of the Jason Bachtel era. After back-to-back 7-3 seasons with Howard Payne in Division III, Bachtel and HCU went 5-7 in 2024.

Houston Christian is averaging 221.5 yards a game on the ground. That's an area of the game to be extra cognizant of on Saturday, with Nebraska allowing 172 rushing yards per game so far.

6. National Expectations

Odds for FBS vs. FCS games where expectations are a blowout are likely to come out on game day with massive lines. | Albert Cesare / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska was a 34.5-point favorite against Akron, eventually winning by 68 points. If a line comes out on game day, it will likely be north of 40 points.

As for ESPN Analytics, Nebraska has a 99% chance to win. The Huskers, and the nation, are expecting a win on Saturday to then put an undefeated start against the incoming Michigan Wolverines next week.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

• Aug. 28 Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17
• Sep. 6 Nebraska 68, Akron 0
• Sep. 13 vs. Houston Christian 11 a.m. FS1
• Sep. 20 vs. Michigan 2:30 p.m. CBS
• Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 11/2:30/3
• Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
• Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. 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. CBS

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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