Three Things We Learned in Nebraska's 31-0 Win Over Rutgers

Man, winning feels good.

Nebraska tasted victory for the first time in 42 days with a 31-point road victory over Rutgers. The Huskers, now 6-4 (3-4 Big Ten), are bowl-eligible for the third straight year and enter their final two regular-season games with some much-needed momentum, though a few areas still need cleaning up.

Here are three things we learned from NU's shutout win Saturday afternoon.

1. Glenn Thomas Wanted to Run the Ball

Mekhi Nelson runs the ball against Rutgers. — Nebraska running backs ran a total of 22 times against Illinois. They had already totaled 16 rushing attempts in the first half against Rutgers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was apparent from the opening drive: under interim offensive play-caller Glenn Thomas, the Huskers wanted to run the football as much as the game allowed. They stuck to the plan, largely because it worked.

Against Illinois the week before, Nebraska's running backs carried the ball just 22 times for 115 yards and one score (5.2 yards per carry). By halftime against the Scarlet Knights, NU's running backs had already recorded 16 carries for 59 yards (3.7 yards per carry). More importantly, their emphasis on the ground was opening up other areas of the field.

Whether it was quarterback Anthony Colandrea or wide receiver Jacory Barney, the Big Red added another six rushing attempts, 66 yards, and a touchdown in the first half. NU also recorded six plays of 10-plus yards through the air before halftime.

Nebraska continued to run the ball effectively in the second half. The Huskers finished with 43 carries for 237 yards and two scores (5.5 yards per carry). I'd like to see them continue attempting to assert their will on the ground to end the year.

2. The Blackshirts Came Up Time and Time Again

Nebraska held Rutgers to just 143 total yards in Saturday's win. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I don't care who you're playing or how banged up they are; it's hard to hold a Big Ten team to zero points. Nebraska's defense, under newly extended defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, did just that.

Even so, the Blackshirts did much more. The Scarlet Knights had 11 offensive drives, and NU held them to just 143 total yards, an average of 13 yards per possession. The Blackshirts also recorded two interceptions and two sacks.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

It's hard to point to a single possession when the unit didn't play well. Even when Rutgers managed to put itself in scoring position, the Huskers made timely stops or forced turnovers to keep the Scarlet Knights off the board.

Despite being without starters Andrew Marshall, Dwayne McDougle, Owen Chambliss, and Anthony Jones, other players stepped up and helped the team win. Credit goes to Aurich for the defensive turnaround he's overseen. It's arguably the biggest reason NU is where it is at this point in the year.

3. Some Much-Needed Confidence Couldn't Have Come at a Better Time

Anthony Colandrea totaled 254 all-purpose yards and three scores against Rutgers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering Saturday's game, it was well documented that Nebraska had lost each of its last four contests. Even so, sitting at 5-4 (2-4 Big Ten), the Huskers had an opportunity to become bowl eligible for the third consecutive year. They accomplished that with the win, but more importantly, they seemed to regain some confidence along the way.

NU seemingly always had the talent to win. To be clear, I've taken the stance that Nebraska had the talent to be 10-0. Though they obviously aren't, having some confidence heading into a matchup with Ohio State should be a good thing for the Big Red.

While the Buckeyes are coming off a win themselves, defeating Northwestern 28-19 at home, Nebraska finally got the proverbial monkey off its back by clinching bowl eligibility Saturday afternoon. As much as this team may have fallen short of expectations to this point, it at least reached what many would consider the bare minimum.

Each of the three phases played better than the week before. NU's offense scored its most points since the Maryland game, its special teams connected on their lone field goal attempt and pinned Rutgers at its own 1-yard line, and the defense held an opposing offense to its fewest points all year.

It was a great win for the Big Red, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm looking forward to seeing if they can carry this momentum into a matchup with a Top 25 opponent next week.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following us on Twitter/X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Add us as a preferred source on Google