Where Do Huskers Stand Four Games Into the Season?

Loss to Michigan exposed some weaknesses, but also showed Nebraska can play with Big Ten powers.

Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. makes game-saving interception in fourth quarter against Cincinnati. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Part One of Two. Friday: Looking ahead at the rest of Nebraska’s schedule

When you look back at Nebraska’s first four games, were you surprised? Has the season played out as expected?

Are Huskers fans, realistically, satisfied with the 3-1 record? (Narrator: Fans almost everywhere aren’t satisfied.)

Let’s take a look back at Nebraska’s first four games and see if they offer clues to what might happen over the final eight games.

Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17

This was expected to be a tough game and it was. Cincinnati had the ball in the air heading toward the end zone to take the lead with 34 seconds left before defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. made a game-saving interception.

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— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 29, 2025

Besides the victory, the Huskers, significantly, won a one-score game. In 2024, Nebraska was 2-5 in one-score games, a statistic that leads to a 7-6 season record — but only if other things break your way.

Cincinnati gave the Huskers everything they could handle and want — a tough, physical game that could have gone either way. The Huskers got the win and the ugly trend was broken — at least for now.

Wins over Akron and Houston Christian

It’s impossible to calculate what these victories meant. Nebraska defeated Akron, 68-0, and defeated HCU, 59-7.

These games were glorified scrimmages. They lacked competition. They lacked grit. The Huskers showed up, flexed, and walked away with huge victories. Fans were happy.

Questions that lingered after the games: Do these blowout games help when the competition intensifies? How does beating up HCU, the 89th-ranked FCS team in the nation, help when Michigan comes to town?

Tremendous game vs. Michigan

When you’ve had a few days to dissect Nebraska’s 30-27 loss to the 21st-ranked Wolverines and to watch the game again, you are struck by several truisms.

1. Nebraska should have won the game.

2. Nebraska shouldn’t have won the game.

Over 60 minutes of football, so much happens that many games can draw the same conclusion. A play here, a play there, and it’s easy to figure that both teams should have won, or should have lost.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, moments after the loss, said there were plenty of positives his team could take from the game and that should help moving forward.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule talks with Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi before the Nebraska-Michigan game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

“Once all the sadness dissipates on our end, there’ll be a lot of things to build on,” said Rhule, whose team has a bye this week and plays Michigan State on Oct. 4 at Memorial Stadium.

“In terms of plays like that, plays where we jumped up and made a play, those are the building blocks of hopefully where we want to get to.”

That was the right thing to say, the coach thing to say. He’s right, too. There are positives. Nebraska slugged it out with a noted physical rival, one of the best programs in America most years.

Dylan Raiola, when he had time to throw, was superb. He completed 30-of-41 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns against the Wolverines. He also was sacked seven times and harassed another 70 times (it seemed). That is neither superb nor sustainable.

When he had pass protection, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was superb against Michigan. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

For Nebraska to have a successful rest of the season, it better protect Raiola … really protect him. Give him time to comfortably throw the ball.

Nebraska defensive shortcomings

Michigan ran 33 times for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Each of the touchdowns was on explosive runs and the Michigan players were barely touched.

Nearly 60 percent of Michigan’s rushing yards came on three touchdowns plays — runs of 37, 75 and 54 yards. That’s 166 yards of TD runs.

This should be a back-to-the-drawing-board wakeup call for the Huskers. How did this leaky run defense happen? How did Michigan run so wild through the traditionally tough and statistically sound Nebraska defense?

To make it worse for Nebraska, the Wolverines went on that devastating, 16-play, 77-yard drive in the fourth quarter. When time mattered the most, Michigan held the ball for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. The Wolverines kicked a chip-shot field goal for a 30-20 lead that iced the game. Eleven of the plays were runs. Red sirens should be blaring about the Huskers’ run defense.

Michigan running back Jordan Marshall runs against Nebraska linebacker Vincent Shavers Jr. (9) and defensive lineman Cameron Lenhardt during the fourth quarter. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Huskers linebacker Dasan McCullough noted after the loss that except for the three touchdown runs, the run defense wasn’t that bad. Yeah, but those touchdown runs … and that long drive … 

Nebraska’s running attack was not a factor, gaining 43 yards on 31 attempts, a sad 1.4 yards per carry. Running the football is a Nebraska foundation, and Michigan stopped it.

Now, two disturbing stats. The Huskers lost another one-score game. OK, they are 1-1 in one-score games in 2025, but you get the point. Also, the Hail Mary play makes the final margin look better for the Huskers.

The other disturbing stat: Nebraska has lost 28 consecutive games to ranked opponents. That almost sounds impossible from such a storied program. Beating Michigan might have changed the recent perception of Nebraska just not being good enough right now.

For now, that’s where the Huskers are. Eight games remain and the schedule no longer contains Akron or Houston Christian. All the remaining games are against Big Ten opponents. Nothing gets easier.

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