Anthony Colandrea has spent three games showing Nebraska exactly what kind of quarterback it got: confident, edgy, and unafraid to make his presence felt.
That was on display again Saturday night against North Dakota. On Nebraska’s fourth snap from scrimmage, Colandrea broke left and kept going even as multiple defenders closed in.
He didn’t slide. He didn’t drift out of bounds.
He lowered his shoulder and met the hit head-on, then had words for the defender as he got back up.
That kind of edge is part of the package now. In front of 86,217 at Memorial Stadium, Colandrea’s swagger came through not just in that run, but in the way he carries himself, the way he talks, and the way he directs the offense.
Nebraska beat the Fighting Hawks 34-7, and the Huskers now move into the real test: a Big Ten opener at Michigan State next Saturday afternoon. That’s where Colandrea’s style may matter even more. Nebraska is going to need a quarterback who can settle things down, fire people up, and handle the pressure that comes with conference play.
Colandrea does plenty of talking beyond the field, too. He gets animated on the sideline with coaches, sometimes with his hands flying as he works through the game.
So far, the results have backed up the personality. Through Nebraska’s 3-0 start, Colandrea has shown he can command the huddle, run the offense, and occasionally turn a broken play into something useful. Against North Dakota, he completed 15 of 21 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.
He has also cleaned up one of the concerns that followed him to Lincoln. Before arriving at Nebraska, he had 29 interceptions in 33 career games.
This season, he has thrown one interception in three games. Overall, he is 53-of-77 passing for 692 yards and eight touchdowns.
At 6-foot, Colandrea is not the biggest quarterback on the field, but he makes up for it with improvisation. He can whip a sidearm throw around pressure, and he doesn’t shy away from tight windows.
He also brings something on the ground. He has rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries this season and 1,226 yards in his career.
That toughness showed up on the 3-yard run where he absorbed the hit instead of avoiding it. It may not have been the biggest play of the night, especially with true freshman Jamal Rule rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns and the defense keeping North Dakota in check. But it said plenty about Colandrea.
The Huskers will need that same edge in East Lansing, where the Big Ten schedule starts for real next Saturday at 4 o’clock. Nebraska’s offense, defense, and running game have all done their part, but conference wins usually come down to the quarterback.
And that’s the question now. How will Colandrea respond when the competition gets better, when the game tightens, when Nebraska faces real adversity on the scoreboard or on the field?
For now, the answer is simple: he hasn’t backed down from anything yet. In style and deed, this is who Anthony Colandrea is.
In Other News...
Nebraska Suddenly Faces Another Carter Nelson Concern
Nebraska spent part of its recent game against North Dakota watching two players head for the sideline early, with Carter Nelson and Jahsear Whittington both leaving because of injuries. The more notable concern is Nelson, who had to be helped off the field and was later spotted with a knee brace and crutches, a sign the situation could be more serious than a routine in-game tweak.
Matt Rhule has not offered specifics on either injury yet, leaving the Cornhuskers waiting for a clearer picture of what comes next. That silence only adds to the unease around Nelson, whose status will be one of the first things Nebraska wants answered when Rhule meets with reporters again. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Has A Few Rising Names And Some Troubling Week 3 Slips
Nebraskas latest blowout win over North Dakota brought another comfortable afternoon for the Cornhuskers, but it also sharpened the conversation around which players are making the most of their chances. Quinn Clark, Dwayne McDougle III and Owen Chambliss were among the names drawing attention for their recent work, the kind of positive momentum that tends to matter early in a season when roles are still taking shape and every snap carries a little more weight.
On the other side of the ledger, Cameron Lenhardt, Rex Guthrie and Tree Babalade were labeled as fallers after a quieter showing in Week 3, whether because of limited impact or not seeing much time on the field. None of that points to any confirmed shakeup in the roster, but it does underline the way Nebraska is sorting through usage as the season settles in, with some players clearly building cases and others needing a stronger response in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Is Fighting To Keep An In-State Four-Star Defender Interested
A familiar in-state recruiting priority was back on campus as Grand Island Central Catholic linebacker Owen Price made his first trip to Nebraska since the Huskers extended an offer. The 2028 four-star defender has already built relationships with defensive coordinator Rob Aurich and linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, a positive early sign for a program that always has to treat local prospects as must-get players when they start drawing wider attention.
Price is still early in his process, but he is weighing multiple schools and his fit on defense could take several shapes at the next level. He is playing EDGE in high school right now, yet he is open to different roles in college, and Nebraska will get another chance to keep pressing its case when he returns later this year. [Read more 🡒]