For a while on Saturday, Anthony Colandrea had Memorial Stadium buzzing like Nebraska was finally about to flip the script.
Then came the ending nobody in Lincoln wanted. Indiana, the defending national champion, stormed back for a 20-17 win after Nebraska had taken a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead on Colandrea’s scramble into the end zone - one of the most electric plays this stadium has seen in years.
The loss was another painful chapter for a fan base that has lived through far too many of them. But the bigger takeaway from Colandrea’s day wasn’t the heartbreak at the finish. It was the reminder that Nebraska finally has a quarterback who can change the temperature of a game in a single snap.
Colandrea isn’t clean or polished every time out. He misses throws.
He can hold the ball too long. He can turn a scramble into a full-blown adventure.
But then he does the kind of thing that tilts a stadium on its axis - slips out of a collapsing pocket, salvages a dead play for a first down, or races into the end zone while 90,000 people lose their minds.
That’s why Common Fan co-host Matt Owens has been so bullish on him since the offseason. After the Indiana game, he put it simply: "He's giving you a fighting chance, guys."
That line captures the appeal. For much of the last decade - and really, maybe 15 years - Nebraska has too often looked fragile when the moment got heavy.
One bad break, and the whole thing seemed ready to collapse. Colandrea changes that feeling.
When a play breaks down, there’s still hope. When it’s third down and everything tightens, there’s at least a chance he creates something with either his arm or his legs.
And when the moment gets big, he doesn’t seem to shrink from it.
There’s also a reason so many Nebraska fans keep coming back to the idea of a mobile quarterback. The school’s history gives them plenty of evidence. Colandrea’s ability to run makes him dangerous enough already, and when you add the passing element in Dana Holgorsen’s offense, the ceiling gets a lot more interesting.
But the value goes beyond the highlight plays. His energy stands out.
So does his competitiveness. So does the way the team appears to feed off him.
Nobody is saying he’s already in the class of Nebraska’s great quarterbacks. But he does seem to bring some of the same traits: leadership, confidence, and an edge that spreads.
If Nebraska looks back years from now and points to 2026 as a turning point, Colandrea could have a real part in that. Not just because of his talent, but because he helped shift the mindset around him.
That said, the Indiana game also made one thing clear: the spectacular stuff isn’t enough by itself. Nebraska still has to handle the routine plays.
The offense has work to do. Saturday was proof that fireworks alone won’t finish the job.
Even so, the Huskers gave Indiana all it could handle. Nebraska outgained the Hoosiers, controlled the clock, and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter.
This wasn’t a team hanging around and hoping for a break. It looked like a team that belonged there.
Colandrea was a major reason why.
Now the challenge is obvious. Nebraska has to turn performances like this into wins, starting with Oregon and moving through the rest of the Big Ten schedule.
Talent and promise are nice. They don’t guarantee anything.
But the Huskers showed they can go toe-to-toe with the best. The next step is turning that into a result that actually sticks.
For the first time in a while, Nebraska has a quarterback who makes every touch feel dangerous in the best possible way. And right now, that may be exactly what this program needs.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Got More Momentum From A Huge Recruiting Weekend
Nebraskas recruiting push picked up more steam during the Indiana game, when the program hosted a pair of high-end 2028 targets who gave the weekend added significance. Blue-chip safety Jordan Hicks and five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson were both on campus, a good sign for a staff trying to keep building momentum with younger classes while the on-field product continues to draw attention.
There was plenty else for recruits to take in, too, including cornerback Andrew Marshalls strong showing against Indiana, the kind of performance that can sharpen Nebraskas pitch to top defensive prospects. With analysts also starting to sort out possible bowl opponents after Week 7, the Cornhuskers have a lot of moving parts right now, but the broader picture is clear: the program is creating reasons for recruits to keep looking harder at Lincoln, and Hudsons status remains one of the more intriguing threads coming out of the visit weekend. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Now Faces A Real Illinois Quarterback Twist
Illinois quarterback situation has turned into one of the more relevant subplot for Nebraska as the Cornhuskers look ahead to a matchup that could still shift depending on how quickly Katin Houser heals. Houser suffered a broken hand and has already undergone surgery, with a recovery window of four to six weeks, which puts his status right on the edge of the Illinois-Nebraska game four weeks from now.
Michael Clayton II is the name to watch if Houser is not cleared in time, and that possibility changes the way Nebraska has to prepare for the Illini offense. Housers availability will shape the opponent the Cornhuskers actually see, and for now that uncertainty leaves Nebraska waiting on a decision that could alter the entire feel of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Are About To Feel A Memorial Stadium Shakeup
Nebraska fans got a little good news on the ticket front this week, as Nebraska Athletics announced that the cost of a season ticket at Memorial Stadium will go down for most Husker football supporters next year. It is the kind of move that will draw attention quickly in Lincoln, especially with the program already asking fans to buy into a massive long-term vision for the building.
The University of Nebraska has already launched its $600 million renovation project, the Big Red Rebuild, and the timing makes the ticket announcement feel like part of a much larger reset around Memorial Stadium. Nebraska Athletics also shared a video with renderings of the planned redevelopment, giving fans a first look at what the stadium could become as the work moves forward. [Read more 🡒]