Nebraska’s offense has found its rhythm early, and Anthony Colandrea is the biggest reason why.
The senior quarterback was named Big Ten player of the week on Monday after carving up Bowling Green in Nebraska’s 56-7 win. Colandrea finished 20-of-24 for 224 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes, a sharp outing that also matched his best efficiency with the Huskers so far. His previous high for touchdown passes had been three, something he had done several times, including the opener against Ohio.
The first half told the story all by itself. Colandrea went 17-of-20 for 184 yards and all four of his touchdowns before halftime, helping Nebraska rattle off five straight touchdown drives and cruise into the break with a 35-0 lead.
For the season, Colandrea has completed 38 of 56 passes, a 67.9 percent clip, for 497 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 14 times for 56 yards and one score. Nationally, he ranks second in points responsible for per game at 24 and sits inside the top 25 in a few other offensive categories, including passing touchdowns, where his seven are ninth, and passing efficiency, where his 180.1 rating is 21st.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule pointed to Colandrea’s ability to keep the offense on schedule, saying Monday that he has done a good job of starting drives and putting the Huskers in manageable situations on second and third down.
Rhule also said Colandrea’s maturity has stood out since spring.
"He is a grown man," Rhule said of Colandrea. "On great teams there are no coaches and players in my mind, there are just people all trying to work together.
When you have an immature team, you have to be the coach all the time. 'Hey, do this, do that.'
Not with Ant."
It was Colandrea’s first Big Ten honor, though he was no stranger to weekly recognition in 2025 at UNLV, where he was a four-time Mountain West Player of the Week.
Nebraska and Colandrea will be back at home Saturday against North Dakota in the final non-conference tuneup before Big Ten play begins at the end of September. Rhule said Colandrea has done the right things through his first two games as a Husker.
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Now the conversation shifts from production to possibility as Nebraska gets ready for North Dakota. The numbers suggest a team with more answers than questions on offense, but they also raise the bigger issue that comes with any breakout start: how much of this should be built around Colandrea, and how much more can the Cornhuskers ask of the group if this pace holds? [Read more 🡒]