Jamal Rule has given Nebraska football something it can build around after three games, and the freshman running back has done it without looking anything like a first-year player.
Through the Huskers’ 3-0 non-conference start, Rule has already topped 88 rushing yards in each game and has posted two 100-yard performances in his first three outings. He piled up 155 yards on 19 carries last Saturday, and for the second straight week, none of his runs lost yardage. He’s also been a problem in space, consistently making defenders miss once he gets into the open field.
That kind of start has people around the program talking. Pat Fitzgerald, the Michigan State head coach, compared Rule to Lawrence Phillips. And while that’s a leap Nebraska fans may not want to rush into yet, Ahman Green’s freshman rushing record is suddenly in real danger.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen put it plainly on Tuesday: “He doesn’t play like a freshman, so we aren’t going to treat him like one.”
The numbers back up the impression. Nebraska is averaging 264 rushing yards per game through three contests, and Rule alone is putting up 109 yards per game.
Elsewhere in the Huskers’ orbit, Nebraska football will open the 2027 season at Arrowhead in Kansas City, just as it opened the 2025 season there. The opponent will be Miami (Ohio). The setting is a strong one, but scheduling a MAC team for that stage feels like a miss.
On the volleyball side, Nebraska will finish its match against Missouri tonight in Lincoln after the Wrigley Field meeting was suspended before it ever got going. The score was still 0-0 when play stopped.
The match is set to begin at 6 PM CST and will air on the Big Ten Network. It’s Nebraska’s final non-conference match before Big Ten play begins this weekend.
In Other News...
Nebraska Is Getting A Very Different Michigan State Test Saturday
Michigan State is heading into Big Ten play with a very different feel under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and that makes Saturdays matchup a little harder to frame than the usual conference opener. According to Stephen Brooks of 247Sports, Fitzgerald has already changed the energy around the program, leaning into a grinder mentality and a work-first approach that has given the Spartans a clearer identity early on.
For Nebraska, that means preparing for a team that may look less like a rebuild and more like a group buying into a specific style of play. Fitzgeralds familiarity with the Big Ten and his reputation as a charismatic leader have helped him win over fans and players quickly, and that early buy-in is part of what makes this a tricky test for the Cornhuskers as they begin to sort out where they stand in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Face A Memorial Stadium Shakeup Beyond The Renovations
Memorial Stadium is entering a stretch of change that goes beyond cranes and construction crews. Nebraskas Big Red Rebuild is already underway, and with capacity temporarily reduced during renovations, the athletic department is preparing a reseating process ahead of the 2027 season while also rolling out changes to ticket pricing, seating contributions and stadium amenities.
For fans, the next two seasons figure to bring a different game-day experience before the building settles into its final form. Some renovated areas are expected to be ready for 2027, but the full project remains aimed at completion by the 2028 season, when Memorial Stadium is expected to have its full capacity back in place. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas 3-0 Start Is Setting Up A Bigger Debate Than Expected
Nebraskas 34-7 win over North Dakota added another layer to a 3-0 start that has brought a real sense of progress under Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers have looked more organized in the early going, and the changes around the program have been part of the story too, with several new coaches joining the staff and a new defensive coordinator installing a 4-3-5 scheme.
Now the conversation is shifting from simple improvement to what comes next, because the schedule is about to demand a sharper answer. Michigan State, Maryland and Indiana are waiting, and the early optimism in Lincoln is set to meet a stretch that should say plenty about how real this start actually is. [Read more 🡒]