Nebraska gets another shot at a Mid-American Conference opponent Saturday night, and this one comes with a familiar mandate: clean up the sloppiness and keep building.
The Cornhuskers are back in Lincoln, Neb., after opening the season with a 49-21 win over Ohio, a game that started slowly before Nebraska found its rhythm. Now comes Bowling Green, which is trying to rebound from a 20-13 home loss to FCS program Tarleton State.
For Nebraska, the opener was about both the flash and the fixes. UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea made a loud first impression, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. Freshman Jamal Rule also popped, piling up 169 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
The Huskers moved the ball on the ground, too, rushing for 248 yards - their most in a game since 2023. But the final score didn’t erase the issues Matt Rhule saw along the way.
"We have some areas that showed up in that game that weren't good enough," Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule said. "We have a lot to improve upon."
Bowling Green is heading into a tough stretch that starts with a two-game road swing against power conference teams, including a trip to Iowa State on Sept. 19. The Falcons’ loss to Tarleton State was a setback in more ways than one: it was the first time since 2023 that Bowling Green didn’t win its opener.
Still, Eddie George said his team is learning on the fly. The second-year Bowling Green coach, a former Heisman Trophy-winning running back at Ohio State who played nine seasons in the NFL, saw enough from his quarterback and top receiver to know there were some bright spots.
"This is a young football team that I'm watching grow every week," George said.
"This is one we have to learn and grow from."
Jay Kastantin completed 24 of 30 passes for 262 yards in the loss, and Jeremiah Scoby hauled in 10 catches for 102 yards.
Saturday’s matchup will be the first ever between Nebraska and Bowling Green. The Cornhuskers are 6-0 all-time against current MAC schools, while Bowling Green last beat a power conference opponent in 2023 at Georgia Tech and has not beaten a Big Ten team since winning at Minnesota in 2021.
In Other News...
Anthony Colandrea Just Sparked A New Nebraska Quarterback Debate
Anthony Colandreas showing in Nebraskas win over Ohio gave the quarterback conversation a little more texture, and it is not hard to see why. Former Husker quarterback and coach Joe Ganz came away impressed not just with the box score, but with the way Colandrea carried himself during the game, pointing to the kind of leadership and accountability teammates respond to in tight moments.
The performance itself backed up the praise. Colandrea finished 18 of 32 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the combination of production and poise has a way of nudging a debate forward in Lincoln. When a quarterback draws that kind of endorsement from a former Husker who knows the position as both a player and a coach, the conversation around Nebraskas future at the position tends to get louder, even if the full answer still has to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Evans Just Gave Nebraska Fans Another Reason To Believe
Justin Evans keeps stacking up the kind of recognition that tends to matter in a program trying to build something sturdier than a single season. The Nebraska fifth-year offensive lineman was named to the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List, a nod that centers on leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship as much as what happens between the lines. With 32 career starts already on his rsum, Evans has become one of the more dependable veterans on the roster, and the preseason praise has followed accordingly, from second-team All-American mention to a Rimington Trophy watch spot.
For Nebraska, the latest honor is another reminder that Evans is carrying real weight in the locker room as well as on the field. The Witten award will move through semifinalists and finalists later this season before a winner is announced in spring 2027, so the larger picture is still unfolding, but Evans has already put himself in a spot where his profile keeps rising for reasons beyond just offensive line play. In a season where the Cornhuskers are trying to keep momentum and credibility moving in the right direction, that kind of recognition is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Defense Gets A Key Return At The Perfect Time
Owen Chambliss is back in the Nebraska defense for Week 2, and the timing could hardly be better for a unit looking to settle in after the opener. The First-Team All-Conference linebacker from the Mountain West brings a blend of pass rush, coverage and quarterback containment that should give the Cornhuskers more range at every level of the defense.
Just as important, Chambliss will wear the defensive headset, a role that should help clean up communication and cut down on assignment mistakes. For Nebraska, the return is about more than adding another experienced defender - it gives the Huskers a stabilizing voice in the middle of the field at a point in the season when those details can shape everything that follows. [Read more 🡒]