Nebraska’s trip to Oregon comes with a very different feel than it did when the season began. The Ducks have already taken two losses and sit 25th in the coaches poll, while Nebraska remains outside the AP Top 25. After last week’s gut punch against Indiana, Matt Rhule’s team has another chance to prove it can handle a big road spot.
A win here would land as the biggest victory of the Rhule era, and it would mean even more because it would come against Dylan Raiola, who could be starting on the other sideline. That’s possible because Dante Moore has been ruled out, and Oregon also enters the game without one of its best receivers, Evan Stewart.
Nebraska, meanwhile, will be without Jamir Conn and is likely to be missing Riley Van Poppel again. Rhule said the Huskers were “angry” after letting the Indiana game slip away, and this matchup offers an immediate chance to change the tone of the season.
For Nebraska to pull it off, Anthony Colandrea has to be the guy. He’s averaging 294 total yards per game and 2.6 touchdowns per game, and the Ducks have shown they can be hit defensively.
Oregon has allowed 27 points or more three times this season, and Drew Mestemaker piled up more than 300 passing yards and more than 100 rushing yards against them. Colandrea may need to get close to 100 yards on the ground to tilt this game Nebraska’s way, and he should have a bigger touchdown day than he did last week.
With more quarterback runs in the red zone after Nebraska scored touchdowns on just one of three trips there against Indiana, he can get to three total touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
Raiola, if he starts, should be fine rather than spectacular. Dan Lanning and Oregon have kept the decision under wraps, but Raiola feels like the likeliest choice because of the upside he brings.
Brock Thomas would be the next option if things go sideways. Oregon’s path to victory would probably come from its backs, offensive line, and receivers creating yards after the catch rather than from a huge night at quarterback.
Nebraska should pick off Raiola once, and he still has issues when pressure gets home. Even so, he should throw a touchdown pass and look more like the player people expected when he transferred.
What he probably won’t do is match his 289-yard, two-touchdown outing against USC, or repeat the three-turnover mess from the UCLA game.
Even with Nebraska’s offense doing enough to stay in it, this game feels built for points. Oregon is scoring 41 per game despite last week’s rough outing, and a fast start from the Ducks would not be a surprise.
Nebraska may find itself chasing, with Colandrea forced to answer. The Huskers needed more than 17 points against Indiana, and they likely need to clear that bar here too.
The spread has Nebraska as a 6.5-point underdog, with the over/under sitting at 51.5. This looks closer to a coin flip than that number suggests, though special teams could be the difference if the game gets tight.
The pick here is Oregon 30, Nebraska 27, with the Huskers covering but still falling short. Same story as Indiana.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Got A Break Before Oregon But The Challenge Remains
Oregon is heading into its matchup with Nebraska a little thinner than expected, with quarterback Dante Moore ruled out and wide receiver Evan Stewart downgraded to doubtful. That changes the look of a game that already carried plenty of weight for Nebraska, which has spent the week preparing for one of the most difficult tests on its schedule and now gets a slightly different version of the Ducks than the one it may have been game-planning for.
Even with those personnel questions for Oregon, the challenge for Nebraska does not disappear. The Huskers still have to deal with a program that has the speed, depth and organization to make life difficult on either side of the ball, and the broader Nebraska sports picture keeps rolling too, with volleyball stretching its regular-season win streak to 49 matches in a sweep of Northwestern and basketball set to return with an exhibition against BYU featuring returning players Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Real Road Test As Oregon Prep Gets Complicated
Matt Rhule said Nebraska is spending the week not just on Oregon, but on the logistics that come with a late kickoff and a difficult road environment. The Cornhuskers have had to adjust their routine for the unusual start time while keeping the emphasis on football, and Rhule pointed to the kind of details that can decide a game away from home, including crowd noise and cleaner communication.
Jamir Conn has been ruled out, which opens the door for other Nebraska players to take on more leadership as the Huskers get ready for one of their tougher tests of the season. Oregons quarterback situation is still unsettled, adding another layer of preparation for Nebraska, but Rhules message has been straightforward: stay locked in, handle the noise, and be ready for whatever version of the Ducks shows up. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Has A Real Shot To End Its Ranked-Game Misery
Nebraska heads into the Oregon matchup with more reason for optimism than it usually carries into a ranked showdown. The Huskers know quarterback Dylan Raiola well enough to at least feel comfortable with the challenge, and they have some offensive answers of their own if Anthony Colandrea can help keep the offense moving and the rushing game does its part.
Oregons recent turnover issues give Nebraska a path to stay in the game, and maybe more than that if the Huskers can capitalize when opportunities arrive. The bigger backdrop is impossible to ignore: Nebraska has spent too long coming up short against ranked opponents, and this one offers a chance to finally change that story. [Read more 🡒]