The Week 7 meeting between Nebraska and Oregon brings together two teams trying to steady themselves after a rough Saturday.
Nebraska arrives off its first loss of the season, a 20-17 defeat to Indiana in which it still cashed as an 8.5-point underdog. Oregon, meanwhile, took a 17-15 loss to UCLA as a 10.5-point favorite and dropped to 3-2 on the year.
All eyes now tilt toward the quarterback situation in Eugene, where Dante Moore’s status is still uncertain. If Moore can’t go, the Ducks will be navigating a major question under center. Even if he is available, the spotlight also belongs to Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea, who has been one of the more productive passers in the country this fall.
Colandrea has thrown for 1,406 yards, which ranks 31st nationally, and his 13 passing touchdowns are tied for 16th. He’s in his first season with Nebraska after two years at Virginia and a year at UNLV, though this is his fourth straight year as a starter. Across his college career, he has 62 touchdown passes and 32 interceptions.
Last week was a rare quiet night for him. Colandrea went 25 of 43 for 263 yards and an interception, his worst outing of the season. It also marked the first game this year in which he did not throw a touchdown pass, though he did add his third rushing score of the season.
Nebraska’s early run through the schedule didn’t ask much of it. The Cornhuskers opened with five straight wins and were favored by at least 15.5 points in four of those games. They also covered as 5.5-point favorites in a 31-13 win at Michigan State.
UCLA showed that Oregon can be pushed, and Nebraska will look to bring that same formula into Saturday night’s Big Ten matchup. Even with the Ducks at home, the expectation here is that the Cornhuskers can hang around and keep it within one score.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Put Dylan Raiola Back In Nebraskas Spotlight
Dylan Raiola is back in the spotlight in a way Nebraska fans know all too well, only this time the conversation is coming from Oregon. After the Ducks loss to UCLA, coach Dan Lanning said Raiola will be part of a quarterback competition with Brock Thomas while Dante Moore works his way back from a concussion, giving the former Husker target another public moment in a crowded race. Lanning also singled out Raiolas composure after being pulled from the game, a small but notable nod for a quarterback whose name still carries plenty of weight in Lincoln.
For Nebraska, any update involving Raiola tends to ripple beyond Eugene because his path has remained such a point of curiosity for the fan base. Lannings comments added a little more texture to where things stand, especially with Oregons offense searching for steadier footing and changes reportedly coming in team operations. The details of those changes were left unsaid, but Raiolas presence in the mix was clear enough to make this one worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Halloween Stunner Sparked Doubts Fans Couldnt Ignore
Halloween night in Lincoln delivered a jolt Nebraska fans did not see coming, as the seventh-ranked Cornhuskers were stunned at home by unranked Texas, 20-16. The loss snapped a 47-game home winning streak and came despite another outing that had Nebraska leaning on Eric Crouch, with Texas getting major days from Major Applewhite and Ricky Williams.
For a program that had treated Memorial Stadium like a fortress, the defeat carried an extra layer of sting because it was the first home loss to an unranked opponent since 1978. Nebraska slid to 14th in the Associated Press poll afterward, and the result left plenty of doubt around a team that had entered the night expected to protect its place among the nation's elite. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Showed Real Progress In A Loss Fans Know Too Well
Anthony Colandrea gave Nebraska a jolt in the fourth quarter against Indiana with a 39-yard touchdown run that pushed the Cornhuskers ahead 17-6. For a team still searching for the kind of performance that can reset expectations, it felt like the sort of moment fans had been waiting to see, especially with Nebraska showing a level of competitiveness that made the game feel different for a while.
Indiana answered with two long touchdown receptions by Nick Marsh to turn the night around and escape with a 20-17 win, the kind of finish Nebraska supporters know too well. Even in defeat, though, there was a real sense of progress in how the Cornhuskers competed, and enough promise to leave fans thinking this team may be moving toward something better. [Read more 🡒]