Nebraska doesn’t figure to need much help Saturday night against Bowling Green, but the Huskers may get some anyway - and the real value is less about the Falcons than about getting Owen Chambliss moving again.
Chambliss has been dealing with a hamstring injury that first surfaced late in training camp, when defensive coordinator Rob Aurich said the linebacker had already missed a full week of practice. That absence carried into Nebraska’s preparation for Ohio, and while there had been hope Chambliss might get a few snaps in that game, he ended up looking like a spectator before kickoff. After the Huskers rolled to a blowout win, Matt Rhule said he wasn’t sure when Chambliss would be available.
The expectation now is that Chambliss is back in the mix, though not necessarily for a full workload. Nebraska is a heavy favorite - nearly 31 points - and Bowling Green arrives after losing to FCS Tarleton State last week, so the matchup gives the Huskers a chance to ease him in rather than rush him.
That matters because Chambliss is more than just a body in the middle of the defense. Aurich knows exactly what he brings, since both men were together at San Diego State in 2025, when they helped build one of the best defenses in the country. Chambliss was a major piece of that unit.
His 2025 season was the kind that changes a player’s profile fast: 109 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 4 sacks and an interception. Before that, his career high in tackles was 32.
Nebraska could have used him against Ohio, especially after that defense struggled badly in the first quarter. If he had been out there, the Huskers might have steadied things sooner.
But the bigger picture remains the same. Nebraska’s defense improving from week to week is the real storyline for Aurich, Rhule and the Blackshirts. If Chambliss can get on the field at all against Bowling Green, even in a limited role, that’s a step in the right direction.
In Other News...
Nebraska Unveiled An Old School Wrinkle Fans Will Want More Of
Anthony Jones Jr. gave Nebraska a little old-school flavor in the win over Ohio, lining up as a fullback and helping clear the way for touchdowns while still making his presence felt on defense. The defensive lineman also made three tackles in his Husker debut, a tidy start that only added to the value coaches have already seen in his versatility and leadership.
Jones is expected to keep contributing on defense when Nebraska meets Bowling Green next, but the wrinkle he brought to the offense was the kind of detail fans tend to notice quickly. It is not every day a lineman can help in the trenches on one side of the ball and then step into a lead-blocking role on the other, which is part of why his early impact has stood out. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Looked Every Bit Like No. 1 Against Baylor
Nebraska kept rolling at John Cook Arena, handling Baylor in straight sets and looking every bit like the top-ranked team in the building. The Huskers won 25-20, 25-22 and 26-24 behind balanced production, with Manaia Ogbechie and Harper Murray each putting down 12 kills and Bergen Reilly steering the offense with a season-high 41 assists.
Reilly also added three aces as Nebraska improved to 6-0, while Baylor dropped to 5-2 after pushing the final set deep into extra points. Ogbechies breakthrough night gave the Huskers another efficient option at the net, and the way Nebraska closed out each set suggested a team that is already settling into the kind of rhythm that can make early-season rankings feel less like a snapshot and more like a warning. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Showed Off Something Dangerous After That First Set Loss
Nebraskas response after dropping the opening set looked like the kind of depth and balance that can make a season interesting in a hurry. The Huskers turned the match around against Georgia Tech with three straight set wins, getting important help from Mania Ogbechie, Skyler Pierce and Teraya Sigler while also tightening up on the other side of the net. Nebraska finished with an 8-7 edge in aces and held Georgia Tech to a .112 hitting percentage, a strong sign that the match changed as much through pressure and defense as through pure scoring.
Pierce and Ogbechie gave Nebraska the offensive lift it needed once the early hiccup passed, and the way the Huskers closed out the match suggested they can get production from more than one place when a match starts to tilt. Siglers role added another layer to the win, giving Nebraska another option it could lean on as the fourth set arrived and the pressure started to build. For a team trying to prove it can absorb an early punch and still take control, that was a useful reminder of how dangerous it can look once it settles in. [Read more 🡒]