Nebraska’s season opener started with a jolt, settled into a mess, and then turned into a comfortable 49-21 win over Ohio on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers had to shake off a rough opening stretch, but once they did, the game tilted hard in their favor. Nebraska moved to 1-0 behind a breakout showing from true freshman Jamal Rule and a second-half surge from senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
Rule made the kind of debut that forces coaches to take a hard look at the depth chart. The Salisbury, North Carolina, native finished with 17 total touches, 169 total yards and three touchdowns, and he looked like much more than a young player getting his feet wet. He was slippery in space, powerful through contact and dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield.
His longest run went for 39 yards, but that wasn’t even the most eye-catching part of his afternoon. Rule became the first freshman running back to post a 100+ rushing game since 2004. He also piled up 64 yards after the catch and added 122 yards on the ground, repeatedly turning short plays into chunk gains.
One of his biggest moments came in the second quarter with Nebraska trailing 13-7. Colandrea hit Rule on a screen, and the freshman took it all the way down the sideline for his second touchdown of the day. That play underlined just how much he can do beyond simply carrying the ball.
Nebraska got another strong day from junior Mekhi Nelson, who finished with 129 total yards and two touchdowns.
Colandrea’s afternoon was uneven early, but he settled in once the game opened up. The UNLV transfer had stretches where he looked like a playmaker with real command, and other snaps where he held the ball too long.
Still, the final line was productive: 275 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 23 rushing yards and a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Overall, he accounted for four total touchdowns and 298 total yards.
His top target was junior wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, who saw a team-high 10 targets. Gilmer capped the game with a 9-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s defense, though, spent plenty of the afternoon giving Ohio reasons to believe. The first snap of the season turned into a 68-yard catch for redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Neer, and a few plays later Neer added a 4-yard touchdown reception for the game’s first points. He finished with six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Ohio also found some success on the ground, rushing for 139 yards, while the Bobcats’ passing game added another 164 yards through the air. Nebraska’s secondary and run defense both had early issues that showed up quickly.
There was some pushback later. In the fourth quarter, junior defensive back Rex Guthrie intercepted Ohio quarterback Nick Poulos and returned it 35 yards. Nebraska’s defense also tightened in the second half, allowing only eight points after halftime.
Ohio redshirt freshman defensive end Ike Ackerman was a problem in the pocket all day, posting four solo tackles and the team’s only two sacks. Ackerman, an Omaha Central High School alum, returned home just under 58 miles from his high school. He led the state of Nebraska in sacks in 2024 and helped the Eagles reach the state playoffs.
Saturday also brought a recruiting note from the stands. Millard South quarterback Trae Taylor attended Nebraska’s home opener, despite the loss of 2027 commit Tay Ellis. Taylor was there with dozens of other commits and recruits to watch the Huskers earn their first win of the year.
Nebraska will be back at Memorial Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 12, against Bowling Green. Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. CT in the first night game at the stadium this season.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Made A Strong Early Impression On Key Recruits
Nebraskas season opener against Ohio turned into more than just the start of a new football year. The program brought in more than 30 recruits for the game, giving several top commits and targets a first-hand look at the atmosphere in Lincoln and a chance to see how the staff presented itself on a busy early-season weekend. Among those in attendance were Barrett Kitrell, Thatcher Shelton, Elias Schafer, Isaiah Grant, Devin Hill Jr. and Nicholas Payne Jr., a group that reflected how wide the Huskers cast their net on the recruiting trail.
What stood out afterward was not only the crowd and the setting, but the way the visit connected the recruits to the programs offensive showing and to the people around it. Some of the visitors walked away with offers or invitations to come back, while others talked about the relationships they felt building with coaches and players during the trip. For Nebraska, that kind of early impression matters, especially when the first home game can set the tone for how the staff sells the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Slim Halftime Lead Comes With Two Big Warning Signs
Nebraska carried a narrow 14-13 lead into halftime at Memorial Stadium, but the first 30 minutes hardly felt clean. Ohio got on the board early after a defensive miscommunication, and the Cornhuskers kept making life harder on themselves with six first-half penalties, including one that erased a Nebraska touchdown and stalled an opportunity to separate.
Ohio quarterback Nick Poulos looked sharp in the first quarter, while Nebraskas defense spent the opening stretch searching for answers before settling in some midway through the second quarter. The halftime margin still left the Cornhuskers in front, but the warning signs were obvious enough that the lead felt a lot thinner than the scoreboard suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas New-Look Defense Already Revealed A Few Early Tone-Setters
Nebraska got a first real look at its reworked defense in the season opener against Ohio, and the early signs were more about depth and roles than final answers. Thirty-four defenders saw the field, with the front especially busy as 18 players cycled through the defensive line rotation, helping keep the Bobcats from finding much ground success outside of quarterback runs. The unit still gave up 303 yards over 65 plays, but it also showed the kind of layered approach this staff seems intent on using.
Vincent Shavers emerged as a workload leader at linebacker, while Victor Evans III posted the top overall grade in the secondary, two encouraging markers for a group sorting out its identity early. There was also a timely takeaway from Rex Guthrie, who picked off his first career interception, and enough pressure to suggest the pass rush has something to build on, even if the sack total was limited. For Nebraska, the opener offered a useful snapshot of who can set the tone as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]