Nebraska opened the season with a win, and now the Huskers get a Bowling Green team that, on paper, gives them a path to keep rolling.
The biggest edge starts with the ground game. Jamal Rule burst onto the scene with 122 rushing yards on 15 carries, two touchdowns, and then added two catches for 47 yards and another score in his debut.
That performance earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Mekhi Nelson made his own noise too, piling up 64 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards, and two touchdowns of his own.
Add in Isaiah Mozee, and Nebraska’s three running backs combined for 329 yards. That matters against a Bowling Green defense that gave up 258 rushing yards last week.
Anthony Colandrea also gave Nebraska something to build on. He passed for 275 yards and completed 56% of his throws, a number that can improve, but the bigger point was what he did with his legs. He showed he can turn broken or tight situations into first downs and touchdowns, something Nebraska has been missing.
There were also signs of growth on defense after a shaky start last week. The first play from scrimmage clearly jolted Nebraska, and in the first half it looked like Ohio might score on every drive.
But the Huskers settled in, got stops, and went to halftime ahead by one after allowing 188 yards of offense. In the second half, Ohio managed only 115 yards and one touchdown.
The Blackshirts do not need to be perfect; they just need to adjust and make enough plays to win.
Bowling Green brings another angle Nebraska can press: roster turnover. Roughly half of the Falcons’ players are new this season, and more than 77% of the roster has changed over the past two years. In a sport where chemistry matters, that’s a real vulnerability.
And Nebraska’s defense has already shown it can create a momentum play. Rex Guthrie’s interception and 28-yard return produced the Huskers’ first takeaway of the season last week. With Bowling Green having turned it over twice in its loss to Tarleton State, Nebraska should have chances to go hunting for more.
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 🡒]